The Banquet Assignments
The delegation of tasks for hosting the banquet proceeded with remarkable speed. It was entirely thanks to Theodora. She divided the duties with practiced, effortless efficiency.
"Madame Palpatine, you have a keen eye for banquet cuisine, so please take charge of that department. Of course, Her Grace the Grand Duchess will make the final selection after a tasting, but Madame Palpatine's expertise will be invaluable. Next..."
From the banquet menu, interior decor, and tableware to the design of the Royal Guard uniforms and even the color of the sashes the servants would wear—everything had to be decided. Chloe's head spun. If not for Theodora, she would have been utterly overwhelmed.
"Am I really just making the final decisions? I feel as though the members of the Eleonora Society are doing all the heavy lifting because of me."
"What are you saying, Your Highness? Making the decisions is the hardest part," someone chimed in with a gentle laugh.
Theodora nodded in agreement.
"Overseeing all of this is no small feat. Furthermore, it would be difficult for Your Highness to commit to a single, specific role. It remains uncertain whether Her Highness Crown Princess Beatrice will attend this banquet."
"Ah..." Chloe nodded, a wave of self-deprecation washing over her. She felt as though she had done nothing but utter mindless variations of Ah, Really?, and Oh since the meeting began. Is this what it feels like to be a fool?
It was truly a marvel that Curtis Shan Berk had chosen her to be his Grand Duchess. Born into royalty, he must have known—even if he didn't know the exact details of hosting a banquet—just how much labor was expected of his wife. Yet he had made someone as clueless as her his Grand Duchess? Perhaps the Grand Duke's legendary military victories were less a product of tactical genius and more a result of sheer, unadulterated recklessness.
Regardless of her internal crisis, Theodora's explanation marched on. According to her, if the Crown Princess did attend, Chloe would have to stand by her side as the second-in-command... no, the second-highest-ranking woman in the royal household. She would need to keep her company and greet the guests as the newly minted Grand Duchess.
And that wasn't all. She would have to seek out guests who seemed isolated during the diplomatic banquet to engage them in conversation. If any guests slipped away in pairs, it was also her duty, broadly speaking, to flag them for the Royal Guard.
If they're going to run the Grand Duchess ragged like a one-woman army, why even bother paying the Royal Guard? Chloe wanted to ask, but since this was apparently the reality of her new life, she kept her mouth shut.
"Conversational skill is paramount, but if Your Highness finds it overwhelming due to a lack of preparation, please do not hesitate to ask the members of the Eleonora Society. They will be more than happy to assist."
"Theodora," Laura le Gauthier interjected, her brow furrowing in disapproval. While Chloe herself was unfazed, Laura seemed to think Theodora's comment was a slight against Chloe's semi-noble background, implying she lacked the refined speech of high society.
"Her Grace may appear somewhat unrefined in her speech, but she is a wonderful person. Back in our Navy days, people didn't understand her sincerity at first, but in the end, everyone grew to love her."
Chloe blinked. I appreciate the sentiment, but... is that actually a compliment?
Laura continued, undeterred.
"When I first enlisted in the Navy, I was in the same cohort as Her Grace. She is so utterly unpretentious that it's easy for people to misunderstand her. But if you converse with her for even a short while, you'll realize what a genuinely good person she is."
Amusingly, hearing those words brought Curtis to mind once more. If anyone deserved the label "unpretentious," it was him. Perhaps because of his royal blood—having never stood beneath another soul since the day he was born—every word he uttered carried an innate pressure. Yet if one stripped away that overbearing aura, his speech was remarkably crude. He simply did not know how to mince words.
"What does conversational skill even matter?" Laura added.
Actually, it matters a lot. Chloe had no doubt that if Laura ever had to deal with Grand Duke Berk, she would instantly realize the vital importance of diplomatic speech. Have you ever been verbally bludgeoned? Human interaction desperately requires a lubricant called politeness...
"Is that not why His Grace fell in love with you? Isn't that right, Your Highness?"
Chloe narrowed her eyes, fighting to suppress a weary chuckle.
Before she could compose herself and offer a reply, a sharp, unexpected voice cut through the air.
"It seems Viscountess Gauthier wasn't nearly as close to the Grand Duchess as she claims."
It was a young, petulant, and angry voice. Agathe Montpis.
Unlike the noblewomen gathered around Chloe's round table to divide the labor, a group of young ladies sat at a separate table, watching the proceedings with crossed arms. Sitting among them, Agathe glared with sharp, narrowed eyes. The biting remark had undoubtedly slipped from those pouty red lips.
"Pardon? What do you..."
"If you had actually experienced the Grand Duchess's way of speaking, you would never say such a thing."
Laura opened her mouth to argue, but, feeling self-conscious, she swallowed her words and muttered under her breath. Agathe scoffed, keeping her arms tightly crossed.
"Knowing how to infuriate someone without uttering a single vulgarity is the pinnacle of high society eloquence. In that regard, Her Grace's conversational skills are something everyone in this room should aspire to."
"Miss Montpis," Theodora chided, belatedly addressing Agathe's insolence. But Agathe merely arched a single eyebrow in response.
Chloe found herself thoroughly confused once more. Are you insulting me, or are you praising me?
"Well, whatever. But I do have a question, Second Lieutenant Torne. Isn't the Grand Duchess going to undergo her initiation?"
At Agathe's follow-up question, Chloe tilted her head and looked at Theodora. This was something she had been curious about as well.
Though "initiation" sounded grand, it was actually quite simple. Despite being a social club, the Eleonora Society was rooted in the military. Consequently, whenever a new face joined, they hosted a sort of welcoming ceremony. This usually took the form of a hunting trip, a shooting match, or sometimes even a rowing or equestrian competition that included men.
Instead of a formal entry fee, all attendees paid a participation fee for the event, which was then donated to the military. Naturally, the new member was expected to pay the heftiest sum. And what of someone with the status of a Grand Duchess? As she was essentially destined to become a high-ranking leader of the society, she would have to shell out a small fortune.
Well, the money didn't matter. Grand Duke Berk would be footing the bill anyway. Regardless, the initiation was a mandatory rite of passage. Yet from the start of the meeting until now, not a single soul had brought it up, which had left Chloe wondering.
"The diplomatic banquet takes precedence," Theodora stated firmly.
"The banquet with Glintland is a mere five days away. With such a tight schedule, there is no reason to discuss an initiation right now."
"It's nothing new, but His Majesty really is too much," Laura chimed in lightly. But Theodora did not give her room to elaborate.
"Furthermore, as Her Grace is from the Navy, she may not be familiar with the typical format of our initiations. It would be best to hold it when the weather cools down, after she has had ample time to prepare."
"My, are you looking down on the Navy?" Laura, however, was not one to back down easily. She giggled, tossing back a playful retort before shrugging.
"Though it is true we Navy folk aren't accustomed to such things. Your Grace, Second Lieutenant Torne's consideration is truly remarkable, isn't it?"
"Yes, indeed... I am deeply grateful." Chloe looked at Theodora as she spoke. However, the officer's eyes had already drifted back to the task sheet behind her spectacles, making her expression difficult to read.
"If the topic of the initiation arises, Your Grace must postpone it until autumn at all costs!" Madame Brun had given her the exact same advice. It was a logical conclusion, given that Chloe would be entirely unfamiliar with the society's preferred activities of riding, shooting, and hunting.
"Well, it's not like they can kick me out just because I can't ride a horse. From what I hear, membership is determined by bloodline anyway." Though she had raised Madame Brun's blood pressure with that flippant remark, Chloe secretly agreed that postponing it was for the best. She was busy enough as it was; the last thing she wanted to do was perform like a trained seal for these noblewomen.
"We will choose and match the tableware," Agathe and the other young ladies volunteered. It was the easiest task, and one that could be left for later. Once the overall decor of the banquet hall was decided, they would simply need to visit the royal vaults and select pieces that matched.
Theodora nodded. "Then, Your Grace, I shall assist with the hall's decorations. Will you leave that to me?"
Laura and a few others stepped up to handle the interior design. If the older matrons took charge of the decor, the result risked looking stuffy and old-fashioned. Since this was a diplomatic banquet, showcasing wealth was important, but presenting a sleek, sophisticated aesthetic that would appeal to foreign dignitaries was deemed far more crucial.
"I will oversee the tableware selection then," Theodora said, but Laura interjected once more.
"What color scheme would you prefer, Your Grace?"
"Well..." Chloe didn't have much of an eye for these things. She offered the first thought that came to mind.
"Since it is summer, perhaps white would be nice?"
"Oh my," Laura let out a sound that was half-gasp, half-sigh. Chloe blinked, her eyes darting around as she tried to figure out what she had said wrong. Laura merely offered a subtle, knowing smile and continued.