Chapter 24: A Tea Party for the Children of Tearmoon’s Four Dukes

“Hahaha... It’s here! My chance is finally here!”

Off in a corner of Saint-Noel Academy, a secret tea party was underway. It took place in a large room, in the middle of which was a correspondingly large table. Laid out on it were numerous plates all overflowing with sweets and pastries. Compared to the amount of food available, the number of attendees was oddly small — only two people were present.

What they lacked in number they made up for in clout. Were they in public, they’d turn the head of every passerby, with Tearmoon nobles going so far as to bow in respect. The reason for this deferential treatment was, of course, their pedigree; they were Etoilers — those of the renowned families of the Four Dukes, who were the leading figures of Tearmoon’s central nobility.

“My, will Ruby be absent today? This was the perfect opportunity for us young Etoilers to deepen our ties. How selfish. And that new girl, Citrina. She’s got some nerve, skipping our tea party...”

The daughter of Duke Greenmoon, Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon, brought her hand to her voluptuously wavy hair and threw it over her shoulder with an indignant hmph. Then she let out an even more indignant sigh before taking a most indig— Rather, surprisingly elegant sip of tea. Indignant as she was, she was still a Greenmoon; Greenmoons sipped their tea with grace.

“For the love of the moon, my dear Esmeralda. Did you hear what I just said? This is not the time to be quietly sipping tea.”

The other participant, a young boy, leaned forward at her and scowled. His blue hair held its neatly-trimmed shape throughout the vigorous motion — evidence of meticulous and time-consuming grooming. Like Esmeralda, he was in his mid-teens.

She couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose in disdain at his exasperating attitude. “Please, Sapphias, could you use your indoor voice? We are, as you can see, indoors.”

The eldest son of Duke Bluemoon, Sapphias Etoile Bluemoon, shook his head and sighed.

“Oh, Esmeralda, Esmeralda. What am I going to do with you? Don’t you see the opportunity that just presented itself? We might be able to sit on the student council! Think of the prestige that would afford us! That ridiculous unspoken rule has always prevented us Tearmoon nobles from joining the council, but if Her Highness becomes the president, she’ll surely dismiss that nonsense and appoint us as council staff,” he said with bubbling enthusiasm before his expression sobered and he huffed out a quick sigh. “But to pick a fight directly with Miss Rafina by running in the election herself... Alas, our dear princess seems — pardon the language — to be a tad inadequate up here.”

He tapped the side of his head. Esmeralda gave him an oblique look.

“Pardon the language indeed. Such insolence. You should know better than that, Sapphias. Etoiler though you may be, you should still refrain from speaking ill of Her Highness.”

“Should I now? Then why do I recall a certain someone bad-mouthing Her Highness, saying she’s too close with the peasantry? Hm, Esmeralda?”

“That wasn’t ‘bad-mouthing.’ That was legitimate criticism. What you said was slander. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t confuse the two. Skipping my tea party to mingle with her maid’s family at their home is absolutely unacceptable. Urging her to behave in a fashion befitting her royal pedigree is only right.”

With the look of someone who believed very much that she’d just silenced all opposition through the undeniable truth of her words, Esmeralda took another haughty sip of her tea. Sapphias watched her for a few moments before shaking his head.

“Fair enough. I’ll concede that you have a point. But you really should hear me out. At this rate, Her Highness is definitely going to lose.”

“Goodness, Sapphias, would you kindly stop it with the insolence? Are you seriously contending that Her Highness, Princess of the great Tearmoon Empire, is going to lose to the daughter of a mere duke? And of such a tiny country, no less?”

“If we’re going to talk about insolence, I’m pretty sure calling Belluga a ‘tiny country’ would make the list,” muttered Sapphias. “Look, the fact of the matter is that the way Her Highness is going about this reeks of incompetence, what with the commotion she caused in class. She should be keeping a low profile and making deals behind the scenes. Open opposition does her no favors. Her surest path to victory is one that evades the spotlight until the final, victorious moment, but she’s completely bungling her approach.”

He wore a sly smirk as he elaborated on his thoughts, which bore the characteristic underhandedness of minor baddies who lacked the panache of true villainy. By some unflattering miracle, it also happened to coincide perfectly with Mia’s original plan. In some ways, perhaps, they were birds of a feather.

“Alas, I seem to have no choice but to educate Her Highness myself. Not that I’d demand any recompense for my generous advice, of course, but when she does become president, it seems reasonable for me to remind her of my interest in the vice-president’s seat.” He glanced at Esmeralda. “What of you, my dear Esmeralda? Have you no thoughts of your own? I’d love to hear the intent of the Greenmoons on this matter.”

Esmeralda made an exaggerated show of bafflement, frowning as she cocked her head. “I have no interest in this student council business. Well, I suppose if Her Highness insisted that I participate, I’d consider a seat of my own,” she said with an indifferent shrug. Then she giggled. “I must say though, you sound just like my father. I’ll never understand why men are always so obsessed with positions and titles.”

She pressed a knife into the cake in front of her, cutting it into slices.

“Do obsess over it to your heart’s content then,” she continued. “I have no intention of helping, but I shan’t get in your way either.”

“Very well, in that case, I shall.”

Thus conversed the two would-be schemers, trading jabs and smirks of questionable conspiratorial value as they spoiled their palates with fine tea and quality sweets.

...Though it hardly seems necessary to mention, just to be clear, the Four Dukes were relatives of the imperial family. That is, they shared the same blood as Mia.

Make of that what you will.