***

Days before the tea party.

​​

Evelyn was standing nonchalantly at the main garden located on the school grounds near the main building.

The flowers had different kinds of varieties, it was a puzzle-like garden and the center had a Gazebo that was easy to spot from the distance.

Evelyn had a lot of time and so, she decided to walk around and smell the refreshing scent of the lilies, rose, and tulips that were planted around the garden.

She remembers what Carsillion said, that her mother died in the back garden. And every time that she wants to remember that day, a headache will be the response to her pursuance and so, she pushed down her thoughts in insisting to recall that tragic day.

But she swears that she will, one day, unravel the secrets within her lost memories.

As she walked with light steps and hummed through the wind, the swaying of the plants brought her great calmness, she spread her hands to touch the leaves while she walked further to the center of the main garden. Every touch of the smooth leaves, made her hummed more.

She was enjoying her free time when the bushes at the left side started to make sounds, she turned her head to see Elise coming out of it with her hair all over the place and leaves around her head and her clothes.

She just looked at her, the 'heroine' in the novel was described as innocent and a bit clumsy. Though looking at her, she would just think that the level of clumsiness she has is top-notch to the point that it looks dumb.

'How did she make herself that messy?' She thought.

These days Gil isn't responding to her usual banter or ridiculous thoughts, and it seems that he was avoiding her. That made it more suspicious but because she had more things to do, she let him be for now.

'Anyway, what is she doing there?'

Elise saw Evelyn and her face lit up like a light stick. She made her way to her and smiled like a puppy with her large eyes pinned on her.

"Hello, Lady Evelyn!" Her voice was so cheerful that it made Evelyn knit her brows.

"Yes... Hello, Lady Elise," she responds.

"Hehe," Elise chuckled.

'Hehe? What the hell? What kind of laugh is that?' She inwardly thought, shaking her head.

"Oh... umm, I'm sorry, to present myself in this state," Elise said as she dusted her uniform.

She looked up to Evelyn who was a head taller than her. Yup, Evelyn grew after a year, she looks more mature than her peers.

Elise blushed when their eyes met, her ocean eyes meeting Evelyn's sunset eyes. She thought that it was alluring how her cat-like eyes fluttered it's long lashes that cast a shadow on her pale skin.

"Umm... Lady Evelyn, I know it's presumptuous of me to ask this but..." She scratched her face lightly before her white skin flushed pink.

"I was wondering if we could have tea time?" She continued as she looked downward, her palms clasped together while her fingers fiddled with her nails.

'She's nervous? Hmm... It's not like I can't turn her down but lately, I've been preoccupied that I haven't seen any events stated in the novel with my own eyes, so I don't know how close she has become to the Crown Prince.' She thought as she silently listened to Elise.

"Is that alright with you Lady Evelyn? We're both his highness' candidates for the selection of Crown Princess but we don't spend some time with each other," Elise said.

'What's this she's saying? Didn't she think that I wouldn't want to spend some time with her since we're rivals?' She continued to listen.

"So, I thought that maybe... We can have tea with the other ladies?"

"Other ladies? Who?" Evelyn asked.

"Umm, Lady Eklaire will have a tea party three days from now, she wants to send you an invitation, but because you're busy, she thought that it might not be a good idea." She said without stopping to take a breath.

Evelyn smiled. And for Elise, it was a good response.

"So, umm... Do you think you could come, Lady Evelyn?" She asked.

"Sure, why not."

'I know that the ladies wouldn't want me to be there, but let's see... I smell a good drama coming my way.' She then smiled.

After that encounter, an envelope with a floral scent was delivered to her room, it was the tea party invite that Elise said.

"Lady Eklaire really gave me an invite?" She raised her brows before she opened the sealed envelope with a mail cutter.

"Heh... Fine, I'll go. It's also my duty as a duke's daughter to socialize with the other noble ladies... Besides, Carsillion said that I will have a lot of things that I can gain from tea parties, though I don't agree with it. He's still the headmaster, so I'll go. I'm also kind of interested in what Elise's personality is like. This will be a great opportunity to see it for myself."

She lay down on her soft bed before she tossed the letter to the floor.

"Besides, this event was also written in the story. But it was supposed to be me that invited Lady Elise to Lady Eklaire's tea party. As I'm a duke's daughter, I can suggest or invite someone without needing the approval of Lady Eklaire."

She sighs before she continues.

"In the story, Lady Eklaire should become my minion that will participate in bullying Elise but now that I'm not participating in those petty acts, they switched sides to Elise, though they don't like her as she's only a baron's daughter. I wonder if the main story changed because I didn't follow the written story... I would know if I attend. Let's attend that tea party."

She closed her eyes. All she needed to do was to wait for what will happen.

***

The tea party was successful though there was a bit of commotion as Lady Elise cried as well as Lady Evelyn.

The ladies didn't know what to do and eventually, Lady Evelyn excused herself to not let the atmosphere go down further.

While Lady Elise was comforted by the other ladies after Evelyn left. She clicked her tongue inwardly. After the tea party was over, she directly went to her room on the first floor of the lady's dormitory.

-BANG!

She closed the door with a force that made a loud noise... She saw the vase that was put on top of the vanity and -BAM! she throws it at the wall.

She screamed! The thick wall was a good soundproof that she let out her frustration and threw anything that she could reach.

Her ocean eyes glinted with desperation, greed, as well as madness.

After throwing everything hysterically while panting she said between breaths.

"That b*tch! Huh! How dare she steal a scene from me!"

She throws a pillow this time.

"NO ONE! No one should steal from this Lady! I'll be the Crown Princess, I'll also become the Saint! I'll become the future Empress!"

She went to her locked drawer and opened it. -clicked!

She reached for a small wooden box that was locked. Another click of the key revealed that there was a pile of open envelopes neatly placed inside the box.

"That's right! He said I can be anyone I want! I won't need to suck up to those b*tches once I become the Crown Prince fiancee. I will make everyone bows to me! Hahaha!" She laughs like a madman before she reads the next step of the plan that was delivered to her a few days ago.

As she read the contents, a smile crept up on her pink lips.

"Heh... So, this will be the plan... This will be fun."

She reached for her quill and wrote a reply. Though she doesn't know the face of the person who keeps on giving her orders, the money she spends and dresses she wears, as well as luxury items. All that was enough for her to obey him.

Most importantly, the promise that she will become this Kingdom's mother was the most enticing thing he offered.

She became a part of the candidates because she was helped by the man. They first encountered each other when he bumped into her during her excursion in the Emsworth dukedom.

Though she didn't see his face because of the hood that made his face hidden in the shadows.

She had had enough of becoming a laughingstock of the rich nobles just because she was born into a baron's house and her family is on the verge of ruin. That's why she agreed.

"It's much better to be the Crown Prince fiancee than being sold to some old foggy man!" She said as she remembers his father's words that once she becomes a lady, she'll be engaged to a Count who owns a lot of merchant guilds that sells a lot of commodities.

"I'm not going to let that happen!" She promised as she looked outside her small window.

***

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