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Chapter 63

"...The Duchess of Valen?"

He took the invitation mechanically, murmuring as if he'd misheard.

Emilia lightly bit the inside of her lip.

Of all times to be slow on the uptake!

She let go of the invitation and tapped the back of his hand with her index finger.

A small signal that the knight behind her wouldn't see.

Lucas flinched and met her eyes.

Emilia mouthed a silent shh and nodded toward the rear.

His eyes flickered with confusion for a moment, then he finally spoke.

"...Yes. Confirmed."

Emilia took back the invitation and said.

"Thank you for checking."

As she passed him, she whispered very softly.

"Let's talk later."

He had sharp ears—he must have heard her.

---

So Lucas really is a knight.

Emilia sorted through her thoughts during the short walk to the tea party venue.

She felt a little sheepish for having assumed he was a freeloader.

Then why did he pretend to be with the Capital Guard?

But her thoughts couldn't continue—the venue was just ahead.

A large table set up in one corner of the garden came into view.

And around it sat noble ladies, all dressed far more lavishly than she was.

Most seemed to know each other, chatting amiably.

Among them, Emilia's gaze settled on one girl sitting alone, looking tense.

Unlike the others, she wasn't joining the conversation—she sat upright and still.

That must be her.

The silver-haired princess, Selena.

But...

Emilia frowned.

Though this was her first tea party, something felt off.

Just then—

"Oh my, look over there."

One of the ladies spotted Emilia and let out an exclamation.

All eyes turned to her at once.

Just as Selena noticed her and was about to rise—

"Are you perhaps the Duchess of Valen?"

One woman pushed past Selena, stood up first, and approached Emilia.

At that, Emilia's brow furrowed slightly.

The approaching woman was the most lavishly dressed of all the attendees.

"Yes, I'm the Duchess of Valen."

At her answer, the woman looked Emilia up and down.

She was Estelle Grimore, the most influential young lady in high society—the Marquess of Grimore's daughter.

And the Empress's favorite niece.

The Empress met with Estelle even more often than she did with her own daughter, Princess Selena.

As proof, Estelle had received a hint from the Empress before coming here.

To attend the Princess's tea party and gather information about the Duchess.

That meant the Empress trusted her more than the unreliable Princess.

Well, of course.

Princess Selena was trapped in the palace, unable to even make acquaintances with other nobles.

Even without the Empress's request, Estelle would have attended.

She was dying of curiosity about the woman who had become the Duchess of Valen.

She was also one of the young ladies who had witnessed the Duke buying up a whole dress shop.

That dress is definitely from Halliway's as well.

No matter how common-born she was, a Duchess favored by her husband wielded considerable influence in high society.

So Estelle had to find out.

Whether this woman posed a threat to the position she had so carefully built.

But it seems I worried for nothing.

Estelle looked at the rather naive-looking woman and sneered inwardly.

She didn't know how she'd caught the Duke's eye, but it was clear she didn't have a clue how high society worked.

If she did, she wouldn't have made her debut at a tea party hosted by such a powerless princess.

Seeing only a gentle-looking woman, Estelle changed her plan.

I was going to isolate her, subtly ignore her, and pick at her bit by bit—

But this naive type would spill all kinds of information if you were just a little kind to her.

Having made her decision, Estelle raised her voice with exaggerated warmth.

"Oh my, so nice to meet you! We've all been waiting for you to arrive. Please, come sit with us! I'm sure we have so much to talk about!"

As she tried to guide her to the table, the woman pulled her arm free.

Then she asked, her voice curious.

"Are you perhaps Princess Selena?"

"Huh?"

Estelle blinked at the unexpected question, then burst out laughing.

"Ahaha!"

She realized why the woman had asked.

She must have mistaken Estelle for the Princess because of her refined appearance.

Coming from a naive woman newly introduced to high society, it made sense.

Estelle's lips curled up—but the woman looked flustered.

"Oh, I'm so sorry if I misunderstood."

She continued with an awkward expression.

"This is my first time attending a tea party like this."

"It's fine. It's understandable, since we've just met."

Estelle offered a gracious smile.

"Thank you for understanding. I'm still quite ignorant—I've only learned etiquette from books. I thought the host's role was to greet and guide the guests."

The woman spoke calmly and steadily, meeting Estelle's eyes.

"And since you approached me without introducing yourself first, I naturally assumed."

At that, Estelle's expression stiffened.

The atmosphere around them also grew cold.

The woman had pointed out two things.

First—why was Estelle doing what the host, the Princess, should be doing?

Second—that Estelle, of lower rank than the Duchess, had been discourteous enough to ask for her identity first.

Having her basic etiquette called out made Estelle's face flush red.

Emilia walked past Estelle and stopped before the silver-haired girl.

She gracefully curtsied to the flustered Selena.

"Your Highness Princess Selena. I am Emilia Valen. I'm honored to meet you."

At the formal greeting—something she'd never received before—Selena was momentarily speechless.

But soon, she received it with care.

"Ah... I'm, it's nice to meet you too, Duchess of Valen."

Estelle spun around and glared at the scene in disbelief.

Ha!

That Duchess had gone straight to the Princess without a moment's hesitation.

That meant she'd already known who the Princess was.

She's no ordinary woman.

Clearly, she'd underestimated her.

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