Chapter 11 – Valenberg Tea Party

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After the tea party, most of the invited guests returned home. However, there were a few who stayed behind. Frederica, whose home this was,and myself, who had some unfinished business, and Claudia, whom I had helped earlier. Claudia had stayed to express her gratitude and to have a separate conversation with me. While I hadn’t intended to receive thanks, I also had something to discuss with her, so I asked Frederica to arrange a private space for us.

The three of us sat at a table set up in the garden. A fresh pot of herbal tea was prepared by the Valenberg family’s maid, and placed on the table. I took a moment to observe Claudia, who sat across from me.

With her lavender hair and pale green eyes, she had a somewhat melancholic expression, likely due to her drooping eyes. Her large rabbit ears, a characteristic of the Sorbe race, added to her charming appearance.

I took a sip of the herbal tea and then spoke.

“By the way, what were you two arguing about earlier?”

I asked Claudia first. I had sided with her simply to bring the Reiningen baron to my side, but I didn’t actually know why she and Hannelore had been fighting.

“Huh? Didn’t you know when you helped me?”

Claudia’s eyes widened in surprise at my question. She seemed completely caught off guard, as if she hadn’t expected me to have intervened without knowing the reason.

I clarified her confusion.

“Nope. I had no idea.”

“What…?”

Tsk, she really doesn’t get it. She’s not keeping up with the times.

I quickly brushed off my own joke and answered again.

“No, I just sided with Reiningen.”

“Uh, what…?”

Claudia looked utterly dumbfounded by my response. She glanced at Frederica as if to confirm whether this was real, but of course, it was.

“Pfft…”

Frederica, unable to hold back her laughter, burst out laughing. She tried to cover her mouth and laugh gracefully, but her shoulders shook uncontrollably. It was amusing to watch, though Claudia’s soul-seemed-to-have-left-her-body expression was an added bonus.

“You’re too honest, Liese.”

“That’s just how social circles are. What can I say?”

I replied nonchalantly, and Frederica nodded in agreement. Claudia, meanwhile, was on the verge of tears, trembling.

“Come on, don’t be like that. Tell us what happened.”

I quickly tried to calm Claudia down before she actually started crying and asked her to explain the reason for the argument.

“Fräulein Hannelore insulted our family by saying my father was involved in some strange gathering.”

The reason turned out to be nothing major. Claudia’s father, Baron Reiningen, had reportedly been attending suspicious meetings of a group called “Annen-Erbe,” which had recently gained a foothold in the capital.

This group, which claimed to be a social club, was rumored to be a sinister cult involved in all sorts of dark activities, from human sacrifices to immoral gatherings. While it was unclear how much of this was true, it was undeniable that there was something shady about the group.

“I’ve heard about it too. Rumors have been circulating around the capital lately.”

Frederica nodded as she listened to the story. As the daughter of the Valenberg family, which had ears everywhere in the empire, she was well-informed about such rumors.

“It’s nonsense! Fräulein Hannelore is just spreading baseless rumors!”

Claudia exclaimed angrily. The idea that her father was involved in such a group was clearly an insult to her family. The problem was, the rumors were true.

How should I bring this up?

The reason I had sided with Reiningen was also related to this incident. I had to say something, though I hadn’t expected the argument to be about this. Well, even if she didn’t believe me, I had ways to make her believe. Let’s just get it out there.

Having made up my mind, I opened my mouth to deliver the harsh truth to Claudia.

“Fräulein Claudia, calm down and listen carefully. The rumors are all true.”

“What…?”

Claudia’s voice trembled in disbelief. Her eyes seemed to ask, “What are you talking about?”

Yes, it’s hard to believe, but what can you do? It’s all true. Baron Reiningen’s involvement with the capital’s social group and his attendance at their suspicious gatherings were all facts.

“What are you talking about?! That’s impossible…!”

Claudia bit her lip and trembled. It was the kind of reaction people have when faced with an unbearable truth. Sadly, it was all true.

“Do you have proof?!”

Claudia shouted, still unable to accept it. Without proof it would be hard to prove that the rumors were true. If there was no proof, she could claim it was all baseless. But what could I do? I had proof.

I pulled out a document I had been carrying and spread it on the table.

“How can this be?! This is a list of people attending those gatherings?!”

“Why do you have this?!”

Frederica exclaimed as she looked at the paper on the table. Why? Because I was the person who had been investigating. One of the reasons I had attended the tea party was to make contact with Claudia. This is why I collected the list as evidence.

Claudia, who hadn’t expected evidence to surface, was left speechless. Her expression was like that of a bully who had just been shown a black box recording.

“Is… is this real?”

Claudia asked, her hand trembling as she picked up the document. I nodded in confirmation, and she began to scan the list with shaky eyes. Her gaze eventually stopped at one point—likely where Baron Reiningen’s name was written.

After staring at the list for a while, Claudia set it down weakly. She didn’t ask if the evidence was real. She had already come to understand that it was all true. The rumors weren’t baseless, and with the list in hand, there was no denying it.

Frederica, who had been watching quietly, carefully picked up the list. Although the Valenbergs were unrelated to this incident, she was clearly concerned. The capital was the economic center of the empire, and the idea of a cult operating there was unsettling. As she scanned the names on the list, her expression gradually soured. She set the document down with a look of disbelief.

“Some of these names… they shouldn’t be here.”

Her words carried the weight of someone who had seen something they wished they hadn’t. To her, I shrugged and smiled.

“Our country is in quite a state, isn’t it? Hahaha!”

“This isn’t something to laugh about!”

Frederica scolded me, but from my perspective, it was somewhat amusing. This wasn’t a big deal for me, and the problem would be resolved soon. But for Frederica, who didn’t know the details, it was a serious matter. The list included names of influential figures in politics and business, so her reaction was understandable.

“How… How can this be…? This is unbelievable…”

Claudia, still in shock, muttered to herself. It was understandable—learning that her father was involved with such a horrifying group was a massive blow. But what could she do?

I recalled the old saying, “When you stop trying to control everything, life becomes easier.” and offered Claudia some comforting words.

“Ta-da~ But it really happened.”

“This isn’t a time to joke around!”

Claudia snapped at me, unable to control her emotions. She seemed to have anger management issues. If she kept this up, she’d suffer later. Poor thing.

“Why are you so serious? Come on, laugh a little. Wahahaha!”

“Are you laughing at someone else’s family troubles?!”

“Fräulein Claudia, life is a tragedy to the person living it, but a comedy to everyone else.”

“That’s a great saying?!”

I tried to calm her down, but Claudia was far from composed. I decided to stop teasing her.

“I was just joking.”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes…!”

Claudia shouted, still agitated. I took a sip of tea and waited for her to calm down before speaking again.

“Fräulein Claudia, I’m sorry for teasing you. But I was serious when I said not to take it too seriously.”

“How can I not take this seriously?!”

For a noblewoman who had entered social circles, she was far too honest. Claudia wore her emotions on her sleeve, which was both pitiable and endearing.

“Don’t worry, Fräulein Claudia. Actually, I came here today because of this issue.”

Claudia looked confused by my words. Frederica, who had been listening, also seemed puzzled. Claudia glanced at Frederica, who looked just as clueless, before turning back to me.

“I’ve recently started a business. Well, it’s not exactly legal.”

“What…?”

I continued explaining as Claudia stared at me in confusion.

“I’ve been thinking about expanding my business into the capital, but there are some… obstacles in the way.”

“Liese, are you saying…?!”

Frederica seemed to have caught on and exclaimed in surprise. I signaled for her to calm down and turned back to Claudia.

“Actually, I was hoping to get Baron Reiningen’s cooperation on this matter.”

In truth, it didn’t matter who I approached. There were other noble daughters at the tea party whose names were on the list. But since Claudia had already received my help, this was a good opportunity. I might as well sell her some more favors. Baron Reiningen would surely pay a high price. And if he refused? Well, I’d just have to persuade him more forcefully. I knew from experience that he’d say yes eventually.

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