No matter how well it was for someone to act as a wife, The Conces Family would have a different reckoning if she didn’t hold much power.
Even if they tried to line up again after the child was born, she would consider playing safe for now.
“Then I’ll bring along my close friends.”
Lorette said with an excited look.
“Who are they?”
“The Count of Filan, The Marquis of Minan… There is also The Viscount of Taupe. There are still more of them.”
Hazel put the names of noble families that came out of Lorette’s mouth in her head one by one. Of course, they were apparently on bad terms with the Cornchez Family, Hazel’s maternal family.
“Well, then invite everyone to the tea party. Tell your best friends.”
“I will.”
Hazel smiled while gazing at Lorette’s excited face.
After Lorette got excited with the thought of inviting her friends to the Rose Palace, Hazel immediately called for Mary.
“Mary, get the caretaker of the greenhouse to come see me.”
“Yes.”
After Mary left, Hazel was lost in thought while looking around the greenhouse.
She didn’t mean to use the greenhouse left by her mother like this, however it was the best choice for now.
Pressing Lady Pais to the corner.
Lady Pais was in charge of all the royal palace affairs. Originally, it was shared with the Queen.
Because it was purely the King’s wish that Mrs. Pais had the authority instead of Hazel which led her to hold a grudge against him.
It was also the king’s wish to take it away from her.
***
“Tea party…?”
Lady Pais said while stopping the stroke to the bird which was sitting on her finger.
“In the rose palace?”
Her voice increased a little louder than before. She was lying down on the couch leisurely a moment ago and playing with the bird but immediately sat up at her daughter’s words while she was busy preparing to join the tea party.
“You’re going to Hazel’s palace? Did you call the friends you’re close with?”
“Yes, my sister invited me and my friends.”
Lorette replied with a discouraged voice, wondering what she had done wrong after hearing her mother’s voice asking her seriously.
“Hazel is not an ordinary person. You’ll be in trouble if you don’t listen to my words.”
“I want to be recognized by her.”
“For what reason?”
“She is the recognized princess of Land.”
“And are you not?”
Mrs. Pais frowned her eyebrow.
“I… I…”
Lady Pais asked impetuously as Lorette repeatedly grabbed only the hem of the dresses to open each one of them without answering.
“Do you think that you haven’t been recognized as one just because I, who had given birth to you, wasn’t the queen?”
“It’s not like that, Mother….”
Lorette tried to scoop up the spilled words from her mother’s mouth, but to no avail.
“Impudent kid!”
The teacup on the table next to the sofa was thrown to the floor. The bird which was sitting on her finger flew away in surprise at the same time.
It flew around the room and escaped quickly through the crevice of the unlocked window.
“Ah…”
Unlike Lorette, who was surprised at the bird that flew out of the room, Mrs. Pais vented her anger with great force.
“How dare you ignore your mother?”
It was when Lorette’s face turned pale at the frantic shouting voice.
“Is there something wrong?”
The handmaiden immediately came into the room out of surprise due to the sound she just heard from the inside, and winced when she saw Lady Pais panted hard, she quickly walked out after closing the door at Lorette’s glance.
Lorette began to pick up the shattered teacup that fell on the floor instead of ordering the maid to do it without saying a word.
“I’m sorry. I made a slip of the tongue….”
“It was not a slip of the tongue, but your real intention.”
“That’s what you’ve been thinking all this time, right? Huh? That you were born from a low mother and being ignored by Hazel.”
“That’s not true.”
“What the hell did that girl coax you into?”
“She had never done that. She was just being nice to me, why do you have that kind of suspicion?”
“What an easy one.”
Lady Pais turned her back to face her daughter while clicking her tongue. Lorette added in a soft tone to convince her mother.
“Mother, don’t do this. Not everyone can be invited to the Rose Palace. Moreover, the greenhouse is a place where only the people who got the most favor are invited… She invited me to go there. The way people look at me will change as well.”
No matter how hard Lorette tried to explain, she didn’t know if Lady Paice’s expression could hardly be appeased.
“And if I can get along with Hazel, my father will see me differently. It would be a great thing for me as well. You told me to be a daughter who is recognized and loved by my father.”
Lady Pais was uncannily quiet. In the prolonged silence, Lorette watched her mother with an ominous expression.
“Mother?”
“So, you’re going to a tea party at the Rose Palace?”
“Yes.”
“Then bring a gift. Or you want to go empty-handed?”
Lorette gulped down the saliva around dry mouth when she saw her mother who suddenly changed her attitude.
“I’ll get you the present. Bring the tea back, too. You must have been surprised, so have a cup of tea that is good for your mind and body stability.”
Lady Pais said while pulling the bellrope.
***
“What… what’s going on here?”
Lorette said while looking at the rose greenhouse with a horrified look.
“…as you can see.”
The rose greenhouse was not as beautiful as she saw yesterday. Large flowers were stuck on the floor and petals were scattered messily on the floor, the stems were broken apart and there were some that were swept away while the roots were emerging because water filled up so high inside the greenhouse.
There were puddles all over the greenhouse as well as soil in the flower bed where roses were planted. The bottom of her dress became dirty as soon she entered the greenhouse.
“The rose greenhouse was flooded due to the caretaker’s mistake.”
Hazel said while exhaling a deep sigh. Lorette was at a loss for words when she looked around the greenhouse that just turned disastrous overnight.
“It rained a lot yesterday…”
Lorette looked around the rose greenhouse with a surprised face.
“Because of it, all the flowers have gotten wet. All the flowers are gone, and there are no flowers to see and enjoy even if the young girls come here.”
Hazel took a deep breath and continued.
“Oh my God, in just a day….”
Lorette had a sad look on her face as if her own greenhouse had been destroyed.
“But they were really, really pretty….”
“I’m sad as well. But if it’s recovered quickly, it will bloom again soon. Let’s have a tea party in the greenhouse afterwards.”
“Yes.”
“You must have been looking forward to it. What should I do because I’ve disappointed you?”
“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you because the greenhouse is destroyed.”
“I’m fine as well. The flowers are surprisingly strong, so they will bloom bigger and more beautiful soon.”
“I’ll look forward to it, too.”
Hazel smiled at Lorette’s reply.
“Anyway, I decided to move the event to another place. It will be held at the rose garden because the weather is nice after it rains, so the outdoors would be better.”
“Then let’s do that.”
The place of the tea party was moved to the outdoors, and covered with a wide awning. The round table was decorated with colorful tablecloths and a variety of desserts that were too pretty to eat.
“I wanted to show you the beauty of the rose palace, but what should I do? All the flowers in the greenhouse are destroyed.”
Hazel gazed at the nobles who were sitting around the round table and flashed them a warm smile.
“It’s not bad here either.”
Said one of the young girls. But Hazel could know right away that it was just said out of courtesy.
It was difficult to find a proper rose even in the rose garden. This was because all of them were destroyed for the sake of her mission.
“There must also be appreciation while looking at the green leaves of the trees!”
“Of course.”
They agreed together along with the other young girls and lifted up the teacup.
“Ah…”
When Lorette paused her movement from lifting the teacup, everyone’s attention was focused on her.
“Lorette, what’s wrong?”
“It’s n-nothing.”
But the teacup in her hand was shaking. There was a cold sweat on her forehead, and her face looked really flushed.
“What’s wrong? Is it too hot for you? I can’t believe you’re sweating so much even while staying under the awning.”
When Hazel asked with a surprised gaze, Lorette shook his head and answered.
“No, it’s nothing. I’m all right, I’m…”
Lorette blinked hastily. But at the next moment, she collapsed in her seat.
***
“His Majesty The King is here.”
“Glad to see you, Father.”
When Hazel stood up and tried to show courtesy, Elios waved to stop her from doing so.
“There you go, Lorette’s fainted, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is sleeping after taking the medication.”
“Your Majesty!”
Lady Pais began to cry and immediately fell in front of Elios.
“How did this happen?”
Hazel immediately knelt down hearing Elios’ words.
“It’s all my fault, Father.”
“What are you talking about?”
Elios said while frowning at her.
“The place for the tea party was supposed to be in the greenhouse, but the greenhouse was flooded because of the caretaker’s mistake, so I moved it to the garden. Even though I’ve already set up an awning…”
“It can’t just be a heatstroke!”
Lady Pais broke in while screaming at her. Hazel looked back at her and asked after she was being pushed by the wind.
“What do you mean, Mrs. Pais?”
“The princess would know better than me about that. Is that all you have to say now while pretending to be nice?”
“Lady Pais, that sounds to me like I have a very impure intention.”
Lady Pais burst into even greater tears as Hazel retorted with a straight face.
Hazel asked back with a straight look on her face as Lady Pais bursted into tears louder than before.
“You’ve been unhappy with Lorette being here this whole time, and I thought it was weird of you to be nice with her all of a sudden. You were plotting to hurt my daughter, Princess.”
“Pardon me?”
“The girl was suddenly burning up like that, and it’s not just because she’s staying in a place under a lot of sunlight. I’m sure you did something to her…”
“Am I?”
Hazel asked while smiling as if she was taken aback.
“Isn’t this palace under the control of Princess Hazel? It’s a space where you can do whatever you want. Food or whatever it is.”
“Do you mean that I added something to the tea?”
“The Princess knows the best about that.”
“All the girls who drank tea with me earlier were just fine.”
“So you just added something to Lorette’s tea?”
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