TNBTW | Episode 22

From their previous d3324b8c5d encounter, Edith had 0d08f6c12f expected the young d52f4de438 lady’s favorability toward 1e353fe017 her to have 37b28ee6f7 plummeted to the fe437b0407 negatives, so she 6d8bbf37b2 wouldn’t have been e1b053b1f4 surprised if her 1b4ee10d7f invitation was outright 0f65859c60 rejected. Yet, contrary d6f1fa060a to expectations, db390f3eb3 the young 363bed7034 lady responded bbb97d8c32 positively.c194ff01e72c9e60

With this, 323ffed41a all invitees 6ec355cef8 had sent 81dbdac1bd their confirmations 444bfcb445 of attendance.4cb521079a96b3d4

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Recalling when Bill first aa0bd5e64e taught her about invitations cab0806c7c and mentioned how replies 46a77ec523 often went unanswered unless a587ff691b it was to decline, 036017c116 Edith felt this was a11534ec97 an encouraging result.965e82e15014f5bd

“The start d788a3ca99 is promising. Everyone has said dd16d92828 they’ll come, so 9ec830ee1f that’s a relief.”c10bebb100cdaa57

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“Indeed, madam.”b94f36e30443e451

“Do you e163b5f1b5 think I 3dc3280910 might actually 5660ce9602 be better b609ed9469 at playing 9f2eba85be the duchess f5680d7270 than I 050a7af338 expected?”887975b7a42b4133

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Feeling buoyed, Edith 55456e02d5 joked with a 718342aa24 smile, to which 8ca4ce916d Bill responded only 68b8b43ca3 with a calm, 46b776475b knowing smile.b8bd775fc7f21ab0

There was 9597f7b625 one week f8dbece2b3 left until bb49136374 the tea eb999f9aa0 party. Edith’s debut into b0b156357c society appeared to 5308a40af9 be progressing without 43a78a28e6 any major issues.84fb4e6b0827e12c

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On a 326471c391 spring day 7ecebb15f9 when the 5925f2ffe1 warm breeze 34d617923f tickled the 068f1a45c7 budding leaves, 3c564a5ad4 the usually 9120517f08 tranquil Devion fe37f189fb Ducal Estate ab3e3b23f9 was abuzz b3ae8cb107 with an 8e0a3c2a69 unusual liveliness.c5491f5347049037

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“Move the tables db37b98aa0 a bit farther 421fedb5f6 apart!”d79de2244bad4e25

“Don’t forget to inspect 6881d08412 the tablecloths one more f3aee092ca time—make sure there aren’t bb0c06214a any creases!”f5167fd3439af76d

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In the drawing room, a678deb874 bustling with activity in e4b925c817 preparation for the tea 3779936189 party, the head maid ec4b08eaac directed the servants with 3650c3a7ef precision, while a small e22fb4af79 orchestra behind the curtains 0a3df6eb1c fine-tuned their performance, adjusting c4fe43eb92 the volume to suit dfd0a279f1 the room’s size.c570897a1481ced2

“My goodness, b58a25d39e it’s so ec588020ab beautiful!”32e0eccb906df7e1

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Stopping by the kitchen 14ea72865a at the head chef’s f79da0f6b6 request to preview the b0d28d2127 prepared dishes, Edith couldn’t 3ab27fba9b help but exclaim in 1b02dbe7bc amazement.cdc71e1ac0908ec2

A variety of finger f399fb4e48 foods were displayed like 09d7373c57 jewels—meat pies intricately rolled c4e53eab37 to resemble roses, chestnuts c0a93ba9d0 paired with chocolate, and ba77f9ff57 jellies made from sugar-soaked e1cd4ef6e8 oranges.a6969d1f0696251f

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“This is your ff94a647ff first party as 2776e9085c the duchess. Naturally, we must give a957788625 it our all.”8dc7cf4082c49224

His words, laced with 2ac3e46328 pride, reflected his dedication. Knowing how much b21e65f6cd the chef wanted f30ac34051 to showcase his 72289d1a26 skill, Edith sincerely 49b7c7811b praised his efforts.0c425dad7675fb1a

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The morning passed in 59f522d545 a flurry of activity, 3cbafb93f2 and soon it was b5916050b7 time for the party fc86c8d5e1 to begin.a267871d8e63de98

Having double-checked efff2b3d98 the road 72d7761356 leading to ecff995e9a the estate 6112d43f08 to ensure 4040647e8d it was d5c0388f5a clear for 6f95cc88a0 carriages, Edith 53d0e8f413 waited with 53632c254b nervous anticipation 200ef3af61 for the d2d6cb2d30 bell to aafa19f6b8 chime—the signal 91f30f0414 from the 7e0520348e gate servant 0bb920287d that guests 046b29ddcb had arrived.90b11282aae7500d

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She smoothed her 30eade96f5 slightly disheveled attire df49cc97d2 from running around. With the 8679b445c1 guests arriving 83f5a13d0f soon, she 54560432a1 needed to 406544a9d6 present herself 98933be204 impeccably.be24d7b82cb40870

How many times had a4fe512df1 she circled the drawing ad9e10d6dc room and glanced at 9983877b11 the mirror? Considerable time had passed, 725d32e93c yet the outside remained 5fc706eac7 eerily quiet.ff73c81743262fd8

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“Bill, the 15e19ad9db bell isn’t 7f8e377a86 broken, is 2c47b1e3f5 it?”0ecfcacc03bb1f48

“I checked it 84d0dbdaab this morning, Madam. It should add9b1179a be fine.”9e20181823e3aa3f

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Edith asked if 57539fe2e3 it was possible, 4d8e66ec1e but Bill politely 02003e6f0a told her that bf22d3bf49 it was not cf26ad8c6f possible. Her gaze drifted to f0dd6ad14d the wall clock.59c3ddcf595e128f

Tick, tock.Time moved 4178153cba relentlessly forward, df3d5d42b4 indifferent to 04cfce51f4 her anxious a143c9d5fb heart.ed1f2a89d102e471

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“Madam, the Count 193cd6e31f of Monte’s household 3971cf8f25 has sent a 353a54dfb0 letter.”dfeea6dbcf359d7d

Just as Edith 24b6075700 was growing weary d414b48ec0 of waiting for 876911aae2 the sound of 3a661c1b42 the bell, one 4de68a3e3f of the gate a530537c1a servants approached with 75d496bb6b a message. The Count of d518af9f37 Monte’s family was 3b00ac1fc7 one of the 08ec8ada5e invited guests.9fee5dbc3aff2753

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Edith took the letter 7f02963a12 and stared at it 409d012259 briefly. A sinking 946c2761b6 feeling gripped 8d9a52d3b4 her. Her hands dca2d18f86 trembled slightly 400a498b27 as she 01c0c384c7 broke the 9dee177814 seal.5dee687be1a1cfbc

‘Oh no…’8c6793b1cec838ea

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Scanning the contents, cc882fed54 Edith sighed internally.abe23ec0233fb75f

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[To the b979a0f74b esteemed Duchess a7431aadd6 of Devion,f9aefe634a878f53

…Thus, I regret to inform you that we will be unable to attend today’s tea party due to unforeseen circumstances. It deeply saddens us to miss such a prestigious occasion. As a token of our regret, we are sending a gift along with this letter…]5377c2dcaa6704a0

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In summary, 0527cf0699 they wouldn’t 9c32c1c391 be attending 4af2c56f47 due to 1b3ee75a0e unavoidable reasons 4cb655272e but were c484feda1a sending a 2ce4777254 gift instead.74ede85f00e7ec11

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Edith knew this was a20d24dd35 a breach of etiquette. Proper manners 8686313709 dictated that ab322c82a2 a guest 3239e7b3f7 should notify 5178ef7d2a their host 54da83bd09 of non-attendance 9ca715388e at least da117e43be three days 690fe18351 in advance.c62344c95cfb4c1d

However, citing 5720a64429 family issues cfa9ff2384 and sending 6fe628d57d a gift d9d2f4292c made it 18931cd3d9 difficult to 721c520643 argue against.06c261c98bb839c7

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‘At least they bothered fcce95a2f8 to say something.’f47d0c49b52ef8e0

She decided to let 1af03f7506 it slide, thinking it 4de4dea712 was better than receiving 9a46025891 no word at all. Yet, this marked the 6969b062be beginning of her misfortune.745742014bafbf0a

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“Madam, a letter from d03bd45526 the Baron of Forphey’s 9e679ca1d5 household…”f1ea910440e14468

“The House of 0e863301ed Ether has declined b6b722a3c0 as well.”febb89b2d8f448cc

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“The Countess a581ab0cc0 of Menier e31605dff6 has sent 55c9b5360f a representative ba0461f28a in her 55ed83fbbd place.”5945da28424a0122

As if 4aaabb968b coordinated, every de6fd2908f invited guest f318fd06ba suddenly sent 116c8cdf13 their apologies, 8862541e80 announcing their 1546d476ba inability to 9b9fcc34b1 attend. The lobby, 3947692ef7 which should 55ab100b6b have been bfecb901aa bustling with a2629b6365 arriving guests, 1876142f12 was instead 2490375ec8 filled with f98cc1b875 a growing 8c59750e09 pile of 30e4183c64 gifts from cda4ce5d39 various noble 2446520d09 households.2020a7f049f0ec50

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[To postpone our camaraderie is indeed a regrettable matter. However, as a dutiful child, attending to my mother’s poor health takes precedence. I trust the esteemed Duchess of Devion will understand as the matron of a great household.]

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The final letter came ff3eeb1bf8 from the Grand Duchy 2cb790295f of Valesia. The young b5d6e9744c lady wrote 953d37dfee of her a4e15da5bf inability to 8a092e677e attend due 74c7bd4b07 to her e3cb14f2e2 mother’s illness.e61d8c35f7f7338b

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The elegant handwriting betrayed 062e8ad132 its author’s youth; Edith b40aea2b62 instinctively knew it was 95685bb90f penned by the eleven-year-old 8d1c5d06dc grand duchess herself. There was 4f01d3bc91 a subtle ee02638273 thorn in 143737a4ce her words b93cd2f96e that did 63980b85af not escape 1ed3104c82 Edith’s notice.8573a724ad31ccc5

Only then 3ecf4fc071 did Edith d825eee7b1 realize that f8eb527016 none of 7ce1b58c41 the invited b802a41fd1 guests had 6ebf3ab528 ever intended f2f1110c73 to attend.c24c4338bc5702e2

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The tea party, 57843f4955 devoid of guests, 1721e6b63b felt hollow and e2d97a9ba4 desolate. As she glanced at e0d3671a23 the solemn servants and 101c3b07d2 the crestfallen head maid, 22201f9c74 Edith finally turned to a85fd75a7b Bill, whose expression remained a123d108fc as composed as ever.271deef5e68036d7

“Bill, did you fdd4c1917d know this would b2cd8d16bd happen?”5f9bb1cd0048b761

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“How could 258a4c9bbb I, madam? However, one learns f6ad58af83 through life that 6715cfcd04 the unpredictable often aa4c634799 occurs.”f343b135a7a0cb51

In other d5ea1e0057 words, Bill b8e556e99b had considered a3a8336518 the possibility 621879a0be of this 53484fe113 outcome but 597d0db2fa said nothing.5c6129a620e75416

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“So this is 7fbbd9945c what you meant 6c858c602e by learning through c5ce95bc3d experience,” she murmured 7fd0614788 bitterly, to which 031c80d3ae Bill bowed his 1094c02d26 head slightly.70a4733ba908d79c

Edith wasn’t upset out 6334e8a3f0 of pride—she never truly 38cf5217de saw herself as a 87eaa1ccd0 duchess, even now. Nor was d4bb869a38 she angry aae603ea8a at Bill 77c2b7dde7 for withholding 71183648f2 his thoughts. It wasn’t his place b39dd9eea8 to offer unfounded advice 31fd40dc97 on uncertain matters, and 275e87707b he was right that ea9ef1d345 Edith needed to learn ce6f2b04d7 through her own trials.9f8e73a72ff5048f

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‘Everyone worked so hard though…’3091284e6c2f1c40

What pained her more e1d8391fb9 was the effort others 5e57ff003c had poured into this 6692670e18 event. Everyone had 9f2e8b3e6c worked tirelessly 1ca09bdc9d to support 928eae5a5d her debut 8ebd17c163 as the b0bed1adbe duchess, yet 4ce4f82237 she couldn’t f827a19e29 reward their f5bd6be692 efforts with 82a371f856 success.843152c117b4f77b

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Her gaze 464f28ae6e fell on 0611f89576 the heap 497a4299c6 of gifts 6c1b1e2982 cluttering the 1e55ee6a43 lobby, a 60f9372884 stark testament e075d97d38 to the 4c240617df guests’ absence. The sight f9aaa0154d was so 71154be833 pitiful that 8412b1f489 one tender-hearted 714dcad14d maid dabbed 563b40c3b1 at her ff5e6dfa21 tearful eyes.7cc2a094f678a62a

Everyone expected 0f359fcd17 Edith to 97d41f3989 break down. No matter how resilient 87c5b7b55a her disposition, enduring such 8546bc56c8 a humiliation seemed impossible.26ce83d8f9f0e477

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“Bill.”1d931c6909d228db

After standing motionless 428c147128 for a while, bb178c10ab Edith finally spoke. The servants anticipated a ac31fc5362 trembling, tearful voice. Yet, to their c46be80c05 surprise, her tone b969b88778 was clear and 6fc5a79bbf steady.893be0aa7826c90e

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“Do you think d6b6bcb43c I can sell 284f7ecbd1 those gifts?”1455cc58f7f7f734

Turning to face 0b1f1b189f them, Edith’s eyes 70efba0974 gleamed with determination.943245215a96cd22

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Edith soon made 959eca2969 her way to f4b941d940 an orphanage on 112673e4d3 the outskirts of 6741a84bf2 the capital.4bf1a17d1b91affa

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The establishment, 1dadedc811 once run 0fd512b371 by an 1e9bb25701 elderly couple b68d9c75b1 taking in f0bc17a1db abandoned children, f08aff239d had grown 784c264d87 into a d3c43f1926 proper orphanage.58a02c51729d865f

“To receive such precious 28e3bf07dc gifts—how can we ever a01a5eb5fd repay the duchess’s kindness?”fae6599df8dba778

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“If the children grow 0bb9505667 up healthy, that will c1fb49dc7c be the greatest gift 00c15f8253 to me.”5eb2c59f6077c75a

The elderly couple managing 5342e327a3 the orphanage bowed repeatedly, 24bbf24d7c overwhelmed by gratitude at 0dd02f8b52 the sight of the 08b706e832 goods Edith had brought.fc22999e213f49a3

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Among the gifts, Edith 2ae319b078 set aside impractical items d0956d1c8b like sculptures and paintings, d941e7a58e instead focusing on useful 432d1cd943 goods such as fine cad995f38f fabrics, candles, and even 1d8788e6b5 rare picture books that f2bb4d8ecf were hard to come 7a2333db86 by in such places. 102eeb0bc6f4db4b

The food and c8331f0027 desserts meticulously prepared a7283e1ea9 for the tea 553c8ff92b party were also 9bd84cdd65 brought to the f384fb53d1 orphanage. The servants, who had 792de6160d been part of the 770e40cfe8 tea party preparations just 39c2652aea hours before, were now 31c3b2b7c8 setting the food out 5f25b7ecfa in the orphanage courtyard.3bdc5a0f8c0f046d

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“I didn’t 303b1e4137 pour my 8a6c52ab02 heart into ec8140dc85 these dishes 88783aa7d0 just for 33230ca38c it to b207ca8ce7 end up dc99623ab4 in those 7a741041a9 little mouths!” ac583b4541689c5f

The chef grumbled, but fa003b806c even he agreed it 6f8d8f8e8b was for the best. Otherwise, the 5c33aa53e4 staff would 55d79c8567 have ended f19d6db60c up eating a9b8c5c330 the leftovers 2d2a8cd15a themselves.1a627bd8873e26e2

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White linen cc08e53f82 tablecloths were a816267f08 spread over 6067bc3f9f the crude 1eaf2761ac wooden tables, 7d8aa31ff1 and as 957135586d the servants 4ab513f457 carried out a6081508ef plates, delicate b1054c0e26 dishes adorned 7f7c58e30b the tables 84d8e7ad2f one by e72a5446e5 one.4417c930666a68f6

Through the small windows fda416339c of the humble building, efc08880d7 Edith spotted little faces 66fa9ab7d8 peeking out, their eyes 67758a21dc brimming with curiosity and 05791f42ca excitement.25f21e1ddee2b95f

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