Why Are You Only Now Telling Me?

Eleanor could see straight through Grand Duchess Raiwens's ploy—wrapping her question of why so late in polite concern—and wanted to laugh out loud. Did this woman truly think she was an idiot?

Deliberately putting on a pitiful face, Eleanor heaved a deep sigh and lifted the hem of her dress just enough to reveal her foot. She had already changed from slippers back into her shoes before arriving, and the blood welling from the wound had soaked through the bandage.

The noblewomen who saw it all gasped and covered their mouths.

"Oh dear! However did you get that wound?"

"Really! And on a young lady's foot, of all places. What if it scars?"

Grand Duchess Raiwens was every bit as startled. She had heard from a maid that Eleanor had been injured, but she had never imagined it was this severe.

Grand Duchess Prihoson, who had not spared Eleanor so much as a glance all this while, turned her icy gaze upon Grand Duchess Raiwens.

When one's daughter was injured, wasn't it only natural for the mother to be told first? Yet Grand Duchess Prihoson had known nothing of it until Eleanor lifted her foot to show everyone. Could the maids of the Raiwens Grand Ducal estate truly be so incompetent as to fail at even this? No—they had all simply held their tongues because it suited their mistress's wishes.

The look in Grand Duchess Prihoson's eyes grew sharper as she regarded Grand Duchess Raiwens.

"I have heard much admiration for the beauty of the Raiwens Grand Ducal garden. They say there are flowers here that even the Kingdom of Seilo—famed for possessing the world's most beautiful flora—cannot boast of. I was so eager to see the garden that I quickened my pace, and stepped on a shard of glass."

"Oh, how dreadful."

"Well, when you think of it, the flowers in the Raiwens garden are breathtakingly lovely. I suppose even a Grand Duke's daughter could lose herself for a moment."

"That is true enough."

One by one, the noblewomen began to chime in with Eleanor's words. Eleanor paused briefly, then went on with a heavy sigh.

"Hah. But this is entirely my own carelessness. As you can see, the wound isn't as deep as it looks, so please don't worry, my ladies. Thanks to Her Highness's consideration, a physician has already seen to it."

The noblewomen's gazes swung toward Grand Duchess Raiwens, seated at the head of the table.

"So Her Highness called for a physician for you."

"Did something like that happen? We had no idea... "

As the ladies exchanged sidelong glances, disbelief was written plain across every face.

Whatever her feelings toward Grand Duchess Prihoson, a daughter had been injured and her mother had neither been informed nor handled the matter herself—instead, someone else had taken charge entirely. It was behavior that defied common sense, and a chill crept into the eyes of the ladies as they looked at Grand Duchess Raiwens.

Seeming apologetic for the commotion, the ladies studied the shadow that had fallen over Eleanor's pale white face, then each exchanged meaningful glances with those they were friendly with. There was no way Grand Duchess Raiwens could fail to grasp the mood, and the corners of her smiling mouth trembled faintly.

To commit such a stupid blunder! Grand Duchess Raiwens cursed herself inwardly. Her reason for summoning Eleanor here had been simple: she had merely wanted to press the girl, to torment her right in front of that thorn in her side, Grand Duchess Prihoson.

She had never once imagined the trap would close around herself instead. Trusting only the maid's report of a minor wound, she had told no one for fear of throwing the gathering into disarray, quietly arranging for a physician on her own—and she had never dreamed Eleanor would expose her negligence before the entire company.

While Grand Duchess Raiwens ground her teeth, Grand Duchess Prihoson let out a scornful snort and set down her glass. Clang—! The sharp ring of crystal drew every eye to her in an instant.

Grand Duchess Prihoson's elegant brow furrowed.

"My daughter was injured, and yet I am only hearing of it now, Grand Duchess Raiwens? I believe I deserve an explanation of how such a thing came to pass."

Grand Duchess Raiwens forced the corners of her mouth upward.

"Please don't trouble yourself, Your Highness. I'll have a maid look into what happened right away—"

"Am I not the mistress of my own estate, rather than you, Grand Duchess Raiwens? I suppose a matter of such gravity must be pieced together from maids' secondhand accounts."

Grand Duchess Prihoson said it flatly, without heat. At her words, Grand Duchess Raiwens's eyes turned to slits.

"...Grand Duchess Prihoson. What exactly are you trying to say?"

"What does it look like? I'm questioning your competence."

"...Your Highness, that is going too far—"

"Enough. I have no wish to trade words with you any longer. Eleanor, let us go."

With that, Grand Duchess Prihoson rose from her seat with deliberate flourish.

Eleanor, who had been watching the exchange with her head bowed and her breath held, was secretly stunned by the sight.

Grand Duchess Prihoson had never been one to care what anyone said about her. Even in crowded company, she seldom spoke first unless someone addressed her directly.

Yet here was that same mother, stepping forward on Eleanor's behalf. Warmth bloomed in Eleanor's chest. She lowered her eyes to hide the telltale reddening at their rims.

Feeling the strange weight of the other women's stares upon her, Grand Duchess Raiwens clenched her fists. To humiliate me in front of all these people. This was nothing short of a declaration of war.

She gritted her teeth. So the cat's meekness all this time had simply been a scheme, biding its time for precisely such an opportunity.

Having risen from her seat, Grand Duchess Prihoson inclined her head slightly toward the assembled ladies.

"I ask your understanding for taking my leave first, when we've only just met."

Though they kept a wary eye on Grand Duchess Raiwens's expression, the noblewomen rose one after another to offer their courtesies to Grand Duchess Prihoson.

"Please, think nothing of it, Your Highness."

"Of course—your daughter is hurt. Naturally you must return home at once."

"Indeed. Don't give this gathering another thought, Your Highness—take Lady Eleanor home. And see that the young lady rests well, too."

Eleanor located the woman speaking so warmly to her and smiled, bowing her head in greeting.

"Thank you, Countess Piodel."

"Oh my. Lady Eleanor. You know who I am? I was away in the provinces until quite recently, you see—I'd assumed everyone had forgotten me by now."

Countess Piodel regarded Eleanor with a mischievous smile. Eleanor returned it quietly. House Piodel was one of the Royalist families the Emperor trusted. Around this time, the Countess had bid farewell to the mother she had nursed through her final illness, seen the funeral done, and returned to the capital.

Count Piodel had been among those who opposed Joshua's claim to the throne—for at that time, the First Prince had had no discernible flaw to speak of.

But in the end, it was Joshua who had ascended the imperial seat. Once crowned, he had purged his opponents one by one, and Count Piodel had numbered among them.

Those who had stood against Joshua in her previous life were, in other words, her allies in the present one. No wonder they would respond to her with warmth. The corners of Eleanor's mouth curved upward.

"I hear Lady Piodel graduated from the Imperial Academy with distinction not long ago. Lady Evelyn's face in the weekly journal looked so much like yours that I recognized you at once."

At the mention of her daughter, Countess Piodel's face lit up.

"You've read news of my girl? Now I'm embarrassed."

"Whatever for? I also heard that the Imperial Magic Department recently acquired the magical tool Lady Piodel invented. Surely that means her gift for magic is every bit as remarkable?"

"So you even know about that. Well, my girl does take after me—clever as anything. Hoho."

The Countess beamed, and it was plain at a glance that she adored Eleanor. The other noblewomen nearby exchanged glances and began regarding Eleanor in a new light.

The Grand Duke's daughter they knew had always been the type to hide herself among the crowds wherever she went, as though desperate to avoid attention. To them, this Eleanor—speaking to others first, charming them with ease—was genuinely astonishing.

Grand Duchess Prihoson wore a face of perfect indifference to whatever thoughts occupied the noblewomen, but she fixed her gaze in silence upon the few who were shooting Eleanor unfriendly looks. Under her glowering stare, those women had no choice but to look away.

Eleanor reached out and lightly took hold of Grand Duchess Prihoson's hand. She felt the Grand Duchess's eyes upon her, but spoke with perfect composure.

"Mother, one moment, please. The hostess of today's Lirangteli is Her Highness, Grand Duchess Raiwens, after all. We ought to pay our respects before we leave."

Grand Duchess Prihoson studied Eleanor for a long moment, then gave a small nod. It was assent.

Eleanor stepped up before Grand Duchess Raiwens with a bright smile. Then, meeting the deep loathing carved into the woman's face, she smiled all the more brilliantly on purpose. Slowly, cracks began to spider across the Grand Duchess's composure.

"Your Highness. My mother and I will be heading home now. And please don't worry about my foot—it truly is a light wound. The maid never examined it closely, so naturally she assumed it was nothing serious."

"...Is that why you say such things, my lady? Are you threatening to punish the maid who failed to report properly?"

Eleanor's eyes flew wide.

"No, of course not! It's a simple misunderstanding. I know full well how wise a woman Your Highness is. I only mentioned it so that someone as ignorant as myself doesn't put the poor maid in an awkward position."

"How considerate you are of your inferiors, Lady Eleanor."

"As are you, Your Highness. Don't you cherish your servants like family?"

"...I suppose I do."

Grand Duchess Raiwens pressed her lips tightly together. She stared at Eleanor with undisguised displeasure. She had never been blessed with an even temper.

The Grand Duke Raiwens's flamboyant philandering was already infamous—and every time his name appeared in the weekly journals over some scandal with a woman, Grand Duchess Raiwens would vent her fury upon the maids.

Eleanor had learned this after becoming Imperial Consort. A maid who had been beaten to death by Grand Duchess Raiwens had an older brother who, quite by chance, became one of Joshua's most devoted followers—that was how the truth had reached her.

And if her memory served, that dead maid's name had likely been Jane. The Grand Duchess's reply amounted to a promise not to touch Jane. Eleanor breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

As Eleanor bid farewell to the noblewomen with a radiant face, the expression on Grand Duchess Raiwens's grew colder and colder still.