TPOTLPIM Chapter 34

Young ladies began gathering one by one at the snow-white tables scattered throughout the DeNeuve family's garden.

"Thank you for inviting me, Lady Rosein!"

"I should be thanking you for gracing the occasion. Please, sit comfortably, Lady Emelita."

The young ladies exchanged elaborate greetings as they found their seats at tables marked with their name cards.

Due to the turbulent atmosphere following the explosion incident at Alpensio Palace, no proper balls or parties had been held in the capital. Imperial balls were naturally out of the question, and no noble family wanted to host parties in such an atmosphere and invite unnecessary scrutiny or suspicion.

Small tea parties quietly hosted among noble ladies and young noble women became the only means of entertainment to soothe the boredom of aristocratic women.

The young ladies invited to today's tea party at the DeNeuve estate entered the party venue dressed in their most beautiful gowns, their faces flushed with excitement.

"Oh my! Is Lady Cecilia coming today as well?"

One young lady who had been looking for her seat glanced at the name card placed at the neighboring seat and asked loudly in surprise. The card bore the name Cecilia Jeminick.

"Since she's married, we should change how we address her now. She should be called Marchioness."

Rosein spoke with a leisurely attitude, as if considerately defending Cecilia in her absence.

"But Lady Rosein. Isn't this gathering meant for unmarried young ladies? It wouldn't be appropriate for a married marchioness to attend."

Rosein looked the young lady who seemed unwelcoming toward Cecilia up and down and smiled. It was Lady Diane, who had raised her voice the loudest criticizing Cecilia in the powder room on the night of the pre-competition ball. Rosein had deliberately assigned the seat next to Cecilia to Lady Diane, and as expected, Diane was fulfilling her role splendidly.

On the day of the explosion incident, Cecilia had run toward Teros who was in danger, which had somewhat quieted the rumors that she was exploiting Teros's sincere feelings. However, separate from this, Cecilia's reputation in society had plummeted due to suspicions that the Serin family was one of the forces behind the explosion incident.

Moreover, since the incident, Cecilia had remained secluded in her mansion, so she hadn't even had a chance to clarify the suspicions surrounding herself and her family.

"She only had a simple ceremony, not a formal wedding yet, so she can join us for this tea party."

Rosein pretended to take Cecilia's side, but inwardly hoped that Lady Diane would argue more against her words.

Just then, a familiar and clear voice was heard from somewhere.

"It seems I've come to an inappropriate gathering. But since I've come this far thanks to Lady Rosein's kindness, I'd like to share this occasion with you all today."

Cecilia stood where everyone's gazes had turned. Even while receiving the pouring gazes of the young ladies, she walked composedly and sat in her assigned seat.

"Oh, oh my. Lady Cecilia. No, Marchioness, you've arrived."

Disappointingly, when Cecilia actually sat right next to her, Diane's face turned red as she offered her greeting.

"Hello, Lady Diane. You've become even more beautiful since I last saw you."

"You've become even more beautiful yourself, my lady."

"That's right, your face looks even better since getting married. Oh my, is that ring your wedding ring?"

Rosein scrutinized Cecilia with her eyes as she exchanged greetings with the young ladies. If it had been the former Cecilia, she wouldn't have dared to come and sit at the table in such a situation. She would have silently returned home to suffer and groan, then confided her wounded heart only to Rosein, who had been her closest friend.

The present Cecilia looked strangely solid. Solid enough not to be shaken by most anything. Rosein found this fact utterly detestable. She felt so irritated that she wanted to chase away even the young ladies who were praising Cecilia's clothes and accessories.

"This dress is a design I haven't seen before, but it's so pretty! Is it from Mrs. Shields' dress shop?"

"Yes. Mrs. Shields made it for me. She kindly said it was a design she created with me in mind."

Cecilia was wearing one of the dresses Teros had given her as an engagement gift. Teros had paid Mrs. Shields' dress shop a substantial sum and ordered them to create a design exclusively for Cecilia that would distinguish her from others.

Cecilia decided to enjoy the attention from the young ladies, even if it might be insincere. Whatever they might say behind her back, as long as her husband was Teros Jeminick, there was no young lady brave enough to openly humiliate her.

While enjoying tea and refreshments and chatting with the young ladies at the same table about the latest musical plays, poetry collections, and noble business affairs, Rosein approached Cecilia's table and sat in an empty chair. Immediately, the center of conversation shifted to Rosein.

"Ladies, are the tea and refreshments I prepared to your liking?"

"Yes, Lady Rosein. The tea tastes particularly good."

"It's tea imported by the imperial family, which my father specially obtained."

"Come to think of it, the DeNeuve family signed a weapons supply contract with the imperial family this time, didn't they? Your father's business is thriving, which must be wonderful, Lady Rosein."

"Ho ho, it's not all good. I'm worried that my father might harm his health by overworking."

While responding to the young lady who was trying to curry favor with her, Rosein glanced once at Cecilia's expression. Originally, supplying weapons to the imperial family was work that the Serin family had been doing. The words the young lady had just spoken were also inconsiderate toward Cecilia sitting right in front of her.

Rosein hoped that Cecilia would display an expression stained with humiliation. That way, she might feel she was repaying even a little of the humiliation the DeNeuve family had endured while catering to the Serin family all this time.

However, Cecilia calmly took a sip of tea and delivered a pointed remark to Rosein and the young lady's conversation.

"That's right, it wouldn't be all good. One must be even more cautious when expanding business."

Her single remark instantly sank the atmosphere at the table. Since everyone knew the relationship between the Serin and DeNeuve families, they grasped what intention Cecilia had in saying those words. But Cecilia herself paid no mind.

For Cecilia now, preventing others from looking down on her was more important than pleasing others.

In noble society, one ultimately had to show strength to gather people around them. Her father, Count Otmin Serin, had always had a good reputation for his excellent character. However, when the Serin family faced crisis, not a single business partner remained to help the Serin family to the end.

One must have power and authority. If you become accustomed to being ignored when others disrespect you, you cannot win people over.

"Thank you for the advice, Lady Jeminick. It sounds exactly like advice born from the Serin family's experience."

Rosein responded to Cecilia's pointed remark with a bright smile, repaying her with peculiar words where gratitude and mockery coexisted. 'You insignificant thing.' Though Cecilia seemed to have changed somewhere recently, she was no match for Rosein. Rosein recalled the image of the simple-minded Cecilia who had been quick to both laughter and tears. It would be even better if Cecilia trembled and lost her temper at this gathering, ruining the party. It would be a good opportunity to ensure Cecilia could never set foot in society again.

But Cecilia also responded to Rosein with a bright smile.

"Surely it wouldn't be a story that applies only to our family? All worldly matters are like that. Thank you for sincerely accepting advice that could be unpleasant, Lady Rosein."

Finding it increasingly difficult to keep smiling, Rosein eventually moved to another table. She was finding it more and more burdensome to deal with Cecilia, who had become unfathomable at some point.

Cecilia, who remained at her seat chatting with the young ladies about the latest popular musical plays, poetry collections, and noble business affairs, also left the table for a moment to clear her head.

She moved toward the DeNeuve family's rear garden. Since she had been coming to the DeNeuve estate like her own home since childhood, she knew most of the layout.

Despite being only a short distance from where the tea party was taking place, the young ladies' laughter could not be heard. Only the sound of birds singing could be heard in the quiet silence.

Seeing the swing chair in the middle of the rear garden, Cecilia was reminded of childhood memories.

'When I was young, Rosein and I used to hang on that swing chair and play. We competitively kicked our feet hard to make the chair go higher than each other.'

Just as she was about to indulge briefly in nostalgic memories, what broke her reverie was an elderly gentleman's voice.

"Isn't that Cecilia? No, Marchioness of D'Anstone now. Oh dear, I still can't get used to saying it. When we're alone, I can call you like before, can't I?"

Count DeNeuve appeared, holding a pipe in his mouth and smiling with one corner of his mouth raised in a grimace.

Cecilia looked coldly at the gentleman who had been her father's longest business partner.

"Do as you please, Count."

"Why aren't you joining the party and standing out here? Weren't the young ladies including you?"

Count DeNeuve was smiling cheerfully. It seemed like words meant to look after Cecilia, but in reality, they were meant to wound her pride.

Cecilia took a breath. This person also shows his true colors to opponents who have lost power. Since she was alone with Count DeNeuve, Cecilia decided to be honest for once in a while.

"Since there's much talk about the DeNeuve family's business thriving, it was uncomfortable to listen to. I came out to get some fresh air."

"It seems our family's business prosperity makes you uncomfortable."

"Of course. You've only expanded your business by stealing our family's achievements."

Cecilia looked at Count DeNeuve defiantly. Shooting these words at the person involved—words she couldn't say in front of others before—felt refreshing. Ah, if she had known it would be like this, she should have met Rosein privately earlier and given her a thorough tongue-lashing too!

Count DeNeuve exhaled the tobacco smoke he had been holding in his mouth along with a sigh, then spoke as if reproaching her.

"Cecilia. It's regrettable that the Serin family has faced difficulties, but taking out that anger on our family is not right. Still, if you need someone to vent your anger on, I'll listen."

"Venting anger! It's a fact everyone knows! The weapons currently distributed by the DeNeuve family are identical to the Serin family's in both design and method of use. If you had any conscience, you would have at least made some modifications, wouldn't you? This is theft!"

Count DeNeuve's eyebrows rose menacingly at the word theft.

"Cecilia! Are you being reckless because we're alone? If you're going to be disrespectful and act like this, do you think I'll just stand by?"

As Count DeNeuve exhaled tobacco smoke and strode toward Cecilia, she instinctively hunched her shoulders.

She squeezed her eyes shut and reflexively shouted.

"There are things you can't know just by looking at the blueprints taken from the imperial palace!"

She felt the sound of the approaching count's footsteps stop at those words. When she opened her eyes slightly, she could see the count's scowling face right in front of her.

"What?"

"If you made weapons just by looking at the blueprints, those weapons won't last long. Soon there will be a flood of complaints about broken weapons."

One of the count's eyes trembled as if convulsing. Cecilia noticed that the count was shaken by her words and straightened her back.

"The Serin family's secret technique that's not in the blueprints is right here."

She raised her index finger and poked her own temple.

"Even now, if you want to make proper weapons, you'll have to beg me, won't you?"

"Nonsense! On what grounds should I believe your words?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe me. It will soon be revealed in the results."

Cecilia left Count DeNeuve standing in confusion and turned back toward the tea party venue. Count DeNeuve, left alone, convulsively threw the pipe he had been holding in his mouth to the ground and trampled it.