My Fiancée Hates Me
Chapter 95: Tea Party

The Queen Dowager Iris or Erik's grandmother and King Arundel's blood related mother invited my Mother and I to her tea party in the Royal Castle. When a member of a Royal Family invites one to a tea party, one must attend no matter what unless they wish to face the social wrath of Queen Dowager Iris.

Queen Dowager Iris preferred unmarried girls to wear light pastel colors. My mother chose an elegant off the shoulders A-line pastel blue dress with beautiful white embroidery over the sweetheart neckline for me. To cover up the bug bite mark Erik left, I wore a white Venice lace collar with silver chains and a transparent crystal pendant. I also wore my hair down and wore a short lace veil with pearl barrettes on both sides.

The battle between women is quite scary. That is why this exaggerated appearance is necessary piece of armor for me as well.

"Welcome Duchess Maddox and Lady Arielle," Queen Dowager said with a gentle smile. She was wearing a dark purple dress with pearl details. "It seems that you have worn pearl accessories in your hair as well, Lady Arielle."

"I have admired Queen Dowager's sense of fashion for a long time. Although it does not suit me as much as it suits Queen Dowager, I wanted at least one article of mine to resemble Queen Dowager's when I heard that you were going to wear pearls," I said eloquently.

"I am flattered! Please sit with me, Lady Arielle," Queen Dowager said as she asked me to sit beside her.

"I am honored that Queen Dowager would allow me to sit by your side," I said.

I had gladly taken the seat beside her and soon felt a strong stare from the person sitting on the other side. It was a woman wearing dark blue dress with a hat that also came with a veil that covered her face. From her key features, I could just tell that she was Erik's mother Queen Gaelle whom did not like to show her face in public. I never sat with her at a table before even in my first life with her, so I replace it a bit odd that she even came to this tea party.

"Lady Arielle seems to have it all...good manners, etiquette, and is a beauty," Queen Dowager said with a kind smile. "It must be difficult maneuvering through all of the marriage proposals constantly coming to your front doorstep."

Erik and I were said to be engaged, but have yet to make a formal announcement, so it is assumed that I am still single to most people.

I have not heard of any from any other suitors from my parents either, so maybe I lack the potential to be a wife in most people's eyes?

"Queen Dowager is benevolent. I am actually quite unpopular," I said.

"Modesty is a redeeming quality as well, Lady Arielle," Queen Dowager said.

The tea party went on very well after that. There was light gossiping about the newest fashion trends to topics about foreign desserts amongst the attending ladies.

I would have liked to listen more about the foreign desserts had it not been for the Queen Gaelle's incessant staring that kept me uncomfortable throughout the entire party.

"How are things with you and Prince Erik?" Queen Dowager whispered to me.

"...Splendid," I answered with a smile.

It was not long after that the tea party was adjourned.

Queen Dowager held both of my hands and smiled kindly at me.

"You were a very pleasant guest. I hope that we will have more tea parties like this together in the future," Queen Dowager said.

"I would be honored," I answered.

Queen Dowager retired to her room, while the rest of the party moved to a socializing and dessert tasting party to the garden. Queen Gaelle seemed to also disappear right after the Queen Dowager retired. My mother seemed preoccupied with with her socializing duties, while I slowly made my way furthest from the others and escaped.

Since this time period is a bit earlier from when I entered the Royal Castle as a Crown Princess in training, I wanted to explore if things had changed much.

The most important destination I had in mind was the Royal Library. In my first life, I heard that Erik had made major renovations to the Library when I came to live in the Royal Castle. I was very curious if things had changed much. When I arrived at the Library, I was amazed by the beautiful red wallpaper with dark red flowers and the cozy atmosphere.

When I saw Queen Gaelle, I quickly hid behind a bookcase.

I was technically not allowed to roam in the Royal Library because I was not officially affiliated with the Royal Family yet. I would rather not get on my future mother-in-law's bad side before getting engaged... She took an evergreen book from a shelf and opened it shortly only to close it and put it back in its place before leaving.

I heaved a sigh of relief when she left.

I was a bit curious about what she was reading and went over to pick up the book. It seemed like a reference book on plants.

I heard steps quickly approaching and quickly hid in a nearby storage closet as I waited for the steps to pass. I thought I had evaded everyone until I heard rustling sound of clothes behind me.

I turned around to see Garett in a dark green suit with a brown vest and a yellow tie who was sitting on a seat cushion.

"...By any chance, did you just close the door?" Garett asked.

I had accidentally released the door from surprise when I saw Garett earlier.

"Can the door only be opened from the outside?" I asked.

"...Apparently," Garett answered.

"...I'm sorry," I apologized.

"...It is not your fault," Garett said unconvincingly.

What should I do? I am locked in a closed room with the person who dumped me.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked.

"I was having lunch," he answered.

"Why are you having lunch in here?" I asked as I looked around the room.

It was filled with cleaning products to the left, a bookcase with a few books, a bed seemingly hidden behind the open kallax bookcase, and Garett was sitting on a seat cushion on the floor right underneath a bright window with a book in his hand.

It just looks like a secret room for playing hooky...

"...I live here," he answered.

He lives in a Library?

"You live here?" I asked.

Is this not the cleaning closet?

There is a bed, but it seems a bit of an unsuitable place for people to properly live in.

"I have been living here for a while because it is convenient for me. The doorknob is broken, so I am in the middle of having it replaced," he explained.

As Erik's cousin, he could get a more luxurious room with better lighting and a bigger bed.

I do not understand his willingness to stay in a place like this, or is he truly unloved by his relatives?

"I see," I said.

"...Does this remind you of something?" Garett asked.

"No, not at all. What a unique situation of living within a Library," I said as I sat on the cushion Garett was sitting on earlier.

Should this place trigger my memory?

"I do not have much, but I can at least serve you tea," Garett said as he poured me a cup of steaming tea from the lid of a silver storage vessel.

Did he notice that I was thirsty?

"Ah! Those are one of those vacuums or Dewer flasks that greatly lengthens the time over which the contents remain hotter or cooler than the flask's surroundings, right?" I asked excitedly as I accepted the freshly poured cup.

I yelped in a high-pitched tone when the drink burnt my tongue. It was much hotter than I thought it was.

"I forgot to tell you to be careful of the heat," Garett said as he kneeled in front of me. He soon removed his gloves and grabbed my chin towards him. He pressed his thumb over my bottom lip as he moved closer to my face. "Open up and let me check and see."

I felt my heart racing earlier from just having my lips touched. Somehow, I do not want to show him the inside of my mouth but at the same time do want to show him a little.

"...I'm fine," I said weakly.

"Don't be stubborn," Garett said as his other hand wrapped around the back of my neck. His thumb on my lips pried my stubborn mouth open. "I cannot see if you do not stick your tongue out a little."

I stuck my tongue out obediently as if I was in a trance. I felt incredibly embarrassed but focused my eyes on his deep emerald green eyes and looked up at him in a submissive state.

I do not understand this person...He tells me that he loves me, then tells me that he cannot stand to look at me and tells me that he hates me. I replace his past words hard to believe when he acts so kind to me at times like these. It has been that way ever since the past life as well.

I think that I may have drooled since, his thumb swept over the corners of my mouth before he released my chin.

"Yeah, it is a little red, but you will be fine," Garett said calmly as he walked over to the door.

My entire body was still quivering from his touch. I did not feel uncomfortable, rather...

"I think that I can open it if I have something sharp," Garett said as he inspected the lock.

I removed one of my barrettes and showed it to Garett.

"Will this do?" I asked.

"I can work with that," he said as he took the clip and began playing with the lock.

Within a matter of seconds, the door finally opened.

"...It's open," I said.

That was all it took. A little anti-climactic...

"You are free now," Garett said as he placed my barrette back in my hand.

"Thank you," I said as I ran off.

My lips and throat seemed to be burning and not from the hot tea I had earlier.

The memory of Erik's kisses and the mark Erik left on my neck seemed to fade in the back of my mind.