I was already aware of the lesson plan from Lady Joanna. We were to partner up, with one person preparing the tea while the other tasted it, followed by a critique of each other’s efforts. I put in a lot of effort to ensure my critiques carried a tone of refined disdain. I practiced intensively by voicing my complaints about the tea made by the maids. As a result, I was able to deliver many sharp comments! By the end, Lady Heronia was furious, her complexion flushed and eyes filled with tears. It was quite invigorating!
Reflecting on a discussion with Silica, a childhood friend of Nert and Bertia’s peer, I recognized that she had recounted comparable experiences. She participated in the same class and directly observed Bertia’s interactions.
Bertia willingly teamed up with Baroness Heronia, the only partner no one else desired for the tea exercise. She carefully instructed Baroness Heronia in choosing tea leaves, when to add them to the pot, the appropriate water temperature, and how long to steep them. Remarkably, every element of Baroness Heronia’s tea-making was executed so poorly that even the instructors were astonished by the bitterness of her tea.
When Bertia highlighted her etiquette mistakes, Baroness Heronia’s face flushed with rage. Ultimately, she tearfully charged Bertia with harboring dislike for her, prompting disapproving looks from those nearby.
The practice sessions with the maids were quite popular, resembling ‘tea brewing tutorials’ led by Bertia. Her eagerness to share the tea skills she had honed, along with her effective guidance, greatly enhanced her reputation among the maids, as reported by the errand runner.
Most of the ‘misdeeds’ I skimmed through in the diary were of this nature. Even when they succeeded, they were only minor mischief at best, and most were failures—in terms of villainy, that is. Ironically, however, these actions often ended up enhancing her reputation, thus ‘succeeding’ in a different way.
If I were to offer such items as evidence, I would probably be ridiculed. This would scarcely be deemed proof of any significant misconduct.
Well, it was quintessentially Bertia, if such a phrase applies. Usually, I would describe her antics as ‘charming’, ‘fascinating’, ‘captivating’, or ‘amusing’.
But now, I couldn’t feel the same way.
While her antics consistently entertained me, the realization that Bertia had handed me what she saw as the “trump card” for my “defeat” troubled me.
“Hey, Tia. Are you truly trying to distance yourself from me?” A chilling voice, with dark undertones, unintentionally escaped my lips. Despite knowing it wasn’t the case, I couldn’t resist asking.
Usually, my heart doesn’t show much color, whether for better or worse. But now, it felt as if a black stain had been dropped onto it, gradually spreading.
I could feel my expression turning stern as Bertia stared at me with wide, beautiful eyes that appeared to grow even larger with surprise.
A peaceful part of my mind urged me to settle down, yet another part of me couldn’t stop.
“You claim it would bring you joy to witness my union with the heroine, but is that genuinely the case? I don’t perceive it that way… as I truly appreciate our present life.”
“But… I mean… because…” Bertia found it difficult to express herself, unable to convey her ideas.
The black stain in my heart spread further.
“Is it truly just that you want to separate yourself from me?” I realized these words could sting her, yet my more composed self couldn’t suppress the part of me that was losing control.
“That’s not true at all!” Bertia shook her head vigorously, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Your Highness…” A voice restrained came from Zeno behind me.
Zeno’s words of restraint felt like mere distant sounds to me, not genuinely reaching my consciousness.
“Why are you trying to run away then?” I pressed.
“I’m not running away! It’s just that I care about you, Lord Cecil…”
“Hey, Tia. What do you think makes me happy?”
“Being united with the heroine,” she said firmly.
Bertia’s words, for the first time, filled me with deep resentment.
“Why do you still have faith in such foolishness?”
“Because I know what fate is about to unfold,” she replied.
“Is that truly fate?”
“It is… or at least, it ought to be.”
Tears at last overflowed the bounds of her control, streaming down her cheeks. The gazes from her maids, Kuro, and Zeno pierced me like daggers. However, I couldn’t give in—not in this moment. This wasn’t a choice reached through calm deliberation—it was simply what I felt I had to accept.
I inhaled deeply and blinked slowly, redirecting my gaze toward Bertia. She glared at me, her eyes glistening with tears.
“Then, I’ll simply have to defy that destiny,” I asserted.
“No, you absolutely must not! You will surely regret it,” she protested.
“Unfortunately, I’m not one to harbor regrets.”
“Why can’t you simply follow my advice? You’d be happier if you did!”
“Why won’t you tell me why you want this so much? Without that, how can I decide?”
“That’s because…” She clamped her mouth shut again.
I shot her a glance more chilling than I had ever given her before.
“Let’s wrap up this discussion. Tia, I’ll pick the dress myself.”
“Lord Cecil!” Bertia raised her voice as she stood up.
“You initiated this ‘game.’ No matter the result, you will see it through to the end, right?”
“…”
“The graduation ceremony is approaching quickly, and whether we laugh or cry, so is the end of this ‘game.’”
“Please, I beg you. Be happy…”
“I will try. So don’t run away, okay?”
I smiled.
As usual, it was a bright, cheerful smile.
Yet, for some reason, it felt like my heart was bleeding.