Bailonz Street 13

“The winner this time has been decided.”

“Indeed.”

Serena and Katrina whispered, exchanging glances as they watched the Crown Prince and the two Dukes, who had been participating in the hunting festival only formally every year, quickly enter deep into the forest on their horses with determined expressions, unlike before.

“I wonder if they might stop by the Imperial Palace to catch a few more, saying one is not enough.”

As it was quite possible given that the Crown Prince, who had the authority of the silver fox, was also there, Serena nodded in agreement, not dismissing it as just a joke. Then, a sudden thought made her turn to Katrina.

“By the way, Katrina, when are you going to start speaking comfortably to us? We promised to be comfortable with each other when it’s just us!”

“Umm, well…”

Caught off guard by the sudden change of topic, Katrina rolled her eyes and drawled. Ria, who had been unable to understand their conversation until now, also understood this and joined in supporting Serena’s point.

“That’s right. I heard it’s not a problem for close friends to speak informally. Or is it uncomfortable for you to speak informally in general?”

Katrina, who had been moving her lips while trailing off again, gradually lowered her head and then muttered.

“Speaking comfortably is good in its own way as it gives a feeling of being much closer, but it’s not like the fact that we’ve become close changes just because we don’t speak informally, right? So I think I kept doing it out of a desire to cherish you two more and show respect. You’re both the first precious friends I’ve ever had…”

Her ears turned slightly red, as if embarrassed. Ria and Serena looked at her with blank expressions for a moment before grabbing her hands. Two pairs of eyes, filled with emotion, looked at her warmly.

“Katrina is right. That’s not what’s important. Whether we speak informally or not, the fact that we’re close friends who often have deep conversations over tea together doesn’t change!”

“I learned something thanks to you. I’ll also try to treat those precious to me more preciously, like Katrina does.”

“Ria, shall we follow Katrina’s intention from now on?”

“Sure, Serena.”

Katrina’s head dropped even lower than before, more embarrassed by their words of praise highly commending her and their emotion-filled gazes. Finding her cute, the two continued with pleased expressions.

“Ah, really-. Everyone should know how cute Katrina is!”

“No, only we should see this. What if someone sets their eyes on Katrina after seeing this cute side?”

“B-both of you, please stop……”

The atmosphere among the three, which had become even closer than before, was very cheerful. Kahin, who had been quietly watching beside Ria, also smiled as he saw the lady bursting into laughter. However, his heart was very bitter.

It would have been enough if the lady was just not lonely, but as time passed, their relationship only got better. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant feeling. Because it would take away the lady’s attention that had been directed at him.

But he couldn’t let this gloomy feeling be discovered, so today too, he hid his true feelings very deep inside. If discovered, it was certain that the lady would distance herself from him.

At that moment, a group centered around Exie Melbourne approached them.

“It’s been a while since the tea party. Have all three of you been well?”

Serena and Katrina immediately put on their social masks at the sight of Exie greeting them with an innocent face.

“Of course. We’ve been very well. But Lady Melbourne, you seemed to have a bad expression when you left that day, are you alright now? I was worried that you might have suddenly fallen ill.”

“…Oh my, is that so? Thank you for your concern. Perhaps I had a moment of anemia? As it’s in the past, I don’t remember it well.”

See that?

Serena and Katrina’s fighting spirit flared up after a long time. Strong currents flew in the conversation exchanged with smiles. Exie, who had been fluttering her fan, closed it with a snap and raised the corners of her mouth.

“By the way, I was thinking of having some tea while waiting for those who went hunting to return. Would you like to join? Many people have already gathered.”

“No. We were going to…”

“When I said I would bring the three of you, everyone was so pleased. They’re probably eagerly waiting for you three by now.”

Exie, who had cut off Katrina’s words, wore a triumphant expression as if to say, ‘Can you refuse now?’

It was a trap set up from the beginning so that they couldn’t refuse. By involving other people and making it a big deal, refusing the invitation would only result in loss later. Even if they refused, she could go back to the people and make up an interesting story.

For example, that they were acting arrogantly, backed by the power of the three men.

Serena and Katrina knew it would turn out like that, so there was essentially only one conclusion. They had no choice but to follow Exie.

However, after attending the uncomfortable tea party that was almost forced upon them, Katrina felt something strange.

‘What is she thinking?’

Lady Melbourne had seated Ria directly across from her own seat. Deliberately. So naturally, thinking there must be some scheme, she had been on high alert, but even as time passed, she didn’t do anything. Even though she had sent away Lord Fernon, who was trying to stand behind Ria, citing various reasons to keep him at a distance.

Katrina couldn’t understand what Exie was thinking at all.

Of course, it wasn’t that Exie did absolutely nothing. With that innocent face, she occasionally picked verbal fights with Ria. However, it was at the level of power struggles that happen routinely in social circles.

‘Is she perhaps waiting for Ria to react strongly?’

That could be it. Usually, reacting strongly to light power struggles was a mistake often made by inexperienced and naive young ladies who had just debuted in society, and when that happened, people would wait as if they had been expecting it and criticize them, saying it was because the young lady was still immature and young, under the guise of encouragement.

If that was the case, it would be fine since Ria was already responding calmly.

‘Fortunately, it’s open on all sides.’

Katrina quickly scanned her surroundings, shifting only her eyes. This place, with only a canopy to block the sunlight, was public enough that if anything happened, Lord Fernon, who was watching intently from a distance, would immediately notice and rush over. That was somewhat reassuring.

At that moment, the sound of clapping was heard twice.

As Katrina, awakened from her thoughts, turned her gaze, she saw Exie standing up from her seat diagonally across.

“I have something I prepared for today. It’s a new dessert that just came out from Vernong, which you all know well.”

Vernong was a high-end dessert shop as famous in the empire as Ennen’s clothing store. It was especially famous for selling out in less than ten minutes on the day a new menu item was released. Exie had managed to obtain enough of this shop’s new product for everyone at the table, and she was the first to do so.

As Katrina was inwardly surprised, maids pulling trolleys placed desserts one by one in front of the people. The dessert consisted only of a white chocolate sphere topped with finely ground gold leaf and dark chocolate in a small silver cup.

“Um… is this round thing white chocolate?”

Unlike the usual menu items that boasted flashy visuals, this one looked ordinary, even plain. People who had been full of expectations only looked at each other hesitantly, holding back their words.

Nevertheless, Exie still held the dessert plate with the chocolate sphere and the silver cup with dark chocolate in each hand with a confident smile.

“That’s right. If you pour the dark chocolate we provided like this…”

“Oh my!”

Soon, exclamations burst from people’s mouths. Centered around where the dark chocolate was poured, the white sphere melted, and the gold leaf flowed inside along with the chocolate. The sight was as beautiful as stars pouring down the night sky.

Immediately after, before the mouths that had let out exclamations could close, the melted sphere split into several branches, revealing an elaborately decorated white chocolate cream Saint-Honoré cake.

“The menu name is ‘Chocolat Étoile’. The biggest advantage of this dessert is that you can choose the type of cake you want to put inside the white sphere. I happened to have a chance to taste it first, and I found it both fun and delicious, so I brought it here like this.”

Exie, who had finished her explanation, smiled and took in the sight of people focused on the dessert.

In fact, Vernong was a place she had created herself, as she loved both eating and making sweet desserts.

Of course, it wasn’t easy to start from the beginning. Her father, Marquis Melbourne, extremely disliked women going out or taking the initiative in business. How many times had she heard him curse Marchioness Rosevita? And how afraid she had been that her father might beat her if he knew about these thoughts of hers.

So she had given up at first. But it kept flickering before her eyes. The business plan, the promotional means, countless menu items. It was her brother, Axion Melbourne, who noticed this about her and secretly helped. Thanks to him, she was able to start the business by putting forward someone else as a representative in her place.

“……”

For a moment, emotions of sadness and anger mixed and danced in Exie’s eyes. To her, her brother Axion was an object of love and hate.

However, a mask full of smiles quickly covered her face. It was because she felt the time was too precious to think about someone who had abandoned her and left home. Exie, who had skillfully hidden her emotions, took in the sight of those who had started to enjoy the dessert pleasantly. This work, the only thing that didn’t follow her father’s will, was now the sole escape route that allowed her to breathe and a sedative that could calmly soothe her anxious mind.

• itsybhie

  Visit my Ko-fi for Advance Chapters. Supports and Donations are welcome ~

  View all posts

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!