The Oro Ducal Lady's Invitation
“Your Highness, I was wondering if you might spare some of your precious time this weekend. Would your schedule permit it?”
“I hardly think you and I are on such familiar terms that we would spend our weekends together, are we?”
“Fufu, you may see it that way. Yet are we not destined to share a classroom at the Academy for over a year? I merely spoke up out of a desire to be of some assistance to Your Highness.”
It happened during recess at the Academy, after Cecilia and I had spent the morning as we usually did—which is to say, barely paying any attention to the lecture.
Elizabeth had suddenly approached Cecilia and struck up a conversation.
The proposal she brought forward was rather novel, too. Ever since the entrance ceremony, practically no one had dared approach Cecilia with an invitation or a request to meet. While it had been quite a while since any noble student had reached out to her, the fact that the person in question was Elizabeth made it somewhat less surprising. After all, she was the very woman who had gifted Cecilia a luxurious accessory not so long ago.
“Hmph... And what is the exact reason for this invitation?”
“I merely wish to treat Your Highness to a wonderful afternoon. Truly, I have prepared everything solely so you may enjoy a relaxing, comfortable time, so there is no need for concern.”
As Elizabeth spoke, she kept her head bowed low, her voice steady and measured without the slightest tremor. It was the picture of perfect deference from a subordinate.
Seeing her behave with far more polished manners than me—a literal maid—was quite the sight. For a ducal lady famous across the Empire for her luxury, debauchery, and pursuit of pleasure to speak so meekly was genuinely intriguing.
“A banquet shall be prepared. Should you be inclined to grace us with your presence, please visit this address.”
“...Hmm.”
“With that, I shall take my leave. May the rest of your classes today be peaceful.”
“Yes, you may go.”
Elizabeth glided back to her seat, leaving a small envelope resting in Cecilia's hands. The stationery, wrapped in exquisite, high-end packaging, was what Elizabeth had handed over with her parting words. It likely contained the location of the dining venue.
“Serena.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Hold on to this. It's a bother to carry around.”
“Understood.”
Without paying it much mind, Cecilia thrust the envelope into my hands, and I slipped it straight into the pocket of my maid apron. It was hardly my place to meddle given who the invitation was from, and Cecilia didn't linger on the topic of Elizabeth either.
Well, except for one thing.
“What should we do?” she asked.
She had begun asking her maid for advice on the proposal. Not about Elizabeth herself, but purely about whether to accept the invitation.
“I think it would be best for you to do whatever pleases you, Your Highness.”
“I suppose so. I am an Imperial Princess, after all—it's not as if doing as I please in most matters would ever cause a problem.”
“Of course, if you feel like going, I don't see any issue with it. Lady Oro did present Your Highness with a gift before, so I doubt she harbors any ill intent toward you.”
I wasn't a hundred percent certain, naturally. Something unexpected could always happen, or there might be someone lurking behind the scenes aiming for Cecilia's life. Even so, I thought nudging her toward going would ultimately be for the best.
Ever since enrolling in the Academy, Cecilia had lived as a complete and utter outsider, possessing practically zero friends. Her royal status undoubtedly played a role in keeping others at bay, but watching her social circle consist of literally no one besides me was genuinely worrying. That was why I leaned toward encouraging her to accept Elizabeth's offer.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“It sounds rather bothersome to me, though I suppose you would naturally prefer that I attend a banquet.”
“...Pardon?”
While I thought accepting the invitation was a fine idea, it wasn't as if I was desperately eager for her to attend a banquet. More accurately, I simply wished she would build a few connections with other Academy students. Whether she actually went to the feast or not didn't really matter to me.
I tilted my head, looking at her in confusion.
“If I go to a banquet, it means you won't have to cook, won't it?”
“Ah.”
“Or perhaps it's even better than that—I won't have to listen to my maid pestering me for a review every single time she serves a meal. Wouldn't that be a blessing for me as well?”
“...I don't ask every single time. Probably.”
“Did you not ask me how the pasta tasted just last night at dinner? I remember it quite vividly.”
“Rather than a review... it was just, well... um.”
Calling it a 'review' felt a bit dramatic. I had certainly asked, but it wasn't like I was demanding some grand culinary critique.
“I was merely asking for your thoughts. Truly.”
Yes, just her casual thoughts. Currently, the only two people eating the food I prepared were Cecilia and myself. Since practically every dish I made was tailored specifically for her, her feedback was naturally essential.
“Hmph... It was terrible.”
“...”
“My word. Look at that sour face you're making again.”
“...I-I'm not making a face.”
First last time, and now again today. Hearing Cecilia claim my cooking tasted bad always sent my mood plummeting straight through the floor. Of course, as an Imperial Princess, she had been fed top-tier gourmet cuisine her entire life, so I understood her standards were astronomically high. But still, when the person who ate my cooking every day told me it tasted awful, how was I supposed to not take it to heart?
“Pfft... I'm joking. It's actually been quite edible lately.”
“Really...?”
“And now your face lights up like an idiot.”
“...”
She really was malicious. Her personality wasn't entirely rotten, but she definitely had a nasty streak.
“Hehe...”
Well, her face was gorgeous, so at least she was pretty to look at. But her personality was still undeniably wicked.
“It has been quite a while since I last went out on a weekend.”
“...Indeed. It would certainly do you good to come out more often, though...”
“Are you implying that I'm some pathetic fool who does nothing but rot in her room?”
“...Honestly, you do spend far too much time cooped up inside. Ever since entering the Academy, the number of times you've stepped outside on a weekend could... practically be counted on one hand.”
“That is true.”
“...”
If she was just going to admit it anyway, why snap at me in the first place? In any case, I had accompanied Cecilia outside.
Our destination was, of course, Elizabeth's banquet, and we were currently riding in a carriage dispatched from the dormitory.
“Still, I must admit I am rather curious. This is the first time I've ever received a personal invitation from a ducal lady.”
“Really?”
“Back when I resided in the Detached Palace, no one ever dared ask me to come visit them. People might come seeking an audience at the palace, but the reverse simply never happened.”
“Ah... That does make sense.”
I had only stayed at the Golden Pavilion for about a week, but during that brief time, the sheer display of authority, wealth, and luxury had been an education in itself. While the Academy's architecture was magnificent in its own right, the Golden Pavilion was on such an absurd scale that words failed to describe it. It wasn't merely painted in gold; entire pillars and walls were crafted from solid gold, so much so that stepping inside for the first time had practically blinded me.
“In the past, people used to pester me endlessly with letters begging for a meeting.”
“There were that many?”
“Of course. Do you know who I am? It became such an unbearable nuisance that... around the age of sixteen, I simply blocked every single one of them.”
“...Wow.”
That was classic Cecilia. Both her reasoning and her actions were so quintessentially her that realizing she had possessed the exact same personality three years ago was almost comical.
As the carriage rattled along, it eventually slowed to a halt. Rising into view was a structure considerably larger than I had anticipated.
“It's roughly the size of one of the Academy's facility buildings.”
“S-So it seems. It certainly doesn't look like a restaurant.”
“Hmm... Well, shall we head inside?”
Stepping down from the carriage, the building before us bore no resemblance to an ordinary dining establishment or commercial venue. Instead, it was an imposing manor. Crafted from dark, refined black brick with sharp, towering spires, the opulent estate was situated in such an unexpected quarter that I couldn't help but gaze at it in wonder.
Cecilia, entirely unfazed by the sight, simply strode toward the main gates.
“I greet the radiant flower of the Empire, Your Imperial Highness.”
“I have come at the invitation of the Oro Ducal Lady.”
“Yes. Please, step right inside. The young lady is currently awaiting your arrival within.”
“Hmph...”
Guided by a middle-aged gentleman of seasoned years who had been waiting by the entrance, we stepped across the threshold. A butler, perhaps? Or an estate manager? Whoever he was, my duty remained crystal clear.
“...”
My only job was to stay vigilant against any potential danger to Cecilia, scanning our surroundings and remaining ready to draw the dagger concealed beneath my skirt at a moment's notice.
Unfamiliar territory or not, that much was second nature.