“Isabella, give these to me and bring the rest of the invitations as well.”
“Okay! Just give me a moment, please.”
As I reached out for the invitations, Isabella willingly handed them over to me.
I carefully held onto the invitations to avoid dropping them, when I suddenly realized that I would need stationery to respond to them.
I almost forgot something important, I muttered to myself, then quickly called out to Isabella, who had walked a fair distance away.
“Isabella!”
“Yes?”
“Can you bring me some sheets of paper on your way back?”
“Sure. Got it.”
After hearing my request, Isabella nodded vigorously and started walking back.
I watched her retreating figure before going back into the bedroom.
***
“[…For that reason, we cordially invite Lady Obelton of Serbia to the banquet hosted by our family next Thursday. We sincerely hope that the lady…]
Thud, I put down the invitation on the table, halting my reading of the exact same sentence for the twentieth time. The letters seemed to dance in front of my eyes, causing a throbbing in my head.
‘Shall I bring the next invitation?’
Isabella, who was sorting through the invitations beside me, asked, noticing my condition.
‘I need a little break. Are there still many left?’
‘Hmm…’
She hesitated to answer my question as I pressed my temples with the back of my hand. Isabella’s silence spoke volumes.
That many…
I swallowed the sigh that rose to my throat and massaged the back of my neck, feeling stiff.
Just moments ago, there had been at least a flicker of excitement, but now, rather than feeling thrilled, I was merely exhausted. Despite my task being nothing more than reading invitations that others had written, it felt as though my energy was being drained away.
‘Is it very hard?’
‘Yeah, it’s a bit tough.’
I gave Isabella a faint smile in response to her concerned question. I didn’t want to appear weak, tired out by reviewing just a few dozens of invitations.
However, Isabella, who saw right through my condition despite my intentions, seemed to think for a moment before she cautiously suggested,
“Then, shall I only collect and show you the invitations from families that are above the rank of a duke?”
“…Would that be okay?”
“Of course. Only checking invitations from families of a certain status is actually a method used by many noblewomen.”
“Hmm….”
I briefly pondered while looking at Isabella, who confidently answered. Her suggestion was quite tempting. If I could only see the invitations that I really need to check, I would definitely be less tired than I am now.
However, one thing that worried me was that by processing the invitations this way, I might end up ignoring families that are not major houses.
My worries, which led one to another, eventually came to a conclusion.
Having organized my thoughts, I opened my mouth.
“Alright. Do that for me.”
“Okay. I’ll organize them and bring them to you right away!”
Upon my answer, Isabella excitedly started rustling through the invitations as if she had been waiting for it.
Watching her, I let out a small laugh and then added.
“After cleaning up, don’t throw away the remaining things; leave them elsewhere. I’ll check them when I have time later.”
Instead of prioritizing and viewing invitations based on status, it was okay to check all of them later.
Moreover, I was planning to annul my engagement with Ruth in 150 days as per our contract. Therefore, there was no need to establish ties with every family.
It sufficed to focus on securing the support of more than half of the four major ducal houses within the given time.
And for that, it would be better to foster friendships with families of ducal rank or higher.
While I was lost in thought, looking out the window, Isabella, who had finished organizing the invitations, handed me a few of them.
I was inwardly surprised by the significantly reduced pile, a stark contrast to what seemed like an attempt to build a mountain earlier. I felt a slight regret for not having done this sooner.
My gaze, examining the invitations she handed over, soon settled intently on one.
“The Abyssal Ducal Family…”
I murmured softly, reading the sender’s information on the pink invitation card that emitted a gentle rose fragrance.
The Abyssal Ducal Family belonged to the Emperor’s faction, along with the Obelton Ducal Family, focusing more on business than politics.
However, even though they were part of the Emperor’s faction, the Abyssal Family had a different nature from the Obelton Family.
If the Obelton family is a founding contributor to the country, supporting the emperor unconditionally in the political realm, the Abyss family supported the emperor by calculating losses and gains.
This means, if the losses incurred by supporting the emperor outweigh the benefits, the Abyss family could change their stance at any time, just as they did 11 years ago.
Of course, they had changed their mind again and helped Ruth to establish themselves as a pro-emperor family, but this was clearly because the benefits of joining hands with Ruth were much greater.
Is this why? An unwelcome invitation felt unnecessarily heavy.
The invitation from the Abyss family was not much different from the others.
It was simply an invitation from Helen Abyss, asking for the pleasure of your company at a tea party she is hosting next week, to brighten the occasion.
I stared at the elegantly written name ‘Helen Abyss’ at the bottom of the invitation for a few seconds before asking Isabella,
“Isabella, what kind of person is Lady Helen Abyss?”
“Miss Abyss? I don’t know much, but I’ve heard she’s intelligent.”
“Can you tell me a bit more?”
“Uh, actually, I don’t know much either. Just that… Ah! Miss Abyss enjoys playing chess a lot.”
Chess was a game that required a lot of thinking.
With each move, there were many variables to consider, and above all, it was essential to view the situation objectively.
Despite chess being something that nobles learned as part of their etiquette, there were few among them who actually enjoyed playing it.
Still, to think that one would enjoy such a game. Just hearing about it seemed to suggest they were no ordinary person.
What should I do?
I pondered deeply while looking down at the invitation from Lady Abyss, the duchess.
Lady Abyss was a member of the renowned Abyss ducal family, and even the rumors about her exuded an extraordinary aura. This made me hesitant to accept the invitation readily.
While I had once eagerly wanted to build a friendship with Countess Sirael, this time was different. I had a premonition that there was something more behind Lady Abyss’s invitation.
Seeing me silent with an expressionless face, Isabella tilted her head in confusion.
“Would you like me to gather more information about Lady Abyss for you?”
“No, this is enough.”
Regaining my composure at her voice, I straightened up and gestured to Isabella.
“Isabella. Could you hand me the stationery? I need to respond to Lady Abyss’s invitation.”
Sitting and worrying wasn’t going to yield any answers. Therefore, it was better to meet Lady Abyss in person. Moreover, being one of the four major ducal families, this could also be a good opportunity.
“Excuse me!”
“Thank you.”
Isabella quickly fetched me some writing paper in response to my request and smiled brightly. Then she watched quietly as I dipped my pen in ink before breaking the silence, her large amber eyes shining.
“Um, my lady.”
“Why?”
“What are you going to wear to the tea party hosted by Lady Abyss?”
“Just something I have…”
“Absolutely not!”
“?”
Suddenly raising her voice, Isabella then lowered her eyes and continued.
“Your reputation could depend on what you wear to such social gatherings!”
“So?”
“Since we have a whole week until the tea party, if it’s alright with you, let’s go to a tailor and have a dress made.”
I glanced at her speaking in a bright tone and shrugged my shoulders.
“How do you plan to make a tailor’s appointment? Even if we manage to book one, we’d have to wait at least a month.”
“Oh, right…”
Disappointment brimmed in her eyes upon hearing my story.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Isabella, whose emotions were plainly visible on her face.
“But it seems like there’s a dress shop where you can get a dress made without a reservation.”
“Where is it?”
As I recalled the information I’d casually let slip, I noticed Isabella regaining her spirits and dug through my memories. A vivid memory from a year ago played in my mind.
“If it’s a request from the Lady, I’ll make time somehow to tailor a dress for you. So please, call on me anytime.”
A clear, ringing voice echoed in my ears, and without realizing, a gentle smile formed on my lips as I responded.
“Elleana’s Dress Shop.”
Isabella’s eyes widened at the name I mentioned.
“…What? Don’t you have to wait at least six months to get a reservation there?”
“It’s usually the case, but it might work out. We have to send a letter to Elleana’s Dress Shop too, so please bring me some more stationery.”
As I gave her a vague explanation, she left with a puzzled face to fetch the stationery.
I watched Isabella’s retreating figure through the door and proceeded to write a letter to the Abyss family.
The letter that started with, “To the esteemed Lady Helen Abyss,” could only be concluded with a period an hour later.
***
As I expected, a positive reply came back from Elleana’s dress shop in less than a day. True to her swift nature, Elleana visited the imperial palace the very next day after sending me a positive response.
“Oh my, Lady Serbia Obelton. It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
As I entered the reception room, Elleana, who had been scribbling something in a notebook, greeted me warmly.
I slightly squinted my eyes at her, who hadn’t changed a bit since a year ago.
“I’ve been well. How about you, Miss Elleana?”
“I’ve also been fortunate enough to be well,” she replied with a smile. Then, she pushed up the glasses that had slightly slid down her nose.
“As you may have heard, I’m here to tailor your dress at your sister’s request, and I hear you’re going to Lady Abyss’s tea party, is that correct?”
