“I met someone at the Princess’s palace once, so next time, I’ll make the move myself.”
At the Princess's Palace, I met Lady Roald and Riche, whom my adoptive father had praised for their good reputations. At first glance, they felt like Lily's two arms.
I asked Shish at the Rose Palace, and he said it was true.
Are they from a moderately powerful family and have consistently been active by the Princess's side? It's said that there are other factions besides these.
Perhaps it was a faction created by Lily, who was the next heir to the throne.
“Lady Roald and Lady Riche will help Tri.”
As a Princess, Lily's party choices were extremely limited. She was simply maintaining her value by not attending just any party.
One more thing, since the parties that Lily, a precious person, attended were of a high class, she only accepted invitations from families that she wanted to empower.
So the ones going with me are Lady Roald and Lady Riche.
Is this what a watcher is?
I desperately want to break away, but I suppose being with them will help in some way. Since I'm with the Princess, they can't ignore me, right?
Lily tried to take me in the palace carriage whenever I went somewhere, but luckily, my adoptive father was against it.
My adoptive father, the Marquis of Hayley, stopped by Rose Palace at least once a day.
“Since we are already in the palace, wouldn’t it be more convenient to take the imperial carriage, Marquis?”
“Tri is a member of the Marquis of Hayley, Your Highness.”
“She’s my friend too.”
"You don't usually give a carriage with the royal family emblem to a friend. Maybe not if it's someone who's going to become family."
Fortunately, my adoptive father was quite straightforward.
“I’m sorry, but Tri’s surname is still Hayley, so I think it would be better to ride in a carriage with the Hayley Marquis’ emblem on it.”
It meant that he was already telling her not to bother me since I might not marry the Crown Prince.
On the other hand, it also means that I should be careful because I may be close to the royal family now, but I might get rejected later.
Lily seemed offended, but left the Rose Palace without showing it.
"I hate rumors. Some are true, but more are false."
“...”
“But when I listen to the stories coming from Emilia and the people around her, I start to notice some unusual things.”
“Is this by any chance related to Lady Groval?”
“You know that too.”
The Marquis smiled, as if he had eaten something bitter.
“The kindness His Highness the Crown Prince is showing you now is, though you may not know it, unprecedented.”
I know.
I gave a faint smile.
“It’s a shame that rumors of you staying at the Rose Palace haven’t spread, but if they do, everyone will assume you’re the Crown Princess.”
But it's not what I want, so it's not very good.
“Looking at His Excellency the Knight Commander and the Magic Tower Master, I wonder what will become of His Highness the Crown Prince.”
The Marquis's eyes were filled with genuine concern, which made me feel strange.
“I would tell you to leave the palace right now, but looking at the Princess, it doesn’t seem easy. Right?”
“I’ll go home as soon as possible.”
“Yes, thank you. Emilia is waiting for you, too.”
The man, who seemed to be very cool and decisive in everything, looked moved.
I've only been her daughter for a short time, and we've only been together for a short time. Is this something to be so touched about? I think it would be easier to be formal.
“Emilia asked if you wanted to have a tea party at the mansion. What do you think?”
"It sounds like a good idea. But I'm still not very good at that kind of thing, so I think we should keep it small and invite only people we know well."
“Yeah, yeah.”
The Marquis smiled kindly.
One sunny afternoon during the founding period.
Sitting opposite me in the same carriage, Lady Roald and Lady Riche gave me a lecture.
"The Counts of Flan, whom we're attending today, are one of those families that have risen to prominence in recent years. Before that, they weren't even as prominent as some Barons."
“Just like the Count Groval.”
In short, he is a newly rich man.
“I think he was only pursuing the flashy things, but it’s become quite worth seeing lately, hasn’t it?”
"Yes, it was a sight to behold, the building's exterior covered in gold. But after removing the gold leaf, the building didn't look so bad."
They ignore them because they're rich.
Anyway, the fact that they are participating despite all the fuss means that they are an opponent that is difficult to ignore.
I'm tired of having to know this stuff.
“Welcome.”
Upon arriving at the Count's house and being guided to the back room, the owner of the house welcomed us.
“Lady Roald, Lady Riche. It’s an honor to have you here.”
A girl my age with lemon-colored hair was especially happy to see me.
“Lady Hayley! I really wanted to meet you.”
“Thank you for inviting me, Lady Flan.”
Speaking with appropriate formality wasn't difficult for me because that's how I've always treated people.
It felt good to look at the dresses and jewelry.
My group and I came as a group of women, but some people came with a male escort.
“Isn’t that Lord Grattan? He’s coming with Lady Peach?”
“I thought he was meeting Madame Etoile.”
I overheard whispers in passing about someone meeting someone else, or about two people breaking up. It seems people's lives are similar wherever you go.
Even at school, there was always this kind of gossip.
“Lady Hayley, we have someone coming to say hello.”
“Have a nice trip.”
I gladly saw off the watchers.
I sat at a table in a somewhat remote location and looked around. The flowers looked expensive, artificially cultivated.
Yeah, I get that feeling of just throwing money away.
Beep beep beep beep beep!
It was utterly peaceful, but then the alarm sounded, and almost simultaneously, the entrance to the backyard erupted in commotion.
“That woman came here? My goodness, what face did she have?”
“Why did you invite her in the first place?”
"It's Count Groval's house. It's a worthy invitation to a Count's house. I don't think it was sent to that woman, though."
I calmly sipped my tea while listening to the murmur.
It was difficult to meet Titiana because of Lily's strict surveillance, so this is a good thing.
Moreover, seeing Yuno next to Titiana made me happy, but I could immediately tell what condition he was in.
Judging by his gaze focused solely on Titiana, it's clear that he's completely captivated by her.
I pretended not to see them and took a bite of the cookie. I had no intention of approaching them now.
My watchers were out of the way, but there were too many eyes watching.
"Hello?"
But without hesitation, Titian fixed her gaze on just one person.
“Lady Hayley.”
It's me.
The attendees were unable to move from their seats, perhaps not knowing that Titiana would come straight to me without even greeting anyone else.
“Hello, Lady Groval.”
I responded calmly, but it seemed to Titian that I was nervous.
“I don’t do anything here because no matter what I do, I’ll always be labeled a bad person.”
"Yes."
Her face contorted slightly at my peaceful answer.
“Yuno.”
Then the tower master snapped his fingers.
At the Princess's Palace, I met Lady Roald and Riche, whom my adoptive father had praised for their good reputations. At first glance, they felt like Lily's two arms.
I asked Shish at the Rose Palace, and he said it was true.
Are they from a moderately powerful family and have consistently been active by the Princess's side? It's said that there are other factions besides these.
Perhaps it was a faction created by Lily, who was the next heir to the throne.
“Lady Roald and Lady Riche will help Tri.”
As a Princess, Lily's party choices were extremely limited. She was simply maintaining her value by not attending just any party.
One more thing, since the parties that Lily, a precious person, attended were of a high class, she only accepted invitations from families that she wanted to empower.
So the ones going with me are Lady Roald and Lady Riche.
Is this what a watcher is?
I desperately want to break away, but I suppose being with them will help in some way. Since I'm with the Princess, they can't ignore me, right?
Lily tried to take me in the palace carriage whenever I went somewhere, but luckily, my adoptive father was against it.
My adoptive father, the Marquis of Hayley, stopped by Rose Palace at least once a day.
“Since we are already in the palace, wouldn’t it be more convenient to take the imperial carriage, Marquis?”
“Tri is a member of the Marquis of Hayley, Your Highness.”
“She’s my friend too.”
"You don't usually give a carriage with the royal family emblem to a friend. Maybe not if it's someone who's going to become family."
Fortunately, my adoptive father was quite straightforward.
“I’m sorry, but Tri’s surname is still Hayley, so I think it would be better to ride in a carriage with the Hayley Marquis’ emblem on it.”
It meant that he was already telling her not to bother me since I might not marry the Crown Prince.
On the other hand, it also means that I should be careful because I may be close to the royal family now, but I might get rejected later.
Lily seemed offended, but left the Rose Palace without showing it.
The Marquis and I went out to the garden, and my stepfather broached the subject first.
“...”
“But when I listen to the stories coming from Emilia and the people around her, I start to notice some unusual things.”
“Is this by any chance related to Lady Groval?”
“You know that too.”
The Marquis smiled, as if he had eaten something bitter.
“The kindness His Highness the Crown Prince is showing you now is, though you may not know it, unprecedented.”
I know.
I gave a faint smile.
“It’s a shame that rumors of you staying at the Rose Palace haven’t spread, but if they do, everyone will assume you’re the Crown Princess.”
I've been promoted from the Crown Prince's mistress to a formal wife.
“Looking at His Excellency the Knight Commander and the Magic Tower Master, I wonder what will become of His Highness the Crown Prince.”
The Marquis's eyes were filled with genuine concern, which made me feel strange.
“I would tell you to leave the palace right now, but looking at the Princess, it doesn’t seem easy. Right?”
“I’ll go home as soon as possible.”
“Yes, thank you. Emilia is waiting for you, too.”
The man, who seemed to be very cool and decisive in everything, looked moved.
I've only been her daughter for a short time, and we've only been together for a short time. Is this something to be so touched about? I think it would be easier to be formal.
“Emilia asked if you wanted to have a tea party at the mansion. What do you think?”
"It sounds like a good idea. But I'm still not very good at that kind of thing, so I think we should keep it small and invite only people we know well."
“Yeah, yeah.”
The Marquis smiled kindly.
***
One sunny afternoon during the founding period.
Sitting opposite me in the same carriage, Lady Roald and Lady Riche gave me a lecture.
"The Counts of Flan, whom we're attending today, are one of those families that have risen to prominence in recent years. Before that, they weren't even as prominent as some Barons."
“Just like the Count Groval.”
In short, he is a newly rich man.
“I think he was only pursuing the flashy things, but it’s become quite worth seeing lately, hasn’t it?”
"Yes, it was a sight to behold, the building's exterior covered in gold. But after removing the gold leaf, the building didn't look so bad."
They ignore them because they're rich.
Anyway, the fact that they are participating despite all the fuss means that they are an opponent that is difficult to ignore.
I'm tired of having to know this stuff.
“Welcome.”
Upon arriving at the Count's house and being guided to the back room, the owner of the house welcomed us.
“Lady Roald, Lady Riche. It’s an honor to have you here.”
A girl my age with lemon-colored hair was especially happy to see me.
“Lady Hayley! I really wanted to meet you.”
“Thank you for inviting me, Lady Flan.”
Speaking with appropriate formality wasn't difficult for me because that's how I've always treated people.
It felt good to look at the dresses and jewelry.
My group and I came as a group of women, but some people came with a male escort.
“Isn’t that Lord Grattan? He’s coming with Lady Peach?”
“I thought he was meeting Madame Etoile.”
I overheard whispers in passing about someone meeting someone else, or about two people breaking up. It seems people's lives are similar wherever you go.
Even at school, there was always this kind of gossip.
“Lady Hayley, we have someone coming to say hello.”
“Have a nice trip.”
I gladly saw off the watchers.
I sat at a table in a somewhat remote location and looked around. The flowers looked expensive, artificially cultivated.
Yeah, I get that feeling of just throwing money away.
Beep beep beep beep beep!
It was utterly peaceful, but then the alarm sounded, and almost simultaneously, the entrance to the backyard erupted in commotion.
“That woman came here? My goodness, what face did she have?”
“Why did you invite her in the first place?”
"It's Count Groval's house. It's a worthy invitation to a Count's house. I don't think it was sent to that woman, though."
I calmly sipped my tea while listening to the murmur.
It was difficult to meet Titiana because of Lily's strict surveillance, so this is a good thing.
Moreover, seeing Yuno next to Titiana made me happy, but I could immediately tell what condition he was in.
Judging by his gaze focused solely on Titiana, it's clear that he's completely captivated by her.
I pretended not to see them and took a bite of the cookie. I had no intention of approaching them now.
My watchers were out of the way, but there were too many eyes watching.
"Hello?"
But without hesitation, Titian fixed her gaze on just one person.
“Lady Hayley.”
It's me.
The attendees were unable to move from their seats, perhaps not knowing that Titiana would come straight to me without even greeting anyone else.
“Hello, Lady Groval.”
I responded calmly, but it seemed to Titian that I was nervous.
“I don’t do anything here because no matter what I do, I’ll always be labeled a bad person.”
"Yes."
Her face contorted slightly at my peaceful answer.
But soon she feigned composure and whispered his name into the cute tower master's ear.
Then the tower master snapped his fingers.
“I used a soundproofing spell, so you can talk.”
"Thank you."
Titiana smiled and kissed Yuno deeply, whether anyone was watching or not.
I don't think the soundproofing spell blocked anyone's view. Look at those people, their eyes almost popping out.
“Haa, Titi.”
I was indifferent to the trembling golden eyebrows and the sagging silver threads.
It was Titiana who actually made me feel strange. She's the one who puts up with the male protagonists' flirting—she doesn't initiate that kind of behavior herself.
“Was it good, Yuno?”
"Yes."
Especially not doing things that are so ostentatious as to be a show off.
At least, I never put in such a description.
Titiana looked at me with a provocative gaze and licked her lips.
“I’m sorry, it’s become a habit.”
“You can continue.”
"Yes?"
"If you want to do more, you can do it. Yuno, don't you want to do it right now? Do it."
As I spoke, almost as if I was urging him on, the Tower Master, who only listened to what he wanted to hear, excitedly rushed towards Titiana. I crossed my arms and stared at her.
“Wait a minute, Yuno. Ugh. Wait a minute!”
It seemed Titiana didn't know how to handle Yuno. She struggled to push Yuno away while the people around her whispered and approached.
“Don’t just watch, help me!”
“Then I’ll go without looking.”
I thought I should meet Titiana, but when I actually met her, I felt uncomfortable and turned away without hesitation.
Slap!
But at the sound of friction, I turned back to face Titiana and Yuno. The man's pale cheeks were flushed red, and the woman was grumbling.
Yuno, who should be happy because he got hit hard, is holding back tears. No, if you look closely, you can see a blush spreading across his other cheek.
“You’re going too far, Titi. I like Titi, that’s why I’m doing this...”
“But you have to keep it short.”
Titiana, speaking in an irritated tone, turned her gaze to me. It was no exaggeration to say that all the men in the room were focused on her.
As if enjoying that gaze, Titiana Groval smiled provocatively.
“Now I can finally talk.”
The opponent seemed to know her position well.
Shouldn't she be subjected to unreasonable, blind attention from men and hostility from women?
Although she was envied for sweeping away all the successful men in society, Titiana was never criticized to this extent.
At least, I never wrote that.
“I don’t usually attend doll shows like this, but I came because I missed you.”
“Me?”
She smiled brightly, still maintaining a close distance from me.
Titiana whispered in my ear.
“Yes, author.”
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