The Villainous Young Lady Would Even Risk Her Life for Her Beloved ～ Her Fiancé, the Prince? By All Means, Please Be Happy with the Heroine! - Chapter 1.24 (1)

Finally, the day had arrived.

Although the tea party was scheduled for the afternoon, the mansion had been bustling since early morning. In the end, every invitee currently in the capital had sent an acceptance. At this point, calling it a large-scale tea party banquet wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

“It simply proves how much everyone is looking forward to your future, my lady.”

I could tell, though, that this was less about the noble daughters’ personal desires and more about the wishes of their parents.

“My future, huh…”

Eliza made it sound grand, but considering the sealed future that awaited me, it felt like misplaced expectations.

“This is exhausting…”

It was truly draining to put effort into something I had no interest in.

“Ahaha! Lydiana, you really have it tough!”

“Uncle… easy for you to say when it’s not your problem…”

I knew he had thrown a fit about attending the recent party, only to be struck down by Mother’s wrath.

“The girls coming today are all around your age, right? Just relax and have fun.”

“…I’m afraid I might do something reckless.”

I had far more self-control than before, but what if I lost it again? To make matters worse, Luca wouldn’t be there to back me up—because this was an all-girls tea party.

“It’s fine! I got into plenty of trouble myself, and Sasha always found a way to smooth things over!”

…Didn’t he get disowned for his antics? Not exactly reassuring.

If I made a mistake, it would reflect on Prince Leonhart’s reputation and push back the possibility of an amicable annulment. I already knew I’d regret any reckless actions after the fact.

“Honestly, everyone’s expecting you to stir up some trouble anyway, so don’t worry!”

“Luca!”

Luca suddenly appeared, already munching on sweets.

Was this simply the fate of a well-known noble lady? Sure, I had improved my reputation during the New Year’s party, but to those who hadn’t witnessed it, I was still the selfish duke’s daughter.

“What are you so nervous about? That’s not like you! They’re just ten-year-olds, right?”

“…You’re right.”

Ever since Lord Finley had returned to his territory, I had felt deflated. Losing the chance to see him had drained my energy for living… I had been too spoiled before.

(Just be grateful to be alive!)

Honestly, I had a habit of getting carried away. I needed to be more mindful of that.

The grand tea party began.

In our estate’s rose garden, numerous round tables had been arranged. Cake stands, adorned with colorful ribbons, were piled high with an assortment of confections.

As the young noble ladies arrived, they gasped in admiration at the vibrant display.

(Perfect. I’ve grabbed their attention.)

Today’s theme was aesthetic appeal—winning them over through sheer visual delight. Of course, the flavors would not disappoint either.

There were fruit sandwiches made with strawberries, oranges, and blueberries; delicate flower cakes in pastel hues; animal-shaped cookies decorated with chocolate and dried fruit; jewel-like sugar candies; a towering stack of cream puffs; classic scones with various fruit jams—including a special rose jam—and crispy cheese biscuits.

Traditional baked goods were also present, but the novelty of the other treats naturally drew the most interest.

Some of it had been achieved simply by throwing money at the problem. It was amazing how much easier things became when the budget was limitless. The skill, however, was all thanks to our estate’s chefs. The numerous test batches had mostly ended up in the stomachs of the servants, Luca, and Roddy.

I had considered trying more ambitious ideas, but given the time constraints, I’d save them for future events.

And now… for the highlight of today’s menu.

“Oh my! Is this… gold?”

A murmur spread through the gathering as the young ladies peered into their teacups. I had floated delicate gold flakes atop the tea.

“This was imported from my father’s homeland. It is completely safe to consume. Please, enjoy.”

Of course, I could add, and even if it weren’t safe, nothing in this house could harm me, but I wisely kept that to myself.

The effect was exactly as planned—elegant and attention-grabbing. I was glad Father had included this among his gifts. Even among nobles, few had ever actually eaten gold. Even I had never seen it in this country before.

“Eating gold… what a vulgar practice. I can’t believe there’s a country that does such a thing.”

“Fufu… You’re absolutely right.”

Ah. There they were—Lisa and Clara.

I had seated them at my own table. I couldn’t risk them gossiping and spreading rumors elsewhere. They had been visibly displeased when they realized where they had been placed, but they quickly masked their expressions and braced themselves—immediately starting their usual nitpicking.

Clearly, they had abandoned the idea of spreading rumors. Every other table was animated with excitement, meaning Lisa’s complaints wouldn’t reach them. Which also meant… neither their words nor mine would be overheard.

“My apologies. I’ll have something else prepared for the two of you.”

I swiftly gestured for a servant to replace their drinks. My quick concession seemed to catch them off guard. They stared at their cups as they were taken away, looking… slightly regretful? Ah. They’re still just ten-year-olds, after all.

I wouldn’t be the mature one today, though.

“It’s a shame, really. Prince Leonhart was quite pleased with it.”

He had said it was an interesting cultural custom.

“Is that true? His Highness isn’t fond of such extravagant things, is he?”

Ah. So she does know his tastes. I suppose it’s only natural to want to learn your first love’s preferences. But… has she ever met his mother? Queen Lione wears so many jewels that she practically jingles when she walks.

Lisa had apparently decided to aim her hostility at me directly today. At least she was being straightforward.

“Oh? But Lady Lione’s family runs the Austin Trading Company. I’ve heard they lived far more luxuriously than most nobles. Surely Prince Leonhart grew up surrounded by the finest things?”

Oh? She knows quite a bit.

The girl who had spoken was Louise, the youngest daughter of the Knight Commander. Her older siblings all had striking red hair, making her lineage easy to recognize. Incidentally, her first love was also Prince Leonhart. My fiancé truly was the first love thief of this world.

Prince Leonhart himself didn’t particularly favor extravagant outfits, but he never rejected the flamboyant elegance of jewelry and embellishments either. At the end of the day, he was a rich noble’s son. In the original story, he had lavished Iris with all kinds of gifts, and I doubted that habit would change.

“Lady Lydiana, as His Highness’s fiancée, has already stated as much. Is there truly a need to confirm it?”

The last one to speak was Aria, one of Prince Leonhart’s most promising potential fiancées.

Her mother was a wealthy commoner, making her upbringing similar to Prince Leonhart’s. Despite her delicate frame and light brown hair, she was a girl of strong will.

I had assumed she would resent me for being chosen as Prince Leonhart’s fiancée instead of her, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. That made me a little happy.

When assigning seats, I had hoped for a three-way showdown between Lisa, Louise, and Aria. That would have been ideal. However, the table’s dynamic had settled into a two-against-one formation instead.

In the worst case, I could have faced everyone alone, but luckily, things had turned out quite favorably for me.

And Clara?

When I turned to her, she was sitting stiffly in silence.

“Oh my, Lady Clara. Aren’t you feeling a bit chilly today?”

The moment I spoke, she clamped her mouth shut.

At a previous tea party hosted at her family’s estate, she had loudly mocked my father’s background. I knew she had only been saying what others had encouraged her to, but that didn’t change the fact that she had been the one to voice it. Naturally, I had been quietly furious.

(That was such a villainess moment!)

Throwing my teacup at her would have been one thing. That would have been cute.

Instead, I had snatched the teapot from a nearby servant and hurled it across the room.

Looking back, even I was appalled at my behavior. The other noble girls had been utterly horrified.

No wonder they had avoided me ever since.

Yet here Clara was, attending my tea party. Part of me wanted to say, Thanks for coming anyway!

(The teapot was just for intimidation, but… thank god I didn’t actually hit anyone…)

I had made sure the tea was lukewarm, so my actions had clearly been a threat rather than an actual attack… But still. Violence is never the answer.

(Then again, should I really be saying that when, five years from now, I’m supposed to slaughter my classmates at the graduation party?)

Ugh. Thinking about it made me want to bury my face in my hands.

I could have handled it far better now, but back when I was physically ten years old, I hadn’t had the emotional maturity to restrain my anger.

Clara had been feeling a bit bold today, likely thinking she had Lisa as an ally.

Time to remind her of her place.

Behave yourself!

Meanwhile, the three main players of this little drama were staring each other down right in front of the host—me.

“Come now! Please, help yourselves to the sweets. I personally ensured they are my best creations.”

I smiled sweetly, then stood up to greet the other guests, leaving the battlefield behind.

Now then… do your worst!

When I returned to my seat a while later, the scene was just as I had hoped.

“I’ve never seen such beautiful confections before!”

“How was this cream made? I’d love to have something like this at home.”

“Honestly, it’s all far too sweet. Just the sight of it is making me queasy.”

“Lady Lisa, are you unfamiliar with orange jam? Is it not served in your household? The citrus balances the sweetness perfectly.”

“Fufu, I see. I suppose if all you eat are those sickeningly sweet flower cakes…”

“Who in their right mind serves candy at a formal tea party? What kind of amateur thought of such a thing?”

“Oh? You weren’t aware? It’s actually a trend in the royal palace—using candy as a substitute for sugar in tea. How unfortunate that you’re behind on the times.”

“My, my… Lady Lisa, of all people, unaware of such a fashionable custom? Fufu~”

(Ohhh… so this is how ten-year-olds argue?)

Before regaining my memories, if I had been as composed as Louise and Aria, perhaps my reputation wouldn’t have been in the gutter from the start. I was utterly defeated by these ten-year-olds.

Incidentally, the bit about candy in tea being trendy in the royal palace?

That had been my doing.

I had discreetly supplied Queen Lione’s inner circle and the Knight Order with sugar candies as a gift. I had encouraged them to try using it in tea, ensuring that the rumor would spread.

Louise, whose father and brothers served in the Knight Order, had already heard about it. That was a pleasant surprise.

Lisa, you really are a nuisance.

Here I was, running around trying to peacefully dissolve my engagement, and she just had to stir things up!

It was time to wrap this up.

Thanks to Louise and Aria, I had managed to avoid an outright confrontation. I’d have to thank them later.

(Alright! Time to use my knowledge as a fan of the original story to completely dominate this event!)