It's Annoying Because My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage

Lady Aronia felt embarrassed from being questioned by me and began to stutter.

“A-ah? Was it wrong that Lady Skyla is infatuated with Lord Lancer..?”

“Who’s infatuated with who?”

I stared at Lady Aronia with a face as hard as a plaster.

“Who said that, huh? That I have that kind of relationship with Lancer?”

Lady Aronia awkwardly laughed.

“T-there was a rumour going around in society…”

She didn't properly answer my question.

Lady Dolce and Lady Beatrice felt like they were unable to breathe properly after watching me face Lady Aronia.

‘Aronia, you have crossed the line.’

I gritted my teeth.

Yeah, there's no one in this world who I could trust.

No matter how much I laugh and share empty words with them.

Nothing goes on in their minds but tearing each other down and slandering each other. Their thoughts are just them trying to keep themselves from attacking others.

There are only two things I don't believe in this world: Santa and other people.

I continued glaring daggers at Lady Aronia.

Lady Aronia was desperately racking up her brain to come up with something and coughed in vain.

“A-Apparently Lady Skyla and Lord Lancer are in a relationship… or not… hohoho…”

Hohoho…

Lady Aronia's nasal laughter filled the silence in the garden.

Besides that pretentious laugh, my face began to rot in real-time.

Or not? Or noooot?

The insincerity was enough to make me sick to my stomach.

I was already in a bad mood because of the Viscount Artisina's coachman, but now that these rumours are being thrown at my face, I feel like I'm about to explode.

“Lady Aronia, you seem to be very mistaken.”

Barely suppressing the boiling rage inside me, I opened my mouth.

“M-Mistaken?”

“Lady Aronia is mistaken to how much I care about men, especially handsome men.”

“What..?”

“Listen, Lady Aronia. Besides Lancer, there are many other peacock-like handsome men in this empire, so please don't get me involved with Lancer.”

“...”

Lady Aronia and the other ladies looked at me in great shock after hearing my emotional outburst.

For a moment Lady Aronia smiled a little then slowly spoke.

“Oh my..! I didn't realize Lady Skyla is very interested in His Highness.”

She slightly covered her mouth with her hand to hide a smile that was creeping up.

“Really? I didn't expect the lady who doesn't show her face in social gatherings to come out so fiercely. Does Lady Skyla dream of becoming a Crown Princess?”

At the same time, I could hear her inner thoughts.

‘You've always isolated yourself in your house, how dare you chase after the Crown Prince? Do you think I'm going to let you take him away from me? I’m going to make you pay for the disgrace I’ve suffered because of you!’

Sometimes other people wouldn't know what to do in this situation if they heard that.

They'll be embarrassed and hesitate on speaking, or they end up crying from the humiliation they feel.

Lady Aronia probably anticipated one of those reactions.

Yes, I understand. You wanted to get rid of me in advance, as I would make a formidable rival as the Crown Princess candidate at the ball.

But maybe this is good?

There's something she overlooked.

“Why are you picking a fight?”

“P-Pardon?”

Tak!

I threw the teacup I was holding onto the table unexpectedly.

Lady Aronia flinched, startled by the discord that cut the garden, filled with streaming water and chirping birds, in half.

“W-What are you doing, Lady Skyla?”

“Did you have fun? Did you love it when you make fun of me and laugh?”

“W-What are you talking about?”

Lady Aronia looked perplexed at my actions which came out stronger than I expected.

“W-What do you mean, Lady Skyla? I was just talking to you as your friend…”

“Really? I don't remember being friends with you though?”

I smirked.

This is better.

I don’t want to waste any more time on this kind of tea party.

I should just flip the table over and then go home.

Thinking so, I grabbed the dull wooden table.

“Oh my god!”

“What are you doing?!”

That's right.

What Aronia overlooked was that I am the most eccentric woman in this entire empire.

Marquis Garnett's maids and butlers tried to stop me as I lifted the heavy table with my bare hands.

“Stop it, Lady Skyla!”

“You can't do this, my lady!”

“No, my lady!”

“Do it!”

It happened in a flash.

I flipped the table over now that I have given up on everything and just wanted to go home.

Crash!

With a deafening crash, the silver forks, gold-trimmed teapots, and various rare teacups placed on the table shattered into fragments.

Mreow!

I heard a startled cat crying somewhere but I could care less.

I felt like a decade-old thirst had been quenched.

Ah, how refreshing!

“What kind of disrespect is this, Lady Skyla!”

Lady Aronia chastised me in an uncharacteristically stern voice.

“Phoebe.”

Actively disregarding Lady Aronia, I called my dear maid.

“Get me that paper.”

At my instruction, Phoebe took a piece of paper and a fountain pen from her bosom.

I took them from her and stamped my leg on the overturned table, placed the paper on my lap, scribbled my signature with a fountain pen and then I held the paper to Lady Aronia.

“That should be enough.”

The sheet of paper I gave her was a cheque.

Lady Aronia fell to the ground in shock. She couldn't hold it in anymore and finally shouted.

“Are you trying to cover up this situation with money? You have no dignity, Lady Skyla!”

She Aronia was boiling like soup in a pot.

Perhaps I was condescending, as my expression didn't change in the face of this situation.

I calmly asked Lady Aronia.

“So, are you going to take it or not?”

“I don't need it!”

Slap!

Lady Aronia slapped the cheque away from my hand.

The cheque flew in the air, the ink used for my signature still not dry.

“I really shouldn't have invited Lady Skyla! Do you think what you did will pass on? Ha! I don't accept cheques for this-”

Her raging voice suddenly stopped.

Because she saw what was on the fluttering cheque in front of her.

“The amount is 500.000 francs. With that money, you can start a new business or whatever you'd like.”

“...”

It was hard to refuse that number of francs.

There's a second fact that Lady Aronia overlooked.

It's that Duke Kaerun, my father, was the richest man in the empire.

“Thank you for inviting me to the tea party. Although, I felt bad during the time we spent together so please don't invite me again.”

With those words, I rose from my seat and snapped my fingers at Phoebe.

“Let's go, Phoebe.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Phoebe threw the knife she was using to cut the pound cake to the table and followed me.

The eyes glaring at the back of my head stung it a little but I didn't care.

In the meantime, the angry shouting of Lady Aronia rang in my ears.

‘Lady Skyla, you son of a *****... do you think the world is yours because you're pretty, powerful, and rich? Don't make me laugh!’

Her voice just kept ringing.

‘I'll tear you apart! Just watch, ill seduce the Crown Prince at the ball and do the ultimate triple kiss with him right in front of you to get my revenge!’

… What's the ultimate triple kiss? I have a bad feeling about this.

I shuddered at Lady Aronia’s petulant scheme of revenge, and just like that I left Garnett Marquis.

* * *

I heard merry laughter coming from the drawing room upon returning to Kaerun Duchy.

‘What's happening?’

I left my coat to Phoebe and strode to the drawing room.

An unexpected scene awaited me through the wide-open door of the drawing room.

“Skyla looks just like Duke and Duchess Kaerun, I'm so happy that your love has rubbed off on her.”

“Oh, Lancer. You speak so eloquently!”

My mother had a graceful smile plastered on her face.

My father was also smiling and nodding along.

And the person in front of them.

“...why are you here?”

Is Lancer, who I thought I had kicked out, is now sitting proudly in here.

Additionally, he wasn't just sitting.

An afternoon tea set was arranged on the mahogany table where Lancer sat.

The three-tier tray with various appetizing desserts was a crystal tray that was only taken out when an important guest visited.

For your information, that crystal tray is one of Kaerun Duchy’s family heirlooms.

It was made from mermaid tears, each tier decorated with a pattern, and gilded with divine dust scattered by the spirits of the Elven Forest It was so bright it could blind people from a mile away.

‘Why is that out here?’

Why is the heirloom that wasn't even brought out for my birthday when I'm the only daughter in this household out here?

No way. Is it because of Lancer?