This Time, To The Believed Path
Tea Party

"Marchioness, it's about noon I'll have a tea party together with the other nobles. I hope you can attend too."

The Empress gave her invitation to Leana. The invitation of the tea party that the noble lady had always dreamed of was now in her hands.

Just looking at his invitation was enough to make him feel depressed. For Leana who is basically introverted, social events seem to be a problem for her.

"It... I'm very happy the Empress invited me but maybe I can't come on time because of the meeting with the Emperor."

"No problem. I've arranged the time for you to attend."

Leana tightened her grip on the handle of the cup. He held up the cup and two hands as his hands trembled slightly.

Hmm, Leana heard something she could not imagine coming out of the Empress' mouth but she was sure it was just her feelings.

He's sure of it.

Leana slowly re-sucked the tea that stayed only a little and gave it an answer.

"Then I'll leave time to attend the party..."

"Ohoho, thank you Marchioness! I'll be waiting for your arrival!" the Queen said with pleasure.

'Be-Weight...'

Expectations are high for his arrival. Feels very heavy.

He is not used to getting high expectations directly from someone so Leana feels depressed because of it.

He lamented his fallen nature due to the very bleak experience of living in his previous life.

Realizing how her personality development was so slow, she wanted to slap herself in the past and teach her the proper lesson.

In the end, Leana can only swallow her struggle to avoid social events back into her.

***

"What is this for?"

Forde picked up a blue envelope with a gold stamp in front of Leana.

"Ah... That's a tea party invitation from the Empress."

"Hmmm…"

Forde picked up a paper knife at the desk and then opened the envelope. Seeing the date listed there, he recalled the schedule of his activities.

"It looks like I'll have a meeting at the same hour that day."

Hm? Leana glanced at Forde in confusion. Can't catch the point.

"What does this have to do with the invitation?"

"I can't take you there."

"Wait a minute."

Leana stopped Forde immediately.

He who failed to understand Forde's words immediately confirmed his position then faced him seriously.

"You want to drive me?"

"You don't want to?"

He felt deja'vu.

Of course not from the things he experienced, but somehow he seemed to know that the end of their conversation would end badly depending on the answer given by Leana.

"Not that, I mean, the party will be held in the palace of the Empress…"

"Yes. I know."

"Because the distance is not too far away so I can go alone."

Forde frowned dislike the statement from Leana. He put down the invitation letter and came to his side.

Leana who was moving away immediately came to a halt as Forde quickly hugged her like a child.

Forde leaned his head against Leana's shoulder and just fell silent on her.

Habits that have been understood this is a sign of some things that are now passing through his mind.

"Fordes?"

"..."

Leana realized something.

'uh? Why?'

Was Forde like this because he could not deliver it or was it because Leana refused his invitation?

Whatever it is the situation will start to trouble him when his body is already locked by Forde.

Plus if the husband does not answer his call signifies that the problem he faces is more serious than usual.

Leana gently patted Forde's hand in front of her stomach gently. Because she could so slowly calm her husband.

Leana rarely goes to tea parties or salons held by female nobles, but that does not mean she never leaves.

Especially in the last year since he started his third life.

Since their approach, Forde has become more open and sometimes spoiled to him when they are alone.

But Forde, who values her freedom, lets Leana move freely as long as she can be sure that her status is safe.

This time it was something different.

Leana feels how Forde is currently trying to appreciate her choice but she is also holding it back.

And this is how it happened.

Forde just hugged him without saying anything like protesting to him.

At a time like this, Leana had two choices.

Persuade Forde or turn himself in to him.

Leana in her third life was not a person who would give up easily so she kept trying to escape from this situation.

"Just relax, Forde. I can handle it myself."

"..."

"I did withdraw from social events once, but I'm confident I can overcome that problem now."

"...."

"Forde, don't you believe me?"

"...."

"Ford…"

Still no answer.

Usually if he uses tricks to make Leana feel guilty, Forde will give up and stop.

But this time her husband was so stubborn that his persuasion did not work for him.

In the middle of his mind, Forde opened his voice.

"Leanna…"

Leana was beaming as she heard Forde's voice even though it was small.

But the feeling of pleasure immediately disappeared when feeling the tightness due to the increasingly tightened embrace.

Seeing how the gap for her came out narrower, it seemed like Forde's condition was much worse than he had imagined.

With a sigh Leana answered.

"What's up... Forde?"

She tried not to let her tightness sound out and her weakened hand slowly grabbed her husband's head. Wipe that beautiful hair.

Forde slightly raised his face.

"I promise I'll finish the meeting sooner and pick you up."

Leana blinked.

It seemed like Forde was not planning to give up and wanted to drive him to the tea party.

Leana decided to approve her husband.

"Well, I'll wait for you at the end of the party. Meanwhile the shadow of Alphiella will be watching me from a distance, how?"

"I understand."

Forde again buried his face and gently rubbed his face into Leana's shoulder.

***

"Ah, Marchioness! You're finally here!"

"Sorry because I'm late, Empress."

The empress who was in conversation with the other nobles immediately greeted Leana warmly as she caught her presence.

Leana was immediately picked up by the Empress's lady-in-waiting as soon as the meeting with the Emperor was over.

Somehow the subordinates of the Empress gave the code to the stubborn Emperor to continue the meeting in order to remove it.

Leana who witnessed how the subordinates gave a hard code that the Emperor could not understand could only hold back her laughter.

He thought he was going to die because he kept his laughter.

"No problem. Your delay was the Emperor's fault so there's nothing to worry about."

"Good then..."

Leana swallowed her logic. Only the Empress who was the Emperor's companion could blame the Emperor himself.

"Although that's the case, I didn't expect that you would be this beautiful."

"Is that so...?"

The dress she was wearing now was a gift from Princess Windelyn to her two days earlier.

Not long after Forde's departure, Windelyn's lady-in-waiting helped her put on the dress even as she was coming to see the Emperor.

Of course the Emperor was just indifferent and focused on what he wanted.

At first Leana can only resist the nervousness of feeling the difference in the room.

Fortunately, no one brought that up.

"Looks like you're thinking a lot, did the Emperor give you a lot of work?"

"ah! No, I just remember something."

"Then let go of the thoughts that bother you and let's enjoy this party. Follow me."

While following Permasuri, he denied the surrounding.

The Queen's tea party was held in the palace's spacious garden.

Flowers with various colors adorn the garden and invited guests who use dresses of various colors as if enlivening.

Leana was nervous about the party atmosphere. As usual, he didn't feel like a match for the show.

"Marchioness!"

The Empress escorted him to the place where Princess Windelyn was chatting with several other girls.

After greeting the Empress, the nobles looked at Leana with puzzled and curious gazes.

"His Majesty, who is behind you?"

The Empress gave little room for Leana to be able to appear in front of them.

"Include me, this is Marchioness Leana Grandall. He was currently gazing at the palace as an important guest."

Their reaction was like what Leana had imagined. Surprised and worried.

Some of them glanced at Princess Windelyn as if worrying about something.

Princess Windelyn simply smiled without caring about the surroundings.

He let Leana in an empty chair next to him.

"Marchioness, how about you join us?"

"Mr Princess Windelyn!"

"Come, Marchioness."

With encouragement from the Empress, Leana finally sat down on the chair she had provided. Windelyn immediately sat beside him cheerfully.

Leana was a little worried about the reaction of the other nobles around Princess Windelyn who looked a little strange.

When the Empress wanted to join them, a servant came to her in a hurry.

"Empress!"

The empress sighed and looked towards them.

"I'll excuse you for a while. I'll be right back."

When the Empress left, Leana who did not know what to do could only keep her smile.

The other noble girls seemed to still hesitate to open their voices.

"M-Marchioness!"

One of them finally spoke up. Leana prepared herself to answer the questions they were about to ask.

"Yes?"

"S-I didn't know that Marquis Forde Grandall was married."

"Really! Marquis is quite popular among noble girls so everyone must have a topic or two about him."

"When did you get married?"

The first voice was followed by another. Curiosity subconsciously encourages them to ask various questions at once.

"This year we've become the third we're married."

"Oh that? How could we not know?"

With a smile behind their beautiful fan, Leana realizes that some of them are trying to find fault in her.

This is what she anticipated and at a time like this, Leana had to use her flagship mask as usual.

"Our wedding was for the family only so only a few of my people knew about it."

"In hindsight, for the past three years I have not seen your figure on social events."

"I don't see you with the Marquis at the party."

"That's because of me..."

"Does Marquis Grandall have a legitimate successor?"

Before Leana was able to fully answer her question, the others had already cut off her words.

"If you remember, your name is Leana, are you Leana Wordlock?"

"That's the sister that Miss Diana mentioned?"

"Yes right! I hear he's quiet and likes to lock himself up in the room."

"I heard that he had humiliated Miss Diana at a party."

"Oh my goodness! There's no way he's the Marchioness, is he?"

They laugh.

Without giving Leana a gap to answer, question after question they kept coming up.

Change the topic as they please to make it overwhelmed. They seem to want to prove something to him.

Aahh, sucks. Leana wants to get out of that place.

From their attitude it was clear Leana was being denigrated even though she was a Marchioness.

Leana doesn't know what mistakes make her treatable that way but she doesn't want to be blamed without knowing her faults.

He recalled that social events are one form of a battlefield.

Using words as his sword, they could take down anyone who could not withstand the pressure of those words.

Princess Windelyn who had been silent had put her teacup in a fit of annoyance and stared at them intently.

"Enough you all-"

"Daughter Windelyn!"

Windelyn's words were cut off due to the exclamation of a girl who was walking quickly to their place.

Everyone began to turn their attention to him.

Leana was surprised when she saw the girl.

He had never met her in person, but out of curiosity he found out apparently from the sketch of the drawing along with the information report.

Not wrong anymore.

That girl is Elyn Puosca. Forde's second wife in his first life.