“Boys, you’re starling Alexandra by offering her so many invitations at once,” Cia said. “Do you mind stepping away for a moment?”
Despite her polite attempt to get rid of the boys, they wouldn’t back down. In fact, they started arguing with each other. “I’ll leave if you leave first,” one of them said, leading to even more heated exchanges.
I struggled to come up with a solution, as I definitely couldn’t resort to throwing hands. Just then, I heard a voice from behind us.
“That’s no way to treat a lady, you lot.”
When I turned towards the voice, I found a young boy with blondish-orange hair. Another young boy with red hair stood at his side.
Those are two of the men I beat up, I thought with a gasp. Their faces are much younger, but there’s no mistaking it. Those boys grew up to condemn the original Alexandra.
“It’s improper to frighten a lady during her first tea party,” the prince with blondish-orange hair said. “Move away from her table at once, everyone.”
Reluctantly, the young noblemen surrounding me returned to their own tables.
“Are you okay?” the prince asked.
“Yes, thank you very much,” I replied. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
His face reddened slightly. “Don’t worry about it. From now on, speak to me if you find yourself in any trouble.”
He doesn’t seem to remember me. I can’t imagine him offering help if he recalled the thrashing I gave him.
“My name is Lauris Bartis,” he continued. “I’m the second prince.”
“And my name is Oreste Rodarte,” the red-haired boy said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Seeing as the boys had introduced themselves, I had to reciprocate as a matter of courtesy. “My name is Alexandra Vistriano,” I replied with a modest greeting befitting a young lady. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.”
When the prince blushed again, Cita and Cia suppressed a laugh on either side of me.
“Do you mind if we sit here?” the prince asked.
“By all means,” I replied, unable to turn down a request from royalty.
As both boys sat down, I sighed softly enough to go unnoticed. This could turn out to be more troublesome than the previous crowd. That said, Cita and Cia seemed to be enjoying the situation, their curious glances prickling my skin. At the same time, other envious and sorrowful gazes pierced me from all directions. These stares originated from the young noblewomen. Specifically, the ones who’d been surrounding the boys mere minutes ago.
“Is this your first tea party at the castle, Lady Vistriano?” the prince asked.
“Yes, that’s correct,” I replied.
“Is there any reason you haven’t attended one before?”
“I don’t know myself. This is the first time I received an invitation.”
Father had probably dealt with the matter in private. Even so, I couldn’t reveal the true reason for my previous absences.
“I see,” the prince said. “You should participate more often from now on. The royal castle’s tea parties are the best way to make connections.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I responded.
What if I want to punch him again?
I had been worrying about this since he arrived. However, the prince turned out to be a small, surprisingly decent gentleman. Had his previous personality been a result of bewitchment?
The prince turned his gaze on Cita and Cia. “You two still look as identical as ever.”
Though Cia responded with a smile, the humor didn’t reach her eyes. The prince probably said this to them every time.
The red-haired boy cocked his head. “You think they look identical, Your Highness? They look completely different to me.”
“Huh?” Cia asked, her eyes widening as she looked at him.
“Your eye colors are completely different, after all, and you have distinct auras. Also, you seem like the type of girl I wouldn’t want to make angry, Lady Felicia.”
Despite his rather blunt assessment, he’d hit the nail on the head.
Cia flashed a genuine smile. “You have quite the discerning eye, Lord Rodarte.”
“Huh?” the red-haired boy asked. “You think so?”
“Yes. Apart from Ally and her brother, no one else has ever been able to tell us apart.”
“It has been quite a while,” Cita agreed while radiating happiness. “Being seen as my own person really warms my heart.”
The red-haired boy blushed as she smiled at him.
Cia whispered to me suggestively while looking at the pair. “Looks like my sister might find a match before you, Ally.”
“I can tell them apart too,” a new voice said from behind.
Turning around, I found a black-haired boy standing there. He was a younger version of the man I’d kicked in the jaw. Moreover, he was one of the four boys who’d attracted a crowd. The many young ladies lurking behind him was evidence of this.
“You too, Rosario?” the red-haired boy asked with a grin. “Sounds like we’ll be good friends.”
The black-haired boy looked at the prince with genuine curiosity. “You really can’t tell them apart, Your Highness?” he asked without a trace of mockery in his eyes.
“Wh-Why am I the bad guy here?” the prince asked. “They really look identical to me.”
“You think so? Perhaps people give off different impressions depending on the viewer. To my eyes, Lady Felicita is cute, and Lady Felicia is beautiful.” The black-haired boy spoke this straightforward praise while regarding the twins. Afterwards, he turned his gaze on me, his eye widening for a moment. “Oh, forgive me for not introducing myself. I’m Rosario Marchetti.”
He greeted me as if we were meeting for the first time. This boy didn’t seem to remember the thrashing I gave him either. Still, why had he looked at me with surprise?
“It’s nice to meet you,” I responded cautiously. “My name is Alexandra Vistriano.”
“Ah, I should’ve known,” the black-haired boy said. “You’re Lord Janus’s little sister, aren’t you?”
“Yes. You know my brother?”
The black-haired boy broke into a grin. “Indeed. I’ve learned a lot from Lord Janus. He was officially selected as an aide to the crown prince, correct?”
“That’s right. He received the appointment just a few days ago.”
“Lord Janus is very knowledgeable. I respect him greatly.”
Though Janus and I had different colored eyes and hair, our other features were somewhat similar. The black-haired boy must have regarded me with surprise because of my resemblance to Janus. Similar to the others, the black-haired boy didn’t seem like the type of person to disparage his peers. Bewitchment must have twisted his personality.
“Hearing praise for my brother certainly warms my heart,” I said.
The black-haired boy grinned again. In the blink of an eye, the six of us were sitting around the table. Ironically, all the men I’d beaten up in another life had gathered around me.
“What kind of joke is the universe playing on me?” I muttered under my breath.
The prince was sitting next to me, having switched seats. “Hm?” he asked while peering at me. “What’s this about a joke?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. This is my first tea party at the castle, and I’m sharing a table with so many wonderful people. It’s so hard to believe that it feels like a joke.”
“Haha,” the prince laughed cheerfully. “You’re rather adorable, Lady Vistriano.”
My excuse seemed to have worked. Was it just my imagination, or were Cita’s shoulders quivering with suppressed laughter?