A tea party was scheduled by Alexandra—the first one to be hosted in her new position as the Her Majesty the Queen—the day after the wedding.

“Socializing, socializing, socializing; tea parties, tea parties, tea parties. Social gatherings, tea parties, evening balls… The nobles of this country truly are quite free.”

“Lady Alexandra…”

At Alexandra’s weary complaints, made despite being the host herself, Avril could only chuckle with a distant look in her eyes. Regardless, she understood Her Majesty the Queen’s feelings very well. She too was feeling exhausted from the constant socializing lately.

But once today’s tea party is over, I’ll finally be able to return to the Duke of Lancester’s estate!

The mere thought made her feel strange. It filled her with excitement, yet made her heart pound with a desire to run away. Alexandra, for her part, keenly sensed Avril was being giddy.

“Oh my, could something have perhaps happened with the Duke of Lancester? Maybe something that would mean progress in your relationship as a man and woman?”

“!? N-nothing has…!?”

Given that they were husband and wife, nothing happening was actually stranger. However, ever since their secret meeting in the garden the other day, she had found herself looking forward to returning to the duke’s townhouse.

Of course, she fully understood the importance of today’s tea party. It was a grand affair attended by most of the nobles who were close to the royal family.

I heard that Lord Dylan plans to return to the townhouse early today. Apparently, he has no other engagements scheduled for later today or tomorrow.

With Samuel having finished his etiquette training and returned to the Marquis of Brandner’s estate, Blue the cat was no longer there. While that created a sense of loneliness, it also meant the couple could once again share their master bedroom.

As she found herself holding her cheeks—which had grown warm without her realizing it—a voice spoke.

“Your Majesty the Queen, as I always say, it would be a problem if you tease my wife too much.”

Dylan had returned, having stepped out of the cigar room with Lawrence. He smoothly took the seat next to Avril, as if to protect Avril from Alexandra who made no attempt to hide her intense interest. Despite that, she was not discouraged.

“Oh my, I simply wish to hear all about the affectionate, lovey-dovey stories about the close relationship between Lady Avril and the Duke of Lanchester. They cleanse my heart, after all.”

“…It is enough for only the two of us to know about that time we spend together. I have no intention of letting others hear a word of them. We are not a spectacle, after all.”

“My, my.”

Alexandra cast a meaningful smile toward Avril. However, Avril—whose cheeks had gone beyond being just warm and had turned bright red—could no longer understand anything.

Still, she was keenly aware that the attention of those around them was gathering on them. She whispered softly into Dylan’s ear to change the atmosphere of the place.

“By the way, Lord Dylan, none of the people we greeted earlier referred to me as a villainess.”

“…I see.”

Dylan’s expression softened into a gentle smile. At that moment, she thought she heard something stir around them.

Before the rumors about him preferring wicked women took hold, he had a reputation for being cold-hearted. Neither of those labels reflect his true self at all. I should be relieved at seeing those bad rumors gradually being dispelled.

Naturally, the rumors claiming Avril a villainess and Dylan having a penchant for wicked women persisted. However, with the music festival that had recently been held in the Lanchester ducal territory, and with her beginning to enter government service, as the triggers, the wind had begun to blow in a different direction.

Amusing and sensational gossip is what everyone loves to spread.  It probably won’t change easily, but I feel as though a favorable tailwind is blowing.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, she noticed a little girl younger than Samuel beckoning to her from a short distance away. Apparently, a gathering for small children was also being held in another room. The ten-year-old Samuel no longer participated in those due to the age restriction, but had that girl escaped from that tea party?

Her light blue dress had modest frills which suited her beautifully braided and pinned-up brown hair very well. She looked just like a little princess. Avril, who had never participated in tea parties when she was a child, felt her heart leap with excitement.

So they receive their elite education from such a young age. Although without it, acquiring the needed social skills would be quite difficult.

The girl beckoning to her gave an adorable smile as she pressed a finger to her lips with a “shh” gesture. She probably wanted for Avril to leave with her without anyone knowing.

“Lord Dylan, I’m going to step out for a moment.”

“All right.”

Having spent so much time with Samuel, Avril no longer felt any wariness toward children. To her, they all seemed well-mannered, clever, and delightful.

Avril left her seat and headed toward the girl, who was beckoning from the shadows of the garden.

“May I ask what you need?”

When she reached the girl, who had been hiding behind a pillar, the girl beamed at her.

“Are you Duchess Avril Lancester?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I heard about a ‘dinner that children like’ from Lord Samuel Brandner the other day. It sounded absolutely wonderful, so I was hoping you could teach me how to prepare it.”

Her bashful smile truly gave the impression of an angel.

To think Samuel was so pleased with that dinner that he told his friends! It makes me so happy.

Avril readily agreed.

“Certainly! First, you need to prepare several home-cooked dishes that are popular with children in the Kingdom of Branville. The selection of the menu should be tailored to the preferences of the people attending the dinner…”

Just as she finished speaking, the girl took her hand.

“I brought a few of my family’s chefs to a room over there. I won’t be able to remember everything myself, so would you mind speaking to them directly?”

She pointed toward the salon where the children’s tea party was being held. Having begun to frequent the royal palace, Avril knew that salon wasn’t far away. If it was in the room she thought, then she should be all right even without informing Dylan. Above all else, the girl seemed to be a friend of Samuel’s. As such, there was no need for concern. With such thoughts in mind, she nodded.

“Understood. Let us go together, then.”

“Wow, thank you very much!”

She walked across the marble floor alongside the girl, who was rejoicing with innocent delight.

Bathed in the afternoon sunlight pouring through the windows, the sound of their footsteps echoed within the dazzling white corridor. The cheerful bustle of the courtyard faded into the distance, and the promise of a delightful time awaited them ahead. It was a perfect afternoon, so much that it felt almost like a dream.

But as Avril savored this happiness, a thought crossed her mind.

…Come to think of it, could there really be a young lady of noble birth the Kingdom of Branwill who wouldn’t know about a ‘dinner that children like…?

For Avril, it had been something she had never experienced and could only long for, but that was because she had lived as a servant. The girl holding her right hand at the moment was not that sort of person, not by any measure she could think of.

An indescribable sense of unease settled in her chest.

Just as Avril was about to stop, the girl guiding her turned a corner.

Despite her appearance, her grip was surprisingly strong. Pulled along by her, Avril found herself turning the corner as well.

“Um…?”

Avril stumbled despite herself as she spoke. The girl, even though she must have heard Avril’s voice, she didn’t look back at her. Her innocent, adorable demeanor from moments ago had completely vanished.

Instead, she looked straight ahead with a beaming smile.

“Elder Sister!”

Elder Sister…?

At the end of the girl’s gaze was Kitri Baudelaire.

She was Fernand Brandner’s fiancée. Avril had met her at the previous evening party.

Lifting just one corner of her lovely mouth into a strained smile, Kitri snapped out sounding utterly displeased.

“I’ve had enough of this. Why is Lord Fernand attracted to a woman like you? Do you realize my engagement is on the verge of being annulled?”

“Huh…? What do you mean…?”

Avril seemed she had been set up. Moreover, the woman before her was being incomprehensible and not in her right state of mind. However, by the time she realized it, it was already too late. A soft cloth was pressed against her mouth. Her consciousness began to fade.

No, Lord Dylan… I have to return to the townhouse today…

She somehow managed to endure it for several seconds, but Avril was completely unaccustomed to this sort of drug. Despite her resistance, she lost consciousness.

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