LUCIA

Chapter 104 The founding party

Lucia returned to the party hall and mixed in with the noblewomen. She didn't have time to think properly and because of the sudden incomprehensible sequence of events, her heart was racing, and her palms were sweaty.

But even then, she was outwardly smiling at the noblewoman who was talking to her. Her experience in the dream of socializing while wearing a fake smile till she was sick of it, was very helpful to her.

Katherine returned to the noisy party hall filled with the sound of people's voices and music. She quickly approached Lucia without concealing her cloudy expression.

As soon as Lucia saw Katherine, her mind which had been in a state of confusion, began to regain order. This whole situation began from the moment she went to the break room after hearing the maid say that Katherine was looking for her.

"Princess. Are you...coming back from the Inner Palace?"

"You know, I just ran a fool's errand. His Majesty was never looking for me. I am going to find out who in the world passed on this nonsense and punish them severely for this."

Katherine furiously expressed her displeasure.

Seeing this, Lucia realized that she had been conspired against. Someone lured Katherine first with lies, and then used that to lure her to the break room.

'Why? Who would do this?'

If not for Sir. Krotin, it would have resulted in a huge problem. Lucia thought back to the situation in the break room earlier. The man whom Sir. Krotin was holding by the throat was definitely the Count of Ramis.

'I don't know how this situation came about. Did Count Ramis try to harm me?'

More than anything else, Lucia's biggest worry was what would happen to Sir. Krotin.

"Duchess. The imperial doctor is waiting for you."

A handmaid approached them and said.

"The imperial doctor? Duchess, are you not feeling well?"

"Yes. My head is a little..."

"Oh no. You should go home and rest. I don't think Duchess is cut out for activities that are late at night."

Suddenly, people began to stir. In the hallway connected to the spacious party hall, the royal knights made their way through, and the sound of banging armor echoed as they moved swiftly. Realizing that the knights were headed towards the princess' private breakroom, Lucia's expression paled as she stiffened.

A situation that called for the collective movement of knights was extremely rare as it  would ruin a party's merry atmosphere. People began to grow noisy as they wondered what big incident had occurred.

"Go find out what's going on."

Katherine sent her handmaid. The sound of the knights' banging armor grew farther away and Lucia went to the public break room to get a checkup from the imperial doctor. In the meantime, the atmosphere of the party slowly returned.

The noblewomen gathered around Katherine. A certain noblewoman spoke up.

"Please show us your break room sometime too, Princess."

"I agree. I know not too many people can go together at once, but I feel sad that I didn't have the honor of being invited to the first opening of the princess' break room."

"What do you mean by opening of my breakroom?"

"Earlier, didn't the handmaid escort several ladies to the princess' break room, under the princess' instructions? We were told that Princess was holding an opening and had chosen the first visitors."