TEWRIT 10

Chapter 10

Eliano, who had attended the Sanders ducal family’s banquet with her father, was sipping champagne. No one was openly whispering, but everyone was talking about her in hushed voices. Even though she deliberately stood against the wall rather than in the center of the hall, she could feel all the eyes on her. The piercing gazes made her uncomfortable, and she wanted to leave the hall immediately. For a moment, she found herself missing the innocent version of herself from the past—someone who had never cared how others looked at her.

“Ria, why are you standing here like a flower on the wall?”

The young lady of House Sanders approached lightly with several other young ladies, dressed in a purple gown. Liliana Sanders was one of the few women who did not have to bow her head to Eliano. Her eyes sparkling, she said,

“Duke Rosanna is with my uncle.”

“I see.”

Liliana felt a momentary sense of incongruity at Eliano’s calm response. Thinking it was merely her imagination, she brushed it aside and spoke in a friendly tone.

“Yes. It seems they have something they need to discuss privately.”

With a playful wink, Liliana naturally led Eliano along.

In her previous life, Liliana had been Eliano’s closest and dearest friend. Their fathers had brought the two girls together when they were young, forging their friendship.

Whenever Eliano found herself in an awkward situation and burst into tears, Liliana had always been the first to step forward and protect her. Eliano had adored her friend, who had always looked after her like an older sister.

“I feel like God has stolen Ria away from me. You’ve been going to the temple so often lately that you don’t even come to my tea parties anymore.”

At Liliana’s complaint, Eliano replied gently,

“Don’t be too disappointed. The temple is always open.”

In other words, if Liliana wanted to spend time with her, she could come to the temple.

Liliana shook her head.

“Oh, I hate those boring gatherings at the temple. My regular visits are more than enough.”

Liliana had a face that looked as though she had a great deal to say. The group of young ladies behind her also had eyes glittering with curiosity.

Eliano had experienced situations like this many times in Zacador’s social circles: bringing along a group of people who were on your side and publicly questioning someone about a sensitive matter. It was childish, but nobles of every age and gender used this method.

“Ria, I heard you had a quarrel with the Countess of Hairn.”

Ah. Was she talking about what had happened at Marquess Persetin’s tea party?

Eliano remembered the young lady who had repeatedly made sarcastic remarks to her face before being driven away.

“It was too brief to call it a quarrel.”

The young ladies perked up their ears, covering their faces with fans as they whispered among themselves.

At this point, Eliano had no choice but to admit it. What she had done back then had been shocking, completely contrary to the image she had cultivated until then.

Liliana asked,

“Ria, um… is it true?”

“What is?”

“That you drove the Countess of Hairn’s daughter out of the tea party.”

“Drove her out? That’s too harsh a way to put it.”

Eliano put on an expression of hurt disappointment.

It was the result of the acting skills she had honed over years in Zacador’s social circles in her previous life. Her performance was so natural that only a shrewd older noblewoman might have noticed.

“Lady Hairn said she was uncomfortable with her position, and Lady Persetin merely accommodated her.”

At those words, Liliana’s expression changed completely. Seeing her face, Eliano smiled ambiguously.

She had probably been quite surprised. Eliano had never hidden her true feelings or spoken so indirectly to Liliana before.

“Oh, Ria… You don’t have to talk like that to me. We’re friends. If it’s because of the other young ladies, I can ask them to leave…”

“No.”

Eliano cut her off.

“There’s no need for that, Lily.”

Eliano’s green eyes slowly swept over the young ladies behind Liliana. She intended to remember the faces of those who had not even bothered to greet her.

Then Eliano put on a sorrowful expression.

“Liliana, you know I’m aware that you once said you were tired of playing my nanny.”

Those words had remained a wound in Eliano’s heart from her previous life.

The day she had heard them from someone else, Eliano had sobbed bitterly in her nanny’s arms. Her nanny had comforted her by saying Liliana was merely jealous, but had told her to forgive her.

Lady Ria must be kind enough to embrace even Lady Liliana’s petty feelings. Then Lady Liliana will realize that the only true friend she has is our young lady.

Eliano had always regarded Liliana, who constantly protected and cared for her, as a true friend.

But as it turned out, Liliana had been badmouthing her behind her back. She had kept a foolish friend by her side to make herself look more valuable by comparison.

The shock and pain of realizing that had been anything but shallow.

Yet in her previous life, Eliano had been unable to cut Liliana off. Not because of her nanny’s advice, but because Liliana had been too precious to her.

“No, Ria. I never said such a thing. There must have been some misunderstanding.”

It was difficult to call it a misunderstanding when the bewilderment on Liliana’s face was so obvious.

The young ladies behind her were gently waving their fans. Behind those fans, they were undoubtedly moving their mouths furiously.

Eliano continued in a trembling voice.

“I was too childish and made things difficult for you. When you think about it, I’m older than you, so I should have been the one looking after you like an older sister. I must have been tiring, always bursting into tears over the smallest things. I understand why you became tired of being my nanny…”

It was something Liliana had said about Eliano at some gathering.

Had it been a gentlemen’s club? A tea party? Perhaps both.

If those rumors had reached the ears of the person they concerned, Eliano could roughly imagine how much Liliana must have talked about her behind her back.

“Liliana, everything you said is true. I’ve been so immature that I’ve reached this age without even getting married, haven’t I?”

That was another thing Liliana had whispered throughout high society.

“R-Ria! Let’s talk privately. There’s a lounge prepared separately. Let’s go there and…”

Eliano firmly caught Liliana’s hand as she tried to pull her away.

“I don’t think that’s necessary, Liliana.”

Eliano could see Liliana gritting her teeth.

She stepped closer and whispered rapidly into Eliano’s ear.

“Lady Hairn hates you. How can you believe the words of that country bumpkin but not mine? We’re friends, aren’t we? Ria, what’s wrong? Hmm? You’ve always been kind and gentle.”

Liliana had apparently guessed that the person who had told Eliano about her malicious gossip was the Countess of Hairn’s daughter.

At that moment, Eliano’s eyes sparkled.

She had not been able to remember who had told her about Liliana’s gossip. So it really had been Lady Hairn.

Eliano gently pushed Liliana away. She removed Liliana’s hand and slightly raised her voice so that everyone could hear.

“Lady Hairn doesn’t hate me. If anything… I feel as though you’re the one who hates me.”

Eliano was tired of this conversation.

The corners of her mouth, which had habitually curved upward, fell. Her smile disappeared.

“You’re the one putting me in such an uncomfortable position.”

“You’re the one making things uncomfortable, Ria. How could you slander your friend like this? I’m truly disappointed in you! You shouldn’t treat me this way. After everything I’ve done for you…”

“No, Liliana.”

Eliano shook her head and spoke clearly.

“All it would take is a single apology.”

Her green eyes flashed.

“Then I would still be your kind and gentle friend.”

Liliana finally began to understand the source of the strange feeling she had sensed from her friend.

Eliano no longer spoke with the childish, whining tone she used to stretch out the ends of her words.

The situation was turning against the Duchess of Sanders.

It was partly because Liliana had spent so much time badmouthing Eliano in the past.

Moreover, Eliano’s image as a girl as kind as an angel worked in her favor.

Liliana tightly gripped the hem of her skirt. Seeing her trembling hand, Eliano sighed.

“I’ll wait for you whenever you’re ready, Liliana. I don’t consider our ten years of friendship worthless either.”

The words were devoid of sincerity.

As Eliano was about to turn away, she seemed to remember something. With a gentle and kindly tone, she said,

“Lily. If I may give you one piece of advice as both your friend and your older sister, frequently associating with young ladies who don’t know proper etiquette isn’t good for your reputation.”

Eliano added coldly, her gaze fixed on the young ladies surrounding Liliana.

“They don’t even know how to greet a duchess when they see one.”

Eliano walked straight past them.

The storms she had endured in her previous life were far too great for her to feel victorious over winning a petty battle of wits.

This sort of verbal sparring was truly trivial.

Eliano stopped a maid carrying food and asked to be shown to the guest lounge. She wanted to rest somewhere by herself.

However, she soon found herself facing a servant with a troubled expression.

“I apologize, Your Grace. There’s been a small problem, so I’m afraid you’ll have to wait.”

“I only need a private space. Anywhere else will do.”

Just then, someone stopped the servant who was about to lead her to an ordinary lounge instead of the guest lounge.

“Oh my. It seems I’ve taken over a space meant for a lady.”

A man with radiant blond hair and deep blue eyes appeared.

Eliano frowned without realizing it.

Fortunately, their faces were not directly facing each other, so he did not see her expression.

Eliano disliked the combination of blond hair and deep blue eyes characteristic of the imperial family.

It was also a trait of the imperial family of neighboring Zacador—and her husband in her previous life had possessed exactly those colors.

“Eleanor of Rosanna greets His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince.”

As Eliano formally greeted him, the Crown Prince looked down at her and smiled languidly.

There was nothing inelegant about her—not the way she lifted the hem of her skirt, nor the angle at which she bowed her head.

The Crown Prince found Rosanna’s eldest daughter fascinating.

On the surface, she looked like an innocent and ignorant child, yet she possessed an elegance that seemed to have become a natural part of her.

Could ignorance and elegance really coexist?

Moreover, her manner of speaking just now had not sounded like that of a child at all. She sounded like an aristocratic lady.

The Crown Prince was so fascinated that he forgot the proper manners expected of a gentleman.

Even after some time had passed, he forgot to acknowledge her greeting.

Eliano had to remain in her bowed position for quite some time.

“Herease, what’s going on?”

At that moment, a man emerged from the guest lounge and called the Crown Prince by name.

Flint saw the young lady standing motionless in proper respect to the imperial family, as well as his friend standing blankly in front of her.

He let out a silent sigh.

It seemed Herease was deliberately refusing to accept her greeting just to tease her.

“Your Highness.”

Only after the man’s quiet call did the Crown Prince finally raise his head and allow Eliano to rise.

The moment he finished speaking, the beautiful face of the duchess, which had remained perfectly still until then, was revealed.

The Crown Prince assumed that, since she was famous as a “young lady with the heart of an angel,” he could simply placate her.

But the words that followed made him realize his mistake.

“I apologize for disturbing Your Imperial Highness’s precious time. I shall take my leave.”

The angelic young lady’s face, which usually held a gentle warmth, had become as dry and expressionless as a sheet of paper.

And the green eyes that had once held such tender light were now blazing, cold as the dead of winter.

Even her voice carried unmistakable displeasure.

Someone wearing such an expression was not the sort who could easily be placated.

Eliano elegantly brushed aside the Crown Prince’s call.

“I beseech the Little Sun of the Empire. Please do not embarrass the daughter of Rosanna any further. With the generosity expected of a gentleman, I shall take my leave.”

If he held her back any longer, he would lose every last shred of gentlemanly propriety.

The Crown Prince withdrew his outstretched hand, looking utterly bewildered.

Eliano left with flawless elegance, not a single movement out of place.

But the moment she turned away, it was as if a freezing wind swept through the room.

“Haa.”

The Crown Prince, having been dealt a blow by the duchess he had ignored, looked up at the ceiling and exhaled.

Perhaps he should simply be grateful that it had happened somewhere away from the public eye.

The Crown Prince was about to voice those thoughts when he realized his friend was nowhere to be seen.

“Huh?”

He looked around before letting out another incredulous laugh.

His friend was following after the woman who had just embarrassed him.

Watching his retreating back, the Crown Prince muttered,

“He completely fell for her.”