Chapter 187: 112

Hmm?

When I looked sideways, Damian had an intense countenance. 

“I’d like to attend this tea party too.”

“What? It’s a spring tea party. Why would Your Highness be attending?”

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment.

Spring tea parties are typically reserved for ladies.

Damian narrowed his brow.

“Then, how about I be one of the many talents needed at the spring party?” 

“Well, you could be, but…” 

He’s really ing? 

I looked at Damian with that question in mind. 

However, it was already too late to try and stop him.

“Great.”

Before I knew it, Damian clenched his fists in excitement.

Seeing him more motivated than he was during his triumphant return, I was exhausted just looking at him. 

Seriously! He’ll show that kind of motivation at any other inconvenient time!

But Damian wasn’t done talking yet.  

“By the way.”

Damian glanced down at Sienna’s hand holding mine with a crooked gaze.

Then he grabbed Sienna’s wrist and removed her hand from mine.

“Sienna, how long were you going to hold that hand?”

“Huh?”

Sienna couldn’t hide her astounded face.

Either way, Damian held her hand tightly as if he was making a point.

She smiled contentedly.

“Don’t carelessly hold onto Charlize’s hand,” Damian declared resolutely.   

“Your Highness?”

“Because I’m the only one who’s going to hold her hand.”

Hey! What’s this?

I was speechless.

Sienna squinted her eyes and asked Damian.

“Your Highness, were you always such a childish person?”

“Does it matter? I’m going to be childish over my fiancee.”

To that question, Damian boldly answered without batting an eyelash.

Both Sienna and I were at a loss for words.

Among the three of us, only Damian wore a satisfied grin. 

I barely swallowed the sigh that was about to leave my lips. 

Damian, I think you were quite mature when you were younger. 

Why do you seem to act more childish now that we’ve grown up?

***

A few days later. 

‘H-How did the tea party get so big?’

I couldn’t hide my puzzled expression as I reminisced to myself.

It first started with the Empress and Her Majesty, the Empress dowager intruding. 

“Having children from the orphanage attend makes this an unusual but unique tea party. Can we attend too?”

Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, asked me with such a tender expression.

And then there was the Empress too. 

“I heard that our Charlize will be playing a part, I just can’t contain myself!”

She was so giddy with enthusiasm. 

So much so, I just nodded my head out of the blue.

“Well, do as you please…” 

Truthfully, it wasn’t such a bad proposal if seen from Sienna’s point of view. 

Since the highest-ranking women in all of the empire attended, it was inevitable that the status of our tea party gradually rose.

But in that process…

‘A problem of having the people’s attention being drawn excessively was created.’

But not for the cause of caring for the children who lost their parents in the northern subjugation, but towards the honored guests. 

Though I guess it did serve to greatly stoke the people’s curiosity. 

Not to mention, Sienna sent invitations to all the female nobles in the empire. 

That was done to avoid discriminating against any aristocrats.

In the end, a banquet that was nowhere remotely near the definition of a ‘tea party’ was created. 

“Wow, I’ve done the decorations but…isn’t this just like going to a formal banquet?” I muttered in a weary voice.

That would be the case as the scenery that unfolded before my eyes was truly dazzling. 

In preparation for this “tea party”, Sienna opened up an entire townhouse. 

The main venue for the tea party was the garden.

Colorful lanterns were hung all over the townhouse’s garden, where spring flowers were in full bloom.

A broad variety of dishes was laid out on a wide table.

It was a buffet style where one could eat as much as they wanted.

“Wow!”

“Look at that!”

At the sound of children’s laughter that came just in time, I glanced back.

The children who had just entered the townhouse were all huddled together looking at the garden.

Their eyes twinkled like stars.

“You see that?”

“I’ve never seen meat that big!”

“I know that! T-The name is, Tu, Tu, Tukey? I think I said it!” (Turkey) 

“Wow, you know that? So smart!”

The children started whispering to each other.

Then one child opened his mouth with an anxious look.

“Umm…are we allowed in here?”

“Yes.”

I answered the child’s trembling voice with a smile.

The startled children looked up at me.

“Um, are-are-are…”

I shyly looked at the children.

Is there something on my face, why are they looking at me like that?

The children, who had been staring blankly at me for a while, asked me cautiously. 

“…Are you a princess by any chance?”

Aha.

“Sorry, but I’m not.”

I smiled and shook my head.

“Call me your sister Charlize.”

“Uh, I can call you sister?”

“You may.”

I led the children to what they hadn’t been able to take their eyes off, —the banquet table. 

I grabbed a plate and tongs before looking back at the children. 

“Do you want something to eat?”

The children, who quietly looked at each other, started speaking up. 

“I-I want this!” 

“I like that…” 

“Sister, me! Me!” 

Aww, they’re adorable!

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I smiled tenderly at them as my heart warmed. 

“Speak slowly, one by one. I’ll get it for you.”

So I and the children sat at a round table.

I hung napkins around the children’s necks and set their plates of food in front of each one.

One child, carefully dipped a sausage into his mouth with a fork, dyeing his cheeks cherry red. 

“This is so good…”

“Really? I want to try it too.”

“Oh, it’s a cabbage roll!”

The children occupied themselves with their meals, their cheeks bulging from all the food they stuffed in their mouths. 

Phew, parents sometimes say that just watching their kids is enough to make them full…

I can understand that feeling a hundred, no, a thousand times more now.

But then.

A girl who was watching me, carefully placed a slice of a cake with whipped cream topped with strawberries on my plate.

Then, with a shy face, she encouraged me to eat it.  

“Sister, this is really good. Try it.”

I felt my heart throb.

I’m sure that she would have wanted to eat it too, but she’s giving it up for me.

I picked up the fork with a feeling of satisfaction.

But there was someone who poured cold water on the entire mood.

“Ugh, filthy…”

She muttered loudly as if she wanted to be heard, and the girl who had given me a slice of cake shrank back before glancing behind her.

This familiar voice?!

I widened my eyes and glanced back.

‘I knew it.’

Lady Bennet was looking our way with an unfriendly face.

Seriously, that woman doesn’t seem to have any shame.

Since I was the host, I thought she wouldn’t be attending…

‘I guess that means she didn’t want to miss an opportunity to impress Her Majesty.’

Well, I know one thing. Lady Bennet has a way of doing things. 

She’s probably hoping that I’ll upset the tea party’s atmosphere by being hot-tempered. 

If that’s the case…

I cut the cake into several smaller slices with a fork.

Then I smiled kindly at the child.

“Thank you. I’ll eat well.”

“Yay!”

As I popped a slice of cake into my mouth, the child’s expression lit up.

On the other hand, Lady Bennet’s face became crumpled.

As we enjoyed our cake, Sienna came up to us with a hospitable demeanor. 

“Lady Charlize. You’re eating with the children?”

“Ah, yes.”

I looked at the children.

“Kids, say hello. It’s Viscountess Antes.”

The children jumped up from their seats and bowed before Sienna.

“Hello!”

“Thank you for inviting me like this!”

“Nice to meet you, my name is Sienna.”

Sienna greeted the children with an awkward smile.

Then she sat down…

‘Her posture seems oddly stiff.’

I silently observed Sienna.

And that wasn’t all.

“Um…”

The way she kept her lips sealed while with the children, her expression seemed rather flat. She must not have much experience with children. 

Well, I have to help Sienna somehow…

“Oh, I’m full.”

Just in time, the children patted their bellies and had satisfied faces.

All right, they’ve finished their meals.

I got up from my seat and led the children.

In the far corner of the garden, shamrock flowers were in full bloom.

After picking a few of them, I playfully asked the children.

“Who wants a flower bracelet?”

“Me! Me!”

Each of the children raised their hands.

I glanced at Sienna sideways.

Ah!

Sienna made an expression as if she had realized something.

Sienna, who knelt down like a knight, plucked a flower and looked back at the children.

She confidently asked them a question.

“Kids, is there anything you want?”

“I want a bracelet!”

“I want a wreath!”

The children were making a fuss.

Sienna nodded vigorously, like a general facing an enemy.

“Okay, let me try!”

Sienna, with a nervous demeanor, began fiddling with the flowers.

“Sister, when will it be finished?”

“Wait a minute! Just wait a bit more!”

The children, who had been waiting for a while, gathered around Sienna.

Sienna was sweating profusely as her hands quivered slightly. 

Unfortunately, the flowers were awkwardly woven together.  

Mmm.

I looked into Sienna’s eyes.

I must have been trying to help Sienna the wrong way…

I thought that if she were given the opportunity to be with the children, she could break the ice easily. 

Since she was a master at swordsmanship, I thought she would also be versatile in other talents. 

‘I have to help.’

Unable to see it through, I gestured to Sienna to give me the flowers.  

“Please, let me.”

Upon hearing my proposal, Sienna looked as relieved as if someone had found an oasis in the desert.

“Oh, will you?”

“Of course, it’s nothing too difficult. Did you kids say you want flower bracelets?”

“Yes!”

The children clung to me with bright eyes.

I skillfully made a flower bracelet and put it on one of the child’s arms.

Sienna took a step back and looked at me with a gaze full of admiration.

“…You are so amazing.”

Sienna was looking at me like I had performed a tremendous miracle.

‘All I did was make one flower bracelet…’

I couldn’t hide my embarrassed smile.

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