MFGLT 09

Chapter 09…

I’m New to Being a Lady, So I’m Going to Cause Some Trouble

Damn it!

So that Count of the Court—or was it punching bag?—had reported me for assault after all!

What an unlucky turn of events. That first-rate little snitch!

Maybe I shouldn’t have let him go so easily.

Perhaps I should’ve finished the job properly while I had the chance.

Still, shouldn’t I find out what’s going on first?

“Ulpina is indeed my daughter, but may I ask what this is about…?”

As I quietly descended the stairs, I heard the viscount’s voice coming from near the entrance on the first floor. He sounded flustered, and perhaps a little displeased as well.

“I apologize for visiting so late at night. I’ve been ordered to meet Lady Ulpina in person and deliver a message to her.”

Judging by the man’s somewhat embarrassed demeanor, thankfully, he seemed to have come for something other than the assault.

“I’m Ulpina Nezer. Why were you looking for me?”

“I’ve come at His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince’s command, Lady Ulpina.”

At the unexpected mention of the Crown Prince, the viscount and his wife exchanged puzzled glances with me.

“His Highness would like to host a tea party tomorrow at three thirty in the afternoon and invite Lady Ulpina. He also asked me to convey his apologies for not seeking your permission in advance and for troubling you at such a late hour. He hopes you’ll forgive his discourtesy.”

“A tea party?”

“Yes, that’s correct. He said there’s no obligation to accept, but he would be delighted if you agreed.”

An ordinary lady would naturally have been overjoyed by such an invitation, but my first reaction was anxiety.

Lady Nezer had given me an intensive crash course, but I hadn’t learned the etiquette required for a tea party hosted by royalty!

“Ulpina will go, won’t you, Ulpina?”

At the viscountess’s prompting, I found myself agreeing before I could think it through.

“Excellent. I’m sure His Highness will be pleased.”

After apologizing once more for the late-night intrusion, the Crown Prince’s messenger promptly left the viscount’s residence.

“Is it really all right to decide so easily that I’ll attend a royal tea party?”

When I asked in a disgruntled voice, the viscountess furrowed her brows as if she couldn’t understand what I was worried about.

“It’s not as though you don’t know tea party etiquette. The Imperial Palace isn’t all that different.”

She gave me a look that practically said, After all the rigorous training I put you through!

“I do know the etiquette, but…”

“Then there’s no problem.”

“But… but… what if I get so nervous that I accidentally stab His Highness with a butter knife—”

“Are you an assassin? Are you planning to kill someone?”

“No.”

“Enough with this nonsense. Go to bed.”

With that, the viscountess left, taking the exhausted-looking viscount with her.

Seriously, their daughter(?) is about to spend some quality time with the Crown Prince himself, and that’s all the reaction they can muster?

If they’d made a big fuss and acted excited, I might actually have calmed down.

But they didn’t seem to feel anything at all, let alone excitement or anticipation.

Could it be that they never expected anything from me in the first place?

Was I the only one worrying about my reputation and all that nonsense? Did they think, What could a commoner like you possibly know? Was my only job to pretend to be Lady Ulpina convincingly?

“Ah, whatever! I don’t care anymore!”

As I walked through the Imperial Palace gardens behind my guide, I made a solemn vow to myself.

This time, no matter what happens, I absolutely will not cause any trouble.

Thinking that way made me a little sad. It was almost as if I were someone who caused trouble all the time.

But you nobles were the ones who made me cause trouble in the first place! Who told you to make such outrageous remarks about my family? And who told you to sneak over a balcony like a thief?

Sigh. I suppose I’ll have to be the bigger person.

Even though I’d only spent a few days living as a noblewoman, I’d already learned something: the social scene was full of shameless people who strutted around in luxurious clothes, acting all high and mighty despite having absolutely no common sense.

Just as we reached the center of the garden, the Crown Prince appeared.

“Lady Ulpina.”

I quickly bent my knees in a curtsy, and the Crown Prince gave me an awkward smile.

“I was discourteous to your family earlier this morning. Please forgive me. I knew it was improper to summon you in such a manner, but I wanted to see you so badly that I couldn’t help myself…”

“Of course not! It’s an honor.”

“Then, shall we go? The other guests are waiting.”

The tea party was being held in the center of the Imperial Palace gardens, where five or six people were already seated.

“Please, sit here.”

To my great embarrassment, the seat the Crown Prince indicated was right beside him, on his right.

Hmm?

At that moment, hostile glances came flying at me from every direction.

What on earth?

The Crown Prince either didn’t notice or simply chose to ignore them. He smiled warmly at me before addressing everyone.

“Thank you all for accepting my invitation despite your busy schedules. I arranged this gathering because I wanted to exchange ideas with those who will lead the future of our empire, without the stiffness of formal protocol.”

His guests’ faces lit up at his words.

Who wouldn’t be delighted to hear that the Crown Prince himself wanted to become better acquainted with them?

If I really were the viscount’s daughter, I’d be thrilled, too…

I might have unintentionally deceived them, but was that really my fault? It was all that young lady’s fault.

“And today, I’d like to introduce a very special guest.”

After raising his guests’ spirits, the Crown Prince turned toward me.

“As you all know, Lady Ulpina has devoted herself to deep contemplation and scholarly pursuits rather than the noisy amusements of high society. However, she is hardly the meek, bookish type who does nothing but sit quietly. Everyone knows that, of course.”

He didn’t mention it directly, but the moment he alluded to my duel with that Fen… whatever his name was, the marquess, laughter spread across the table.

“I hope this gathering will give all of you an opportunity to become friends with Lady Ulpina. She’s a good person, but it seems some people have misunderstood her.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“We’ve also wanted to have a proper conversation with Lady Ulpina for some time.”

I was almost impressed by how quickly they changed their tune. Just moments ago, they’d been shooting daggers at me with their eyes, but one word from the Crown Prince had completely transformed their attitudes.

If they weren’t nobles, they could’ve made it big as actors.

Still, I wasn’t the sort of person who would ruin an opportunity someone else had kindly arranged for me. So I put on a pleasant smile and played along.

Damn it. I should’ve ruined it.

I had no idea what criteria the Crown Prince had used to select these guests, but their conversation was utterly devoid of substance. It was so intellectually impoverished that I felt I might suffer from malnutrition just listening to them.

Why did Lady Nezer train me so ruthlessly, anyway?

What was the point of all that education when the nobles themselves did nothing but babble about what they’d bought, what they’d sold, how much better they were than everyone else, and how inferior someone else was?

“Sir Remington, how do you know so much about these things?”

“When it comes to obtaining high-quality information, there’s no place quite like the social clubs on Toggle Street.”

“That’s unfair. Only men are allowed into those clubs!”

A woman pouted, prompting the man called Remington to placate her.

“That’s precisely why I’m secretly sharing the information I’ve obtained with all the ladies gathered here.”

Laughter erupted from the nobles.

So the Imperial Palace hadn’t forgiven me for putting a bullet in the marquess’s thigh after all.

Since psychological torture left no physical evidence, they’d decided to inflict physical suffering in its place by throwing me into this gathering.

“Let’s bring today’s tea party to an end. I’ve kept you all here for far too long.”

By the time the Crown Prince announced the end of the gathering, the sun was beginning to set. The tea party had started in broad daylight, yet it had lasted until evening.

“Oh my, is it already this late?”

“I was having such a wonderful time that I didn’t even notice the time passing.”

“Indeed. I couldn’t agree more.”

I see… I noticed every single second.

At long last, the tea party came to an end, and the guests began to leave.

“Thank you so much for coming today.”

Just as I was about to stand up, the Crown Prince addressed me in a gentle voice.

Listen here, Your Highness. Invite me to another one of these ridiculous social gatherings, and I’ll kill you with my own two hands.

But I was a rational, patient adult woman.

So I answered as though nothing were wrong.

“I should be the one thanking you for inviting me.”

However, the Crown Prince looked rather dejected when he heard my response.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you if you were disappointed with today’s gathering, Lady Ulpina.”

“Pardon?”

“I arranged today’s tea party to hear the interests and opinions of young nobles. But they all fell short of my expectations. All of them except you.”

So you did notice!

“It’s simply that Your Highness was unlucky with your guests.”

“Is that so? Well, I suppose it’s too soon to be disappointed after meeting only a handful of them.”

No. You’re absolutely right. Just thinking about what my young lady and the other nobles had done to me over the past two weeks was enough to convince me that the young nobility of this country had something seriously wrong with them.

There’s something wrong with this place. Is the land cursed or something? Maybe there’s an underground water vein messing things up.

Perhaps my empty words had cheered him up, because the Crown Prince smiled again.

“Have a safe journey home, Lady Ulpina.”

Man, he really was handsome.

As soon as I parted ways with the Crown Prince, I hurried toward the garden entrance where my carriage was waiting. All I wanted was to get home and rest.

I was almost out of the garden when a man suddenly appeared in front of me.

“Huh?”

Red hair and silver eyes.

It was the very same man whose jaw I’d punched just yesterday.