Page 49

My daily life run as usual while thinking about the party invitation letter given by the royal family.

In the morning, I did a little exercise with Mio and sparring sword lightly until sweaty.

In the afternoon, I spent my free time studying magic books with Alice and Alyssa until the evening time. When it was almost dinner, I got ready to take a bath and put on formal clothes to attend the family dinner.

While enjoying dinner, I was still thinking about the party invitation letter that was still bothering my mind.

The Marquess Rommel family dinner went on as usual. Our family was closer than before, it was because I had acknowledged Marchioness Amagi as my new mother so this dinner felt like a small family spending time together.

"Father.. Mother.. I don’t think I want to attend the party that will be held by the King and Queen, is that okay?" I asked in the middle of dinner.

After thinking about it further, I chose not to attend the party invitation but I could understand if my family would force me to attend. That was what I planned to agree with me and Zoe.

"Eh? Why aren’t you coming, Onee-sama?"

"Lily-nee, why aren’t you coming to the royal family’s party?"

Alice and Alyssa looked at me.

Their gazes filled with disappointment were directed at me.

Ah, that’s right.

Alice and Alyssa had never attended a party held by the royal family. The invitation to the party was their way to see the royal palace up close. Indirectly, I would ruin their curiosity with my revenge plan with Zoe.

Sebastian whispered something in my father’s ear and turned to look at me with a faint smile on his face.

Ugh, this bad feeling. I could feel the effort I had to put in to pretend to run away from this situation.

"That’s right, I almost forgot about that incident. Forgive me, Lily!" my father said in a high tone.

"It’s okay, father. For the time being, I don’t want to attend other nobles’ parties or my friends’... Uhm? Friends? I guess that one will be an exception. Friends, huh?

I want to know how Ciel and Sia are doing," I answered, adding a touch of sadness to get my family’s attention.

"Onee-sama.."

"Lily-nee.."

"Lily-chan.. Ahem... Lily.. If you don’t want to attend the party. Then Lily will be alone in this place. Will that be okay?" said Mom, giving me a reasonable reason.

"It’s okay, Mom. For the time being, Mio will take care of all my needs throughout the day and--" I stopped my words and moistened my tiny lips using my tongue.

"Needs at night," I continued, smiling slightly at Mio.

Beside me, Mio was seen standing, holding back the blush on her face with her body shaking slightly because of happiness.

"Moooo~ That will be troublesome for Mio, isn’t that right, Mio?" asked Mom to reject my decision.

"Eh? Mio? Have I always been troublesome for you lately?" I asked Mio to answer Mom’s question.

"Erhm.. Uuu.. I-I don’t mind serving Lily-sama for the rest of my life," Mio replied to answer our question.

Honestly, I could feel Mama’s intention to tease Mio to forget the fear I was experiencing and persuade me to attend the royal party invitation.

No, it wasn’t fear but pretending to be afraid to spread the curse that Zoe had prepared.

To be more precise, I was fed up with enduring the contemptuous gazes directed at me and kindly returned them by cursing their descendants.

That’s why I brought up this topic of conversation in order to gain my family’s sympathy and empathy by pretending not to want to attend the royal family party invitation.

"Alice... Alyssa.. Why do you look so sad?" As their eldest sister, I noticed the dark expression that was emitted by my twin step-sisters’ faces.

"A party hosted by the royal family and without Onee-sama’s presence, wouldn’t it feel empty?"

"Neee.. Lily-nee... Was that incident very painful?"

"Eh, that incident? Of course not. I’m just too tired to face it again," I replied to my twin step-sister’s question with a big smile.

Huh, they seem disappointed that I have no intention of attending the party.

Kuuh! So my twin step-sister cares about me.

My words made my family lower their heads and let out a heavy sigh.

Erm.. It seems like they are thinking too deeply about the incident by thinking about my feelings.

As far as I understand noble etiquette, each noble family will be grouped into different factions and coincidentally my father’s position supports the royal family.

"Marchioness Amagi, this is just my feeling. Do we need to switch sides to the faction that opposes the royal family? With Lily’s conflict, the royal family is not that important for my obligation to remain loyal to the royal family now.." my father said in a serious tone.

"Eh? So we’re going to stage a rebellion against the royal family, this is very interesting, isn’t it, Lily-chan?" my mother replied in a gentle tone.

"It’s not like that! We’re just switching sides. Your jokes are more terrifying than usual, Marchioness Amagi," my father replied in a panicked tone.

"Don’t you like my bold nature like that?" my mother replied with a smile towards my father.

Eh, what is that?

This is the first time I’ve seen my mother tease my father like that. Isn’t their harmony level as husband and wife very high?

Ehm, forget about the personal problems of these two lovestruck parents. Time to focus on one of the goals I haven’t achieved yet.

Uhm.. Let’s understand my family’s noble position and the curse plan that Zoe has prepared.

The territory controlled by my father is a deep iron mine and a vast wheat farm. This house is located close to a large forest filled with monsters and rare forest plants that have not been fully explored. Forest patrols have a regular schedule that has been set and our territory still depends on the royal family’s tax distribution to develop our territory.

That means if my family wants to commit treason and go against the royal family. We have to show the royal family that "We don’t need your help anymore because we are already independent of our own territory’s needs" or something like that.

"Ah! I see!" suddenly I thought of a new idea and exclaimed in a loud voice.

"That means... We will stop being lazy nobles who use the royal family’s tax money?" I asked my father.

"Hng!! L-Lily... T-That idea... I think it would be great to declare an independent territory that doesn’t need tax money from the royal family," My father’s body trembled after hearing my little idea.

"Sebastian, isn’t that a great idea? I don’t need to think about the taxes that the kingdom has given and develop the territory based on what the people of this place need?" My father continued in a serious tone.

"My lord, please don’t joke around in a serious tone. It sounds like you want to escape from your responsibility as part of the royal family’s supporters," Sebastian replied.

"Ahem! But that is a great idea, Lily-sama. That plan is perfect for shaking up the royal family. Based on the tax expenditure in the previous year, this territory can increase its income by 22% without the help of the royal family’s taxes and Marquess Rommel’s expenditure for welcoming the neighboring kingdom’s diplomacy that ended successfully increase income," Sebastian said in an excited tone.

"Ahem! The nobles in our kingdom will be jealous about this and the King’s burden will increase because he can’t force Marquess Rommel to use the tax money more. I think that could be a small punishment that is appropriate for them," Sebastian continued while smiling at me.

"Hmm.. Umm.. Somehow this seems like a coincidence but I have read that there is an unhealthy budget from our territory’s expenditure, isn’t it time to fix this and become more independent?" said my mother to support Sebastian’s statement.

"Hmm.. How strange. A coincidence like this can be planned for a long time, that means.." Mom’s sharp gaze was directed at Dad who looked relaxed enjoying his dessert.

"We can become independent nobles who close ourselves off from the royal family’s interference," my mother continued with a wide smile.

"If I think back, this is very strange, why did this royal family party invitation coincide with our family’s vacation schedule this season? Yes... This is very strange. Sebastian... My schedule for the whole year has nothing wrong with this disturbance, right?" said my father casually.

"Of course, sir. There is no mistake in every free time available. All task been filled as needed. Just in case, do we need to call some additional guards and servants?" replied Sebastian.

"You mean to summon them along with a letter of resignation as nobles who support the royal family?" my father said while smiling and holding back his small laugh.

Sebastian just smiled sarcastically after hearing my father’s words. This adult conversation was very difficult for me to understand. As far as I heard, my father and mother were planning to go on a family vacation right on the day after the royal family party.

"Mioo.. I’ll leave Lily’s needs to you for the invitation party and family vacation!" said my mother to Mio.

"Of course, I will prepare all of Lily-sama’s needs," replied Mio quickly.

"Alice... Alyssa.. Prepare your personal needs to attend the royal family invitation party and family vacation time after dinner tonight. We will attend the party before running away... Ahem! Vacationing to the neighboring kingdom!" exclaimed my mother while clenching her fists.

Erm.. am I heard it right?

Attending the party and running away to the neighboring kingdom?

What does that mean?

So, this is not a family vacation but running away after attending the royal family party?

"Sebastian, please prepare our family carriage. Make sure to pick us up in the morning before the royal family party starts!" ordered my father to Sebastian.

"Of course, sir! For the sake of attending the party and escaping from this kingdom, right? We will faithfully follow your orders," Sebastian replied while bowing his body in respect.

M-My ears are fine, right?

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard the words party and escape in their conversation.

I-I’ll make sure once more!

"M-Mom.. W-we’re going on a vacation after attending the party?" I asked Mom.

"Hmng? What’s wrong, Lily? Are you very curious about this party and family vacation?" my Mom replied as if hiding something from me.

"Umngh!" I just nodded.

"We’re just going on a vacation to my hometown which is on the border of the neighboring kingdom after attending the royal family party. Fufu… Mom’s hometown is a comfortable place for a vacation with beautiful scenery all around."

"Uhm.. Urm... I-I understand," I replied as if I understood the flow of their conversation.

I don’t know what my parents were thinking.

But isn’t this what is called running away from the responsibilities of being a noble after declaring oneself to be leaving the faction that supports the royal family?

Ugh... I don’t know anymore. At least, some of our guards and servants are very supportive of this plan.

Anooo.. Father.. Mother.. Please don’t make such a scary expression with a sweet smile on your face.