53: [The Spring Tea Party]
As Leticia and I stepped out of the carriage, we were greeted by a line of royal guards.
“Welcome to the Royal Castle of Eustasia! Lady Adelheid von Vanderwaals, Lady Leticia von Vanderwaals!”
Their greeting seemed… warmer than usual.
They used to be tense and… somewhat apprehensive when receiving me.
“Thank you for the welcome.”
“Thank you as always!”
The guards’ faces softened at Leticia’s smiling wave.
Well, my sister was adorable.
I could allow them that small comfort in their demanding job.
An attendant led us through the dimly lit castle, despite the windows, the high ceilings diminishing the light. As we walked, the sounds of conversation and laughter… a lively buzz… gradually grew louder.
The hallway opened into a bright, spacious area.
We were in the castle courtyard.
Tables draped with white tablecloths were scattered across the lawn, laden with teapots and refreshments. Many people were chatting leisurely.
While officially called a tea party, it was essentially a social gathering.
Social events were inevitably less frequent during the winter. It was cold, and the roads were difficult to travel. Non-essential events were canceled, inevitably weakening ties with some families.
The social season was from spring to autumn.
This event, held under the guise of celebrating the arrival of spring, was an opportunity to rekindle those connections.
While my Leticia was adorable, I was still apprehensive about introducing her to formal social events.
So, a casual gathering like this, with a buffet-style setup, was just right—at least, that was the official reason.
“[Welcome, Adelheid von Vanderwaals. Lady Leticia.]”
In reality, it was an event to gather the [Capture Targets], who held different social standings.
Today’s tea party was hosted by the royal family, with the First Prince, Konrad von Eustasia, as the host.
The prince, with his light, tousled blond hair and green eyes, smiling before me, was one of the three [Capture Targets].
While he wasn’t wearing the white formal attire he wore at Leticia’s [Ceremony of Recognition], he looked quite handsome, objectively speaking, in his beige nobleman’s outfit. He also held the promising position of future king of Eustasia, the most powerful nation on the continent.
Objectively, he was a prime candidate.
However, I had no intention of treating him ‘objectively,’ and he likely felt the same way about me.
“Thank you for the invitation.”
We exchanged polite greetings, our relationship strained.
While he used the [Official Line], he probably wouldn’t have even addressed me by name if it weren’t for our positions.
Indeed, his rare smile, the one I seldom saw, was directed at Leticia.
“Thank you for the invitation, Your Highness. …This is my first time at an event like this.”
Leticia, blushing, was adorable.
This event was essentially a prelude, so she didn’t have any [Official Lines].
It was simply a brief explanation of the situation, with the [Capture Targets] appearing one after another.
In that sense, I was a little relieved, as I didn’t have to worry as much about deviating from fate’s script.
“It’s an honor that Lady Leticia’s social debut is at a royal tea party. Allow me to escort—”
Just as Konrad was about to offer his hand, a booming voice interrupted him.
“[Leticia! You’re here too. What a lovely surprise.]”
Oh, the [Official Line] included the phrase “[What a lovely surprise],” indicating a higher level of favorability.
And his tone was bright and cheerful.
His sun-bleached blonde hair, the color of weathered rock, flowed like a lion’s mane. His tanned skin, rumored to have Western blood, his light brown eyes, glinting gold in the light, were filled with confidence, reflected in his well-trained, lean physique.
He was Felix von Ritter. A high-ranking knight, a nobleman for one generation—the commander of the Eustasia Knights, the pride of the Kingdom of Eustasia. Like Konrad, he was one of the three [Capture Targets].
He wore a dark red nobleman’s outfit, the front open wide.
Although he was wearing a vest, his well-developed muscles strained against his shirt, giving his otherwise elegant attire a wild, untamed air.
“Oh, Adelheid. You’re here too.”
That was his greeting.
He probably hadn’t even noticed me. Love is blind, as they say.
Well, I didn’t expect gentlemanly behavior from him, so it wasn’t a problem.
However, his open collar was… questionable etiquette for a formal social gathering, even a casual daytime one.
I offered a gentle reminder.
“Felix, at least button your collar.”
“Oh, this? It won’t button. My neck’s too thick, apparently.”
I see.
Indeed, his neck seemed to be twice… no, three times as thick as mine.
“I consulted a tailor… so as not to shame the knighthood… but they said it would look awkward if I forced it.”
I tried to imagine Felix in a perfectly buttoned-up, elegant outfit, but it did seem… unsettling.
“Besides, they said that if you weren’t important, you wouldn’t have the opportunity to wear such clothes, and if you were important, people would overlook a little dishevelment.”
“…Well, I can’t exactly argue with that.”
He was the symbol of military might in this country.
Even if he looked out of place in aristocratic society, it was… understandable.
“Leticia, this meat was delicious.”
On the plate Felix gestured towards was a succulent-looking roast beef.
I usually planned my actions based on predictions of how things would unfold.
And I prided myself on the accuracy of those predictions, except when it came to my sister.
However, I was momentarily stunned by the unexpected.
…Meat?
“…I thought this was a tea party.”
I glared at Konrad.
He gave a princely, affable smile that seemed to mask his inner sarcasm.
“It’s normal to have refreshments at a tea party.”
“This is a full-blown roast beef.”
“When I asked the Knights for their preferences, the Knight Commander insisted on ‘meat, above all else.’”
“And why did you agree to that?”
I couldn’t help but sound exasperated.
“As the host, I wanted to satisfy my guests.”
“Well, that corner of the courtyard certainly has a different atmosphere…”
The knights of Eustasia’s prestigious Royal Knights, leaving the socializing to their commander, were single-mindedly devouring the meat.
The intimidated nobles kept their distance.
That corner of the courtyard was probably stocked with the heartiest of ‘refreshments.’
I made eye contact with the female knight with short brown hair, who was standing a little away from the knights swarming the meat.
――I had seen the same look in her eyes at the ranch restaurant, next to the riding grounds.
A look that pleaded for help.
A look that begged for intervention.
I had ignored it then.
I smiled gracefully and, making sure I wasn’t seen, lightly kicked Felix’s leg.
“Hmm? What is it, Adelheid? Do you want some meat too?”
“Felix, your adorable subordinate is looking for help.”
Felix looked in the direction I indicated.
“Hmm? Oh, she’s the one who keeps lecturing us about proper knightly conduct. She’s probably worried about appearances.”
Oh?
So, he did have a subordinate who would advise him on such ‘obvious’ matters.
“That’s important. You should listen to her.”
“Of course.”
I was slightly impressed by his firm nod.
“So, Leticia, I brought you some of this delicious meat.”
I retracted my impression.
Of all things to offer a young lady at a tea party… meat?
“Wow! Thank you, Sir Felix!”
However, Leticia seemed pleased.
…Looking closer, the roast beef was neatly arranged on a small plate.
He had apparently taken it from the large platter piled high with meat he had placed on one of the tables before approaching us. It seemed he had tried to be considerate.
While his methods were questionable, if she was happy… perhaps it was the right approach.
Leticia took a bite of the thinly sliced meat with the fork he had given her.
Come to think of it, lunch had been light, since we were invited to the tea party.
My sister closed her eyes, savoring the taste, then opened them, a smile spreading across her face.
“It really is delicious.”
“—Isn’t it?”
Felix’s smile deepened.
…That smile was surely only for her.
“Would you like some, Elder Sister?”
“Huh?”
My sister smiled and offered me a piece of roast beef on her fork.
The surface was nicely browned, the inside red; it looked perfectly cooked…
“Here.”
Did she realize that we were constantly being watched?
I was Adelheid von Vanderwaals, the head of an infamous ducal family; I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.
My dance instructor had taught me to always be aware of how others perceived me.
To express beauty, down to my fingertips.
To be mindful of how I appeared to others—to the world, to stand tall and composed, as if suspended by strings from the heavens.
I had thought it was like being a puppet, but if that were the case, it was my specialty.
I just had to control myself.
I had no will of my own. That was fine.
Duty and loyalty. Fulfilling my role as the head of the family, that was all that mattered.
――I had no value if I couldn’t fulfill my ‘role.’
“Leticia.”
I looked at Leticia with a stern expression, and she nodded.
She understood.
I thought that for a moment, but then my sister moved the meat closer to my mouth.
“Here you go.”
That wasn’t it.
Not “here you go.”
Why was my sister so assertive?
Or was this normal in the “back alley”?
The head of the Vanderwaals family, the much-talked-about ducal lady, with the First Prince and the Knight Commander… we were the center of attention.
I sighed.
Leticia, who had been smiling, now looked anxious.
…Before I knew it, I had taken a bite of the meat she offered.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if it was behavior befitting the head of a ducal family, but my sister’s face brightened, so… I’d let it slide.
“Elder Sister, is it good?”
“…Yes, it’s quite good.”
After swallowing, I answered, and my sister’s smile brightened further.
Ah, my sister was so cute. The cutest on the continent, no, the cutest in the world.
…Had she ever been conscious of how others—how the world—perceived her?
Watching Leticia happily eating the meat, I felt, strangely, like everything would be alright.
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