“……!”
As Jieselgrante pointed out precisely, the expression of the Countess Minster’s daughter suddenly hardened.
She soon became aware of the gazes of other young ladies pouring onto her and turned her head this way and that.
It was relatively recent that the fortunes of the Minster Count’s family began to decline.
The reasons were also various.
Usually, merchant ships carrying goods to distant continents were insured.
To prepare for sudden storms capsizing the ship or pirate raids.
However, since such damages were not frequent, Count Minster chose to save on that risk premium.
So he sent off merchant ships to distant continents.
Saying that it would be enough to prepare by attaching sufficient escorts.
And during the rainy season last year, an unprecedented massive tsunami struck the merchant ship carrying the goods of Count Minster.
Among the many merchant ships, it happened to be the one with considerable high-value goods, and the damage to Count Minster’s family was also great.
Is that all?
Count Minster’s heir bought a sapphire mine for an enormous sum of money, but no sapphire came out even after several years.
He had been deceived.
It was something that could have been avoided if Count Minster’s heir had visited the sapphire mine in person even once.
There’s more besides that, but anyway, if such facts were to become known outside, it would be the Minster Count’s family that would be embarrassed.
They dismissed the rumors by silencing those involved. Making people think it was nothing more than groundless rumors.
“So we can only see that the Minster Count’s family cherishes old things. Am I wrong?”
Jieselgrante added one more word and smiled brightly.
At that moment, the young lady sitting next to the Countess Minster’s daughter slightly turned her head to the side and then bit her lips.
But she couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from twitching. It was close to barely holding back laughter that was about to burst.
The reactions of other young ladies were not much different.
As all the young ladies gathered here belonged to the highest class of the Paysis Empire, there was no way they didn’t know that the Countess Minster’s daughter was wearing outdated dresses and accessories.
Everyone knew, but they couldn’t bring themselves to talk about it in front of the Countess Minster’s daughter.
That was probably because the mother of the Countess Minster’s daughter was a close maid to the Empress.
It wasn’t long until Joshua’s Crown Prince enthronement ceremony.
And Joshua had no fiancée.
The Empress would be weighing the young ladies to find a suitable match for Joshua.
The Crown Princess. Furthermore, the wife of the Emperor who rules vast territories and the mistress of the splendid imperial palace.
For young ladies aiming for the opportunity of social advancement by becoming the Empress, the Countess Minster’s daughter was someone they needed to impress.
But Jieselgrante had nothing to do with any of that.
So she had no hesitation in exposing the shame of the Countess Minster’s daughter.
Of course, Jieselgrante didn’t usually think that the family’s poverty was the young lady’s fault.
She didn’t intend to point it out and embarrass her either.
But for someone trying to damage her reputation in front of everyone like now, it was undoubtedly a weakness that would work quite well.
In the chilly atmosphere, when the flushed face of the Countess Minster’s daughter began to look quite pitiful, Jieselgrante smiled with curved eyes and unfastened the accessory on her arm.
“I bought this a few days ago, but I’ll give it to you, Countess Minster’s daughter. I hope you’ll keep this well for a long time too, as per your family tradition.”
Saying so, she fastened the accessory on the wrist of the Countess Minster’s daughter.
However, even that wasn’t easy.
Because the wrist of the Countess Minster’s daughter was trembling.
What Jieselgrante did was sympathy. And of the worse kind.
Usually, sympathy was an emotion felt towards those in a worse situation than oneself.
Finally, unable to hold back, the Countess Minster’s daughter shouted loudly.
“You!”
And she began to spout curses that couldn’t be uttered.
Being treated like a beggar in front of everyone by Jieselgrante, whom she had been dismissing as an idiot, it would take more than ordinary patience to endure.
Especially for a young lady who had just debuted in high society, it would be an unbearable insult.
“Look over there.”
“What on earth is happening……”
At that moment, ladies passing near the table whispered and pointed fingers at the Countess Minster’s daughter.
High-ranking nobles considered it a virtue not to easily show emotions in front of other nobles.
Especially in such public places, they had to behave with more dignity.
“What… What’s going on here?”
Marchioness Ratse, belatedly recognizing the unusual atmosphere, approached.
Still, the Countess Minster’s daughter continued to shout loudly, and the sight of the young ladies clinging to her trying to stop her looked quite pitiful.
“It seems she’s had a little to drink……”
At that moment, the Howard Marquis’s daughter approached Marchioness Ratse and whispered softly.
“Drink, you say?”
To Marchioness Ratse’s question, the Howard Marquis’s daughter added quietly.
“I tried to tell her not to drink, but she said the drink she had in secret from the adults was real……”
Marchioness Ratse glared at the Countess Minster’s daughter, who was still causing a commotion unable to control her anger, and clicked her tongue.
“How dare she… in a place like this. Where is Countess Minster right now?”
Marchioness Ratse asked a nearby maid.
“I believe she’s stepped out for a moment… Shall I go find Countess Minster?”
Marchioness Ratse nodded at the maid’s question.
It seemed she intended to leave the handling of the Countess Minster’s daughter to her mother, Countess Minster.
She probably didn’t want to make a fool of herself trying to calm down the Countess Minster’s daughter, who didn’t seem likely to calm down easily.
Jieselgrante observed with interested eyes the Howard Marquis’s daughter who was watching the excited and constantly huffing Countess Minster’s daughter.
In stark contrast to her consistently bored expression throughout the tea party, the Howard Marquis’s daughter’s eyes were now quite sparkling.
‘Does she like this sort of thing?’
Or perhaps…..
“I-Iliana?”
The situation concluded as Countess Minster, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, took the Countess Minster’s daughter away to another place.
It was fortunate that during that time, Marchioness Ratse had managed to hold the attention of the other guests for a while.
[This is the timeline separator]After the tea party ended and all the guests had left the imperial palace, the Empress, who had been absent during the middle of the tea party, returned to her office.
Sitting in the office chair and quietly regulating her breathing, the Empress cast her gaze towards Countess Minster, who was anxiously biting her lips.
“Explain yourself.”
Instead of Countess Minster, whose lips were trembling, Marchioness Ratse spoke.
“It seems that Duke Amaterasu’s daughter was a bit more superior in dealing with the Countess Minster’s daughter.”
With that, today’s situation at the tea party was neatly summarized.
“Hmm……”
As the Empress nodded her head while letting out a faint nasal sound, the white fingers of Countess Minster gripping her dress tensed.
This was not just any common tea party held anywhere. It was a tea party hosted by none other than the Empress.
Countess Minster knew well that the Empress would not simply overlook the one who caused the disturbance.
Nevertheless, Countess Minster tried to smile as brightly as possible as she opened her mouth.
“M-May I inquire about how you intend to handle the punishment?”
“Punishment? Yes, there should be a fitting punishment for the disturbance……”
As if contemplating, the Empress’s long white fingers tapped her crossed arms.
“……”
Marchioness Ratse waited for the Empress’s next words with her gaze lowered.
In truth, for Marchioness Ratse, this was merely someone else’s affair.
Whatever punishment was decided for Duke Amaterasu’s daughter or the Countess Minster’s daughter, it had nothing to do with her.
On the other hand, there was a slight tension in the eyes of Countess Minster as she looked at the Empress’s face.
Depending on the Empress’s decision, there was a possibility that her daughter Iliana could be buried in high society from now on.
Just as Duke Amaterasu’s daughter had been until now.
Setting aside the sudden cessation of invitations to social gatherings, even if she showed her face at major palace events, today’s incident would be talked about for a long time.
However, if the Empress decided to bury the events of today’s tea party, the subsequent situation could change significantly.
If the Empress decided to treat it as if it never happened, she could truly make it as if it never happened.
“……”
As the silence in the office deepened, Countess Minster’s throat became parched.
It was just as Countess Minster swallowed dry saliva while waiting for the Empress’s impending decision.
Having finished her contemplation, the Empress opened her mouth.
“While she must have been busy adapting to the changed atmosphere of the imperial capital, Duke Amaterasu’s daughter’s method was bold yet clean.”
Marchioness Ratse responded as if agreeing with the Empress’s words.
“I had been thinking the same.”
“However, I think it would be better to observe a bit more, so include Duke Amaterasu’s daughter’s name on the invitation list for the next tea party.”
“Understood, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Countess Minster cautiously interjected into the conversation between the two.
“Th-Then what will happen to our Iliana?”
The Empress did not answer that, indifferently lowering her gaze to the documents.
Marchioness Ratse provided an answer instead.
“You know. The seats at the tea party are limited.”
With those final words, Marchioness Ratse also gathered the documents she needed to review today and sat down at the desk.
Standing frozen in place for a moment, one corner of Countess Minster’s mouth curved down in disappointment.
Cold Male Lead Became My Clingy Husband (Female-Dominant)
Feng Bai Su transmigrated into a matriarchal novel, becoming the sister of the female protagonist and the Seventh Princess of the Feng Ling Kingdom.
After working herself to death in her previous life, finally reincarnating as a princess, she only wanted to be a lazy fish who could eat, sleep, and play.
Until she met the male protagonist from the book, Wei Jing Mo, and he took a liking to her!
Wei Jing Mo is the top young man in Feng Ling City, talented in both appearance and ability, from a prestigious family, with a cold and otherworldly appearance, a figure like the bright moon in the hearts of noble ladies. It was thought that only the most powerful and talented noble lady in Feng Ling City would be worthy of such a brilliant young man. Who knew that this young gentleman would secretly admire the infamous Seventh Princess?
Short scene 1:
Feng Bai Su looked at the young man crying like a pear blossom in the rain before her, and couldn’t help but doubt her life.
Wasn’t the male lead described as a cold and otherworldly figure in the book?
Then who was this poor little thing crying with swollen red eyes and tear-stained face?
Short scene 2:
Wei Jing Mo stared intently at Feng Bai Su who was about to go out, wanting to say, “Be careful on the road.”
Before he could speak, Feng Bai Su suddenly bent down and bit his cheek.
Her peach blossom eyes were full of disdain: “Tsk! You’re so clingy!”
Wei Jing Mo: “…”
A talented fox spirit female lead with a flirtatious appearance but actually abstinent VS A cold-looking but actually naive and clingy little jealous male lead
