After spending some time with her two best friends as usual, Julia moved away.
"Are you having a good time?"
"Yes, thanks to the Queen's grace."
"Oh, Your Majesty!"
As Julia approached the table on the other side, the four or five ladies who had been sitting together quickly offered her a seat. Normally, there was a lot of seat movement at tea parties like this, but when Julia joined in, the atmosphere became a bit awkward.
That was understandable because up until now, there had been no opportunity to become close with the noble ladies. All of them were single and tended to stick together with their peers, so they had a hard time with the new member, Julia.
"I heard someone talking about Young Master Eventeen on the way here."
"Oh, it's nothing special. I'm not someone who attends social gatherings often, so I just saw him for the first time today, and I'm a little curious."
A cute girl blushed and volunteered to pay her taxes while looking around.
"I see. In fact, Young Master Eventeen often visits the palace with his father. He has attended several dinners with His Majesty, and I have heard some very interesting stories."
But Julia was a Queen. She had lived in the palace since she was seven. That means she was very good at dealing with people.
"Oh my god, really?"
"What are you talking about, Your Majesty?!"
The response to Young master Eventeen, a muscular handsome man who is popular in the capital these days, and who hardly ever engages in social activities, was explosive.
"Ah. I was talking about Young Master's favorite hobby. If you're curious, would you like me to tell you?"
"Yes!"
"Whoa, yeah yeah!"
The atmosphere was such that even a flag was waving. The young ladies surrounded Julia with sparkling eyes.
Suddenly, the awkwardness disappeared and Julia smiled brightly, surrounded by a crowd of enthusiastic people.
***
"The lemon tart is absolutely delicious, Your Majesty! The filling and cream just seem to twist on my tongue!"
"Is that so? There are a lot of them, so if you like them, take a little more. The royal chef has done a special job for this day."
Julia smiled elegantly and called her maid. The maid bowed and brought out a trolley with some tarts that had been waiting behind the tent. The young ladies' enthusiasm returned once again.
Before they knew it, the tea party tent was filled with delicious snacks and pleasant conversation. The noble ladies were mingling with the old nobles, discussing and sharing their latest news, and Julia, for the first time in her life, was hanging out with young ladies of her age, so she didn't even realize how much time had passed.
"Your Majesty, you look so noble. I never dared approach you even when I saw you at balls. If I had known you were such a cheerful and kind person, I would have gathered up my courage sooner!"
"That's right, that's right!"
"Thank you. Then will you talk to me at the coming-of-age ball?"
"Oh, of course!"
The young ladies nodded their heads in competition to answer. Julia smiled happily at that.
They were all cheerful and had refreshing personalities, so it was really fun to be together. With these personalities, it seemed like they would get along well even if one of them became a concubine.
Even though they were unofficial concubine candidates, she felt good because they felt like just friends of the same age. Julia was having a small but interesting chat with the chattering ladies, but she briefly left the conversation because she felt thirsty.
"...Huh?"
While drinking a beverage and looking around happily, she saw three young women gathered at one table.
It wasn't a problem that there were other groups, since they didn't have to gather here just because the Queen was there. But there was another reason why Julia was staring at them.
'Princess Chiara?'
Chiara was sitting in a slightly more secluded spot.
Originally, the Young ladies were divided into several groups, and there was probably a group on Chiara's side as well. After Julia joined, it seemed that only two groups remained: Julia's group and Chiara's group.
Anyway, she thought they were close since the three of them were alone, but when she looked closely, somehow...
'You look awkward."
Not long after Julia glanced at them, the group dispersed. The two remaining young ladies, excluding Chiara.. made embarrassed expressions, gave a quick greeting, and walked over to her.
"I think Princess Soare wants to be alone. She used to be very active in high society, so there were a lot of young ladies who had high expectations of her."
The young lady noticed where her gaze was lingering and suddenly whispered. Julia instinctively smiled and turned her head. Hmm, she didn't seem that shy.
"I guess she's a shy person."
When Julia spoke gently and glanced back at Chiara, the Young lady muttered with interest.
"Well, it seems like there's something more worrying than that. The young ladies I've talked to said that although she has a smiling expression, she doesn't say much, and she has a lonely atmosphere, so it's hard to talk to her."
"Oh, I heard that there was a very sick person in the Kingdom of Tirve not long ago."
"Oh my, is the condition still there?"
Soon, the other two young ladies joined in and chatted. They said that 12 years ago, she was popular because of her bold personality. They said that her personality might have changed because she lived abroad for a long time.
"Oh my, look over there. It looks like Princess Soare is going hunting!"
Then, the Young lady whispered and pointed somewhere with her finger.
Julia looked up and saw that Chiara was indeed entering the hunting trail.
Looking down at the quiet atmosphere, it seemed like she was trying to gather her thoughts while walking. She didn't bring an escort, but it was a garden-level walking path with no dangers, so there was nothing to worry about.
"What? Could it be that she has a secret lover?"
"No, It looks like there aren't any close friends! Maybe she just wants to go for a walk alone because we're noisy."
Julia listened with a soft smile, then naturally changed the subject to compliment the dresses of the young ladies. She was also very curious about Chiara but thought it would be rude to talk about her behind her back without the person involved present.
"There are many opportunities.'
Anyway, Chiara will be attending the coming-of-age ceremony ball soon. Besides, she wants to be alone, so there's no reason to hold onto her while they're both in an ambiguous relationship.
Julia, who was watching her disappear back, gave up her thoughts and returned to the conversation.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty! What kind of atmosphere do you plan on having for the coming-of-age ceremony ball? I'm trying to choose a dress that matches the concept!"
"Well, I haven't thought about it yet. If there's a particular atmosphere you'd like, please let me know and I'll discuss it with His Majesty and reflect it."
"Really? Then I'll go with a classy style that combines the old and new worlds..."
***
About an hour and a half after the hunting competition had begun, Julia got up from her seat at an opportune moment
"I'll get some fresh air for a bit."
"Are you going for a walk? Then let's go too!"
Despite the endless chatter, the still lively young ladies tried to stand up to follow. Julia hesitated, then smiled brightly and shook her head slightly.
"Well, I have a slight headache. It'll only be for a moment, but I don't want to ruin the mood because of me."
"Oh, yes! If it gets any worse, you must come back!"
"Then I will call the doctor right away!"
"Yes, thank you."
The young ladies sat down with worried looks on their faces.
Julia patted her shoulder to tell her it was okay and said she would be back soon as she headed out for the trail. It would only take 15 minutes to get to the meeting place, the Plan Plain.
'Oh, I'm sorry.'
How could you lie to such kind ladies? And you did it so perfectly.
"You have no idea that there is a book called (Lies as Truths) in the must-read list for Queens, right?"
A wide-open path filled with freshness. Julia felt her golden hair tickle the back of her neck and smiled secretly. But she couldn't take her to the meeting with Mion.
'When the new world and the old world meet, it's purple.'
Julia took a step forward, determined to reflect the unique tastes of the young ladies as much as possible.
"By the way."
Why did Mion ask her to come to the Plan Plains? She had forgotten because the conversation with the young girls was so fun. Anticipation, trembling, and curiosity were blooming in her mind.
'It definitely felt different than before.'
Julia fidgeted with her hand for no reason. The finger that had touched Mion's lips earlier began to tickle again as if it remembered the sensation.
"...What do you have to say?"
Why today? Why here? Why at this time?
A famous walking trail with a specific purpose, at a quiet time when there is no one around.
Naturally, her thoughts flowed in one direction. She quickly shook her head, thinking it was a mistake, but her heart began to pound more and more with tension. Finally, Julia bit her lower lip.
'If...'
"Your Majesty?"
A pretty voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
Julia suddenly raised her head, and a wisp of brown hair swayed in front of her on the wide promenade.
"Princess Soare?"
Chiara, who had been sitting under a tree, stood up lightly and greeted him. A surprised Julia asked in bewilderment.
"Why are you here...?"
His gaze met Chiara's olive eyes. At the same time, her lips opened.
"I have been waiting for you, Your Majesty."
Julia looked at Chiara curiously.
There was nothing but fresh grass and trees around her, and she was alone as if she had simply gone for a walk. Julia blinked and asked.
"What is it, Princess Soare?"
It's a well-kept royal hunting ground, but this is a bare path with nothing but a small table and two chairs under a tree. Julia thought she was alone here for a good thirty minutes, and you were waiting for me?
"By the way, how did you know I would come here...."
"I overheard His Majesty mentioning the Plan Plains earlier."
Chiara bowed her head, asking for forgiveness for her rudeness. Then she remembered that she had been nearby when she saw Endymion off.
But he didn't say it that loudly, and you heard it?
Julia was a little annoyed, but she kept her cool and didn't let it show.
"I guess there was an urgent matter to the point where you overheard a conversation between a married couple. Do you have something to say to me?"
"Actually, I have a favor to ask of you. Your Majesty and that is why I attended this hunting competition today. However, I have not had the chance to do so, so I thought I wouId be able to see you privately if I could..."
What a surprise. Do you have a favor to ask of me? She was bewildered, but Julia opened her mouth with a kind smile.
"If it's such an important request... I think it would be better to visit the Queen's Palace formally later. As you know, Young lady, I have a prior engagement."
"No, I want to talk to you today. It won't take too long, so could you spare a moment?"
Chiara first guided Julia down the tree, her eyes furrowed in sorrow. It seemed as though she was not going to leave until she was told to.
Fortunately, there was some time to spare, so Julia hesitated for a moment and eventually moved to sit under the tree.
When Julia, who was sitting on a chair, offered a seat, Chiara also sat down across from her.
"Now, let's hear what that question is."
Julia wondered why she was setting the mood like this. When Julia sat up straight and asked, Chiara lowered her head with a sad expression and opened her mouth.
"Your Majesty, I heard you are considering selecting a concubine."
"...What did you say?"
How does the princess know that?
Julia furrowed her brows. It hasn't even been made official yet, and it's only just been talked about, so not many people know about it... Ah.
"Duchess Iris Hyde told me. She knew that I had a crush on His Majesty since I was a child and helped me a lot. I saw her right after I returned home, and she was very concerned that I was still suffering and promised to help me. She even apologized for the bad ending twelve years ago."
Julia blinked her purple eyes without any hesitation and stared at Chiara.
She was a great Queen, so he could forgive the Young lady's foolishness in not being able to forget her old fiancé. But.
'The tone.'
Every single one of them was annoying, whether intentional or not.
"Your Majesty, you are wrong."
"Yes?"
"It's not that the ending was bad, it's that it was the ending."
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