The Tea Party and the Warning (2)
* * *
A rigid posture and a cold face with piercing green eyes. The Marchioness of Lilche had entered the garden.
“Marchioness Lilche. What brings you here…?”
Karina’s face, which had been cheerful the entire time, now showed clear bewilderment. From her reaction, it was obvious that the Marchioness had not been invited to Karina’s party.
In truth, it was only natural. The Marchioness of Lilche, who detested crowded and complicated social gatherings, had never been one to frequent high society even in her younger days.
In her later years, she received no invitations at all unless they involved imperial or family matters. For such a woman to appear at someone’s party without an invitation was an extremely rare occurrence.
“Why is the Marchioness of Lilche here, of all places?”
“Exactly. And at Viscount Linton’s party, no less.”
The noblewomen’s mouths fell open at the Marchioness’s sudden appearance.
As they said, this was hardly a place where the Marchioness of Lilche would normally show herself.
She had cherished the Count of Silanda’s family deeply and placed immense importance on the honor of her blood relatives.
When Karina had joined hands with Ebony to crush the Silanda family, everyone had expected the Marchioness to make Karina pay. Yet, surprisingly, the Marchioness had remained silent—until now, when she had appeared at Karina’s own party.
“I heard there was an interesting gathering and decided to drop by. You won’t chase this old woman away, will you?”
The Marchioness of Lilche swept her cold gaze over Karina. Karina quickly composed herself and politely guided her.
“If only you had sent word in advance, I would have come out to greet you. Please do let me know next time. You are welcome here anytime, Marchioness.”
“How friendly, for someone you’ve just met.”
As the Marchioness stepped inside, every guest seated rose at once to greet her. With each stiff step the elderly woman took, the noblewomen’s heads bowed instinctively. When she finally reached the seat of honor, I greeted my grandmother.
“It’s been a long time, Grandmother.”
“Have you been well, my dear?”
“I told you to show your face at the marchioness’s residence, yet you never once came. Why is that?”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been busy with one thing or another lately.”
“Excuses, excuses… Must I come all the way to a place like this just to see your face?”
The noblewomen tensed at the Marchioness’s irritable tone. But I knew this was simply her way of showing affection.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ebony Blair Vladin. It is an honor to meet you, Marchioness Lilche.”
Ebony rose from her seat and gave a slight curtsy toward the Marchioness.
At the name Vladin, the Marchioness slowly turned her head. Ebony’s violet eyes sparkled with childlike excitement.
“Ah, Countess Vladin.”
Just as I had done the first time I met Ebony, my great-aunt placed special emphasis on the word “countess.” And just like that day, Ebony paid no mind to titles and spoke freely.
“It is truly an honor. As someone who wields a sword, being able to see you this close feels like a dream come true.”
“I put down my sword long ago, old and weary as I am. Now I am merely an old woman who could die at any moment. There is no honor in that.”
“Even so, your military achievements will never fade. If you have the time, would you perhaps watch me practice with a sword someday? Coming to my home might be… difficult for you, so if you would invite me, I will gladly visit the marchioness’s residence.”
“…What a bold Vladin you are. Do I not make you uncomfortable?”
“Me? Not at all. My father might feel differently, but I have no reason whatsoever to feel uneasy around you, Marchioness.”
“You know that most of my achievements were gained by crushing your family, yes?”
“Yes, I am aware. But that was long before I was even born.”
“The descendants of my old enemies have surprisingly good character. Quite unlike their bloodline.”
The Marchioness of Lilche gave Ebony a sidelong glance, as if surprised, then took her seat.
“How long are you all going to stand there staring? Shall we not begin the party?”
At the Marchioness’s sharp command, Karina returned to the head of the table and sat down.
Soon, the maids brought in neat dishes and light drinks. Delicious food was placed before each noblewoman.
“I am truly grateful that so many of you have come to the gathering I prepared today.”
Karina smiled brightly and raised her glass. The noblewomen followed suit. For someone who had only recently learned noble etiquette, her posture was remarkably elegant.
“I shall take a drink as well.”
The Marchioness took the wine bottle from a maid. Every eye turned toward her hand. The notoriously prickly Marchioness never poured wine for just anyone. Receiving a drink from her was considered a great honor even among nobles.
As Karina approached and offered her glass, envious sighs rippled through the crowd. Karina accepted the Marchioness’s wine with an expression that was half embarrassed, half proud.
With a steady glug, red wine filled the golden goblet. The Marchioness of Lilche stared coldly into Karina’s golden eyes.
“I hear you entered the imperial palace with Ishtel’s help?”
“That is correct, Marchioness.”
“And thanks to that, a commoner has been granted a title and is now hosting such a lavish party?”
“…Yes.”
“My grandniece has a far kinder heart than I do. She offers favors without expecting anything in return—something I would never do.”
“……”
“So while you live in the imperial palace, you would do well to engrave gratitude toward Ishtel in your heart. How long that stay will last, I cannot say.”
The Marchioness’s barbed words brought a heavy silence over the long table. Karina immediately understood the implication; her face hardened and she lowered her gaze.
The wine the Marchioness was pouring began to overflow. Red liquid spilled down the side of the glass and soaked Karina’s hand. The drops falling from her trembling fingertips looked terrifyingly like blood.
“Bring a damp towel for Viscountess Linton.”
Even as she spoke, the Marchioness continued pouring. A maid soon brought a white towel to Karina. Only then did the Marchioness set the wine bottle back in its place.
“What are you all waiting for? Begin eating.”
At her command, the noblewomen hurriedly picked up their forks and knives.
* * *
After delivering her chilling warning to Karina, the Marchioness of Lilche left immediately once the meal was over.
Once she was gone, the tense atmosphere at the table softened considerably. The noblewomen began chatting in small groups with those seated nearby, and some even approached Karina to inquire about the Emperor’s well-being.
“Why are they asking Viscountess Linton about His Majesty’s health? The Duchess is right there.”
Rose glared at the noblewomen clustered around Karina with clear displeasure. Baroness Touren wore an equally displeased expression.
“Ishtel, I worry that woman will keep trying to take what is yours.”
“Exactly, Duchess. Just thinking about how she’ll strut around even more arrogantly after this makes me sigh.”
Instead of answering, I simply sipped the tea in front of me.
Karina’s party had been quite successful. The food, prepared with Molly’s help, was delicious, and Karina’s manner toward the guests was flawless. Though her original status was low, she possessed a charm that more than made up for it.
Her stunning beauty and the eloquence that had captured the Emperor’s heart. The noblewomen who had initially come for juicy gossip now seemed genuinely intrigued by Karina.
‘As if they won’t turn around and call her a seductress who bewitched the old emperor the moment they leave…’
I knew the ways of high society all too well. Especially in a unique case like Karina’s, she was far too easy a target for curious noble tongues.
They might act affectionate and friendly on the surface, but inside they were dying to know every detail of her relationship with His Majesty.
“Well then, since the meal is finished, shall we move to another location?”
Karina shifted the guests’ attention.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Duchess of Wintera here, she recently entrusted me with the management of the imperial palace’s household affairs. Because of that, I have inherited the duties once performed by the late Empress.”
Karina bowed politely toward me in gratitude.
“Let us go to the main hall and view the new paintings. Since I selected them myself, I would like to explain them to you personally.”
“Shall we move along, then?”
Ebony was the first to rise. Following her lead, the noblewomen began preparing to leave.
“Ah, do I have to go too?”
Rose whined as she smoothed out her wrinkled dress. When I gave a short nod, she drooped her shoulders and followed the noblewomen out to the imperial hall.
Karina, leading the way, spoke as she looked at the paintings that filled the hall.
“I have sent all the portraits that once decorated the palace to the art museum. From now on, the palace will be adorned with the landscape paintings His Majesty prefers. Please feel free to come and view them often.”
Once Karina finished speaking, the noblewomen scattered one by one to examine the paintings.
Although she had never received proper art education, Karina’s eye for beauty was exceptional. The paintings she had chosen from the museum harmonized beautifully with the imperial hall, drawing genuine admiration from everyone who saw them.
“How annoying…”
Amid the noblewomen’s exclamations of awe, Rose’s grumbling voice could be heard. She headed toward the center of the hall with Baroness Touren.
A large painting hung in the spot where many noblewomen had already gathered. It depicted a man and a young boy looking down at a grassland from a hill.
“It really is a beautiful painting. It looks as if they’ve brought an actual eastern grassland here.”
“Indeed. I was worried a landscape would feel out of place where only portraits used to hang, but it looks quite good.”
“I should replace the paintings in my own home with landscapes next.”
“Wait—what is this?! Who brought this painting into the imperial palace?!”
A sudden, ear-piercing shriek shook the entire imperial hall. The startled noblewomen flinched and turned to stare at Rose.
Rose roughly pushed her way through the crowd, stormed up to the painting with furious steps, and pointed at the man and boy painted along the edge.
“Do you ladies even know what this painting is while you’re praising it? This is Emperor Pavelu and Crown Prince Alexson! The emperor who killed his own nephew to take the throne—an individual His Majesty has banned from public display!”
By the command of His Imperial Majesty, all portraits, records, and artistic representations of the former Emperor Pavelu and Crown Prince Alexson are henceforth forbidden from public display within the imperial palace and throughout the empire. Any violation shall be considered an act of defiance against the throne.