Nightmare Came to The Place I Escaped - Chapter 87
Lady Rika’s tea party.
At the end of the gazes of the ladies’ gathered there was Diana Avery.
“Lady Avery, you must be really happy!”
At Lady Rika’s words, Diana raised the corner of her mouth.
“To receive the treasure of the Empire as a gift!”
“I never thought I would see the necklace in person.”
At the gaze of the envious young ladies, Diana indifferently ran her hand over the necklace.
The emerald necklace that was surrounded by diamonds.
The emerald that sparkled whenever Diana touched the necklace.
The young ladies once again expressed their admiration for the clear and transparent green jewel.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen such a well-processed emerald.”
“That’s right, if you process it slightly wrong, the color will fade. The jewels passed down from generation to generation in the Empire must be different after all.”
Looking at the dark green and transparent emerald, Rachel’s eyes came to mind, and it wasn’t a very pleasant thought.
So, Diana decided to enjoy the current situation.
“Who knew His Majesty would be so romantic?”
“So, as long as the color of the jewel doesn’t change, it’s a promise that his feelings for you won’t change.”
A young lady frowned as the other ladies heated up.
“A vow of eternal love. No, he can’t even see the other ladies anymore.”
“I mean. Lady Avery must be really happy.”
“Isn’t that why he ran around so hard on the battlefield, for the sake of the lady? You see, since during the war His Majesty was always on the battlefield.”
“Haha, what the lady said is also true. No matter how much His Majesty thinks of her, hopefully His Majesty said something.”
Diana let out a small laugh. She shook her head, saying that it was nonsense, but she seemed to really like what the young noblewomen were saying.
Her red lips were drawn in an arc, her finely folded eyes, and her cheeks were dyed in light pink. They were the features of a woman who was loved without fail.
“But I thought His Majesty had affection for Lady Oates.”
“Me, too. He suddenly hugged the lady at the hunting ground.”
“I know. Lady Avery, what happened to His Majesty that day?”
On the day of the hunting competition, the young ladies, who recalled Ian and Rachel at the hunting ground, tilted their heads as if it was strange.
Obviously, rumors at the time said that the Emperor and Lady Oates had a secret relationship, and that the two had a lover’s quarrel.
However, they could no longer speak because of the expression on Diana’s face, which had hardened in an instant. They could only look at each other, as if they were embarrassed.
“Lady Avery? Are you all right?”
The host of the party, Lady Rika, broke the silence and opened her mouth.
“Oh, yes, I’m fine.”
Diana raised the corners of her mouth again in a hurry as if she only realized that her lips had straightened.
“Actually, I asked Lady Oates for a favor.”
“You did?”
“Yes, Master Oates and His Majesty seem to be close, so I asked if she could help arrange a meeting between us.”
Diana took a small breath, as if she were a little annoyed.
“But Lady Oates, who told me to trust her to help, came between me and His Majesty.”
“Lady Oates did?”
“Yes, and she even stole all the gifts I asked her to deliver to His Majesty.”
“Wow, really?”
“That day, that’s why there was a small fight between the two of them at the hunting ground.”
Only then did the young ladies nod as if they understood the whole situation.
“Oh, so that’s why Lady Oates suddenly went back to her estate?”
“The misunderstanding between His Majesty and Lady Avery was resolved and her fault was revealed.”
“Really, I hadn’t seen it that way.”
Diana smiled at the atmosphere that went her way without an inch of error.
“That’s why she lied to us, too. She didn’t even know His Majesty.”
“Tsk, I knew it. To be honest, do any of us know what the lady did before she was adopted?”
“We don’t know if she was really a distant relative of the Duke of Oates, or a wh0re.”
“Hahaha!”
In an instant, the young noblewomen burst into laughter.
“Well, Rachel. She’s a woman of unknown identity, and His Majesty the Emperor, it’s obvious that the two wouldn’t get along at all.”
“There is no way that His Majesty would meet with a woman whose origins are uncertain.”
As things went her way, Diana found it difficult to hold back her laughter.
Hey, if they looked closely at what they were saying, nothing was incorrect.
It was also true that Rachel’s origins were uncertain.
“But what’s weird again is…”
Diana lowered her voice as if to add something important.
“Actually, Rachel and Master Oates aren’t really family.”
“Right, they aren’t related by blood.”
“But why does Master Oates care about Rachel so much? The Duke of Oates, too.”
“…Don’t tell me.”
The young ladies, who noticed what Diana was inferring, stretched out their words as if they were surprised.
No matter how much they disliked Rachel, it didn’t mean that they disliked Duke Oates and Master Oates as well. Their conduct, their character, and even their honor, were perfect beyond anyone else in the social world to find fault with.
Among the young ladies who were attending this tea party, at least at one time, many had a crush on Mike, and most of them had memories of being cared for by him.
“Don’t tell me, Master Oates.”
“I didn’t think so either, but I heard about it myself.”
“You heard it yourself?”
“Yes, my maid said she saw two people hugging. But that’s a bit…”
“…Did she really see it?”
Diana nodded without remorse.
Some of her maidservants might have witnessed such a scene. Even if they didn’t see it, it didn’t matter.
As long as she could incite them.
On the day of the victory banquet, Diana recalled Mike, who humiliated her.
Of course, even if it hadn’t happened that day, even if Mike hadn’t humiliated her, things would have progressed like this.
The reason Rachel was able to be accepted into the social world immediately was because she belonged to the Oates family.
So, to completely cut her off from society, the Oates family had to be dealt with first.
Rachel and Ian. She didn’t know exactly what happened between the two, but Rachel was avoiding Ian.
A lover’s quarrel?
It was so childish that she hadn’t learned better. It was so shallow too.
Fighting over love like an idiot, and not being rational for the sake of her family’s position, her reputation, and her status.
Heck, thanks to that, this opportunity had come to her.
Diana was confident that she wouldn’t waste her chance as stupidly as Rachel had.
If Rachel ever had a change of heart and wanted to return to society, there would be no place for her.
In the meantime, Ian’s heart must’ve moved on to her.
Diana was confident that she would make good use of this time while Rachel was gone.
“Oh, I never thought that Master Oates would do that.”
“As expected, you can’t know a person by looking from the outside.”
Diana looked at the young ladies whispering as if they were worried that someone would hear them, and then lifted the teacup in front of her.
Somehow, the scent of the tea was fresher today.
That moment when Diana, who had taken a sip of tea, was trying to compliment Lady Rika out of courtesy.
One of the maids approached Lady Rika.
“That girl.”
Lady Rika slightly lifted her hand at the maid’s unusual expression, and allowed her to come closer.
“.… !”
Lady Rika frowned slightly as she listened to the maid’s words. Then, she spread the fan in her hand and covered her face.
A glance.
Diana, who met eyes with Lady Rika for an instant, hardened her lips.
“Sure.”
Lady Rika nodded as if it was okay to stop, and the maid bowed her head after she finished speaking.
However, even after the maid disappeared from sight, Lady Rika blankly looked at the place where the maid disappeared.
“Lady Rika?”
Seeing Lady Rika’s unusual expression, the other ladies turned their attention one by one to Lady Rika, who was gently waving her fan.
Tak
Lady Rika, who was waving the fan as if she was lost in thought, folded the fan with a snap.
“The Emperor.”
Lady Rika faced Diana.
“I heard he sent out a marriage proposal.”
Lady Rika, who looked straight at Diana without a smile, seemed to be trying to ask her something.
But the shocking news from Lady Rika’s mouth quickly made the tea party noisy.
“Oh, really?”
“Congratulations Lady Avery!”
“Shouldn’t we call you Empress now?”
Each of them added words to the shocking news delivered by Lady Rika. However, as the noblewomen did so, Diana’s relaxed expression gradually hardened.
“But it’s strange, Lady Avery.”
Lady Rika frowned slightly.
“It is said that the Emperor put in a marriage proposal to the Duke of Oates.”
“…What?”
“Not to Lady Avery?”
In an instant, a young lady pointed out a problem.
“Why did His Majesty…”
The noblewomen, who seemed to be confused in an instant, looked at Diana as if they wanted an explanation.
“I’m sure His Majesty even gave Lady Avery the Lucky necklace…”
“She said that Rachel’s misdeeds were exposed and she ran away.”
“Maybe there was a mistake in the information?”
At that question, Lady Rika shrugged her shoulders slightly.
“Lady Avery, haven’t you heard anything from her lover, His Majesty the Emperor?”
Diana’s face contorted beautifully at the clear sarcasm.
Tak
It was at that moment.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
Diana sprang up from her seat.
“Lady Rika, if what you’ve said isn’t true, you’ll have to take responsibility.”
After she glared at Lady Rika for a while, she gritted her teeth, and left the tea party.
“Lady Rika, what the heck happened?”
“No, what is the situation now?”
The young ladies became noisy again before Diana could leave the tearoom.
***