MCFATTKM

68

She didn't want to go there, but she had no choice.

Ruth looked excited. He was already heading towards them with a spring in his steps. Lelia followed after him reluctantly. Among the two vacant seats, Ruth occupied the seat closest to Princess Julianna. For that reason, Lelia had to sit face-to-face with Prince Cedric.

'Of all the people...'

Princess Julianna greeted them with a brief glance. Lelia and Ruth bowed slightly in answer to her greeting.

Just as Lelia expected.

As soon as she took her seat, she felt the gaze of all the people sitting at this table.

'Why did I come here?'

Even though she had no choice but to do Ruth's quest, regrets continued to pour in. This table was the largest of all the tables in the party hall, and there were many people seated here.

Lelia felt the stinging gaze of the young lady to her left, so she couldn't even look in her direction.

She knew that as soon as their eyes met, the girl was ready to start a conversation.

When Princess Julianna greeted those in attendance, the servants began to pour tea and serve desserts.

Light conversations began to come and go over the table.

Prince Cedric, who was sitting opposite her, rapped on the table in front of him to draw Lelia's attention.

"Where in the Roseberry Empire are you from?"

"...Excuse me?"

At the first question, Lelia was stunned for a moment.

The prince's etiquette is lacking. She muttered to herself, and then remembered what Romeo had told her.

"I am from Parmenia in the northwest, Your Majesty."

"Yes? Are you from a rural area?"

At that, Lelia was worried.

'Is it rural...?'

She hesitated to answer Cedric's question, as she did not hear the specifics about the Le Vester Family.

But Prince Cedric nodded his head as if her silence was an answer and smiled.

It was an oddly sneering smile.

'Are you belittling me now because I'm from the countryside?'

Lelia looked at him with dissatisfaction. He has a good reputation among the people, so she thought he grew up to be an upstanding adult. To be honest, Lelia couldn't forgive what they did to her as a child.

She did understand in her head.

'Your mother died, so you must have been petrified.'

They must have been furious when they saw Lelia. They thought she was the daughter of their aunt, who tormented their mother.

Growing up on the Superion estate, she saw how grief stricken her mother's family was over her death.

So, she could understand Cedric and Damien to some extent.

Just because she understood doesn't mean that they're good people.

It also doesn't mean she has to forgive, or accept them, unconditionally.

Despite being her siblings, born from the same mother and father, Lelia was reluctant to acknowledge the two as her brothers.

As she looked into Cedric's hostile eyes, it felt like her old wounds were being reopened.