Chapter: 222

The tea party was a social gathering for noblewomen.

No nobleman ever hosted a tea party.

Well, it’s not legally prohibited, but it was customary anyway.

If a man were to host a tea party, the nobles of the capital would see him as a strange person.

Astelle said in a calm voice, “Have you forgotten what happened last time at the inn? You disguised the pharmacist as a maid to steal my luggage and medicine box. She sent me to the public bath and looked through my clothes.”

“……”

Astelle smiled as she watched Vellian’s gentle-looking face harden.

“I told you back then. I’ll get help from you later. Don’t you remember that too?”

“That……”

Vellian stuttered, then lowered his head and sighed.

“Excuse me, Lady Astelle.”

He put one hand on his forehead and said, “You will leave soon after completing the will of the late empress dowager, but I have to live in the capital for the rest of my life and work in the imperial palace.”

There was no way Astelle would do something like a tea party for no reason.

Vellian knew what had just happened.

Theor was almost kidnapped by a maid. He knew in detail the circumstances.

Even Vellian could guess who the culprit was.

“Have you ever thought about how difficult it would be for the rest of my life if I had a hostile relationship with the mother of the future empress?”

“Is that something I should be concerned about?”

At Astelle’s brazen question, Vellian was at a loss for words.

“……”

Astelle said with a friendly smile in front of Vellian’s dazed face.

“You seem to have misunderstood. I won’t hurt the Marchioness. It’s just a tea party. I would like to invite the Marchioness to make friends.”

“Make friends?”

Vellian stared suspiciously as if he would not believe such nonsense.

Astelle did not give up and spoke in a serious manner, “I want to openly and frankly tell her about what happened with Lady Marianne, and clear up any misunderstandings. I don’t want to be an enemy of the Croychen family.”