“Ilya.”
Cecilia's cold voice fell.
“I definitely sent invitations to every family on the list!”
She knew that it wasn't something that could be slept on, so she made an excuse in a hurry. Ilya actually remembered checking the list of families to whom the invitations were sent and the invitations several times.
“There was a miss in the transmission, or someone made a mistake. I really did send them all, Your Highness.”
Ilya clung to her with an earnest expression as if asking for Cecilia to believe her. Instead of expressing her opinion of whether she believed or not, Cecilia turned her head away from Ilya with a blank expression.
“Let’s talk about this after the banquet, Ilya.”
Since she had always responded favorably to Ilya's words and answered with a smile, the gap between them was even wider. Ilya couldn't bring herself to cling to Cecilia and started to cry.
“Bring me some stationery and a pen. I must write letters to both families. Tell them that I will be sure to invite them to dinner next time, along with a gift of apology.”
Cecilia wrote the letter in an urgent handwriting. All the invited guests were already at the banquet hall, so there wasn't much time left.
“What happened?”
As if he had received news that all those invited to the banquet hall had gathered, the main character of the banquet, Eden, appeared. Eden’s slender figure, wearing a black jacket decorated with gold and white pants, was very handsome, but it seemed that even Ilya could not see him at the moment.
“The Duke of Somerset and the Marquis Clinton did not attend. We sent invitations, but it seems there was a problem with the delivery process since they did not attend without any explanation.”
Cecilia stamped the Grand Duke's seal and hurriedly put the letter, still wax-dried, into Madame Monte's hands. Abby ran out to get the gift Cecilia had mentioned.
“I’m sorry, of all people. What should I do....”
Cecilia tightly closed her eyes with a look of defeat on her face. It was a banquet for the master of the Grand Duke's family. However, if the preparations were inadequate and brought shame to him, it was Cecilia's fault for preparing the banquet.
“It’s okay. The Duke of Somerset and the Marquis of Clinton aren’t such lenient people. You can invite them to dinner later and spend some time with them separately.”
However, Eden, who had come closer, did not reprimand Cecilia. Rather, he consoled her, saying that it was a problem that could be easily resolved.
“You have to enter the banquet hall soon, are you going to keep looking so sad?”
At Eden's words, Cecilia hesitated but tried to brighten her face. This was the first party she had hosted since becoming the Grand Duchess. Since the level of the party would directly affect the Grand Duchess's honor, it was impossible for Cecilia not to be upset.
"Sorry."
“Stop apologizing, Cecilia. It wasn’t your fault.”
Eden's gaze turned to Cecilia's shoulder, who was intimidated.
“Let’s go.”
The gaze was cold. Even though they were far apart, Ilya bit her lips and held back tears at the gaze that was clearly reproachful.
Cecilia turned her head away from the dispirited Ilya, escorted by Eden. No matter how much she had called Ilua in to use her, the current Ilya was too pitiful to even feel any sense of reward.
Now that we've gotten everything we could, it's time to wrap things up.
Cecilia just had that thought.
Cecilia's cold voice fell.
“I definitely sent invitations to every family on the list!”
She knew that it wasn't something that could be slept on, so she made an excuse in a hurry. Ilya actually remembered checking the list of families to whom the invitations were sent and the invitations several times.
“There was a miss in the transmission, or someone made a mistake. I really did send them all, Your Highness.”
Ilya clung to her with an earnest expression as if asking for Cecilia to believe her. Instead of expressing her opinion of whether she believed or not, Cecilia turned her head away from Ilya with a blank expression.
“Let’s talk about this after the banquet, Ilya.”
Since she had always responded favorably to Ilya's words and answered with a smile, the gap between them was even wider. Ilya couldn't bring herself to cling to Cecilia and started to cry.
“Bring me some stationery and a pen. I must write letters to both families. Tell them that I will be sure to invite them to dinner next time, along with a gift of apology.”
Cecilia wrote the letter in an urgent handwriting. All the invited guests were already at the banquet hall, so there wasn't much time left.
“What happened?”
As if he had received news that all those invited to the banquet hall had gathered, the main character of the banquet, Eden, appeared. Eden’s slender figure, wearing a black jacket decorated with gold and white pants, was very handsome, but it seemed that even Ilya could not see him at the moment.
“The Duke of Somerset and the Marquis Clinton did not attend. We sent invitations, but it seems there was a problem with the delivery process since they did not attend without any explanation.”
Cecilia stamped the Grand Duke's seal and hurriedly put the letter, still wax-dried, into Madame Monte's hands. Abby ran out to get the gift Cecilia had mentioned.
“I’m sorry, of all people. What should I do....”
Cecilia tightly closed her eyes with a look of defeat on her face. It was a banquet for the master of the Grand Duke's family. However, if the preparations were inadequate and brought shame to him, it was Cecilia's fault for preparing the banquet.
“It’s okay. The Duke of Somerset and the Marquis of Clinton aren’t such lenient people. You can invite them to dinner later and spend some time with them separately.”
However, Eden, who had come closer, did not reprimand Cecilia. Rather, he consoled her, saying that it was a problem that could be easily resolved.
“You have to enter the banquet hall soon, are you going to keep looking so sad?”
At Eden's words, Cecilia hesitated but tried to brighten her face. This was the first party she had hosted since becoming the Grand Duchess. Since the level of the party would directly affect the Grand Duchess's honor, it was impossible for Cecilia not to be upset.
"Sorry."
“Stop apologizing, Cecilia. It wasn’t your fault.”
Eden's gaze turned to Cecilia's shoulder, who was intimidated.
“Let’s go.”
The gaze was cold. Even though they were far apart, Ilya bit her lips and held back tears at the gaze that was clearly reproachful.
Cecilia turned her head away from the dispirited Ilya, escorted by Eden. No matter how much she had called Ilua in to use her, the current Ilya was too pitiful to even feel any sense of reward.
Now that we've gotten everything we could, it's time to wrap things up.
Cecilia just had that thought.
***
“It’s as splendid as a theater.”
“That’s right. It’s just as great to see the actors performing as it is to see them in a theater.”
Although there were problems with the invitation, the banquet itself went off without a hitch.
As Cecilia had meticulously planned the banquet, there were no problems with the landscaping or the food. Those who had been invited enjoyed the banquet while having private conversations with the Grand Duke and watching a play.
“Congratulations again, Your Highness.”
"Thank you."
Even though everyone present was laughing, Cecilia couldn't smile comfortably at all. It seemed like the fact that the two families' tables were empty was bothering her the whole time.
“Do you still care about that?”
Eden stopped Cecilia's hand, which was bringing the glass to her lips, and asked. Then, he naturally snatched the glass away and placed it on the table. He knew that Cecilia's drinking habits were very strict.
“Everyone is laughing and having fun, so don’t worry too much. It’s okay.”
“I’m sure when they get home, they’ll find two tables empty and I’ll probably make a fuss about why.”
Even if those two were powerful, the weight of the mistake would be even heavier. Cecilia was sure of it and felt upset. It was like that every time the attendees passed by the two empty tables with strange looks.
“Even so, no one is so foolish as to show it on the outside.”
“...”
“I won’t leave it like that.”
Eden's arms gently wrapped around Cecilia's slender waist. He even gave her a brief kiss on the temple as if to comfort her. They looked like newlyweds in another world.
“But it would be better to get rid of that maid now.”
“I will. I should have given you a gift, but I have only caused you to feel hurt.”
Everyone's eyes were on Cecilia and Eden. Eden pretended not to notice the gaze and smiled briefly.
“My heart is not broken.”
“...”
“How could you possibly know what kind of person she is? You were just doing her a favor, Cecilia.”
So, there's no need to feel guilty, Eden said. Cecilia smiled and expressed her gratitude for Eden's understanding.
After comforting Cecilia like that, Eden left for a moment. Cecilia smiled and greeted the ladies who familiarly approached her.
“Cecilia.”
Of course, Sienna was there too. Cecilia greeted Sienna as if she was meeting a long-lost friend.
“You must have prepared everything. Everyone is praising you.”
“It’s our first event since we got married. But it wasn’t perfect.”
Cecilia smiled faintly. Sienna followed Cecilia's gaze, briefly glancing at the two empty tables.
“That’s a mistake you wouldn’t make, right?”
“It was my mistake.”
In any case, the one ultimately responsible was Cecilia. Cecilia admitted that fact calmly.
“It is also the maid’s job to make sure that the invitation is delivered properly until the end. The Grand Duchess cannot do such trivial things, so that is why she has a maid.”
Sienna spoke sharply, but it was more of a gesture of protection than an accusation directed at Cecilia.
Rather, it was Ilya she wanted to blame. She was lying flat on her face and apologizing, and she was trying to please Cecilia who was trembling, but she didn't even show her nose.
“And you left the Grand Duke alone just to avoid embarrassment. For now...”
Sienna clicked her tongue. She had so much to say, but Ilya wasn't her maid anyway, so she couldn't cross the line. That would hurt Cecilia's feelings.
“I feel like I put too much of a burden on Ilya since she only has one maid.”
Sienna crinkled her eyes as if she had heard something strange. Was it difficult to make a list, write an invitation, and distribute it? Anyone who could write could do it.
“So, one way or another, as I give orders, she often runs into His Highness and hears useless stories. That’s not good for a lady who is not yet married.”
But the very next moment, Sienna's expression froze coldly. It was because she realized that Ilya was trying to flirt with Eden, even though Cecilia had tried to wrap it up nicely.
“Oh my God.”
Sienna sighed briefly. In her eyes, Cecilia was just a young and naive Grand Duchess who had just turned twenty, oblivious to her maid’s shenanigans.
“Are you worried about your maid even in this situation?”
Sienna let out a small sigh. What you should be worried about right now is not that maid’s reputation, but your newlywed husband and you. Unable to bring herself to say that, Sienna pretended to scold Cecilia.
Cecilia could see one future in Sienna's face.
“I must tell His Highness the Grand Duke to take good care of his wife.”
Ilya Nova would not have an easy time establishing herself in the social circles of the system in the future. Even if she were to marry someone and be called a wife someday, it would be the same.
“Don’t worry about anything, Sienna.”
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
If Sienna wanted to, she could crush Ilya's social foothold. The social world is considered a playground for women, but she could exert her influence in more diverse fields than you might think.
So being left out there wasn't just about being disconnected from social activities. It was about not being able to network, not being able to get information, and not being connected to power.
So Count Nova would not be able to live as before, even if they barely managed to escape Cecilia's clutches. After all, a beast with its limbs cut off cannot hunt.
“That’s right. It’s just as great to see the actors performing as it is to see them in a theater.”
Although there were problems with the invitation, the banquet itself went off without a hitch.
As Cecilia had meticulously planned the banquet, there were no problems with the landscaping or the food. Those who had been invited enjoyed the banquet while having private conversations with the Grand Duke and watching a play.
“Congratulations again, Your Highness.”
"Thank you."
Even though everyone present was laughing, Cecilia couldn't smile comfortably at all. It seemed like the fact that the two families' tables were empty was bothering her the whole time.
“Do you still care about that?”
Eden stopped Cecilia's hand, which was bringing the glass to her lips, and asked. Then, he naturally snatched the glass away and placed it on the table. He knew that Cecilia's drinking habits were very strict.
“Everyone is laughing and having fun, so don’t worry too much. It’s okay.”
“I’m sure when they get home, they’ll find two tables empty and I’ll probably make a fuss about why.”
Even if those two were powerful, the weight of the mistake would be even heavier. Cecilia was sure of it and felt upset. It was like that every time the attendees passed by the two empty tables with strange looks.
“Even so, no one is so foolish as to show it on the outside.”
“...”
“I won’t leave it like that.”
Eden's arms gently wrapped around Cecilia's slender waist. He even gave her a brief kiss on the temple as if to comfort her. They looked like newlyweds in another world.
“But it would be better to get rid of that maid now.”
“I will. I should have given you a gift, but I have only caused you to feel hurt.”
Everyone's eyes were on Cecilia and Eden. Eden pretended not to notice the gaze and smiled briefly.
“My heart is not broken.”
“...”
“How could you possibly know what kind of person she is? You were just doing her a favor, Cecilia.”
So, there's no need to feel guilty, Eden said. Cecilia smiled and expressed her gratitude for Eden's understanding.
After comforting Cecilia like that, Eden left for a moment. Cecilia smiled and greeted the ladies who familiarly approached her.
“Cecilia.”
Of course, Sienna was there too. Cecilia greeted Sienna as if she was meeting a long-lost friend.
“You must have prepared everything. Everyone is praising you.”
“It’s our first event since we got married. But it wasn’t perfect.”
Cecilia smiled faintly. Sienna followed Cecilia's gaze, briefly glancing at the two empty tables.
“That’s a mistake you wouldn’t make, right?”
“It was my mistake.”
In any case, the one ultimately responsible was Cecilia. Cecilia admitted that fact calmly.
“It is also the maid’s job to make sure that the invitation is delivered properly until the end. The Grand Duchess cannot do such trivial things, so that is why she has a maid.”
Sienna spoke sharply, but it was more of a gesture of protection than an accusation directed at Cecilia.
Rather, it was Ilya she wanted to blame. She was lying flat on her face and apologizing, and she was trying to please Cecilia who was trembling, but she didn't even show her nose.
“And you left the Grand Duke alone just to avoid embarrassment. For now...”
Sienna clicked her tongue. She had so much to say, but Ilya wasn't her maid anyway, so she couldn't cross the line. That would hurt Cecilia's feelings.
“I feel like I put too much of a burden on Ilya since she only has one maid.”
Sienna crinkled her eyes as if she had heard something strange. Was it difficult to make a list, write an invitation, and distribute it? Anyone who could write could do it.
“So, one way or another, as I give orders, she often runs into His Highness and hears useless stories. That’s not good for a lady who is not yet married.”
But the very next moment, Sienna's expression froze coldly. It was because she realized that Ilya was trying to flirt with Eden, even though Cecilia had tried to wrap it up nicely.
“Oh my God.”
Sienna sighed briefly. In her eyes, Cecilia was just a young and naive Grand Duchess who had just turned twenty, oblivious to her maid’s shenanigans.
“Are you worried about your maid even in this situation?”
Sienna let out a small sigh. What you should be worried about right now is not that maid’s reputation, but your newlywed husband and you. Unable to bring herself to say that, Sienna pretended to scold Cecilia.
Cecilia could see one future in Sienna's face.
“I must tell His Highness the Grand Duke to take good care of his wife.”
Ilya Nova would not have an easy time establishing herself in the social circles of the system in the future. Even if she were to marry someone and be called a wife someday, it would be the same.
“Don’t worry about anything, Sienna.”
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
If Sienna wanted to, she could crush Ilya's social foothold. The social world is considered a playground for women, but she could exert her influence in more diverse fields than you might think.
So being left out there wasn't just about being disconnected from social activities. It was about not being able to network, not being able to get information, and not being connected to power.
So Count Nova would not be able to live as before, even if they barely managed to escape Cecilia's clutches. After all, a beast with its limbs cut off cannot hunt.
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