Revenge of the Duchess

Chapter 23

Clever. Hazel turned towards Thalia, who merely smiled when she met Hazel's eyes, everyone was spinning their own sticky web of lies and tricks.

Hazel took a cookie when a hand towards her left caught her eye. It was Princess Medea's hand, and she was wearing that black onyx ring again. The onyx ring was quite subtle compared to the flashier rubies that Princess Medea preferred to wear.

Hazel's smiled dimmed the slightest behind her teacup. As the wealthy Inferis nation's main economy dealt with jewels and mana stones, Hazel was the best expert in the royal family, save for King Hades himself, at examining jewels. She knew that the onyx was no ordinary precious stone but a mana stone.

Not that it was uncommon for royal family members to wear mana stones. In fact, Crown Princess Thalia's coronet held a diamond that was a defense mana stone. Even the sapphire earrings that Princess Piper was wearing were defense mana stones worth a small fortune (Hazel was quick to note that Piper's earrings were indeed the ones gifted by Prince Jason, while the earrings gifted to Medea and herself were just common jewels).

But Medea's was one that amplified power. What kind of power was Princess Medea hiding?

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Annabeth had gone through her memories twice for what had happened on the tea party day in her previous life. Of course, last time when she had attended this very tea party, she had been the newly wedded Countess Annabeth Castellan. Since she had married Luke, she had to align herself with sitting on Princess Medea's side, although Annabeth had chosen to sit at the very end of the table since her family was also supporters of the royal family faction. Now she was sitting right beside Princess Piper in the midst of all the machinations going on. Funny how things turned out.

She nibbled on a cookie, wondering if the events that were supposed to happen today would occur. On the surface Annabeth looked cool, almost bored perhaps, but her mind was on haywire alert.

In her previous life, Princess Piper had not been in attendance, so Princess Hazel and Medea were placed on different sides of the banquet table. Most of the Cuora nobility had supported Princess Medea then, but today the nobility was fairly split down the middle.

Annabeth cast a casual glance among the other attendees. As expected, the wives of the aristocratic faction sat on Medea's side. Fortunately, most of the neutral nobility sat with the royal family's faction, though Annabeth knew that the neutral faction still needed to be convinced more. A tea party was just meant to test the waters.

Her grey eyes met Baroness Kelli's. Kelli let out a small sneer, which Annabeth returned with a cool smile. Kelli was sitting right next to Medea, hinting that the White Knights Order was supporting Princess Medea. At least, that's what Kelli and Princess Medea wanted. Annabeth had no intention of letting things pan out that way.

"May I sit beside you, Lady Annabeth?" A low and feminine voice rang out.

Annabeth smiled inwardly. She didn't even have to turn around to know who the owner of the seductive voice belonged to.

"Of course, it would be an honor, Lady Soleia."

Lady Soleia sat to the right of Annabeth. Quite a few eyebrows were raised at this interaction, especially since Annabeth and Soleia's terse conversation during the last hunting party of the season. For the pair to suddenly seem amicable was quite strange?

"I hear that we may have another wedding to attend soon, Lady Soleia." Annabeth's voice was not loud but everyone's ears were perked at the new information.

"Oh, my, I didn't think the news of Count Castellan's and my engagement would travel so quickly." Lady Soleia laughed, the sound just enough that it didn't sound fake.