Chapter 5: By a Twist of Fate, I’m Preparing for Married Life
THE gentle light of the early afternoon sun filtered through the leaves of the trees. It was a peaceful day, and the faint scent of flowers filled the air. This pleasant scene was abruptly shattered by a piercing voice.
“You’re so shameless!!”
When she heard the same tired phrase, Cesia readied herself with a start. The next moment, there was a loud splash, but nothing hit her. She looked around curiously and saw a girl wearing a plain-looking dress with black tea dripping off her. She looked like she was about to cry. The girl stood under one of the trees in the garden party’s venue, and several young noble ladies encircled her.
Cesia was seated at a table with all high-ranking noblewomen, and it didn’t seem anyone else had noticed what was happening in the corner. She wanted to rush over and help the girl, but as a newcomer to the table, she didn’t know whether getting up and leaving might lead to someone complaining later. She thought about it for a moment, making sure her thoughts didn’t show on her face, then beckoned her lady’s maid—Rosary Hilton, the daughter of a count—over to her.
“Is something the matter, mistress?” Rosary asked Cesia when she arrived. Rosary was a gorgeous young woman with slightly upturned eyes. As a graduate of the Royal Academy, she was intelligent and in the position to be able to live leisurely for the rest of her life without serving someone else, as she did Cesia. She had initially worked for a few years as the first princess’s lady’s maid to enhance her status, having decided she would resign after she married her fiancé. However, when the princess decided to study abroad before Rosary’s marriage, Rosary was selected as the foreign Princess Juliette’s temporary lady’s maid.
Now, Rosary was available once again. Her wedding was just around the corner, so she was due to resign very soon, but she was working for Cesia for a limited time because there was no other noblewoman or lady’s maid who was quite as worthy as her to serve the woman who was due to become the second prince’s princess consort.
“Give this to the lady over there,” Cesia said, handing a handkerchief to Rosary. It might not mean much to the girl, but it should deter any further would-be bullies.
Rosary looked at the handkerchief, then in the direction Cesia had gestured before looking into Cesia’s eyes. “I believe it would be wiser to leave her alone. Whatever the reason, some of the blame lies on the one being bullied. She still has to live her life from now on, and surely you won’t always be there to help her out, yes?”
Cesia hesitated. “That might be true,” she said. Rosary was right. Cesia wasn’t anything to that girl, much less her guardian. It would be an issue if the girl expected help from her next time, too. Ultimately, Cesia was only doing this for herself. Still unable to ignore it, she was at a loss for words.
Rosary sighed softly. “I disapprove of it, but I’ll do it, this time only,” she said, then briskly headed to the girl.
“You’re quite kind, Lady Cesia,” someone said to her.
Hearing her name, Cesia hurriedly turned to face forward. As the fiancée of the second prince and a newly ennobled baroness, Cesia had been seated at the table for wives of high-ranking nobles. Many noblewomen were at the party in the castle garden.
“I couldn’t pretend I didn’t see it,” Cesia said.
“Oh my, I would expect nothing less from the fiancée of His Royal Highness, who has such a strong sense of justice.”
“Indeed. She truly is suited for him.”
Both of the noblewomen laughed elegantly.
Cesia felt cold sweat trickle down her back. Their words had been flattering, but she knew they were laughing at her, that upstart commoner who didn’t know the first thing about high society customs. The reason was simple—they were angry. After Juliette’s downfall had left the position conveniently open, they planned to install their own daughters as the second prince’s princess consort, only for Cesia to swoop in and nab it for herself. And just as they were wondering what sort of dignified, noble lady she was, they learned that she was an orphaned former commoner. There was no way that their pride would allow them to accept it lying down.
“It isn’t smart to feed stray dogs on a whim, after all,” another noblewoman said flatly. She was the apparent center of the circle of noblewomen, the wife of Marquess Daphne. The other wives nodded emphatically while the few unmarried noble ladies at the same table lowered their gazes.
Cesia was undoubtedly the cause of the awkward atmosphere at the table. Normally, she would never sit back idly and watch—she wanted to stand up and shout, “Constant, determined resistance!”
Instead, she snuffed out her anger. “I’m inexperienced in these manners, so thank you for the insightful advice. I’ll be more careful next time,” she said, smiling sweetly.