Saving The Abandoned Empress

134 “Lady Arlo’s Birthday Banquet”

The Day Of Rosette Arlo’s birthday banquet ~

The birthday banquet was held in the green house of the count’s mansion.

The garden was full of beaming roses and other flowers, where the entrance of the glass green house was decorated lavishly.

The count left no fault in decorations and other things to greet the guests.

Everyone was wearing a eye mask which covered their half of face, but still it wasn’t that difficult to say who is who because of the hair colour.

Specially Eleanora’s, who had the rare silver coloured hair.

“Haizz...”

Jennifer sighed as she felt stuffy with the eye mask, it was more comfortable with the veil that she used to wear before.

“Oh my god, Are you Lady Raven?”

.....

Some ladies approached her and asked with curiosity.

The emperor and the lady Dalton might annul their engagement, the lady Dalton is rumoured to be with the young duke of Raven, where as the only single lady with high status after Eleanora should be Jennifer.

So they approached her with the intension of getting some informations.

More likely, how Jennifer feels about the emperor.

Jennifer, who was bored of playing this mind games felt like curse on those noisy ladies.

But she still gave them a social fake smile despite being irritated.

‘You- attend the birthday banquet of that count’s daughter and keep an eye on her. Don’t let any unnecessary rumors or flies ruin her mood.’

Jennifer felt like steaming tears as she remembered how the emperor suddenly sent a message to her at late night.

At first, she thought it was some kind of great emergency for the emperor to contact her like this.

But then she was speechless.

“Hello ladies, but it will be violation of the party rules if i reveal my identity.”

Jennifer spoke with a smile but her words was enough for them to understand her identity.

“Oh my, Lady is indeed wise.”

“As expected. She is so wise even after not growing up in the high society since young...”

“...”

‘This is why i don’t like this parties...’

Jennifer knew if she revealed her identity, they would mock her for being silly and not knowing the rules of the party.

But even if she replies otherwise, they will continue to find faults and mock her.

Just like the past...

When Eleanora was there, everyone appreciated her works and complaint she should be a little more warmer.

They even compared her with a maid of unknown origin to gossip.

But the moment Eleanora was no longer there, their target turned to Jennifer.

Comparing her with Eleanora in every step she took. She become a silly queen who didn’t knew how to maintain her position.

Schemed by her father, the guilt feeling of harming innocent people, maintaining the works of the emperor who was going crazy for the dead empress and the criticism of people made Jennifer realise one thing.

People will never be satisfied, no matter how hard you work to please them.

So Jennifer didn’t bothered much about this ladies.

They will stop once they doesn’t get any response from her.

“The roses of the Arlo’s house are so beautiful...”

“Yeah, i have specially come here to see the roses.”

Jennifer’s lips curled up a little as she took a sip of wine from her glass.
“Is that so?”

‘Gezz...what you people truly want to see is actually something else.’

‘See...’

Jennifer thought as she found those ladies glancing here and there, searching for someone.

“She still isn’t here?”

“Am here to see who Lady Dalton’s partner is...”

The ladies whispered among themselves.

“Umm... I think if the lady really even had a lover, she wouldn’t show up with him when she is still engaged to the emperor to admit that the rumors are true, right?”

Jennifer spoke as she wanted to turn the gossip in Eleanora’s favour slowly.

“I think lady is right... She is still engaged to the emperor.”

“So she might just attend alone, as she would want to choose a more safer way?”

“Indeed!!”

Jennifer heaved a sigh of relief as the flow of the conversation was turning away from Eleanora’s unknown partner.

‘Please appear the way i think, my lady!’

“Lady Dalton’s love story feels like a maze...”

“Then all you need is to find the owner of the cufflinks which was the reason as to why this rumours spread at the first place.”

‘And i think the emperor would also want to find the owner of the cufflinks the most.’

At first the emperor thought the cufflinks was his but later it seemed like it was not for him.

So, he really want to see who got the cufflinks which he couldn’t even get.

“Yes, That’s also right!!”

The ladies nodded as they found Jennifer’s words more convincing.

‘Your Majesty!!! Can you see that i have done my best?!!’

Jennifer felt over whelming as the gossip finally focused on something else rather then the Love Triangle between her brother and the imperial couples.

But right then, someone spoke again.

“What can be the purpose of her attending this banquet if not denying the rumors by attending alone as this lady thought?”

“...”

Jennifer narrowed her eyes as she glared at the person infront of her, who just spoke.

‘Who is she?’

“Lady Dalton always acts to high and mighty like we are nothing. She dares to refuse the emperor, she sure has got some guts because of her status as the Dalton duchy’s princess.”

Her words made the others lady have some doubts about what Jennifer spoke of a few moments ago.

Jennifer couldn’t speak as she knew it must be someone sent by her father to stir up the gossip.

She clenched her fist and gritted her teeths in anger as she can’t fight back directly and rose the duke’s suspicions.

“Heh... A bunch of unnamed flies dares to talk about the future moon of the empire like this?”

“!!!”

Jennifer turned her head in amusement as she heard a child like girly voice coming from behind.

The girl was a 12 year old, who had fiery red hair and black eyes which could be seen faintly behind her mask.

She was wearing a beautifully decorated red mask, but that couldn’t hide her full of anger black eyes.

‘Alberto Diana Richardo?’

The south always followed a opposite of the imperial naming custom. They use their father’s name first and then their name and title.

Unlike how the nobles use their own name first and then their father’s name and title unless they get a god given middle name like Eleanora.

“Who is this lady? Why is she so rude?”

“RUDE? I was rude because i point about your mistakes? You people can get killed for slandering the imperial families dignity.”

.....

“!!!”

All the ladies panicked as they heard Diana’s words. What she said was indeed true.

“The emperor always goes around calling her the empress when she is not even married to him yet.

Do you think he will spare you if he gets to know about how you people slanderer her?!”

“...”

Everyone become terrified at that thought. The emperor can indeed do that if he can even neglect the Rua kingdom because they didn’t showed her proper respect.

“We-We apologise lady. Please excuse us...”

“Huh! Apologise to Lady Dalton, the people you slanderer and spread rumours about!

Don’t forget that her father is no one else, but Duke Dalton. If he can go against the imperial family for his daughter then you flies are nothing.”

“...”

Diana kept on insulting the ladies, where none of them could speak.

The first reason, they recognised that Diana is the spoiled little sister of the Duke Richardo.

Second, everything she told is right.

Indeed their families can’t fight the emperor nor the duke of Dalton if something happens to them.


Meanwhile, infront of the green house~

“I know about the rumours, maybe some of your slanderers will also be there.”

“...”

“But you don’t need to care about them... Father will take care of them.”

Eleanora was a little starlet to hear her father’s words but she was nervous.

This is the first time she is attending a banquet with her father alone.

Alexander felt her uneasiness and caught her palm.

“Today, You have me by your side... Ele.”

Alexander spoke as he got down from the carriage first and extended his hands towards Eleanora to get down.

“We are here, give me your hands, Ele.”

Eleanora slowly put her hands on her father’s palm and Alexander gripped her hands tightly.

Eleanora got down from the carriage and looked at her father, who was wearing matching clothes with her.

He wore a white suit with a blue robe, with the cuff links she gifted him.

He even wore a small earring on his upper ear to match with her accessories.

Eleanora looked at her father with amusement.

She has always seen her father wearing matching outfits with her mother and her outfits would be made to match her parents.

Suddenly she missed her mother very much as they always used to attend banquets together when the duchess was still alive.

“Thank you, Father.”

Eleanora spoke in a gentle tone as she smiled at her father.

“Kyaaaa!! It’s Duke Dalton!!”

“WHAT! The duke is also here?!”

“Oh my god... He is still so handsome!!”

“Both of them are wearing matching outfits!!”

“Is her partner the duke?!”

Everyone around them keep muttering among themselves as it was shocking to see Alexander attending this banquet with Eleanora as her partner.

“Please be quite, Everyone...”

“The hero of the empire, Duke Alexander De Xavier Dalton...

And the future moon of our empire, Lady Eleanora Ariande La Dalton, is entering the banquet