# 32 -
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Moments later, Mrs. Linzi and the maid brought the tea into the drawing-room. As Siririth had instructed, scones and madeleines were served as snacks.
“Thank you for your effort, Mrs. Linzi.”
Seret met Mrs. Linzi's eyes and smiled sweetly at her. It was a smile that carried the meaning: If you acknowledge me as the mistress of the house, I will acknowledge you as the butler.
“Talk at your leisure.”
Mrs. Linzi bowed politely and left the drawing room.
“Since I don't drink red tea, I don't know what it will taste like. I hope it suits Miss Elliot's taste, I'm worried.”
Seret spoke, looking at the tea in the cup.
Then, Seret's eyes fell on the pink lace ribbon adorning Lydia's hair. Seeing that tape involuntarily brought back a memory from her past life.
That was when Yuan invited Lidya to stay at the Duke's Palace. On the fifth day of every month, a market was held in the square in front of the palace. It was not an ordinary market, but rather a social event in which the residents of the duchy gathered to buy and sell and strengthen their bonds.
So, when Yuan and Seret were staying at the Duke's Palace, they would always go there to buy things and listen to the residents' stories.
On that day, the market was held as usual, but Seret could not go with Yuan. Yuan had insisted that Seret, whose body had become heavy as her due date approached, did not need to go, and he eventually sent her back inside even though she followed him into the hallway.
Seret returned to the bedroom based on Yuan's words, but she felt uncomfortable. The Duchess was already hated, and she feared that she would be hated even more if she did not show her face at such an event.
After some thought, Seret finally headed to the market. However, Seret soon regretted coming. She knew why Yuan didn't take her with him.
Yuan and Lidya were selecting ribbons in front of a booth. Yuan picked up a pink lace ribbon and raised it under Lidya's eyes.
'It's beautiful, let's take this.'
Lydia said, smiling brightly. Yuan raised the corners of his mouth with a satisfied expression.
The smile of joy on Yuan's face is still fresh in Seret's memory. The sight of the two carefully choosing the ribbon suited them so much that she felt a bitter taste in her mouth even now.
“The smell is beautiful and the taste is really excellent.”
Lydia said, putting down the red tea after sipping it.
“This comforts me.”
Seret hid her bitter feelings and raised the coffee cup with a smile. The rich aroma of coffee wafted up.
However, after remembering the past, Seret did not feel like drinking coffee and put the cup down again.
“Miss Enohater, why do you drink coffee instead of red tea? Is coffee more popular than red tea in Mushili?”
Lydia Seret asked with a slightly condescending expression.
The nobles generally preferred tea over coffee. Although coffee entered the Irun Empire nearly 50 years ago, it was not yet the dominant culture, having been eclipsed by tea.
For this reason, nobles tended to disparage coffee. Coffee was gradually starting to spread, especially in salons, around the time Seret gave birth to her child, but that was a long way off now.
"It's not like that. I simply don't like red tea."
“Oh my god, red tea?”
Lydia looked surprised. Seret showed an embarrassed expression, knowing how strange such words were among nobles.
“I have a terrible memory of red tea.”
The terrible memory you and Yuan created. Seret's eyes flashed with a cold light for a moment.
“My dear, what kind of memory is this?”
“I can't tell you. It affects Yuan's honor...”
Seret's voice faded.
You and Yuan put the poison in the red tea and gave it to me. The moment the poison spread through my body I can still feel it, Lydia.
“Honor Yuan?”
Lydia showed interest. Although her expression showed that she was dying of curiosity, Seret couldn't tell and just smiled.
“By the way, I also have a memory of red tea.”
Lydia, who was staring at Seret, spoke with a slightly smirking expression.
"truly?"
“Unlike Miss Enohater, my memory is pleasant.”
Lydia laughed out loud as if she was having fun.
Seret pretended to be curious and asked, as if she had been asked to inquire about what had happened.
"I'm curious. What is this pleasant memory of Miss Elliot?"
"It happened with Yuan when we were kids. I hadn't taken tea etiquette lessons for a long time, so everything I did was clumsy. In the end, I spilled tea on my dress."
Lydia started speaking with an excited face.
“Poor thing.”
Wow, very interesting, I lost track of time. Seret bit her lip as she struggled to hold back a yawn.
“Yuan was next to me at the time. He used his handkerchief to wipe my dress, and it tickled me so much that I burst out laughing.”
“I understand.”
“Yuan laughed at the sound of my laughter, and my brother Reagan laughed too. In the end, we were both punished for making noise during tea time.”
Lydia seemed like a really pleasant memory to her, her face shining with vitality. Lydia, with light pink skin, looked even more beautiful.
In the past, Lidya had always bragged about her memories with Yuan. Seret raised her lips slightly, as she seemed to be doing the same thing now.
“It's a really interesting story. Yuan is very kind. I also received help from Yuan when I was young.”
A calm smile appeared on Seret's face as she recalled a memory.
In her past life, she had only been jealous when hearing Lydia's stories, but now, she did not feel jealous, but rather a desire to reciprocate. So, Seret also dug up one of her few memories with Yuan.
“You know that a hunting competition is held in Duke County every winter, right?”
“Sure. I wanted to go, but I never could. His Majesty the Emperor wouldn’t let me. Even though I received an invitation every year.”
“Duke County is really cold in winter. Maybe that’s why His Majesty the Emperor didn’t allow you.”
"It might be. Because I'm so precious."
Lydia bragged.
“My family would attend the fishing competition every year. Because we are a Freaktwister family.”
“That makes sense.”
“Yes, one time, it was snowing heavily at night. I was young, and I wanted to step on the snow, so I ran outside without thinking. In my pajamas.”
“Oh my God, wow.”
“Despite the cold, I was enjoying playing in the snow, and then Yuan appeared. He dressed me in a wool coat because it was cold. Very kindly.”
It was more like throwing away the coat than putting it down gently, but Syrett sweetened the memory a little. Yuan, who then threw the wool coat at her, said to her kindly:
'Are you crazy?'
What a gentleness. Sirirth laughed secretly.
"He secretly took me back to my room. He said I shouldn't go out in my nightclothes. It was dangerous."
When he pushed her into the room, Yuan said: If you want to freeze to death, do this again.
“Isn't he incredibly cute?”
Seret laughed exaggeratedly, remembering Yuan at that time. Although she was treated like a crazy child back then, it was one of her few memories of Yuan.
"Sure. It's really nice."
A spasm occurred in Lydia's raised lips. Her eyes were smiling, but her lips were not.
“I think I have loved Yuan ever since. When I received my first fox tail from Yuan, I felt like I owned the whole world.”
Seret continued talking without losing her smile. But she couldn't hide the look of sadness in her eyes.
She felt that her life, in which she had been taken advantage of and died at the hands of the person she had loved so long, had been so miserable.
“Fox tail… Yuan gave you one?”
Lydia suddenly said the words.
“Yes, it was the first one I ever received.”
It was a tradition of the Iron Empire for a man to give a fox tail to the woman he loved. Yuan had given her a silver foxtail the day before he proposed. The silver fox symbolized eternal love and eternal destiny, and was much more valuable than an ordinary tail.
He gave her a symbol of eternal love and destiny, and later led her to her death. But at that moment she was really happy.
Seret saw sincerity in Lydia's expression. Did Yuan Lidya never give a fox tail?
“I envy you, Miss Enohater.”
Lydia mumbled and couldn't hide her sincerity.
So Yuan never gave Lydia a fox tail.
“There is nothing to envy.”
Sirirth felt strange seeing Lydia really jealous. The opposite has always happened.
At that moment, a murderous expression appeared on Lidya’s face and quickly disappeared.
Seret gripped the coffee cup tightly when she noticed the expression. The hand holding the cup trembled slightly. But she pretended not to see anything and smiled.
“How about we call each other by our names to be less formal?”
Lydia asked with a bright face, putting down the tea after sipping it. The murderous expression that appeared for a moment had completely disappeared.
“Less formal?”
“Let's call each other by our names. I want to get closer to Miss Enohater. Let's chat Yuan together.”
Lydia said with a cheerful face.
“Shall we do that?”
“Yes, Siret.”
“Okay, Lydia.”
Seret smiled and called Lydia by name.
Seret and Lydia, having agreed to call each other by name, hid their feelings behind bright smiles. The two looked at each other with the brightest smiles.
***
“Is it to your taste, Lydia?”
Seret asked with a cute face, looking at Lydia who was eating the grilled chicken.
It was dinner time. Seret and Yuan sat side by side, while Lydia sat across from Yuan and started eating.
Dinner with Lydia had been decided suddenly, so the menu was relatively simple.
Grilled chicken with vegetables was served as a main course at the table, served with red wine.
“It's delicious.”
Lydia wiped her lips with her handkerchief and replied.
“That's convenient. Isn't it, Yuan?”
Seret spoke, looking at Yuan sitting next to her. Yuan nodded lightly and continued to look at Seret calmly.
Siret was constantly behaving kindly towards Yuan for Lydia's presence.
Yuan, perhaps surprised by Seret's change in attitude, examined her face from time to time.
“Yuan, Seret will get tired if you keep looking at her like this, it makes me jealous.”
Lydia pursed her lips as she spoke. Seret laughed, suppressing her disgust.
“That's right, Yuan. Even if you look at me like this, you can't separate me from Lidya.”
“When did you two become so friends?”
Yuan asked, looking alternately at Seret and Lydia.
“Today. Right, Lydia?”
Seret smiled and looked at Lydia.
“Now, I intend to transfer my friendship for Yuan to Seret. You will allow it, right? You must not be jealous.”
Lydia put on the most charming expression on her face.
“Just hearing you say that makes me excited.”
Seret placed both hands on her chest and spoke with a happy face.
The dinner table was a celebration of hypocrisy. Siret and Lydia competed in expressing their affection, as if they were competing to see who the other loved more.
Yuan remained frowning, unable to adapt to this atmosphere.
He was a little surprised to see Seret and Lydia, who had become best friends overnight.
He wasn't happy that they were becoming close, and was suspicious whether Seret or Lydia were up to something.
His fiancée, who is getting married with the intention of divorcing, must be planning something. Otherwise, there is no reason to become friends with the woman who is rumored to be her fiancé's first love.
Is she trying to push her husband and her friend together and use that as an excuse for divorce?
Yuan's gaze towards Seret became skeptical.
“I can't believe how lucky I am to have met Lydia.”
“Why are you taking words out of my mouth, Siret?”
Seret and Lydia burst out laughing at the same time. The two laughed merrily, as if they were competing to see who would laugh loudest.
After finishing the mock dinner, Lydia hurriedly got up, saying that she had stayed a long time.
“Lidya, I really enjoyed today.”
Seret spoke with a smile, bidding Lydia farewell to the hall.
“Are you going to keep stealing my words like this?”
Lydia linked her arm with Seret's. Then she turned to Yuan, who was walking behind them, and continued:
“I can come and visit Seret often, right, Yuan?”
Yuan nodded lightly with an expressionless face.
Lydia stopped, opened her arms, and embraced Seret. Seret's expression immediately turned cold as Lydia hugged her.
“Let's be good friends.”
Lydia was whispering to Seret, but her gaze was directed at Yuan. Lydia smiled at Yuan's fascination.
Yuan, who was watching them with crossed arms, raised one eyebrow.
“See you, Lydia.”
Seret said, pulling Lydia off her lap.
“Goodbye, Seret. Yuan, I'm going.”
Lydia left the Duke's Palace with an elegant smile.
After Lydia completely disappeared, Seret turned around and looked at Yuan. Her eyes immediately met those of Yuan, who was looking at her.
"how do you feel?"
Seret asked without taking her eyes off Yuan.
“What feeling do you mean?”
“The feeling of having your first love become your fiancée’s girlfriend.”
Seret raised the corner of her mouth.