(12) Garden Party (2)
Several long tables were set in the spacious greenhouse. The nobles invited to the party took their seats and enjoyed a sumptuous banquet.
Dishes made with rare ingredients from the royal palace delighted their palates, and the music played by the orchestra was beautiful.
At the table where the Duke and Duchess of Bronte sat, high-ranking nobles from the capital were present.
Among them was Duchess Juliana Rowenta, and Rachel was most concerned about her. Juliana was not only the Emperor's cousin but also the most powerful figure in the capital's social circles.
After the banquet, when the women and men gathered for tea, Juliana spoke.
"By the way, I haven't seen your second daughter."
"Oh, she's sick..."
"She'll be here soon, Duchess."
Helena cut Rachel off.
Startled, Rachel turned to Helena, but Helena ignored her gaze.
“Helena, what do you mean? Ariana said she wasn’t feeling well today and couldn’t attend the party.”
“Me?”
At that moment, a clear voice rang out from the greenhouse door.
Everyone’s eyes turned to it.
The nobles present at the party were struck by a strange sight they had never seen before.
A girl with flowing light blue hair, pearly white skin, a small face, beautiful features as if sculpted by the gods themselves, and a straight, polite, and elegant demeanor. The girl, whose beauty was so captivating that it was hard to look away, wore a worn, thin dress that even a noble maid wouldn’t wear.
Yet, she exuded such an extraordinary elegance that she felt as resplendent as a royal gown.
“Ari... Ariana.”
Rachel nearly screamed, but managed to silence her voice.
Ariana smiled at Rachel, as refreshing as the spring breeze.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Mother. No one told me the time of the party.”
Rachel glared, but Ariana didn't lower her head or run away.
Victoria was equally perplexed.
She'd clearly had the maids send her a dress and accessories, so why had she shown up in such a state?
Victoria was horrified at Ariana's unflinching presence, despite her outfit being pitifully unkempt compared to the nobles present.
"No."
Something was wrong.
"I have to send her away."
She'd expected Ariana to appear in a childish dress, inappropriate for her age.
She'd anticipated the ladies and young ladies mocking and ridiculing Ariana, her hair tightly braided in pigtails.
She'd planned for Ariana to cling to Victoria, flustered, trying to stay close, demonstrating how much more mature and elegant Victoria was compared to her.
Yet, despite all the attention, Ariana remained unfazed, even sporting a faint smile. Her posture, with her back straight and her chin slightly raised, exuded confidence and dignity.
Then, Helena, without noticing, suddenly stood up and approached Ariana.
“Ariana, are you back now?”
“Miss Helena.”
Everyone gasped in shock at Ariana’s use of honorifics, like a maid’s, to address her older sister.
However, Helena, who had always been called that, didn’t know what was wrong and gently linked her arm with Ariana’s.
“Come here. I was just having tea.”
Rachel glared at Helena and Ariana, but Helena didn’t see it, and Ariana pretended not to.
Helena sat Ariana down next to her and addressed the ladies.
“This is my sister, Ariana. Isn’t she pretty?”
To Helena, the question was tinged with mockery. After all, she thought Ariana, dressed like a maid, couldn’t possibly be pretty at all.
But the noble ladies present thought that Ariana, even in that state, looked incomparably nobler than Helena.
Rachel, sensing the mood, suppressed her anger and asked in a gentle voice,
“Ariana, didn’t you say you weren’t feeling well today? That’s why you came dressed like that when all the maids we sent to dress you up were gone? Where did you get that outfit?”
Ariana, whom Rachel knew, was unable to properly answer such questions and could only stammer and flounder. She could only lower her head and shrug her shoulders.
But Ariana exceeded Rachel’s expectations.
“I’m not sick, Mother, even though I’m hungry because I haven’t eaten properly. Thank you for your concern. And this is the only outfit I have. I hesitated because it’s not very formal, but Lady Helena’s maids insisted I attend the party, so I had no choice.”
As she spoke, Ariana gently raised her hand and brushed her hair back.
As Ariana raised her arm, the already short sleeves of her dress rode up, revealing her forearms.
Thin, almost boneless from poor nutrition, they were bruised and bruised from constant pinching and hitting.
The people sitting at this table were, of all people, the most prominent ladies in the capital. From Ariana’s answer and the sight of her arms hidden by her sleeves, they could guess how Ariana was treated in this mansion.
Rachel felt the atmosphere chill at Ariana’s few words. She needed to send Ariana away, but she didn’t know what to say.
If Ariana always responded like this, no matter what she said, no matter how many times she tried to explain herself to the ladies, it would be useless.
“Sister, why are you saying that again? Do you enjoy embarrassing your mother with lies like that?”
Victoria, unable to stand it any longer, interjected.
The ladies’ gazes softened for a moment at Victoria’s calm, gentle voice. Ariana’s shoulders shrank, as if terrified.
“I-I’m sorry, Miss Victoria. This really isn’t my place, I’m sorry.”
“Sister!”
This time, Victoria panicked and raised her voice.
Ariana lowered her head even further.
“I’m so sorry. Please calm down, Miss.”
Ariana raised her arms above her head in a defensive stance, as if she’d been hit many times, looking incredibly frail and small. Her bruised forearms were exposed once again.
The ladies nearby also saw the bruise on the back of Ariana’s neck.
“Oh...”
Someone clicked their tongue.
The young ladies, Helena's age, exchanged disapproving glances and whispered among themselves.
For Victoria, who always managed things the way she wanted, this was a new experience.
Helena liked being called "Miss," but Victoria had never asked her to do so.
But revealing all the details was out of the question.
Ariana, having lived as a maid, had no reputation to lose, but Rachel, Helena, and Victoria were different.
The ladies didn’t seem to believe Rachel.
Even the nobles at other tables glanced at her, wondering what was going on, and a few whispered for Rachel to hear.
“It seems she’s not treated well because she’s not the Duke of Bronte's blood.”
“Poor thing. To beat her to that extent when she’s still a child...”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to just give her to the Northern Duke?”
The Duke of Bronte’s face flushed.
For him, who cared about his reputation, the rumor that his wife was abusing the daughter she had with her ex-husband wasn't pleasant.
But the moment Ariana appeared, bruised and bruised, wearing a shabby maid's uniform, anything he said would sound like an excuse.
Even the dull Helena realized something was wrong and just chewed her lip.
"Um..."
Ariana opened her mouth, but Rachel glared.
Ariana shrugged and said,
"I'm so hungry... Can I have some cookies?"
If another young lady had behaved like this, she would have been ridiculed, but the gaze directed at Ariana was filled with pity.
Juliana, who had been quietly observing the situation, spoke up.
“As you wish, Second Princess.”
“Thank you.”
Ariana reached out and popped a cookie into her mouth.
Indeed, it had been so long since she had eaten one, so the cookie tasted particularly sweet.
The embarrassment Rachel and Victoria felt was a precious spice.
If she had called the maids and asked them to tell her who was right and who was wrong, they would have lied for Rachel, but that would only give the ladies another story to tell.
The ladies would be more interested in the public feud between the mother and daughter of the Bronte family than in the truth of this situation.
Several long tables were set in the spacious greenhouse. The nobles invited to the party took their seats and enjoyed a sumptuous banquet.
Dishes made with rare ingredients from the royal palace delighted their palates, and the music played by the orchestra was beautiful.
At the table where the Duke and Duchess of Bronte sat, high-ranking nobles from the capital were present.
Among them was Duchess Juliana Rowenta, and Rachel was most concerned about her. Juliana was not only the Emperor's cousin but also the most powerful figure in the capital's social circles.
After the banquet, when the women and men gathered for tea, Juliana spoke.
"By the way, I haven't seen your second daughter."
"Oh, she's sick..."
"She'll be here soon, Duchess."
Helena cut Rachel off.
Startled, Rachel turned to Helena, but Helena ignored her gaze.
“Helena, what do you mean? Ariana said she wasn’t feeling well today and couldn’t attend the party.”
“Me?”
At that moment, a clear voice rang out from the greenhouse door.
Everyone’s eyes turned to it.
The nobles present at the party were struck by a strange sight they had never seen before.
A girl with flowing light blue hair, pearly white skin, a small face, beautiful features as if sculpted by the gods themselves, and a straight, polite, and elegant demeanor. The girl, whose beauty was so captivating that it was hard to look away, wore a worn, thin dress that even a noble maid wouldn’t wear.
Yet, she exuded such an extraordinary elegance that she felt as resplendent as a royal gown.
“Ari... Ariana.”
Rachel nearly screamed, but managed to silence her voice.
Ariana smiled at Rachel, as refreshing as the spring breeze.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Mother. No one told me the time of the party.”
Rachel glared, but Ariana didn't lower her head or run away.
Victoria was equally perplexed.
She'd clearly had the maids send her a dress and accessories, so why had she shown up in such a state?
Victoria was horrified at Ariana's unflinching presence, despite her outfit being pitifully unkempt compared to the nobles present.
"No."
Something was wrong.
"I have to send her away."
She'd expected Ariana to appear in a childish dress, inappropriate for her age.
She'd anticipated the ladies and young ladies mocking and ridiculing Ariana, her hair tightly braided in pigtails.
She'd planned for Ariana to cling to Victoria, flustered, trying to stay close, demonstrating how much more mature and elegant Victoria was compared to her.
Yet, despite all the attention, Ariana remained unfazed, even sporting a faint smile. Her posture, with her back straight and her chin slightly raised, exuded confidence and dignity.
Then, Helena, without noticing, suddenly stood up and approached Ariana.
“Ariana, are you back now?”
“Miss Helena.”
Everyone gasped in shock at Ariana’s use of honorifics, like a maid’s, to address her older sister.
However, Helena, who had always been called that, didn’t know what was wrong and gently linked her arm with Ariana’s.
“Come here. I was just having tea.”
Rachel glared at Helena and Ariana, but Helena didn’t see it, and Ariana pretended not to.
Helena sat Ariana down next to her and addressed the ladies.
“This is my sister, Ariana. Isn’t she pretty?”
To Helena, the question was tinged with mockery. After all, she thought Ariana, dressed like a maid, couldn’t possibly be pretty at all.
But the noble ladies present thought that Ariana, even in that state, looked incomparably nobler than Helena.
Rachel, sensing the mood, suppressed her anger and asked in a gentle voice,
“Ariana, didn’t you say you weren’t feeling well today? That’s why you came dressed like that when all the maids we sent to dress you up were gone? Where did you get that outfit?”
Ariana, whom Rachel knew, was unable to properly answer such questions and could only stammer and flounder. She could only lower her head and shrug her shoulders.
But Ariana exceeded Rachel’s expectations.
“I’m not sick, Mother, even though I’m hungry because I haven’t eaten properly. Thank you for your concern. And this is the only outfit I have. I hesitated because it’s not very formal, but Lady Helena’s maids insisted I attend the party, so I had no choice.”
As she spoke, Ariana gently raised her hand and brushed her hair back.
As Ariana raised her arm, the already short sleeves of her dress rode up, revealing her forearms.
Thin, almost boneless from poor nutrition, they were bruised and bruised from constant pinching and hitting.
The people sitting at this table were, of all people, the most prominent ladies in the capital. From Ariana’s answer and the sight of her arms hidden by her sleeves, they could guess how Ariana was treated in this mansion.
Rachel felt the atmosphere chill at Ariana’s few words. She needed to send Ariana away, but she didn’t know what to say.
If Ariana always responded like this, no matter what she said, no matter how many times she tried to explain herself to the ladies, it would be useless.
“Sister, why are you saying that again? Do you enjoy embarrassing your mother with lies like that?”
Victoria, unable to stand it any longer, interjected.
The ladies’ gazes softened for a moment at Victoria’s calm, gentle voice. Ariana’s shoulders shrank, as if terrified.
“I-I’m sorry, Miss Victoria. This really isn’t my place, I’m sorry.”
“Sister!”
This time, Victoria panicked and raised her voice.
Ariana lowered her head even further.
“I’m so sorry. Please calm down, Miss.”
Ariana raised her arms above her head in a defensive stance, as if she’d been hit many times, looking incredibly frail and small. Her bruised forearms were exposed once again.
The ladies nearby also saw the bruise on the back of Ariana’s neck.
“Oh...”
Someone clicked their tongue.
The young ladies, Helena's age, exchanged disapproving glances and whispered among themselves.
For Victoria, who always managed things the way she wanted, this was a new experience.
Helena liked being called "Miss," but Victoria had never asked her to do so.
But revealing all the details was out of the question.
Ariana, having lived as a maid, had no reputation to lose, but Rachel, Helena, and Victoria were different.
They had more to lose because they had more.
"Sister, I'm not angry. It's just... there's something on your face..."
Victoria pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to Ariana.
Ariana accepted it with trembling hands.
"Thank you, Miss."
"Sister, don't keep calling me Miss. Why? You don't usually do that."
"Yes, I'm sorry."
Ariana used formal language until the very end.
Victoria barely suppressed the urge to scream and sat back down. A small hand under the table clutched her skirt tightly.
'What should I do?'
She had never imagined Ariana would react like this, so she struggled to think of a way to deal with it.
Besides, Ariana’s body bore so many marks of abuse.
While Victoria blinked, Rachel smiled awkwardly.
“Our Ariana fell down the stairs yesterday and got hurt a little... I guess that’s why she’s in a bad mood today. She’s not usually like this, but she’s pulling another mischievous prank.”
"Sister, I'm not angry. It's just... there's something on your face..."
Victoria pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to Ariana.
Ariana accepted it with trembling hands.
"Thank you, Miss."
"Sister, don't keep calling me Miss. Why? You don't usually do that."
"Yes, I'm sorry."
Ariana used formal language until the very end.
Victoria barely suppressed the urge to scream and sat back down. A small hand under the table clutched her skirt tightly.
'What should I do?'
She had never imagined Ariana would react like this, so she struggled to think of a way to deal with it.
Besides, Ariana’s body bore so many marks of abuse.
While Victoria blinked, Rachel smiled awkwardly.
“Our Ariana fell down the stairs yesterday and got hurt a little... I guess that’s why she’s in a bad mood today. She’s not usually like this, but she’s pulling another mischievous prank.”
The ladies didn’t seem to believe Rachel.
Even the nobles at other tables glanced at her, wondering what was going on, and a few whispered for Rachel to hear.
“It seems she’s not treated well because she’s not the Duke of Bronte's blood.”
“Poor thing. To beat her to that extent when she’s still a child...”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to just give her to the Northern Duke?”
The Duke of Bronte’s face flushed.
For him, who cared about his reputation, the rumor that his wife was abusing the daughter she had with her ex-husband wasn't pleasant.
But the moment Ariana appeared, bruised and bruised, wearing a shabby maid's uniform, anything he said would sound like an excuse.
Even the dull Helena realized something was wrong and just chewed her lip.
"Um..."
Ariana opened her mouth, but Rachel glared.
Ariana shrugged and said,
"I'm so hungry... Can I have some cookies?"
If another young lady had behaved like this, she would have been ridiculed, but the gaze directed at Ariana was filled with pity.
Juliana, who had been quietly observing the situation, spoke up.
“As you wish, Second Princess.”
“Thank you.”
Ariana reached out and popped a cookie into her mouth.
Indeed, it had been so long since she had eaten one, so the cookie tasted particularly sweet.
The embarrassment Rachel and Victoria felt was a precious spice.
If she had called the maids and asked them to tell her who was right and who was wrong, they would have lied for Rachel, but that would only give the ladies another story to tell.
The ladies would be more interested in the public feud between the mother and daughter of the Bronte family than in the truth of this situation.
'My reputation taking a hit doesn't bother me in the slightest. I never intended to marry anyway. Even if the Northern Duke finds out about this side of me, my standing with him will drop to nothing—but I don't care. All I ever wanted was the title of Princess of the North. As long as I have that, the Northern Duke won't be able to cast me aside.'
Despite her pitiful appearance, Ariana’s insides were burning with passion.
Juliana, who had been watching Ariana pityingly as she ate her third palm-sized cookie, said,
“You must be thirsty, so have a drink while you eat.”
“Yes, thank you.”
It was time to put what she had learned to use.
Ariana poured hot black tea into her own cup, and Victoria belatedly realized how Ariana would drink her tea.
If Ariana had acted normally, she would have been the only one mocked, but now the situation was different.
'I have to stop her!'
But Ariana was faster.
Before Victoria could reach out, she picked up the teacup and poured the tea into the saucer. Then, she lifted the saucer and blew on it, slurping down the drink.
This action drew applause not only from the noble ladies but also from the noble men watching from afar.
Juliana, who had been watching Ariana pityingly as she ate her third palm-sized cookie, said,
“You must be thirsty, so have a drink while you eat.”
“Yes, thank you.”
It was time to put what she had learned to use.
Ariana poured hot black tea into her own cup, and Victoria belatedly realized how Ariana would drink her tea.
If Ariana had acted normally, she would have been the only one mocked, but now the situation was different.
'I have to stop her!'
But Ariana was faster.
Before Victoria could reach out, she picked up the teacup and poured the tea into the saucer. Then, she lifted the saucer and blew on it, slurping down the drink.
This action drew applause not only from the noble ladies but also from the noble men watching from afar.
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