Lilian, who was outwitted, had no choice but to stay in Damian’s arms for the rest of her time and take the mana he gave her.
It was like a flower with its roots planted in the moist soil after being watered abundantly, and its leaves and petals were wet. Even though she tried to stay away, her body was languid.
Lately, she’d gotten used to receiving mana, so apart from feeling drowsy, her physical condition immediately improved, but…
It’s like having to constantly have skinship while receiving mana and she didn’t hate this time, but it was overwhelming.
There was a time when she thought that she was being hugged while in a daze.
‘This could be love.’
Besides, recently, the problem was that there were times when she was waiting for it.
Even though she was embarrassed, her heart pounded and her toes tingled whenever Damian approached.
Although she was held reluctantly, she actually wanted to lean on him.
She’s crazy. Lilian shook her head, trying to shake off her impure anticipation.
No matter how much she likes it, for Damian, this process was a lifesaving activity before skinship.
‘I have to stay alert.’
Fortunately, she was able to distract herself now. Lilian walked as fast as she could to her parlor where her guests were gathered.
“Your Ladyship!”
“It’s been a while, everyone. I’m late. Even though I invited-“
“Oh my, it’s okay.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Rather, we didn’t notice.”
“…?”
Lilian looked at her classmates giggling in bewilderment. Even Sophia, who hates to laugh at or bully her, was smiling as she glanced at Lilian, her face flushed.
“We are happy that your relationship is good.”
Oh.
Only then did Lilian realize what misunderstandings these people were having.
“It’s not like that, ladies-“
“It’s not?”
Russel opened her eyes and questioned.
“Don’t hide it, Your Ladyship. We’ve already heard. The maid clearly said ‘Her Highness is being held by the Grand Duke for a while. I’m sorry, but I ask for your understanding’…”
“Pardon?”
“Oh, could it be that the lady-in-waiting lied?”
“No, she didn’t…”
“Is it true that His Highness was at home during this busy daytime, and that Your Ladyship came after being ‘captured’ by such a Grand Duke?”
It’s embarrassing that the word ‘caught’ had a strange accent, but it wasn’t wrong.
“That’s…that’s right…”
“Kyaaaagh! Look at that!”
“Oh my God, how nice!”
What do they mean by nice? Lilian was dumbfounded. But they didn’t seem to care about Lilian, as everyone was squealing and screaming with joy. Even Illasia smiled and nodded generously.
Only kind-hearted Sophia could say this.
“It went really well, Your Ladyship. It breaks my heart to hear that His Highness the Grand Duke cares for you.”
“I envy you, Your Ladyship.”
“Please accept our envy and teasing.”
“Yes, they are girls in their prime so they are all very interested in this.”
Even Solaria, who often pouted that she couldn’t see her face if she had a baby too soon, said the same thing.
“If you’re married, it’s good to be loved. Well, since Your Ladyship is someone who deserves to be loved, it’s only natural.”
“No…”
Except for Lily, who was embarrassed because she couldn’t keep up with this atmosphere, it was very fun and exciting, so it wasn’t a mess.
“For now, everyone calm down. I’ll ask for refreshments.”
Lilian pulled a rope, hoping to change the mood. Soon, waiters came in with prepared tea and snacks.
“Wow.”
“They said it was a tea party, but you could also call it a snack party.”
After learning that the frail Grand Duchess would still eat some fruit and snacks, the mansion’s cook improved their dessert-making skills.
Today, the main dish was sponge cake with layers of strawberries, jam, and cream. Plus lemonade with mint leaves, soft egg sandwiches, cookies with jam and chocolate.
“Oh my God, the chocolates that the hostess of Alt Sea gives out are definitely of different quality.”
“This tea is so delicious!”
Having obtained information from her maid, Rita, that Lily liked tea, Mrs. Maureen taught several servants how to prepare delicious tea.
As for the taste, of course, anyone who has tasted the tea that Lily gave them can’t help but be thrilled.
Things went the way Lily had intended. The ladies immediately fell in love with the snacks.
“The tea party was such a good thing.”
“I also had tea and snacks together at home, but it felt really different because we all got together and prepared a lot of snacks. It’s really just like a party.”
“I know, right? I wish we could have this kind of time more often.”
But even that was short-lived, as the newlyweds were among the young ladies, the conversation turned back to the topic of marriage.
“Come to think of it, Lady Sophia, you are engaged to the Count in the end.”
“Oh, we’re not engaged yet.”
“Oh, but I heard you sent a marriage letter. Has the decision not been made yet?”
“Will the Count be nice to you?”
“How was it when you received the marriage proposal? Please tell me in detail.”
Lilian also added a word.
“I want to hear it too. As you know, I was a bit busy that day.”
In the end, Sophia couldn’t resist their prompting and confided.
“I-It’s not a big deal. I just drank because someone gave me a drink at the banquet hall… I wasn’t feeling well, so I went out for a walk and ran into the Count.”
“Oh my gosh, were you alone in the garden?”
“Oh, no, it wasn’t like that! We weren’t alone.”
“You weren’t alone?”
Russel persistently inquired. Everyone except Sophia knew she became more like that because Sophia, who had a bright red face, was cute.
“That…not long after we met, others came…over there, they were looking for some secret place…because they didn’t see that we were there first…”
Waa! Shrieking cheers erupted once again among the girls.
“Oh my! How nice. It must have been a tryst!”
“Did you see who it was?”
“I-I didn’t see who it was! I can’t even look!”
Sophia explained with a tearful smile. Illasia went “now, now” and settled the atmosphere.
“Everyone please be quiet. It’s not like you see a couple having a tryst at a banquet hall once or twice.”
“Yes. the story of the Sophia couple is more important.”
Sophia’s story continued.
“So the Count and I hid together. It was just like that, but he suddenly proposed to me the next day, and I was really surprised.”
They exchanged glances with a look that everyone but Sophia knew.
How cute Sophia must have looked when she was restless in such an embarrassing situation.
“I want to applaud the Count for his determination.”
“I think I would have been in a hurry as well.”
“Yes, I have to snatch it before someone snatches it.”
“Oh, there are people who can’t be left out when it comes to quick snatching, right?”
“Why is the story going that way again…”
When Lily was embarrassed, the girls burst into laughter.
“It’s just so good, you see.”
“I have a question, Your Ladyship.”
At the meeting, the youngest girl next to Solaria shyly opened her mouth.
“Were you two lovers from the beginning?”
“It’s not like that…”
Even now, she was ready to listen to the words that they were not lovers.
Russel asked from the side.
“Why were you suddenly curious about that?”
“Actually, my mother was always like that. She says that even a marriage of convenience can make a good enough couple.”
“Ah, that.”
“I heard a lot of stories like that.”
People who don’t know each other well fall in love belatedly in a state of arranged marriage.
For noble ladies, this resonated far more than the story of a beggar girl and a prince falling in love and marrying.
And when they talk about it all the time, they’d say, “My cousin’s friend” and it’s a story that happened one day.
In a world where remarriage, infidelity, and breakups are prevalent, young ladies are more and more thirsty for such stories.
“Your Ladyship, I envy Sophia.”
“I know, right.”
Lilian couldn’t answer anything, so she just smiled.
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