Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Royal Palace Tea Time (3)
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Unlike usual, the royal palace garden was open today, but only to noble ladies.
In truth, it was generally open even on normal days. It was just that no lady had the courage to enter the palace without any particular reason just to enjoy tea time.
'Thanks to Elena, quite a crowd has gathered.'
Well, Elena had promoted it as an event where observation was possible, and she was hosting it. For most ladies, attending as an observer might have felt like an opportunity in itself.
Looking down at the noble girls from various families gathered around tables scattered throughout the garden, sharing this and that, he checked the status of the listening stone.
"Can you hear clearly, Your Highness?"
"Yes, quite clearly."
The most ornate table in the center. The listening stone planted right in the middle of it.
This should be more than enough to eavesdrop on Elena and the other ladies' conversations. She might get angry later if she found out... but he'd worry about that later.
Thinking that if Elena seemed to be losing an argument, he'd have to go fetch her himself, he watched as Elena quietly made her way to the table, glancing around.
'Her dress is more splendid than usual, and I can tell she's put effort into her hairstyle.'
Eri must have taken care of it. Attaching her to Elena had definitely been the right call.
The moment Elena appeared, the voices of ladies from a short distance away suddenly fell silent, all eyes focusing solely on her.
The instant Elena elegantly took a sip of black tea, as if showing off to the other girls, Lady Vermoa and two other girls timidly entered the garden.
"Welcome, Lady Vermoa. And the two of you as well."
"...It's been a while, Lady Rozier."
The listening stone's condition was good.
Both Elena's voice and the other lady's came through clearly and distinctly.
"You don't need to feel so burdened. Today is just a friendly gathering for bonding, so please sit comfortably."
"...Yes, of course."
At Elena's words to sit comfortably, the three ladies sat down cautiously, their eyes still filled with wariness.
I watched Elena with a bit of tension myself, my gaze perhaps no different from theirs.
"I'm so glad we have this chance to meet again, Lady Vermoa. Have you found the fitting love we talked about last time?"
"Th-that's not something Lady Rozier needs to worry about."
"True enough. Still, I can't help but worry. I wouldn't want you dreaming of some unattainable love beyond your station and missing your chance at marriage."
"D-don't worry about it! Th-there are plenty of nobles eager to form a marriage alliance with House Vermoa anyway! My father dotes on me especially, so he's just being cautious in choosing my partner!"
"I see. Well, I sincerely hope you find a fiancé as splendid as His Highness Prince Cedric."
"Eeeek..."
Any worries he'd harbored were rendered meaningless from the start—Elena had completely subdued Lady Vermoa right away.
Not only did she seize the initiative at the beginning, but everything after that was Elena's turn as well. It was hard to believe she was facing three at once.
"My, Lady Elena. Are you putting sugar in your black tea? Arno tea loses its flavor with sweetness, so in our house, we never..."
"Enjoying the tea's inherent flavor isn't everything. Though I do recommend you skip it, Lady Kropel. You already look like you're struggling to breathe because of that corset—gaining more weight would be troublesome."
"Wh-when did I say I was wearing a corset...?"
"Oh? You're not? Your waist looks abnormally thin compared to the fat on your arms, so I must have mistaken. My apologies, Lady Kropel."
"......"
"Lady Rozier, your enunciation is so clear. How can you speak so loudly like a man? I'm envious."
"If you don't avert your eyes during conversation like Lady Broil does, your enunciation improves naturally. And since you're speaking in that special northern social dialect, you don't need to envy my voice at all."
"Wh-who said I'm using some country bumpkin northern accent?!"
"Oh, I didn't say that, hee hee."
"Lady Rozier, your fingertips look so rough..."
"A noble lady should master not just magic, but basic swordsmanship as well. Lady Vermoa, you don't seem to have ever held a sword, even in that harsh north—it must be nice to be so loved by your parents."
"But shouldn't a lady learn other refinements instead of swordplay? What instruments can you play, Lady Rozier...?"
"Before cultivating musical refinement, perhaps focus on dining etiquette? Unless that clinking sound when you set down your teacup is some kind of music you've learned."
"Um..."
"If you keep stuffing pastries into your mouth because you have nothing to say, you'll need a new corset size, won't you?"
"......"
...Women’s battles are terrifying.
The ladies trying desperately to find a gap in Elena's defenses now just looked pitiful.
Facing three opponents, she perfectly concealed her own weaknesses while her attacks never let up.
Every time he saw her like this, Elena's claim at the academy about breaking off the engagement sounded more and more out of place.
No matter how he looked at it, she just seemed like a girl desperately fending off rivals eyeing his fiancée spot while solidifying her political position. Period.
'Maybe her initial talk of breaking off the engagement was just to pique my interest.'
He no longer doubted tales like her being reincarnated from another world or knowing the future.
If so, she probably knew his personality too. If she'd openly expressed affection like a typical lady, he wouldn't be this intrigued by her now.
'...I hope that's the case.'
At this point, he wouldn't even mind if she was seducing him with false acting.
After the tea time Elena hosted at the palace, the movements of other nobles seemingly gunning for his fiancée spot went completely quiet, like dead mice.
It seemed the humiliation suffered by Lady Vermoa's group had spread through rumors via the other girls, playing a big role.
They were now even more cautious, thinking that provoking Elena unnecessarily might bring backlash if he ascended the throne later.
Even those three girls from decently powerful provincial nobles had their marriage prospects dry up almost entirely after the tea party.
'At any rate, this should ensure Elena won't lose her spot as my fiancée.'
The only wildcard was that enigmatic 'commoner girl' she'd mentioned. But he wasn't particularly worried.
He could no longer feel interest in any woman besides Elena. Even if that commoner who suddenly appeared turned out more intriguing than Elena, that would be the extent of it.
Discarding Elena—who excelled in magic, swordsmanship, politics, and everything else beneficial to the kingdom—for another woman simply didn't make sense.
"Hey, Cedric. Give me an orange."
"Here, Elena."
"...Who asked you to feed me? I said just give it so I can peel it myself."
"You're busy reading anyway. Just eat it, Elena."
"......"
-Munch munch.
"...This one's peeled just right. Edible at least."
Ironically, Elena herself paid him no attention whatsoever.
Still, having learned how to approach her over time, she now accepted this level of affection without refusal.
'Feels like taming a wild cat.'
Approaching bit by bit so she wouldn't startle or get angry, making her feel at ease.
Eventually, she'd recognize his sincerity and come to him fully.
Thus, a few more years passed, and he reached the age to enter the academy.
Word came frequently from Rozier lands that Rinel, young as he was, was already making a name with dark magic.
Even Elena, who never seemed the type for bonding with other ladies, now had a regular group she met with periodically.
Lisia Grabel of House Grabel the Duke, and Amelie Saintro of Baron Saintro house.
Building ties with the daughter of House Grabel, which handled southern defenses and diplomacy, wasn't strange at all. She was his second brother Orpheus's fiancée to begin with.
Though his two older brothers were from concubines, leaving him as first prince in line, it was still a connection beneficial for Elena to nurture.
'The surprise is Lady Saintro from the baron's house.'
Whether by house size, influence, or even refinement, she fell far short of someone Elena would associate with.
The only element that might interest her was that House Saintro had produced many scholars generation after generation.
Even that didn't fully explain it, so he'd asked once, but her response was typically Elena.
"Amelie? Well, the field Baron Saintro is researching now is important in the story, and Amelie herself is Theodor's almost-girlfriend."
"...Theodor? Who's that man?"
"Theodor Esbaren. You don't know?"
"...Never heard of him. House Esbaren doesn't show up much at palace socials anyway."
"True. They're pretty uptight, no ties to high society or anything~. That's what gives our Amelie a shot with the viscount's second son~."
She spouted more incomprehensible nonsense, using another of her strange terms.
Based on knowledge gleaned from Elena so far, he could barely infer that in the future she knew, Lady Saintro and her house would be important.
"I get the gist, but what's this 'almost-girlfriend'?"
"Not quite friends, not lovers yet— that ambiguous stage right before dating. Most nobles are betrothed and married, so romance is a foreign concept to you."
"......"
"Anyway. Theodor's a capture target in the original story too. Though you're the main one, so he'll probably pick you unless something goes wrong? No need to worry. If it veers off, I'll adjust it myself~."
"You've heard it plenty, but I'm not idiot enough to fall for some random commoner girl I just meet, Elena."
"We'll see when the time comes~. Preparing can't hurt anyway~."
Years after becoming his fiancée, and she still talked so casually.
If she kept it up, he'd have to prepare too.
...To ensure nonsense like breaking off the engagement never passed those lips again.