It’s the usual Lady’s Day. But today feels different from the norm.
“Are we off today?”
“Yes.”
Marie-san informs me that today’s dance lesson has been canceled. Did something urgent come up for the instructor, I wonder? As I ponder this, a maid approaches with an envelope on a tray. Marie-san takes the tray from her and presents it to me with a respectful gesture.
“Instead, the etiquette instructor has assigned you a task.”
“A task?”
Marie-san pauses there, so I pick up the envelope and examine the back. It’s sealed with wax, stamped with a crest. I think it’s the emblem of some family, but which one? It feels vaguely familiar. I’ve been learning the crests of this country’s major noble houses in lessons. If it’s in my memory, it must belong to one of those families. It’s not the royal family’s. I’ve made sure to memorize the royal crest properly, at least.
Since I can’t recall it right away, I decide to check the contents first. I ask Marie-san to open it for me and take the letter inside. Reading it, it seems to be an invitation to a tea party. It’s happening this afternoon. The location is… the palace!?
Someone who can host a tea party at the palace must be of pretty high status, right? Who could it be? Curious, I look for the sender’s name, only to realize it’s not written. Am I supposed to figure it out from the crest on the seal? Speaking of that crest’s family…
“Lady Sei, how about this dress for today?”
A voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I’d gotten lost in my head again. Looking at the dress the maid offers, I hesitate over what to do.
“I’ve been invited to a tea party this afternoon, so…”
“Oh my! In that case, let’s go with a more elegant dress today.”
“Huh? Wait, um—!”
It seems Marie-san didn’t know the details of the task either. Before I can stop her, she briskly starts giving instructions to the maids. In no time at all, they prepare an outfit far more elaborate than what I usually wear. Seeing the maids enjoying themselves more than usual, I can’t bring myself to intervene. Oh well. While the maids enthusiastically get everything ready, I’ll think about that crest again. Which family was it?
“Are you alright?”
Maybe because I was frowning in thought, Marie-san looks concerned.
“I was wondering who the sender might be. The invitation doesn’t include a name.”
I hand the envelope and letter to Marie-san. She reads the letter, then examines the wax seal.
“Indeed, there’s no sender’s name.”
“Is the task to deduce the host from this invitation?”
“That could be part of it, but attending the tea party might also be the task.”
True. Marie-san’s point makes sense. I’ve been learning tea party etiquette, and I think I’ve reached a point where I could at least attend one without issue. The host is still a mystery, but if this is all part of the task, there’s a good chance Marie-san won’t tell me whose crest it is even if I ask. Still, I’ll try.
“The crest on the seal feels familiar, but I can’t place it. Do you know, Marie-san?”
“Yes, it’s from a well-known family. This is the crest of the Ashley Marquisate.”
Surprisingly, she tells me right away. Since there aren’t many marquis families, I should’ve remembered it, but it completely slipped my mind. Wait, do I even know someone from that family?
“If it’s the Ashley Marquisate, then the invitation likely comes from their daughter.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The young lady is also engaged to Prince Kyle.”
What’s that? Prince Kyle, you mean that Prince Kyle right? The first prince.
Oh, so even he has a fiancée. They say adulthood here starts at fifteen, and he’s a prince, after all. It’s not that strange, I suppose. It’d be rare in Japan, but maybe not so much here.
But if it’s his fiancée, can she really host a tea party at the palace? Even as a fiancée, that doesn’t seem typical. Does she already live with the prince in the palace or something?
“Does his fiancée live in the palace?”
“No. She usually resides at the Ashley Marquisate’s estate in the capital.”
“She lives outside the palace but can still hold a tea party there?”
“It’s likely because this is your task, Lady Sei.”
According to Marie-san, this tea party might be held in the palace as part of my assignment. She suggests the Ashley Marquisate’s daughter was probably informed of this by the instructor too.
Right. Since it’s a task, Marie-san was given the invitation to pass to me, so it’d be odd if the host didn’t know the context. If that’s the case, this tea party might not be some grand affair. The palace location had me panicking, thinking I’d been invited to something huge. Even if I’m ready to just attend, I’d rather not start with a massive event. I feel a little relieved.
While chatting with Marie-san, my makeup and hair are finished, and preparations are complete. Looking at myself in the full-length mirror, I can tell even more effort went into this than usual. The maids have that satisfied “mission accomplished” look on their faces too. Really, I hardly recognize myself. The me in the mirror wears a faintly tired smile.
“What do you think?”
“It’s a splendid result, I think.”
The maids beam at my words, so I’ll call it a win. With that, I head off to the morning lessons.