The Kingmaker System-Chapter 450 - 449. Entertaining Tea Party (1)

My father and brother were busy with the preparations of leaving for Denril for the official celebration of the establishment of peaceful relations between the two nations and also to felicitate the Princes who made it possible. So, I couldn’t see them as often.

The next day, Penny and the other maids dolled me up while I resigned myself to their excited chatter and nimble hands. There was no point in resisting—the maids were too passionate, and too persistent, for me to get a word in.

They dressed me in a gown cascadeed down my waist in the shades of soft lavender and silver-blue, with sheer off-shoulder sleeves that draped delicately around my arms. The fabric flowed like water, layered with the faintest traces of iridescence, catching the light with every movement. Intricate embroidery traced over the bodice and down the skirt in delicate patterns reminiscent of constellations and ocean swirls, subtle yet breathtaking.

My long, silver-white hair was left mostly loose, falling down my back like moonlight, with only a few strands braided and tucked at the side to frame my face. The maids kept the accessories to a minimum as they placed on the silver chain on my neck with the pendant that Rune gave me as a birthday gift on my 12th birthday and my communication brooch.

The tea party that Penny told me I had chosen to attend was actually a small get-together arranged by Earl Blois’s daughter, Chloe—the lady whom I had helped during the ball. She had sent me a letter thanking me again, along with an invitation to a tea party at her house with a few of her friends. Thankfully, she had mentioned that only four to five people were going to be there, so I wasn’t dreading it that much. There was just a little uneasy feeling at the back of my mind.

"Oh, my! This is so beautiful," Penny gasped before she proceeded to place something on my wrist, and my eyes widened as soon as I saw what it was.

"Wait!" I snatched my hand back before she could clasp it on.

"What’s the matter, My Lady?" she asked.

I had kept this far in the back of the drawer of my vanity—this bracelet, which was the beginning of my new problem. Davian’s gift.

"I’m not wearing that," I said, and Penny pouted.

"Why not? It’s so beautiful and it matches your dress as well," she said, and I shook my head.

"No," I said firmly before I picked up the bracelet Silas had given me to hide my mana presence and wore it.

"I like this one," I said, and she sighed.

"But this one is more elegant."

"It’s fine. I should leave now," I said, not letting the topic go beyond.

"Besides, I didn’t see this one before. My Lady, was it a gift from someone?" Penny asked as even the other maids took a look at it.

"Hm... now that you say it, it is a new one."

The maids looked at me as if expecting an answer.

"It is a gift," I answered, and the glow in their eyes was enough to tell me what kind of questions were running through their heads.

"All right, I’m leaving!" I said as I turned around and made my way out before they could start bombarding me with questions.

I felt kind of guilty, but it couldn’t be helped. It would be better for Davian to get over me and find another girl for himself.

Is what I thought—but I guess he was a tough person to shake off my back.

And why was I saying that?

Well, because I’d been feeling his Aura at the periphery, following me. He was good at hiding himself from sight, but his Aura was enough for me to tell he was around. But I couldn’t call him out, and could only thank Silas’s bracelet for keeping my mana presence concealed.

"Did something happen between you and Prince Davian, Master?" Lyall asked from across me.

We were riding in a carriage together, and he was my designated knight. He must have also sensed Davian shadowing us. He was a good enough stalker if not for his aura giving him away.

"Well..." I sighed, "He... kind of... has feelings for me."

Lyall’s eyes widened, and his fingers twitched over the hilt of his sword.

"What kind of feelings?" he asked—as if confirming whether he needed to get rid of him or spare him.

"It’s what you think," I said, averting my eyes, noticing how his fingers tightened around the hilt.

"But let him be for now," I added.

"Pardon?"

"He must have seen you. Maybe that’s why he’s curious and following us."

Davian—and almost everyone who knew me—was familiar with Lyall to some extent and also the fact that Lyall was like Ocean Ryujin’s shadow. So, having him by Reina’s side would naturally evoke curiosity.

[Goddess of Wisdom says that it’s not good to lie to yourself.]

"Don’t meddle!" I snapped mentally.

Lyall didn’t seem convinced by that explanation, but I suppose it stopped him from acting—for now.

Either way, I arrived at the Earl Blois mansion, only to immediately regret it. There definitely weren’t just four or five ladies here. The number of carriages being ushered inside was certainly more than five.

Still, I couldn’t exactly run after the carriage bearing my family’s crest had already entered the premises.

"Can I escape this?" I muttered under my breath.

"You don’t have to force yourself to attend, Master," Lyall said quietly.

I sighed. "I can’t turn back now that I’m already here."

I then looked at Lyall.

"Stay back and don’t meddle. And after an hour—no, half an hour—come get me."

"Yes, Master."

I had hoped that Davian would leave after that—but he didn’t.

The tea party was held in the parlor, and it was obvious that Lady Chloe had barely managed to make preparations for the unexpected number of guests.

I could see the reason behind the sudden appearance of so many ladies.

One of the reasons was myself. And the second was the lady currently smirking at me with thinly veiled venom.

"Greetings to the star of Sestia," I said with a graceful curtsy, masking my inner irritation as I stood before Princess Colette.

Why the hell was she here?

She smirked, looking utterly self-satisfied, and glanced down at me with superiority. I straightened up with a composed smile, even as her entourage behind her shared smug expressions.

Not even a return greeting. How charming.

I didn’t linger a second longer. Just as Colette opened her mouth—no doubt to deliver some backhanded remark—I turned and walked away, heading toward Chloe, who looked extremely nervous.

"Miss Blois," I greeted, smiling as I approached. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks instantly turned red.

"W-Welcome, My Lady! Er... Th-Thank you, thank you for coming to my birth—no, my tea party." She stumbled over her words, flustered, and I smiled gently.

"Thank you for sending me an invitation, My Lady. Although, I didn’t know there would be so many ladies." I said lightly, feeling the heavy weight of many gazes burning into my back.

"I-I’m sorry about that. I really only sent out five invitations, including yourself, but then..." Her eyes flicked over to Colette, who was very obviously glaring at us.

"It’s fine," I said, and she looked at me with a remorseful, puppy-eyed expression.

I smiled again, and she flushed deeper before looking away.

"Ah... Well, I... I prepared some special sweets and brewed the tea myself. I hope you’ll enjoy your time here," she said shyly.

"I hope so too," I replied, trying to ignore the pressing urge to escape somehow.

I hated being the focus of so many stares. And if the dozen or so ladies in the hall weren’t enough, I could also feel that man’s aura lingering somewhere nearby. Just where was he hiding?!

Regardless, I pushed down the discomfort and focused on engaging with a few ladies who had approached.

"My Lady, how are you today?"

"I hope having all of us here like this isn’t a bother."

"Yes, we wanted to meet you, that’s why we requested Miss Blois to send us an invitation."

The ladies spoke politely, and I smiled in response. "It’s fine. I’m glad to meet you all."

The ladies brightened at my words, and gradually, I began to feel a little more at ease.

"Besides, My Lady, your dress is quite beautiful. Is it from the same boutique you mentioned during the debutante?" one of them asked.

"Yes," I replied with a small nod.

"It’s so elegant—it feels like you’re dressed in a fabric made of water."

"Can I touch it?" another lady asked.

"Sure," I said, gesturing lightly.

She hesitantly reached out and touched the skirt gingerly, her eyes widening almost instantly.

"It’s quite soft and light," she remarked in awe, and a couple more ladies joined in, brushing their fingers against the fabric.

"That’s right—not only elegant, but so soft!"

Just then, I heard the click of heels behind us. I turned slightly to see a young lady with an insidious glint in her eyes approaching me with a glass in her hand.

"Lady Reina, you must be tired after standing for so long. Why don’t you have a drink for refreshment?" she said with a practiced smile.

I smiled back. It was obvious what she intended.

"Oh, thank you. How thoughtful of you!" I said as I reached out—and just then, she stumbled forward, spilling the orange juice all over my dress. Gasps echoed around us along with the spike in the aura which just made me think of one thing.

Davian, don’t jump in for God’s sake!

"Oh, my! I’m so sorry!" The lady before me cried, feigning horror as she covered her mouth with her hands, the glint in her eyes betraying her.

"I-I didn’t mean it, please forgive me. It must be quite an expensive dress..." she added, barely hiding her smirk.

As this pathetic act unfolded, Colette made her entrance, walking toward us with a leisurely grace.

"It was just an accident. Don’t be so scared," she said, walking up to stand beside the other girl with a small, smug smile.

"I’m sure Lady Reina would be forgiving enough for such an unintentional mishap," she added, her voice saccharine.

Such a cheap trick. But it wouldn’t work on me.

"That’s right, it isn’t a big deal," I said calmly, watching as both their smiles grew—too soon.

"But, My Lady, your dress!" some of the girls beside me cried out, clearly distressed by the large orange stain.

I smiled gently. "This is nothing. It’ll be gone in an instant."

"Pardon?"

I didn’t bother explaining. I simply brushed my hand over the stained fabric. The moisture pulled away as I combined my Water and Frost mana, crystallizing the liquid mid-air into a delicate sphere of ice.

Gasps of wonder filled the room as the crystalized orange orb hovered above my palm—while my dress remained flawless and dry.

The expressions on Colette and her companion’s faces were absolutely comical as the tables turned in the blink of an eye.

I let the orb shimmer for a second longer before letting it destabilize. It shattered into sharp fragments, shooting toward the girl who had spilled the juice.

She shrieked, covering her face, while the icy shards tore clean through her dress, leaving it riddled with tiny holes.

"M-My dress!" she wailed, staring at the damage in horror.

I gasped, placing a hand delicately over my mouth. "Oh, my! Please forgive me. I’m still not very good at controlling my mana—that must be why it exploded. I hope you’re kind and generous enough to forgive me?" I added sweetly, letting a trace of tears glitter in my eyes.

Colette’s face flushed with rising fury, and I turned my innocent gaze to the girl beside her.

"It was an accident."

"Yes, My Lady is already too frail, and using magic in that state must have made it unstable."

"That’s right—it couldn’t have been avoided."

The girls around me chimed in supportively, while I concealed a smirk behind my serene expression. The girl before me was now forcing a smile.

"I-I understand... I’ll forgive you, My Lady," she said through clenched teeth.

"But I feel so bad. Your dress is in tatters, please at least let me repay you for it." I added, concerned.

"I-It’s fine, you don’t have to, My Lady." She said while trying to keep her smile. If she demanded a repayment it wouldn’t be good for her side. She stained my dress earlier and only an apology was given so, now the same terms would work and hell if I would pay her. Even if I did, I’d extract ten times from her family.

"It’s fine, isn’t it?" she replied, barely holding it together.

"She almost ruined Lady Aurelius’s expensive dress, and now hers is ruined."

"Well, if the stain had stayed, I doubt she could’ve afforded to compensate Lady Aurelius."

The whispers behind me were clear and merciless. Meanwhile, the ones before me simmered in silent rage.

This tea party was certainly starting to get entertaining.

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