The Villainess Will Not Bring Dishonor To Her Family

11 - A Tea Party Confrontation

It has been nearly a week since we left home, and to be honest I am exhausted on several levels. Unlike Father and Eric I am not allowed to ride a horse, so instead I am to sit in this wagon with a roof that they call a 'carriage'. You exchange the smell of horse for severe joint pain, which is basically all it does.

As such you can probably imagine what kind of pain I am in.

Umu. I have found the reason why these young ladies set their eyes on easy victims like maids and servants. They always arrive in these horrid contraptions.

Furthermore, Ameline is in our carriage as well. Mother and the heroine's mother are in here as well so it's slightly cramped. Believe me, I have been on my very best behavior ever since we got into the carriage. Any nagging and I would likely be unable to control my temper at the sheer amount of exhaustion of spending a week in a tiny carriage with Adela and Ameline and the overly friendly woman that is the Heroine's mother. Ameline on the other hand seems quite happy with everything, even going:

'Ojou-sama is finally acting like a lady.'

It's not like I haven't been able to all along, it's just that our first hand impression was kind of extreme.

At least the incident with mother had calmed down. After spending some one-on-one time with father she stopped being cruel to the maids and servants. Now she's down to ignoring them... but because I'm in the same carriage as her I can hear her mutters. I'm not sure who, but mother is definitely planning to destroy someone's reputation once we get there. She may have changed at home, but I doubt anyone would notice the difference out here in public... Well, her clothes aside. It seems her change of fashion has been a permanent change, but so seems to be the change of bedroom for her.

Originally long sleeves and covering up to the neck was my personal preference, but it appears mother has fully made it hers as well. I'm a bit worried she'll be too conservative compared to the other ladies at the party, but I doubt I need to worry about her. I have other people to worry about, like Gilbert Salender, Lionel Tepet and my fiancé Crown Prince Alstair.

The Lord of Salender is a marquess that defends the oceans here in the south, though, since the coastline is mostly cliff-sides there are very few opportunities for ships to dock other than the few safe docks made by house Salender. Compared to us they have it easy, and as a result they deal a lot with tourism instead. After all, the views from the tops of the cliffs facing the oceans is... magnificent.

Just the fact that House Tepet, House Salender and House Celeste is gathered in one place which is not the royal palace is amazing. House Tepet protects the West, House Celeste protects the East and house Salender protects the South.

What about north? Actually three houses protect the northern borders. They may have the same rank as us, but apparently their military power pales in comparison, and thus they aren't considered for the above comparison of most powerful. They weren't really mentioned in the novel either, but they border the kingdom Semor where the Great War of faeries found place.

Yet, I digress. The point is that because the houses with the most military are going to appear here, it is going to be an incredibly tense tea party, and lo and behold, we will attend an evening party held here tonight as well.

The only two idiots missing in the frame to get a good picture of my misery is the son of Duke Listere and the son of the Prime Minister... but considering the people I've confirmed invited... those are bound to be there somewhere. The prime minister is one thing, but I do not want to run into Soleil Listere. The self conceited boy would get me in trouble in an instant. I'll admit he might end up rubbing me the wrong way immediately.