Chapter 181
Tea Reception
High Priest Licharl could only accept the gift and leave, frustrated that his plans had been thwarted. Of course, the gift he received was not worthless; otherwise, he would have caused an uproar and declared that the Setter family had disrespected him.
After High Priest Licharl left in that manner, the two children stood up in unison. The bright expressions on their faces faded, replaced by politeness like an 18-year-olds. They both stood and formally paid respect to Ellie once more.
"We apologize for our rudeness, sister-in-law."
"We apologize, sister-in-law. However, to prevent the priest from causing you any discomfort, we had to perform this duty," Aya and Athena explained their reasons to Ellie. She glanced at the butler, the mastermind behind the plan, then at the two girls with an indifferent expression.
"It’s alright. Please, sit. We have never had tea together before, so it would be an honor if you would join me," Ellie gestured for them to sit. Aya and Athena exchanged looks before slowly sitting down as invited.
"Sister-in-law, you don’t need to be so formal with us. You can call me Athena, and my sister, Aya."
"Hmm? Very well then. In that case, you can call me “Ellie”."
"While it is an honor, we cannot address you so casually, sister-in-law." Aya covered her mouth as she laughed like a proper young lady. Her mannerisms were strikingly similar to those of a villainess in anime, with a face that betrayed little emotion and an ability to conceal her true feelings masterfully. Even when engaging in playful banter, she carried herself with such poise. It was hard to imagine how many enemies she might have when she grew older.
Perhaps they might even be on par with Duchess Vida. It’s fortunate that both of them didn’t just carry themselves with an air of nobility but also had the ability to think and adapt to different situations. This intelligence should help them avoid many dangers, unlike Lady Vida, who often stayed silent and let her reputation suffer.
Lady Vida didn’t pay much attention to the thoughts of those below her, not realizing that these lower-ranked individuals could become the source of spreading rumors and turning them into major news. It’s no wonder she unwittingly found herself in the role of the villain.
"In that case, should I address you as Lady Aya and Lady Athena? After all, my status is merely that of a common village girl. To be honest, both of you still hold higher positions than I do."
"How can you say that? You are our future sister-in-law, the future lady of the Setter family. Therefore, even though your origins may be humble, the Setter family doesn’t care about the past," Athena explained.
The thoughts of the two children and the Setter family were commendable, making Ellie want to give them a thumbs-up. It could be said that they were the only ones who didn’t cling to a person’s birth status, but focused on abilities and looked far into the future, which was rare among the noble families of different kingdoms. Most families were overly obsessed with bloodlines, viewing commoners as having impure blood. They didn’t realize that such thinking was the reason other families developed much slower than the Setters!
However, the overly serious thoughts of the two children made Ellie feel uneasy. For someone who had not yet become anything to their older brothers, being suddenly called "sister-in-law" felt a bit strange.
"Sigh, alright, I give up. Let’s compromise. First, I’ll call you by your names, and you should call me by my name instead of “sister-in-law”."
"But our father told us to..."
"Lady Aya, Lady Athena, I think you should change your form of address as Lady Ellie requests. For now, Lady Ellie is still a guest of our family. When the day comes that she becomes the lady of the house, you can call her principal lady then," the butler interjected, realizing that the two children might not understand Ellie’s feelings.
Of course, he understood why the two children called Ellie “sister-in-law.” It was all because of that troublemaker, Second Young Lord Aman. He had been calling Ellie the fiancée of the eldest brother so often that the quick-learning children had adopted Ellie’s status based on what they knew from Aman, without realizing how uncomfortable his words made others.
Just like their personalities, their ways of thinking and acting were modeled after Aman. When they were growing up, the good role model, the eldest young lord, had already begun to fall ill. Thus, the only peer left for them to emulate was Young Lord Aman. It couldn’t be definitively said whether this was entirely bad or good. Being like the second young lord wasn’t all negative; often, his characteristics had saved the Setter family from being taken advantage of. If asked, as the head of the family, he actually preferred the second young lord more than anyone else.
If it weren’t for the fact that the eldest young lord was so strong that he didn’t need to use any schemes, the second young lord would have been his first choice.
"So...should I call sister-in-law “Lady Ellie” then?"
"That’s not necessary. Just call me “Sister Ellie”," Ellie told the two children. Using just the name and removing any formal titles made her feel that she could grow closer to them.
"Then..." Aya excitedly prepared to call Ellie, glancing nervously at the woman chosen to be a partner by their eldest brother and accepted as a friend by their second brother. Actually, she had long wanted to get close to this woman, but Ellie’s significant status had always kept her at a distance.
In the Setter family, the only people who dared approach them were their eldest and second brothers. Everyone else was raised separately. Even when encountering someone in the training grounds, they were clearly divided into factions. As direct daughters with two very strong brothers, the sisters were always seen as cheaters. Many said that they received more valuable resources, making them stronger, even though their foundations weren’t all that great. These remarks were often taught by their parents, making the two girls aware that the Setter family still had quite a few internal issues.
With such upbringing, the two children knew how to protect themselves, keeping their distance from everyone, even though they longed to play with others. The coldness they received, and the hateful glances directed at them made the two children seek comfort in each other. They believed that having just Aya and Athena was enough for them...
But in reality, it wasn’t true at all...
"Aya," Athena cautioned when she saw her younger sister about to act disrespectfully. Although they had received permission from their sister-in-law, if they addressed her so familiarly and others overheard, they might also act disrespectful towards their sister-in-law. As the younger sisters of Eldest Young Lord Owen and Second Young Lord Aman, they had to be very mindful of their actions.
Ellie, seeing the older girl reprimand Aya, couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed Athena was indeed quite strict.
"Come on, both of you, don’t be so distant. When we’re in front of others, you can call me whatever you wish. But when we’re alone like this, just calling me “Sister Ellie” will do. I have no other siblings, and my parents have passed away. So, having younger sisters to play with would be wonderful."
Hearing this, Athena was momentarily stunned. The young girl’s eyes wavered involuntarily. It seemed Ellie’s words about "having younger sisters to play with" had touched her heart.
It was clear that Ellie’s words had struck a chord with the young girl.
"In that case, I’ll call you Sister Ellie," Aya responded quickly. She wasn’t as contemplative as her Sister Athena. Since the other party had given permission, she simply called out.
"Good girl, Aya." Ellie patted the obedient girl’s head. Aya felt a bit shy at being doted on by the important woman to both her brothers, while Athena continued to purse her lips.
"Come on, since we’re free today, why don’t we have a relaxing tea party? Let’s have it in the flower garden. Selin...please take care of the arrangements," Ellie instructed the head maid who had been following her. The woman nodded quickly and hurried off to give the orders.
When Aya and Athena realized where Ellie planned to hold the tea party, they sat up straight in surprise. Ellie couldn’t help but notice the sparkling eyes of Aya, a clear sign of immense joy.
In fact, it must be said that this invitation wasn’t made lightly. Ellie had seen these two girls before in passing, and they always tried to avoid talking to her, usually just paying their respects and then leaving. However, Ellie had noticed that the two girls often peeked at her when she was in the flower garden.
At first, she didn’t think much of it, but after the second and third times, Ellie asked Selin why the girls were spying on her. The answer she received was quite surprising.
"It’s not just the two young ladies who are interested in this flower garden. Many young ladies, even young lords and the servants, are fascinated by it too. Previously, the Setter family never had such vibrant colors until the eldest young lord ordered the creation of this flower garden. Everyone was thrilled. When selecting a gardener to take care of this garden, many people volunteered, which is why we ended up with such skilled workers."
"Then why don’t the two of them just come in? Why do they have to sneak around like that?" Ellie still didn’t understand at first, but Selin patiently explained the truth.
"Because this flower garden was created for you, Lady Ellie. So, no one dares to enter without permission. Do you think these ornamental flowers are cheap? Young Lord Owen personally procured them. They are flowers that don’t exist in any other kingdom. To see them, one would have to go to the 3rd or 4th floors, and those who have seen them say that their beauty is surrounded by dangerous beasts. So, even if someone could reach the 3rd or 4th floors, it doesn’t mean they would have time to admire these flowers."
With this explanation, Ellie understood why the two girls liked to spy on her. It wasn’t that they were particularly interested in her, but because of the valuable flowers around her. So, when given the opportunity to invite them for an afternoon tea in the flower garden, it made them visibly happy.
Even Athena, who overthought everything, didn’t refuse the invitation. What about Aya, the little girl who was braver than her sister? If it weren’t for the fact that a proper young lady shouldn’t run around recklessly, Aya would have likely leapt out at the invitation right away.
Selin took only a short time to set up the table for the afternoon tea. The two girls walked into the garden step by step, feeling both excited and hesitant. Ellie led them, holding an unfinished novel in her hand.
"Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be relaxing with some reading." Ellie held up the thick book. She had to attend an auction tomorrow, which would cut into her reading time, so she wanted to make the most of today.
Aya and Athena exchanged glances. What kind of tea party was this, where the host told the guests to make themselves comfortable while she read quietly? What were the guests supposed to do then!?
"You can bring your books here to read too. I heard you’re currently studying general beasts, right? If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Even though I’m still learning, I’ll help with what I know, and for what I don’t, I’ll ask Selin to find someone who does."
After a while, the two girls still sat silently, making Ellie feel their discomfort so she gave some advice. Athena frowned slightly before responding.
"In that case, we can go back to our room to read. We don’t want to disturb you."
"Ah..." Aya was stunned upon hearing Athena’s words but didn’t dare to stay either.
"Hmm? Why? The tea isn’t finished yet. Are you leaving already?" Ellie pointed to the large pitcher of tea, indicating that the tea party wasn’t over yet, and it wouldn’t be proper for the guests to leave so soon.
Athena didn’t know how to respond. Selin then turned to the maids of the two young ladies.
"Why haven’t you brought the young ladies’ study books here yet?"
"Oh, understood," the maids quickly responded, fearing they might displease the future lady of the house. In no time...the two girls had their study books in hand.
"You go ahead and read your books, and I’ll read my novel," Ellie said, then continued focusing on her book. Of course, she was just pretending. After frequent concentration training, Ellie felt she could read about 8 novels simultaneously. So, reading one book while discreetly observing the two girls through spores was no challenge.
At first, the girls sat and read their books rather stiffly. But, in the end, children were still children. It took only 2 hours before they started glancing around.
Well...who could resist? Being in the midst of a flower garden that seemed like a dream, how could anyone focus solely on reading?
"These flowers have a relaxing scent. They can be sold for a good price too. They’re traded in Hestia Kingdom."
"And these flowers here help with concentration, right? I can’t believe we’re seeing them grow like this. But look...they can’t be planted outside the tower. The only reason they haven’t wilted is because of these high-level magical crystals," the girls began whispering. From sitting quietly, they started glancing around, admiring the flowers that required resources costing over 1,000 gold coins a day to maintain!
This was a level of extravagance that others could never experience!
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