Chapter 159. Tea Time

On a sunny afternoon, three guests visited the Rainfield Mansion.

“Hello.”

“Thank you for the invitation.”

It was the Imperial Knights, including Yuina.

A few days ago, Annabelle sent an invitation to Yuina asking if she would like to have tea time at Rainfield’s mansion, as she had promised.

She even added a PS phrase, ‘If there is someone you want to bring, you may bring them’.

Of course, there were plenty of knights who wanted tea time with Annabelle.

This was because Yuina wasn’t the only one who admired Annabelle’s personal training while traveling together to and from the Smaho Forest.

Moreover, Annabelle had even won a friendly match against Ian, who was called the strongest of the empire.

Although she didn’t win her title of ‘Swordsmanship Contest Winner’, people paid attention to her as she overcame black magic and rose to the top of her potential.

Besides, she has risen to the point of becoming an idol of the common people these days.

‘First of all, it can’t be a man. I can’t have Sir Ian hating on him for nothing. And it has to be someone who can’t talk too much, because I have to talk the most.’

After careful consideration, Yuina carefully selected the appropriate members from among the numerous applicants of the Imperial Knights. Read only at pm tl.

So, when Yuina and her party arrived at Rainfield Mansion and were guided to the garden where tea time was prepared…

“Hey, this is…”

“Oh my goodness.”

They saw heaven.

“Welcome.”

Each table in the garden was filled with colorful tea foods.

And Oscar, with a cold impression, stood in front of the garden with a blunt expression and greeted them briefly.

“If there is something missing, please tell me at any time.”

Yuina’s party felt suffocated, so they couldn’t even say hello for a moment, and they were stunned.

Seeing the real life Oscar Reinfield, the owner of Rainfield Restaurant and the main chef of the Duke of Wade…!

He was famous for being a flowery middle-aged man with sharp features, and they heard that he didn’t get along well with people because of his cold personality.

It was said that when he gets too shocked, he loses his reason and mind rather than gets excited…

“Then I hope you have a good time.”

Oscar nodded politely and left the garden.

Yuina’s party said, ‘It’s real…’ and they looked at each other.

They thought that Annabelle’s charisma, which she showed when she raised her sword, seemed to resemble her father.

And contrary to what they thought, Oscar came back into the kitchen and was thrilled.

“Oh my gosh… My daughter invited her friends to the mansion for the first time… In fact, I didn’t expect her to make friends…”

He even went on vacation and thought about a tea food combination all night long.

In the end, he couldn’t pick out a small number, so he made a lot.

“My daughter is making friends… Please, have a good time. Just like a normal social gathering.”

Of course, Yuina and her party were having a good time just arriving at the garden.

It was easy for them to taste the desserts at Rainfield Restaurant, as they had 10 years worth of desserts spread out before their eyes.

“Today I…”

Yuina muttered in an ecstatic voice.

“…I’m going to eat all of this, don’t stop me.”

At those words, Tines and Helen, who had come with Yuina, became angry.

“How do you see yourself eating it all? We should share.”

“Share it equally. I’m counting now, so no tricks.”

It was then, Annabelle appeared in the garden with a large box.

“Hello. Welcome.”

She put the box on the table in the center and smiled shyly.

“I should have greeted you at the front door, but I’m sorry I’m a little late. My mother sent a commemorative gift from her dressing room, and it had just arrived…”

“Commemorative…gift?”

“Yes…”

Annabelle smiled as if embarrassed.

“She didn’t know what you would like, so she prepared each type… Take a look and take what you like.”

The box was full of ribbons, hairpins, corsages and brooches.

It was made, picked, and sent by Marilyn in her dressing room this morning.

“Oh my, they’re so pretty…”

“Can we really take it?”

Even each piece of jewelry had a small tag attached to it with a clothespin, which read: ‘Annabelle’s first tea time’ was engraved. It was literally a souvenir. (pr/n: ajdjhf why are her parents so cute)

“Yes… My parents prepared a little too much for today…”

Among the many things she hadn’t enjoyed in her 22 years, was having fun chatting and interacting with people around her age.

So Oscar and Marilyn were prepared as if they had entered an emergency as soon as Annabelle’s tea time was set.

It was then. A servant rushed into the garden.

“Annabelle! The present has now arrived from the Duke of Wade.”

“…Present?”

Another large gift box arrived behind the servant.

A present from the Duke of Wade, which Annabelle had not expected in the least.

“Uh, um… This…”

After opening her box, Annabelle swallowed a dismayed laugh.

It said, “Congratulations on your first tea time with your peers. If you feel embarrassed because you don’t have anything to say on the way, please refer to this manual and have a good time.”

The box contained four sets of sword sharpening tools with the words “Welcome to the first tea time with Annabelle” engraved.

There was even a handwritten manual on how to sharpen a sword.

From ancient sword grooming records to recent archival theories, it was also long.

They were all knights, so he seemed to think that she could have an interesting conversation about sword management.

“Usually speaking with the same interests is the first step to making ordinary friends.”

Annabelle knew very well that she had lived as a villain for so long that she had never made ordinary friends.

So it was true that she was a little nervous.

But the reason why the people around her were making such a fuss at her teatime…

Annabelle quickly admitted that they had already ruined her mediocre tea time.

This was a joke for anyone to see.

‘It’s true that I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t the usual way to make friends.’

Seeing Yuina’s group with a bewildered expression on their faces, it seemed wrong to accept her as ‘even if you don’t know me well, we’re just like normal people of the same age’.

‘It can’t be helped that this has happened. It’s just ruined, so let’s have fun.’

Last night, she decided to throw away all the greetings she practiced with Cessianne.

Annabelle said as she turned the set of sword sharpeners, she said in a way that she would go through.

“I know it’s ridiculous, but…… I won’t help you with this and that by telling you to eat this and that, so enjoy yourself. It’s hard to put a blank sheet together, right?”

Then Annabelle’s first tea time, which was full of ups and downs, came to an end.

~*~

“Yes, Annabelle.”

After teatime was over and Yuina and her party had all left, Annabelle had to face her family’s hopeful eyes.

“Did everyone have a good time?”

“Will they be back again? Didn’t they say they’re waiting for the next invitation?”

Oscar and Marilyn poured out a series of questions.

“I just went to work in the dressing room… I regretted it all day. As a commemoration of coming to my daughter’s first teatime, I’ll even match the clothes.”

Marilyn sighed and clicked her tongue, and Aaron rolled his eyes and added a word.

“Didn’t they say they would be Annabelle’s friend? I think it could be because of father’s tea food or because of mother’s gift, but…”

Aaron clicked his tongue as he looked at the sword grooming set in front of Annabelle.

“It would be a bit sad if it was because of Ian’s souvenir. It’s only because my sister’s first friends are such boring people… Even the knights can only talk about swords for so long…”

Annabelle sighed once in front of her family and answered seriously.

“Everyone had a lot of fun. Next time, we decided to meet at Yuina’s house. And…”

“…And?”

“The tea food was fantastic and the souvenirs were very good, but most of all, they enjoyed talking with me, so we’ll see each other again.”

There was a moment of silence between Oscar, Marilyn, and Aaron.

“Thank you so much for preparing all of this, but I think my charm was more impressive.”

Annabelle smiled brightly and hugged Oscar and Marilyn tightly.

“So you don’t have to worry that I’m still going to be away among my peers. I don’t want you to worry anymore.”

It was an unusual afternoon, which could not be called an ordinary teatime, but Annabelle was proud of it.

It was because it was the day she realized that she confirmed the love of her family and lover, and that she could have enough fun with her peers without even trying.

However, she decided to keep one secret from Ian.

That they didn’t say a word about the history of sword grooming throughout teatime.

‘Everyone asked only about our love story, and no one was interested in how to sharpen a sword… Is it a thing of the past that Ian has common sense…?’

Still, Annabelle decided to keep the manual that Ian had written down in her drawer.

In fact, it was because the history of how to sharpen a sword was a bit interesting.