Chapter 72
'If he holds a party in that palace, that person's origins will be remembered by everyone. What noblemen would be satisfied with such low tastes? He obviously knows that, so he's in a bind.'
But Laszlo couldn't let this slide so easily. Edmund smiled kindly and began to encourage him.
“If holding a huge party makes you feel stressed, you can start with a small one. Only senior officers of the Imperial Guard can be invited to dinner.”
“True, it’s always difficult to start with a huge party. It would be best to consider Sir Milton’s suggestion, Sir Crises.”
When Viscount Brüngen added his approval, it became virtually impossible to back out of holding the ceremony.
'What is he planning?'
László suddenly remembered what had happened months earlier when Edmund had spoken of holding a party at the palace. The foolish Imperial Guards had been caught assaulting Edel, and when Edmund came at their request, what had Nathan said?
“He had been watching the palace the whole way. Was he trying to steal something?”
It was clear that Edmund was looking for weaknesses in the palace. However, László couldn't understand why the palace should be a weakness. Crécis Palace was already beautiful, and thanks to the excellent stewardship of the overseer, it had become even better.
'Am I the only one who is overly cautious? Or do I think I will be hesitant in front of people?'
Despite his doubts, he wasn't certain of anything. And usually in such situations, he preferred to proceed decisively.
"If everyone thinks so, what do you think about us having a small dinner soon?"
When Laszlo unexpectedly agreed, surprise appeared on everyone's faces.
However, Laszlo had no objection to the idea.
'Perhaps just grilling some meat would be enough.'
***
But the situation was completely different for the employees.
"Are you saying we should have a party?"
Edel's eyes widened when she heard Laszlo talking about holding a party at the palace. Laszlo felt guilty immediately. Ever since she took on the role of maid, she had been doing a lot of work, and he felt she would only tire herself out further if he added this burden.
“There’s no need to worry about that. You can just invite some acquaintances over for dinner.”
But Edel's reaction was far from what was expected.
"What are you saying? This isn't dinner, it's a party!"
"Yes?"
"How can we suddenly throw a party like this...! No, wait a minute. Actually, this could be a great opportunity!"
"An opportunity? What kind of opportunity?"
While Edel seemed confused at first, her eyes began to light up with sudden enthusiasm, causing Laszlo to slowly back away and reconsider his question.
"Have you decided to become one of the pillars that support our emperor?"
“…I really don’t want to admit that.”
“In this case, we must show the world a strong image of the Crissese family. Everyone is ignoring him on the grounds of his origins, but we must show that Sir Crissese is competent enough.”
“I said I don’t want to admit it… Do you hear what I’m saying?”
No, it was clear that Idell had decided to completely ignore his grumbling. She seemed lost in thought, folding her arms and thinking.
“It would be better to have a full month to prepare. What about October 10th? I don’t know if there are other events at the palace on that day.”
"You're someone who remembers all these details."
“I need to start preparing the invitations. I will send them so they arrive on October 1st.”
"Okay, if that's what you want."
“Since this will be the first party, there won’t be many invitations. Only about one hundred and fifty people…”
"What? One hundred and fifty people?"
Laszlo realized that the party he had in mind was completely different from the one Idil had planned. While he looked confused, Idil smiled brightly and was pleased with the success of her plan.
“Your efforts in decorating the palace will certainly be useful now. Since time is short, I must start preparing the budget immediately. I will bring you the accounting books after dinner in the office.”
Then she bent down slightly and went out.
Laszlo felt as if an unexpected storm had passed, and he remained in his place looking at the door through which Edel had come out, in a state of bewilderment. Then he burst into a resigned laugh.
"Is this what they mean by being a fish in water?"
It had been almost a year since Idil had moved into the palace, but he had never seen her so happy before.
'But what did she have to be happy about?'
She had become a duke's wife, then suddenly turned into a war trophy, and finally a servant.
At first, he thought she was simply a power-hungry woman who had married an older man. But as time passed, he realized that this was a hurtful misunderstanding.
Despite all the harsh circumstances she faced, Idil never complained, enduring everything with silence and strength. Yet, she never lost her dignity.
'Even when she was annoyed by Marsha or bowed down to Linnea, she was still a duchess at heart.'
Despite her modest clothing and daily chores such as washing clothes, her determination and pride were unmistakable, and her manner of dealing with others was full of refinement and empathy.
Whenever he saw her like this, Laszlo was amazed, impressed, and filled with respect for her.
But she shone even brighter when she took charge of the palace. Appointing her as housekeeper was one of the best decisions he ever made.
'And this time too, my only role will be to help her do what she wants.'
He laughed to himself, all alone. It seemed strange, and he thought he was crazy for smiling like that.
“I think I’ve started laughing more than usual these days. Is it because I’ve gotten older and become more relaxed?”
But Laszlo didn't give it much thought. It was almost dinnertime, and after he finished eating, he would think about meeting Edel again, which kept his mind occupied.
***
A rumor spread about a party being held soon at Crissis Palace, which stirred up the atmosphere of aristocratic society.
“It seems they didn’t send out many invitations.”
"Who will attend? Everyone remains silent."
“They probably invited several bodyguards, since this is their first party.”
“Since it was their first party as aristocrats, they certainly invited guests who could elevate the party.”
People's speculations about Laszlo and the Crises family were widespread.
While everyone else waited curiously, Angela was getting ready with enthusiasm.
“This is my chance.”
Angela whispered as she looked at her carefully styled hair in the mirror.
Camille was sitting next to her, looking at her with a disapproving expression, watching Angela in the mirror.
“Angela, are you really going to marry Crisis?”
“Yes. It’s the best option for me.”
Then suddenly, Angela turned towards Camille, gripped her hand tightly, and said in an encouraging tone:
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten what happened with Linnea. If she becomes Crises’s wife, I’ll send her away to a faraway place.”
"Are you really saying that?"
“Of course! Crisis wouldn’t care about his married sister.”
Camille's face remained as sullen as ever, but she did not oppose Angela's idea of marrying Crispus.
“If you can control Crisps, it will be beneficial to you and your family, as well as to the Bliss family, and no one will ignore who is the son-in-law of the Emperor’s closest confidant.”
"Exactly. That's why I need your help."
After making sure that she looked good, Angela gracefully stood up from her place.
As soon as she heard that Laszlo was having a party, Angela began planning a tea party for the day. She then secretly began investigating who had received invitations from Crises Palace, inviting only those with whom she had close relationships.
'Everyone loves to meddle in other people's love lives.'
“If we are talking about love, then we mean the ladies and girls whose eyes sparkle, those who have not yet fully matured.”
In fact, Angela didn't want to ask others for help with matters of the heart. The idea of inviting older women over and asking for their assistance seemed rather silly to her.
But it wasn't the right time to think about her reputation.
'There is more than one woman targeting Criscis.'
Ever since Laszlo attended a party at Bliss Palace, several women have expressed their admiration for him, and there has been talk of women who tried to propose marriage to him at Crises Palace and were rejected.
Although Laszlo seemed uninterested in marriage so far, Angela knew that the man was of marriageable age and might not keep rejecting marriage proposals forever.
Angela was not going to let anyone take away the goal she had set for herself.
“Welcome! Ah, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, ma’am!”
In the reception hall where the tea party was being held, Angela greeted her guests as usual, with a warm hug.
She started by talking about the recently mild weather, then served tea and sweets and talked about small social topics to fill the time.
When the atmosphere was right, and the second tea had been served, Angela began to talk about the main topic.