“So, since Princess Bertia arrived, June has been so cold to me…”
“I see.”
“She used to visit me often, but now…”
“I understand.”
“So, what’s up with the daily tea parties?”
“I understand.”
“Prince Cecil, are you actually paying attention?”
“I understand… Yes, I am paying attention.”
Yes, I was listening… At least, at first. Two hours had passed since Prince Izlarich had entered while Prince Ramtak and I were enjoying drinks. During this time, Prince Izlarich relentlessly voiced his grievances, primarily urging me to “do something about Bertia.”
Furthermore, as soon as he arrived, Prince Izlarich began drinking willingly, transforming his complaints into what felt like the incoherent ramblings of a drunken individual bothering me.
Honestly, I was confused about what I was hearing. Prince Ramtak, eager to portray Bertia as a “troublesome and capricious woman,” had started disparaging her, fueled by Prince Izlarich’s complaints. Frustrated, I asked Zeno to discreetly reduce the water in his drink, raising the alcohol content to accelerate his downfall.
Once the servants laid him down, he fell into a deep sleep. It was intriguing, that Seahealby, with its pirate heritage, nurtured a robust drinking culture and allowed alcohol consumption at a notably younger age than in our country.
Although this may reflect the country’s culture and I was in no place to judge, seeing the extreme drunkenness of these two royal students led me to believe they should have learned to drink responsibly first.
This holds true despite my efforts to inspire them to express themselves more openly.
“In essence, you’re feeling upset because Miss June and Tia have formed a close bond, making you feel neglected?”
Even with his ornate language, this seemed to capture the essence. Initially, as a temporary antagonist, Bertia had intended to sabotage the romance between the heroine, Miss June, and her love interest, Prince Izlarich. Ironically, befriending Miss June and spending time together daily ended up achieving the opposite of her goal.
Congratulations, Bertia. You may be the first “villainess” in history to play your part so well. However, your spite appears aimed not at the heroine, Miss June, but rather at Prince Izlarich, the male lead.
Bertia may not have recognized this.
“No, that’s not it! I’m merely pointing out that it’s odd for my fiancée to overlook me for the company of a foreign crown princess! Still, I’m confident June wants to see me as well. She used to visit me frequently, after all. However, she can’t simply dismiss the princess’ invitations…” Prince Izlarich, heavily intoxicated, slurred his words as he attempted to present his argument.
No matter how frequent the tea parties were, as a future princess, she naturally prioritized attending to a distinguished guest—the crown princess of a prominent country—over simply socializing with her future prince.
Relationships and connections among noblewomen were vital. Prince Izlarich noted that Miss June spent significant time with him at the academy. To him, their close childhood friendship made their frequent interactions there natural. However, the academy served as an essential venue for young nobles of similar ages to cultivate their connections. As someone destined to be a princess, it was crucial for her to engage regularly with other women of her status.
Spending extensive time with a fiancé is the unusual aspect—unless it resembles a romance novel.
This suggests that Miss June probably has few female friends.
Being named the fiancée of the second prince at such a young age had likely turned her into a target of jealousy, exposing her to the indirect harassment often found among noble circles. Had her family possessed greater power or wealth, they might have been able to offer her some protection. Nevertheless, while her family was recognized for their loyalty, they lacked significant influence or affluence.
Ideally, Prince Izlarich, her fiancé, ought to have been supporting her through these challenges. However, considering his current state, it was evident that he was unaware of the fragile situation Miss June faced.
“For royals like us, Prince Izlarich, it’s advantageous when the women who will become our wives build relationships with other women. Why do you present it as if it’s a negative?”
Arguing with him while he was drunk may have been pointless, yet I hoped some of it would resonate, so I continued to push forward.
“Women can just socialize at social gatherings, right?”
“You know, a tea party is quite the delightful social occasion,” I responded.
I couldn’t help but feel frustrated by Prince Izlarich’s rather gloomy tone.
He seems… not a bad person, but maybe not the brightest.
“However, it’s not necessary to do it so often… Perhaps during soirées or similar events… As a result, June is unable to visit me.”
“If Miss June can’t visit you, why not go to her? Even if you cannot attend the tea parties, you should still be able to pay her a visit. In fact, Crown Prince Aleis frequently visits Princess Lysonna with gifts despite their attendance at the tea parties. Likewise, I accompany Tia or present her with gifts too.”
“Eh?”
At my words, Prince Izlarich gazed at me with widened eyes, full of surprise.
“It appears you’re frustrated that Miss June isn’t choosing to visit you, but have you thought about her perspective? While other attendees have their fiancés or husbands bringing gifts and attending, hers isn’t present. Might she feel let down?”
It seems that Miss June truly enjoys her tea parties with Bertia and the others, which may explain why she gets so engaged in their discussions that she forgets about her fiancé’s absence.
“No, I just haven’t received an invitation…”