The servants behind Masa gasped as they stole a glance at the letter.
“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!”
“What is going on...!”
Other servants asked with curious eyes.
. “Why? What happened?”
“The young ladies invited Masa to a tea party! Not as a servant, but as a guest!”
“Squee, squee!”
The maids clasped their hands together and screamed in delight.
Others also brightened their eyes and said,
“Wearing this dress, no less?”
“That’s right! What on earth is going on here!”
As the servants cried out like screams, the maid who had entered the palace with Masa stepped forward.
With a smug expression as if she herself were Masa, she said arrogantly,
“That’s because Masa is a close friend of Viscountess Astra. Right, Masa?”
“Huh?”
All eyes focused on Masa.
She murmured shyly,
“Wha—...”
That was answer enough.
The maids squealed,
“Friendship between a commoner and a noble, just like the novel Confiance.”
“It’s the story of Viscountess Sasellong and her maid Confiance’s friendship. I read that too.”
The maid who had come into the palace together clicked her tongue and wagged her index finger side to side.
“The lady in Confiance is only a viscount’s daughter, but this one is the granddaughter of a duke. And her father is the duke’s heir apparent.”
“Both are among the highest powers allowed in the Central Tower!”
The maids gathered around Masa, chattering excitedly.
“Maybe Masa will become head maid like Confiance.”
“What’s a head maid? She could become a noble, right? One day the daughter of Duke Astra and Duchess Ishiron, a power that could bring down even the flying birds.”
Not only the maids but also the young male servants looked at Masa with interested expressions.
A caramel-haired boy dining at the table looked at Masa.
He was the most popular ‘Karl’ among the maids.
The boys near Karl whispered while glancing at Masa.
Karl smirked, picked up his tray, and stood.
The maids glanced at Karl.
Placing his tray behind the table, Karl glanced back at Masa.
“When’s the party?”
“Uh, uh?”
Startled, Masa asked, and Karl smiled gently.
“If the schedule works out, I’ll take you. My family rents carriages. Not the fanciest, though.”
“Ah, Sunday... it’s...”
“Then get ready.”
Saying that, Karl left the break room with the boys.
The girls moaned and pretended to faint, pressing their backs of their hands to their foreheads.
“Alexis-dolnim’s beauty is on a god level, but before that Karl was the best.”
“That’s right. To be invited to a party with Karl— it’s just so fantastic.”
Masa smiled bashfully.
“Is, is that so...?”
“What are you talking about? Of course!”
“I’ve lived with Aquila-oppa, so I don’t know if he’s that handsome...”
“Oh, your first love, huh?”
The maids teased, and Masa jumped.
“Th-That’s not true!”
“Sure it is. Didn’t your sister bring firewood when you were sick? She was worried you’d cry. How could you share firewood when you have so little?”
“Exactly. It’s because she cares.”
“R-Really?”
Masa fiddled with her hands, blushing.
“Yeah! My goodness, isn’t this like a storybook life?”
“Beautiful first love, friendship with a noble young lady, and social rise...!”
“I was just invited to a party, it’s not like I’m rising yet...”
The maids grabbed Masa’s shoulders.
“That’s rising. Connections you can’t buy no matter how much money you have.”
“Make sure to tell us everything that happens at the party, okay?”
Masa said, “Uh-huh...” and rubbed her neck.
Time passed until Sunday.
Karl really brought a carriage. A tremendously splendid carriage.
“Is, is this Ishiron’s carriage?”
“Yeah. I manage the carriages. Now that I think about it, our shabby carriage wouldn’t suit such a grand party.”
“Can I ride it...?”
“I already told Alexis-dolnim. Go ahead.”
The young master gave permission...?
Surprised, Masa covered her mouth with both hands.
‘Ah, they really are such kind people.’
Maybe because he’s the young lady’s fiancé, his manners are just as kind.
Masa took Karl’s hand and carefully climbed into the carriage.
Her soft dress wrapped and fell around her ankles.
“Wow...”
The texture was indescribably soft.
Good dresses really are different.
She had never worn a dress past her ankles before.
She always wore practical clothes that reached her ankles or calves.
While the carriage rode along, Masa looked out the window with an excited expression.
After a while,
The carriage stopped in front of a building on the outskirts of the imperial city.
Holding Karl’s hand, Masa got off and looked up at the building.
“Wow...”
Karl also looked somewhat nervous.
“Are we really invited here? Can people like us go inside...?”
The building was more splendid than the center’s buildings where her lady went.
The central buildings were very meaningful, built at the kingdom’s founding, but old-fashioned.
However, the modern building on the outskirts was tremendously luxurious.
“Oh, you’re here!”
Blossom Rochefain, who invited Masa, approached with a bright smile.
She looked curiously at the carriage engraved with Ishiron’s family crest.
“The Ishiron carriage...?”
The young ladies around Blossom Rochefain looked very interested.
Masa said shyly,
“I’m going to the party, and the young master let me borrow it... I’m really grateful.”
Then the other young ladies whispered.
“Not only Viscountess Astra but also connected to Prince Alexis Ishiron...”
“Yes, more than expected...”
The young ladies greeted Masa with even kinder faces.
“Well, shall we go in?”
Blossom Rochefain smiled warmly.
Masa greeted Karl and entered the building with them.
“Wow, so this is a salon...”
“Is this your first time at a salon?”
The expression was exactly as if servants had followed their duchess or her sons before.
The other young ladies smiled oddly, so Masa’s face turned a bit sour.
‘I’ve never been to a salon, but I’ve heard a lot about them.’
Her older sister Mari often went to the salon following the head maid.
‘Sister...’
Thinking about it gave her strange feelings.
She had always refused when asked to go out of curiosity.
“I have a day off today too. Can’t I come along? Huh?”
“No, you can’t.”
“But... I’m curious about the salon too. Couldn’t you ask the head maid nicely?”
“What are you saying now?”
Her sister scolded her with a very cold expression.
“Don’t forget your place!”
“Ah, I know, but the head maid cares about sister...”
“If you want to act above your station, you have to bear the responsibility. The same goes for the person who agrees to it.”
“...”
“Please, get a grip.”
No matter how much she said...
‘That’s why the other servants dislike sister.’
But the servants were kind to her.
Pouting, they told her about the salon and said, ‘If you have errands next time, let’s go together.’
Masa said,
“I only know the salon in Paante...”
“Paante?! You said Paante?”
Blossom Rochefain’s eyes widened.
Another young lady swallowed dryly.
“My goodness... the salon in Paante even we...”
Then the other young ladies shot a glare at the speaker.
“That one must have been the Viscountess who took her there, right?”
“Oh, no, not really...”
“Oh, no way, could it be Prince Ishiron?”
“Huh?”
“How wonderful~ Tell us about the salon. Prince Ishiron too. Is it really that little Damon Astra?”
“Ah, the young master...”
Masa smiled and told them about Alexis.
They all listened with curious faces.
‘Noble young ladies really like my story...’
It was strange and made her heart flutter.
Then, the young ladies’ servants came running breathlessly.
“Miss, urgent news.”
They whispered something into the ladies’ ears.
Blossom Rochefain’s expression stiffened.
“The Empress Dowager and the Emperor publicly argued? Because of the Western Wonhwa?!”
The bomb I dropped at the great meeting had just exploded.
I looked at the communication stone and smirked.
“So the Emperor and the Empress Dowager did that...”
Conrad, my communication partner, replied.
[Yes, they raised their voices and veins bulged in front of the nobles.]
I chuckled, hugging the cushion.
“Interesting.”
[Thanks to that, I’ve been staying up nights for three days, keeping an eye on the palace situation...]
I felt sorry for Conrad.
It was all my fault he was struggling.
‘Because I said at the meeting that Lagon would fly over the palace at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.’
Recalling the ❖ Nоvеlght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеlght) Emperor’s expression back then, I smiled slyly.
“If Conrad had seen the Emperor’s face, it would have cheered him up.”
The Emperor was stiff and didn’t know what to do.
[If the dragon flies not over the Emperor’s palace but over the Empress Dowager’s...]
“That’s right, it advertises the wise ruler is the Empress Dowager, not the Emperor.”
It had always been like that in history.
Empresses blessed by dragons and Emperors were considered wise rulers of the world.
Others were treated like trash.
‘The Emperor’s pride must be crushed and unbearable.’
[It’s not only pride, but he opposes it because it would interfere with finding the former Emperor’s treasure.]
The Emperor couldn’t openly admit that.
Revealing the former Emperor hid treasure in Jörmungandr’s lair...
‘It would confirm that the father killed the grandfather and usurped the throne.’
That would cast doubt on the Emperor’s legitimacy.
‘That’s why he secretly ordered Grimier to find the treasure.’
“What excuse does the Emperor have for opposing Lagon’s blessing?”
[Foreign envoys will attend the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.]
“Right.”
[He forbade it, saying it would be a threat to them.]
“It looks like he’s trying to block his mother’s glory because of foreign countries’ eyes.”
[Yes. The nobles complain loudly. They say it’s like shrimp getting crushed in a whale fight.]
I laughed quietly.
“Is that so? Then let’s gather clams while the whales fight.”
I spoke to Jeanne who was standing at a distance.
“I’m going to the palace. Get ready.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Jeanne bowed with a kind smile.
After greeting Conrad, I ended the communication.
With Jeanne’s help, I finished preparing to go out.
“Well then, I’m off.”
“Yes, have a good trip.”
I waved my hand at Jeanne and entered the palace.
As soon as I entered, I headed straight for the Empress Dowager’s palace.
Facing the very cold Empress Dowager, I choked up.
“How can His Majesty the Emperor speak to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager like that?”
“I knew the Emperor values his own interests over his mother.”
“But Your Majesty, I will never back down!”
“My dear...”
I knelt before the Empress Dowager and said,
“I will never give up the thousand years of glory Your Majesty deserves...!”
I meant I would never give up messing with Grimier.
The Empress Dowager looked kindly at me with her head resting on my knees.
“How could I only now realize your loyalty?”
“Your Majesty...”
Hanjihyuk looked at me with an incredulous expression.
I winked at him without the Empress Dowager noticing.
‘Remember what I said earlier?’
Seeing my look, Hanjihyuk nodded.
He quietly left the Empress Dowager’s palace.
His destination was the Emperor’s palace.
He would tell the chamberlain,
“Miss said this: if His Majesty the Emperor does not want it, I will never allow the dragon near this palace. ...Miss said the Emperor is the best in the world.”
I looked up at the Empress Dowager and said,
“To me, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is the best in the world...”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes widened.
But then she nodded as if she had made a firm decision.
“I will regard you as my grandchild and share my glory with you.”
“How could I ever wish for such a thing?”
I thought,
‘Just have the Emperor and I fight to the death.’
— like that.
The Emperor turned his back on the Empress Dowager and would support Grimier.
If Grimier failed in that state...?
The Emperor would rage uncontrollably, saying, “You lost after all that money spent?”
I secretly grinned without the Empress Dowager noticing.
Late at night.
After returning from the outing, washing up, and lying on the bed, Masa had a dazed expression.
Her dress, neatly folded on the desk, and the gifts from the young ladies kept catching her eyes.
It felt like walking in a dream.
‘It was so, so wonderful.’
She had eaten a fantastic amount of tea and sweets at the salon.
Then went shopping at the shopping district, where the young ladies eagerly gave her gifts.
A pendant with coral.
A beautiful fountain pen and notebook.
And... a sapphire communication stone.
Masa stood up slightly and opened the box.
The communication stone gleamed brightly under the moonlight.
“How pretty...”
Just as she murmured,
The communication stone flickered.
Worried that the maids sharing her room would wake, Masa hurriedly hid the stone.
She accidentally connected the communication.
[Miss Masa?]
“Ro, Rochefain Young Lady?”
[Call me Blossom. How do you like the communication stone? Do you like it?]
Masa quietly stepped into the hallway and said,
“Yes, very much... but I wonder if I deserve something like this...”
[It’s what I used. From now on, just tell me lots of fun stories through the communication stone~]