Atha, whom everyone saw as just a meek lamb—
Her inner feelings were neither meek nor calm at all.
More precisely, it was never quiet.
It's just that her nature was more rational than emotional, and she had to endure in many situations depending only on the circumstances.
Ah, of course that doesn't mean she doesn't feel emotions or that her feelings are dry.
Sometimes she would get carried away by overwhelming emotions and make foolish choices, but that was rare.
Atha looked at Hela's completely hardened face, and thought that her appearance was now 'acceptable' to watch.
Where did that face go that was smiling foolishly without taking into consideration the feelings of others?
Seeing her panting with rage made the tightness in Atha's chest go away a little.
She had also felt this during her previous conversation with Gerold; Is it because Atha Hermann is the heroine in this world?
Everyone seemed to think she was good as soon as she showed a clueless face and spoke in a slightly stupid tone.
‘Mmm.
Really “supporting heroine” is the best.
I liked it'
There is no need to endure and overcome such situations.
Well, it would be embarrassing if she was completely reckless without any logic, but that much is okay... right?
Isn't it?
Or am I supposed to be scolded and cry at such moments?
She swallowed a sigh as she looked at Hela who was staring at her sharply, who was definitely “Miss Wicked.”
‘Talking to Gerold, who practices impudence as much as he breathes, is much easier than this one who pretends to be polite and is the pinnacle of bad manners.’
Oh?
Speaking of which, didn't Gerold say that?
‘In such situations, claim that it is my brother who is clinging to you to date you, and place the responsibility on him.
Since my brother is your only recourse, you should make good use of him.'
A heroine applies what she has learned to the letter, what a perfect logical sequence!
Mmm, as usual I'm doing great.
Atha took a leisurely sip of her tea now.
It's really sad that I can't drink such a refreshing and aromatic tea while hot.
“But why are you so curious about His Highness the Crown Prince’s feelings, Miss Hela?”
Atha directed the second attack, not forgetting her innocent expression and her voice, which seemed full of sincerity.
From the general atmosphere, it seemed that pretending to be foolish and innocent would bear fruit.
That is, she adhered to the same method that she used with Gerold.
'Eyes are following me from all sides, so what benefit can I gain from looking sharp?'
Whether this is inside a book or in reality, the art of interpersonal communication is essential everywhere.
Yes, yes.
But how long do I have to pretend to be stupid?
I've lived my whole life observing people's expressions, so my insight is very sharp.
And of course, I noticed that Hela loves the Crown Prince.
As soon as she opens her mouth she says, “His Highness, His Highness.”
The name “His Highness” never leaves her tongue, so how could I not know?
There was something else Atha was quite good at: calmly provoking others while pretending otherwise.
Do not underestimate an avid reader of romance and fantasy novels.
Do you know how many times I've seen women exchanging insults with veiled smiles?
Perhaps Hela sensed that Atha was not quite as “nice” as she seemed.
Hela replied in a slightly broken tone as she evaded the answer: “...Since His Highness the Crown Prince, who is known for his coldness, is interested in someone...it is natural for me to feel curious.”
As soon as the word she wanted appeared, Atha's eyes widened as if she was completely surprised.
“For His Highness to be cold?
This is really a big misunderstanding.
He is a very caring person.”
Then the whispers started getting louder around.
Atha didn't care about the momentary fuss, it was a completely expected reaction.
As I have repeatedly mentioned, Alisto was a famous “tyrant of promise.”
So, how shocking would it be when a woman suddenly shows up and defends him, saying he's too affectionate?
Atha began chattering excitedly to Hela, telling her that she should ask His Highness everything that was on her mind when she met him, assuring that he would answer her kindly.
Since the goal was to tease this insightful woman, Atha added a little exaggeration as a bonus.
"Ah!
Do you know how cute he is too?
The other day at the banquet, I fed him meat myself.
When he opened his mouth and said 'Ah', he looked like a little bird, so cute.
His Highness has regular teeth and a round tongue.
Ah!
Was that the day before yesterday?
In the carriage, he suddenly asked me very tenderly and reverently if he could hold my hand.
How affectionate and polite he is!
And how kind he was yesterday too?
When I lost I lost my appetite because of something that made me sad and I skipped meals.
He came to visit me immediately and —”
Atha began pouring out everything she had learned from the novels, pouring over the ladies' ways of speaking without stopping.
And suddenly—
Atha's speech stopped when she noticed that Hela's gaze fixed on her slowly began to rise until it settled behind her back.
From the expression on her face, it seemed like there was someone behind my back who shouldn't be there.
“……”
Atha closed her mouth completely, and certainly—
Behind her back, she heard the voice she didn't want to hear at this moment.
“He came to visit you immediately and—?”
A low, melodious voice.
It was none other than Alisto's voice, of course.
She swallowed hard.
For the person concerned to appear while you are talking about him behind his back; What a very embarrassing situation!
'Where can I find a burrow to hide in?'
She was ashamed to face Alisto, and also to pretend to be loved like this.
Her face began to blush to the point of exploding, while Hela rose from her place and bowed gently, as if she were a polite lady who knew the principles.
“I have the honor to meet the esteemed personality”
Alisto nodded without even bothering to look at her.
It seemed as if his entire focus was on Atha, as if he had no interest in anything else.
***
Alisto looked at the saint sitting with a young lady at the same table and thought: 'Did I come unnecessarily?'
Although Custer had said some disturbing things, the possibility of the Saint being exposed to an inappropriate situation at his mother's tea party was almost non-existent.
Whoever has the audacity to attack an unmarried woman invited to the dinner of the Empress and the Crown Prince’s mistress in a public place, I will hire him as an “owl” immediately.
However, the reason he came was because of the small possibility that her heart would be broken for some reason.
But what a surprise!
The saint was enjoying her time completely, as if she had made a new friend in the hall.
This was the first time to his knowledge.
At the previous banquet, he had been told that she had not spoken to anyone but Gerold and Alisto.
This is her first conversation with a young lady her age since entering the palace.
He didn't want to disturb her, but he couldn't turn back either.
Since he had arrived here, if he returned without seeing her face, the gossipers would start gossiping behind him.
'I don't care about myself, but the saint is a little afraid and weak...
I don't know.'
In short, it looks delicate and like it will hurt easily.
He let out a short sigh and started pacing again.
Deciding that he would only see her face and then leave.
The Saint was babbling something nonstop, but when he was far away, the voice became distracted and he couldn't understand what she was saying.
Alisto slowed his steps once the Saint's voice began to become clearly audible.
Naturally, the closer he got to her, the clearer her words became.
She chattered nonstop, like a bird that found a storehouse of wheat.
"He looked like a little bird.
He was so cute.
His Highness has regular teeth and a round tongue.
Oh!
Was that the day before yesterday?
In the carriage, he asked me if he could hold my hand.
How affectionate and polite he is!"
She was bragging about her boyfriend.
She spoke with such enthusiasm that his own face began to heat up with embarrassment.
“And how kind was he yesterday too?
When I lost my appetite because of something that made me sad and skipped meals, he came to visit me immediately and—”
He intended to listen more to see where her talk would go, but the story was suddenly interrupted because the young lady sitting across from the saint failed to control her facial expressions.
'She seems to have a complete lack of insight.'
If it were an “owl,” she would have been careful so that the saint would not notice his presence.
Alisto urged her to continue her speech, asking: “He came to visit you immediately and—?”
Then his eyes fell on the saint's ears, which turned intensely red.
The sight of them about to explode was so funny that a laugh escaped him without resistance.
Did the saint hear the sound of his laughter?
Her little red ears twitched, and then she suddenly stood up, bowing her head fiercely.
“When did you come?”
When he saw the woman with her face flushed with embarrassment, the thought of not bothering her completely disappeared from his mind.
Alisto honestly answered her question: “It looked like a little bird, and it was very cute.”
“Ohhhh”
He didn't mean to mock her, but when the saint made that strange fading sound, he laughed again.
He extended his hand to her and asked: “Are you going to stay here longer?”
Then she quickly grabbed his hand and shook her head in denial.
“No, I was about to leave, let’s go quickly.”
Atha wanted to escape from this place as quickly as possible.
She grabbed Alisto's hand as if it were a lifeline that fell to her from the sky, and she quickly left the tea party hall.