Chapter 54 pt.2
1017 Words
CHAPTER 54 pt.2
After her bath, Tatiana dressed in a simple blue dress. She went out of the dressing room and made her way towards the small living area in her room where Mia had set her breakfast.
Tatiana had been eating all of her meals in her room for the past few days. She’s been very busy that she didn’t have the time to go out and eat. The duke and duchess were concerned about her as well, but she used studying as an excuse, so they left her alone.
“My lady, here are your mails that came today,” Mia said and placed a bunch of letters on the table.
Tatiana took a sip of her tea before going through them. The first few were just the usual formalities from other Houses. As a Duke House, and the most powerful one too, other nobles want to have a good relationship with them. So, they often send some letters to Tatiana, who is the only daughter of Duke Cromello.
Tatiana continued reading through the letters when a name caught her eye. She quickly set the other letters down and carefully examined the name, double-checking if it was correct.
Lady Frances Angela Preston...
House Preston is a Marquess House and a member of the Imperial Faction. Marquess Preston is the second most powerful Marquess in the empire. As such, their influence and power are not to be underestimated.
Tatiana took the letter from the envelope and read it. It was an invitation for a tea party this coming weekend. Considering that the bombing incident was still recent, this tea gathering will be a small and private one that only ladies from high nobility were invited, of course, including Tatiana of House Cromello.
But why would Lady Preston organize a tea party at this time? And why did she invite me?
In the novel, Lady Preston was the female lead’s best friend. That also means she’s one of the original Tatiana’s victims. Even though everyone wants to be close with Tatiana due to her title, she has still a bad reputation in society. And Lady Preston had experienced being bullied by her.
That’s why, Tatiana can’t help but wonder, why Lady Preston would invite her to a private gathering.
Does she need something? Or is this merely a formality?
Tatiana wondered.
But if I think about it, this is actually a good opportunity.
As someone close to the heroine, Lady Preston has a very important role in the story. First and foremost, she was the one who most aided Noah and Lady Beatrice in the development of their relationship. Aside from that, she utilized her position to defend Lady Beatrice from threats, particularly those posed by Tatiana. She was also the one who contributed the most in apprehending Tatiana at the end of the novel.
That's right. I forgot about her, but she's an important character.
Since it already came to this, Tatiana thought Lady Preston can help her with her plans. With her title and role in the novel, it would be a great idea to have Lady Preston by her side.
However, she still needs to be careful. There might be another consequence if she suddenly does something that would change a big part of the novel. The bombing incident was already catastrophic enough.
I should be careful. And...Lady Preston... I wonder what kind of person she is in real life.
Tatiana turned to Mia and said,
“Mia, send a reply to Lady Frances of House Preston that I’ll be attending her party.”
“Yes, my lady,” Mia replied and walked away to carry out her order.
Tatiana sighed and placed the letter down. She leaned against the chair and took another sip from her tea.
A tea party...
Ever since she began living as Tatiana a year ago, she has denied all social gatherings she has been invited to, claiming that she was recovering. With the exception of the royal ball, this will be her first social event. So, Tatiana couldn't help but feel anxious.
The original Lady Tatiana Cromello is known as the queen of social gatherings. She never misses an event before and she’s always the most elegant and popular lady at every gathering. That is why, in order to maintain her reputation, Tatiana must socialize at this tea party. It's even more so now that she was known to be gone for a year. It was bound to happen.
However, Jane only started living as Tatiana a year ago. She never had any training, and even in her previous life, socializing was never her strength. Unlike the original Tatiana, she had never been surrounded by a large number of people. She was lonely, and only had Alice and her Master as her friends.
It was also for this reason that she struggled to live as Tatiana, who was constantly in the spotlight and surrounded by several people. Everyone wanted to be her acquaintance, and they were always curious about everything she does. Aside from that, Tatiana has a family who loves and supports her more than they love themselves.
From the very beginning, Jane’s life was the complete opposite of Tatiana’s.
She sighed.
This tea party is very important, both for her plans and for her reputation. Tatiana has to befriend Lady Preston somehow. Aside from that, she has to prove that she is indeed the original Tatiana and not make any room for doubts.
However, it is without a doubt, that the party will be full of conceited noblewomen who would not miss a single mistake and would go to any length to tear others down in order to raise themselves. Not to mention, noble parties are like endless mind games with double-meaning statements. It would certainly be difficult to socialize in high society. And, if anything goes wrong, it would be over for Tatiana's reputation.
It's a war disguised as a party, so she has to prepare well, physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Right, I just have to do well at this tea party...
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reyankleyr
- Writer
