Muyoku no Seijo wa Okane ni Tokimeku

Chapter 65: Leo goes to the party. (2/3)

While being guided down the many corridors of the Ivory Palace, Leo couldn't help but admire the expensive decorations of the place, since this was his first time entering a castle. However, while he was doing that, the Harkenberg family suddenly arrived at a place that was far from being a party hall.

(Woah! This place...! I think this is the Audience Chamber, right!? It's so huge!) – Thought Leo, as he looked around the room with an excited look on his face.

The audience chamber was on a whole other level, compared to everything that Leo had already seen of the palace. There was a fireplace located at the right side of the room, that was as expensive as the chandeliers hanging on the ceiling. There was also a lot of expensive painting and mirrors hanging on the walls. Not to mention the huge balcony located on the left side of the room.

This place was, without a doubt, the definition of the word expensive... however, none of those decorations could beat the two majestic thrones adorned in gold and jewels located at the far end of the room. Leo almost started drooling when he saw that. But the small anomaly–or rather, the small coffee table located at the center of the room, kept him from doing that.

According to the servant who guided the Harkenberg family to the audience chamber, every year, before the royal greeting, the Emperor and the Empress liked to sit down somewhere quiet to enjoy a cup of tea, while they waited for the parade to arrive at the castle.

Well, those two were busy people, so it was understandable that they would try to relax a bit, before a major event.

However, Leo still couldn't understand why the two wanted to do the same thing this year as well, after all, they were the hosts of today's party. So, after noticing the confused look on the little girl's face, Emilia decided to explain what was going on.

"It's okay deary. We're just going to have a little chat with the Emperor and the Empress before the party. Also, I know that there are a lot of people here today, but I made sure to bribe–I mean, I made sure that no one would bother us while we're having that conversation, so you don't have to worry about anything." – Said Emilia, with a kind smile, as she let out a low, and evil, chuckle.

"I-is that, so...?"

When Leo saw that smile, he felt a chill run down his spine, so he made a mental note to never, ever, cross Emilia, since she could be really scary sometimes.

As they waited for the royal couple to arrive, Emilia took that moment to teach her granddaughter how to port herself in front of royalty.

Well, to tell the truth, this wasn't a formal meeting, so Emilia didn't really have to do that, but since those manners would help her granddaughter in the future, she decided to do it anyway.

"Oh, and one more thing. It seems like the Empress is quite interested in you, deary, so you should think twice before drinking anything that she gives you." – Said Emilia, with a serious look on her face, as she stared deeply into Leonora's amethyst eyes.

"So... if she tries, to give me, some tea, I shouldn't, drink it?"

"That's right... in my opinion, you shouldn't drink it–"

There was a brief moment of silence right after Emilia said that... but then, as if her serious expression was never there to begin with, she looked at Leonora with a gentle smile, before continuing her sentence.

"–But that's up to you to decide, deary. You see, if an older lady, who has a son of marriageable age, decides to pour a drink to a younger lady of marriageable age, during an informal meeting, she's probably asking you: "Do you want to marry my son?" And if you drink what she offered you, that's the same thing as saying "yes," which is why I told you to think twice before drinking anything that she gives you."