Today’s tea party is held in the royal palace garden, a wide expanse used for official events. It’s a geometric, artificially arranged French-style garden, complete with a large pond at its center, symmetrically placed plantings, small streams, and even a miniature waterfall cascade.
Amidst the spring sunlight filtering through the trees, luxurious flowers bloomed profusely, many of them white—likely because this is the setting for the game “When the White Flowers Bloom.”
Around Rezeda, a throng of young ladies had gathered.
As Iris and Nigel approached Rezeda, many ladies assessed Iris critically. Nigel, a handsome young man from a knightly family, also attracted much attention.
This is just like the game!
Iris felt a surge of excitement, something she had never experienced in the world she had previously lived in.
“Hello, Nigel.”
“I’ve brought my sister, Iris.”
Nigel and Rezeda, already friends from their martial arts classes, exchanged a casual greeting that drew the attention of the young ladies. Iris, standing by their side, also caught many glances.
Well then, I might as well play the part of the villainess.
Iris performed a perfect curtsy, which made the ladies look at her with annoyance. Iris couldn’t help but laugh; the situation was so stereotypically villainous, it seemed she indeed had a knack for playing the role.
This is actually kind of fun!
Surrounded, Rezeda smiled graciously, his demeanor unchanged from the game, treating everyone with equal kindness.
Now, even that refreshing smile seems terrifying…
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Miss Iris. I’ve heard a lot about you from Nigel. How are you feeling?”
Rezeda maintained his smile.
“Thank you for your concern, Prince Rezeda. As Nigel has told you, there’s nothing new to report.”
Iris cut the conversation short, her bluntness drawing disapproval from the surrounding ladies. However, Iris aimed to be disliked within the limits that would avoid punishment, knowing from the game that this level of disrespect wouldn’t anger Rezeda.
Still, it’s nerve-wracking knowing that.
Just as Iris was about to leave, a lady from the crowd, who had met her a few times before her illness at other tea parties, called out to her, covering her mouth with a fan.
“What lovely gloves you have. I’d love a closer look.”
The surrounding ladies snickered. Wearing full-length opera gloves to a children’s tea party was unusual and noticeable. They realized she was hiding her pox scars and were mocking her for it. Iris, while internally fuming, smiled softly.
“Please, have a look.”
The lady, momentarily at a loss for words, reluctantly pinched the tip of Iris’s glove, treating it as if it were something filthy, making sure not to touch her hand directly.
This kind of discrimination was something Iris had faced.
And Iris probably projected her own humiliations onto the heroine.
Iris felt a surge of anger. Fully recovered from pox isn’t contagious. Whether they know that or not, treating me like a germ is awful.
Iris pulled her hand out of the glove, leaving it in the lady’s grasp. The scars on her left hand were revealed, eliciting a shriek from the ladies. Iris then removed her right glove and handed it to the lady.
“If you like them so much, you can have them. They’re nothing special.”
With a provocatively mocking smile, Iris watched the lady throw the gloves to the ground and storm off. The other ladies awkwardly dispersed, some following her.
Iris snorted in disdain.
Her performance as a villainess was impeccable, even by her own admission; arrogance and haughtiness came naturally to her.
However, a young maid who witnessed this hurried to pick up the gloves.
“I’ll clean them and return them to you.”Rezeda said.
“That won’t be necessary. Please throw them away,” Iris responded, then smiled at the surprised maid.
To a young maid, such gloves would seem very expensive.
“If you don’t mind, you can have them. They might be difficult to use as gloves, but you could repurpose them. Don’t worry, the disease won’t spread, but if you find them distasteful, feel free to throw them away.”
“That’s not disgusting at all…”
The maid clutched the gloves tightly.
“I apologize for causing a scene, Prince Rezeda.”
Iris bowed deeply.
“No…”
Rezeda smiled back with unsettling kindness. Such a beautiful smile sometimes felt ominous.
Did I make him angry? I thought it was safe since game Iris didn’t anger him, but was that just because they were engaged?
If so, my behavior could indeed be seen as disrespectful. Creating a scene like this is quite unbecoming.
Oh no, oh no, oh no. Could this lead to my downfall even before hitting a game over flag?
Iris quickly excused herself and fled to a nearby bench by the pond, with Nigel hurrying after her.
“Iris, are you okay?”
“Eh, maybe not…”
The thought of being accused of disrespect haunted her.
“I’ll have new gloves prepared right away.”
“Oh, that? That’s not a problem at all. It’s unladylike, but…”
Iris fluttered her left hand dismissively. After such a public spectacle, hiding it now seemed pointless. She had decided to be defiant.
“But what if Father is angry?”
“If Iris isn’t worried, I don’t think he will be,” Nigel shrugged.
“I’m not worried. But are you, Nigel? If you’re concerned about people knowing your sister is cursed by the gods, I’ll hide it.”
“I don’t mind.”
Nigel smiled, taking my left hand.
“I’m just glad you’re alive.”
Nigel! What a good boy! With such a sweet brother, how could those terrible endings even be… I’ll definitely protect you!
“Thank you, Nigel.”
“Besides, they serve as good insect repellent,” Nigel said with a mischievous grin.
“Insect repellent?”
“Yeah. Anyone who cares about the pox scars wouldn’t come near in the first place, right?”
“That’s true! Nigel, you’re so smart!”
The recent exchange and the revelation of her pox scars would undoubtedly shock Rezeda and the nobility, who would deem a scarred lady unworthy of the prince. This should effectively eliminate any engagement flag with Rezeda.
Yes! Victory!
For game Iris, pox scars were a weak point, but for the current Iris, they had become a weapon. She chuckled to herself in satisfaction, while Nigel looked on as if he saw something creepy.
“But, Iris… aren’t you aiming to be the prince’s fiancée?”
Nigel asked with a strained expression.
“Father might hope so, but I have no such intentions. And with these scars, the royal family is out of the question,” Iris said, gleefully showing off her scars.
“You seem almost happy about it.”
Nigel laughed warmly.
Meanwhile, surrounded by ladies, Rezeda was watching Iris, a detail the twins hadn’t noticed.
