Chapter 29: Before the Garden Party
The venue of the garden party will be the castle’s garden.
The long line of carriages passes through the castle gate, but lower nobles and commoners have to wait for a long time.
I read Alex-sama’s research report and killed time.
Well, as we walk on the lawn of the garden after arriving, we notice that there are whispers coming from the surroundings.
Hmm?
I thought they were looking at us, but that’s not the case. People who aren’t looking at us are also frowning and talking to those nearby.
“Ah, I see.”
As we got closer, we understood the reason.
A scarlet carpet was laid on the lawn of the venue, and numerous yellow petals, probably poppies, were scattered on top of it. And in the center was a large vase of lavender-colored dahlia imperials.
It is a flower that bears the name of the king, brought from far away in the west…
I laugh through my nose.
“The atmosphere of the venue is strange, what’s going on?”
“They were stunned stunned by that flower.”
This garden party is hosted by Prince Elias, and his fiancé Miss Madetoya is supposed to assist him, but her poor sense is the cause.
Alex-sama nods his head.
“It looks like beautiful flowers…”
“There’s no mistake that they’re beautiful. First of all, if you place beautiful things in the center of the venue, the value of wandering through the garden will decrease.”
“Oh…”
“The season is also out of place, they are autumn flowers. The royal family must be trying to show off that they can see autumn flowers in the summer in their big greenhouse.
The scattered flowers are pot mum, also called chrysanthemum, a flower from the East. The purple flower in the center is a Western flower. Maybe the royal family is trying to show off their wealth, but that kind of thing is done in small-scale gatherings indoors.
It’s too showy to arrange things in an eccentric way, and it’s lacking in class to hold a garden party that invites even commoners.”
The color scheme is also not so great. When I said that, not only Alex-sama, but also the people nearby nodded in agreement as if they were impressed.
Fufu, in this area, it seems that I am not very well-known because it is populated by lower nobles and commoners.
However, from the area where high-ranking nobles are located far away, there are voices that disdain us, or rather, me.
“Oh my, it’s Duke Periknen’s daughter.”
“You mean the former? Wasn’t she Lady Pertia now?”
“The man next to her, right? He’s Pelta, but he’s a commoner.”
“Well, it’s best to call her Wilhelmina now.”
They are talking and enjoying themselves with a fan hiding their mouths, but it is a loud voice that I and the surrounding people can hear.
I ask Alex-sama, whose face stiffens, to bend down a little, cover my (our) mouth with my fan, and whisper.
“Please feel free to ignore everything unless you are directly spoken to.”
“Understood.”
I return to my position being escorted by Alex-sama after lowering my heel without any particular intention and closing my fan, and I smile as I survey my surroundings.
Young ladies who are blushing. Those who are laughing and those who are turning their faces away.
By the way, Alex-sama is unaware of it, but it looks like we exchanged a kiss in public.
Is it inappropriate?
That’s fine. That’s because I’m a commoner now.
Well, this garden party is at the invitation of the Crown Prince, and it is invited mainly to young noble couples and their children. The people gathered here are generally young and somewhat frivolous.
It is also an important social event for unmarried noble children to find a fiancé.
The married and the unmarried are usually separated, but His Highness has not appeared yet.
I wonder what’s going on. Only high-ranking nobles can greet the crown prince. When I think about that, we don’t even have a turn to greet, and it’s fine to go back home without being discovered.
Before I realized it, the loud trumpet sounds of the trumpet announced that His Royal Highness Crown Prince Elias had come to the garden.
The noise in the garden subsided, and everyone lowered their heads.
Alex-sama took the gentleman’s bow and scrape posture of the gentleman who has continued to practice until today, and I took the lady’s curtsy.
…?
It’s strange.
I can’t hear His Highness’s voice. The time to take the bow is clearly long.
Well, the curtsy of a lady is actually a strict posture with considerable strength in the lower body.
I was trained when I was the Duke’s daughter, but we would like to be called soon because the bodies of the women nearby are shaking.
Footsteps are getting closer.
…Excuse me, are you sane, you foolish prince?!
I understand that this invitation is with the intention of belittling me from the start, but there is such a thing as the proper order of things to be followed in things!
“Everyone, I am glad you have responded to my invitation and come to the palace. Raise your head.”
His Highness’s voice can be heard above me.
As a demonstration of my position as a commoner, I listen to the sound of everyone’s clothes rubbing and slowly raise my head.
In front of me, on my right, is the figure of His Highness Elias, who is escorting Miss Madetoya. He has a serious face, but he is smiling with delight.
