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“Gathered all the retainers?” I asked, my eyes widening in surprise, and Noah tilted his head.

“Nothing happened while you were out? I was sure something must have gone wrong.”

“Well, he did seem a bit angry when he heard I hadn’t received a single party invitation yet.”

“What? Invitations?”

Noah frowned deeply, as if he was hearing something unbelievable for the first time.

“Not a single one?”

“Yeah, not one.”

“How is that possible? After my debutante, invitations started pouring in the very next day.”

“I didn’t know that was the norm.”

Noah looked at me as if I were the most clueless person in the world and let out a frustrated laugh.

“How could you not know that? Everyone’s dying to get close to Elpinard!”

“Yeah, I’ve heard. But I really had no idea.”

Noah, who had been thumping his chest in exasperation, looked utterly dumbfounded at my nonchalant response.

“Aren’t you even angry?”

“Not really.”

After all, I hadn’t been born a noble. I was just a child who had been abandoned at birth and was fortunate enough to be recognized as a saint and then become Lady Elpinard. 

It wouldn’t be surprising if the ‘real’ nobles didn’t see me as one of their own. Nobles were known for fiercely guarding their privileges. While the Empress may have led the charge in ostracizing me, other nobles likely shared the sentiment and quietly went along with it. 

It was true that I had been snubbed by them all. If I had been a true noble, this situation would have been too humiliating and infuriating to bear.

‘But I’m not particularly interested in the social scene.’

Since I never thought I was entitled to it in the first place, I didn’t feel any strong desire for it. My interest in clearing up the Empress’s misunderstanding and participating in social activities was mainly because I didn’t want to bring shame to the Elpinard family. I wasn’t particularly concerned about living the glamorous life of a noble lady.

But seeing how upset the Duke and Noah were made me realize that I must have been more seriously insulted than I initially thought.

‘Alright.’

I decided I’d make sure to get proper compensation from Kirke later. As the dark sorcerer Greslin in my past life, there were plenty of things I wanted to demand from the Emperor. But now, as Reshia, I found it hard to think of anything specific, given how comfortably I was living.

Noah studied my face for a while, as if trying to confirm that I really was okay, and then let out another laugh.

“You’re really something else.”

“I’m not exactly ordinary.”

I proudly lifted my chin, and Noah, looking exasperated, sank deeper into the sofa.

“You might be okay with it, but Grandfather isn’t going to let this slide. Ignoring you is the same as ignoring our entire family.”

“Oh? So you consider me part of the family now? You used to say you couldn’t accept someone like me as an Elpinard and used to make my life miserable.”

I narrowed my eyes at Noah, who awkwardly cleared his throat and quickly looked away from my gaze.

“Hey! That was ages ago! These days, I treat you properly as my aunt, don’t I?”

“Properly?”

Considering he still called me “Hey” and “You,” it didn’t seem like he was treating me with much respect as his aunt, but…

‘Still, it’s a big improvement from how it used to be.’

At the very least, I felt like I was being accepted as part of the “family” now. Even if I wasn’t treated as an aunt, I could tell he saw me as something akin to a younger sister.

“Anyway, I think this whole situation has given Grandfather a good opportunity. Since Grandmother passed away, he hasn’t been very active outside, but this time… it feels like he’s made up his mind about something,” Noah rambled on, his voice full of conviction. As I watched him closely, he suddenly flinched and looked at me warily.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing. I’m just surprised to hear you talk so maturely. I thought you didn’t care much about the family matters or Grandfather’s feelings.”

Noah had always seemed like the typical young noble, living a carefree life. He spent his time socializing with friends, getting a moderate amount of education, and leisurely enjoying his hobbies.

‘I used to think he was just a clueless kid!’

But now, I could see that the face I had always seen as boyish had matured, looking more like that of a young man.

‘Kids really do grow up in the blink of an eye.’

It was a thought I often had when I saw Eugene and Leonid as well. Feeling unexpectedly proud, I smiled warmly at Noah. In response, he let out a loud, awkward cough.

“I’m Noah *Elpinard*, after all. I’m going to be the Duke of Elpinard someday. Of course, I need to think about the family’s affairs. Especially now that Father isn’t here.”

Noah mentioned his father casually, without the bitterness I might have expected.

“My father was hopeless in many ways. My mother was similar… And Uncle, well, he never had any interest in inheriting the family, so in the end, it’s all up to me.”

His maturity struck me, so I quietly moved closer and patted him on the head. His face turned red, and he pushed my hand away.

“What are you doing!”

“I’m praising you. As your aunt.”

“Praising? You’re just treating me like a kid.”

“I’m not treating you like a kid; you’re still young. For now.”

I met Noah’s eyes with a steady gaze.

“So don’t feel burdened too soon. Axel might seem like he’s shirking all responsibility, but he’s not entirely without it. He’ll back you up until you can handle things on your own. And don’t forget, Grandfather is still here, and so am I.”

Noah stared at me, his mouth slightly agape, as if he hadn’t expected me to say something like that.

Was he touched by my wonderful encouragement? Feeling a bit proud, I grinned at him. But Noah just pouted and suddenly stood up from his seat.

“…You’re more of a kid than I am, so what are you talking about? Anyway, I get what you’re saying.”

He then extended his hand toward me, as if expecting me to take it. Puzzled, I grasped his hand, and he gently pulled me to my feet.

“Do you even know how to dance properly?”

“I’ve learned.”

“Which means you’re not that good. You might want to practice.”

“Suddenly?”

I blinked in surprise, but Noah just smirked arrogantly and raised his chin.

“It’s not sudden. I have a feeling… you’ll need it soon. I think I know why Grandfather gathered the retainers.”

* * *

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

The chief lady-in-waiting rushed toward the Empress, who was seated at her vanity, being attended to by her maids.

The footsteps of the palace maids were always meant to be calm and quiet, yet the urgency in the chief lady-in-waiting’s approach was evident in the sound of her steps echoing through the hall. The Empress, ever gracious, refrained from pointing out this breach of decorum. However, her displeasure was clear in her expression, prompting the maid who was brushing her hair to cautiously gauge her mood.

“What’s the matter?” The Empress’s question was brief, but her tone conveyed the underlying query—what could possibly be so urgent as to warrant such a disruption?

The chief lady-in-waiting, understanding the unspoken reprimand, quickly bowed her head in apology. 

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. It’s just that… there seems to be a slight issue with the upcoming tea party.”

“Tea party?”

The Empress tilted her head in confusion.

“Was there a party scheduled that could cause such an issue?”

If it was a party significant enough for the chief lady-in-waiting to rush in like this, it must be one hosted by someone close to her. However, no such event came to mind immediately. 

Seeing the Empress’s confusion, the chief lady-in-waiting lowered her head even further, looking thoroughly ashamed.

“It’s regarding the tea party that Your Majesty is personally hosting…”

“What?”

The Empress’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I’ve already selected the refreshments and tea, and the date was chosen to avoid any conflict with other royal events. What problem could possibly have arisen?”

“The issue is… there are far more guests than expected who have declined the invitation. It seems we will have to drastically reduce the scale of the preparations, Your Majesty.”

Even at a tea party hosted by the Empress, there were always a few who couldn’t attend due to unavoidable circumstances. Typically, five or six would decline. However, the need to drastically reduce the scale implied that a much larger number of guests were unable to attend.

“Is that so? How many have declined?”

The Empress asked casually, expecting that at worst, maybe ten guests had excused themselves. But the chief lady-in-waiting’s next words were utterly shocking.

“…We will need to reduce the guest list by about half.”

“Half?” The Empress’s voice rose in disbelief.

If so many were declining at once, it was clear this was not due to personal reasons. The Empress quickly pressed the lady-in-waiting for more details.

“What reason did they give for declining?”

“It seems that the Duke of Elpinard is hosting a party on the same day. Many of the nobles and ladies indebted to the Elpinard family have chosen to attend that event instead…” The chief lady-in-waiting trailed off, nervously watching the Empress’s reaction.

The Empress bit her lip in frustration. 

“To hold a party on the same day! How dare they show such disregard for the royal family…”

“And, Your Majesty… the Duke of Elpinard has also sent an invitation to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“…What?”

Bang!

The Empress slammed her hand down on the vanity table and rose abruptly from her seat, her face a mixture of shock and anger.