‘The Crown Prince is testing everyone here.’
At that moment, Grace had a hunch.
Until just now, the Crown Prince had been asking Grace questions while observing the reactions of the young ladies around them.
But why was the Crown Prince doing this?
“Lady Grace Blodin.”
Grace snapped back to reality.
Thinking of it as a test, she realized she couldn’t cover it up with lies or silence.
The Crown Prince was her superior’s superior. If she answered poorly and got on his bad side, her dream of working as a royal librarian might end before it even started.
No, that can’t happen. No way.
Grace decided to speak honestly.
“My father, who was a count, suddenly passed away when I was young, and my uncle inherited the title.”
“There was a change in the ownership of the La Gras estate a long time ago, wasn’t there?”
The Crown Prince seemed to reflect for a moment, then nodded.
Was this the end of his suspicion and test?
“If your family is still intact, why work as a librarian?”
When Karl pressed further, the other young ladies chimed in, trying to prod Grace.
“That’s right. Didn’t Count Blodin and his wife take you in, Lady Grace?”
“If they were truly your relatives, there would be no reason for you to work.”
Grace calmly recounted fragments of her past.
“My uncle and aunt’s child, Laura, was very ill at the time, so they couldn’t spare the energy to care for me as well. Since I had no title anyway, I thought it would be better to learn a profession, so I became a librarian.”
The hands of the young ladies froze midair, and the atmosphere grew silent in an instant.
So silent, in fact, that the sound of someone rolling their eyes to survey the scene and a gasp that stopped midway could be heard clearly.
“Still, to go as far as to work…”
“That’s truly admirable.”
As one of the young ladies began to speak, a hand in white gloves gracefully entered Grace’s view.
The owner of the white gloves gently grasped the young lady’s arm, displaying a polished smile.
The young lady had beautiful chestnut-colored hair.
“I admire your strength of character, Lady Grace Blodin.”
Caught off guard by the unexpected compliment, Grace bowed her head slightly.
At times like this, was she supposed to say thank you or brush it off as nothing?
She couldn’t think of the right words to say.
Perhaps recognizing her silence as a form of politeness, the young lady introduced herself first.
“I’m Stea McBury.”
Her tone and voice were neither high nor low, striking a perfect balance.
Her well-refined smile and graceful demeanor—from her curly hair to her elegantly poised hands holding a teacup—clearly showed she was a noble lady raised with excellent education.
“I love books as well. I’d like to talk more with you, Lady Grace. May I visit the royal library from time to time?”
“The royal library requires a special permit to enter.”
The royal library contained not only foreign books but also various banned texts, so entry was strictly regulated.
The permit could only be issued through a rigorous process, including a recommendation from the royal family, approval from the Crown Prince, and authorization from the head librarian.
However, Stea McBury seemed to disregard all of that.
She turned to Crown Prince Karl with elegant confidence.
“Your Highness, may I request a permit for the royal library?”
Her bold request left the other young ladies visibly flustered as they glanced nervously at one another.
However, the Crown Prince remained calm, leisurely sipping his tea.
“I didn’t know Lady McBury had such a fondness for books.”
“It’s natural that you wouldn’t know.”
Her tone remained soft and refined, but a subtle reproach could be felt.
Are they close?
Grace watched the exchange between the Crown Prince and Stea McBury with curious eyes.
“Though we were childhood friends, we haven’t been in contact for four years. If Her Highness hadn’t informed me, I wouldn’t even have known about your return.”
“I suppose I should thank my sister for letting you know.”
“Have you not met Her Highness yet?”
“Not yet.”
The Crown Prince answered briefly, turning his porcelain-like face away.
“Lady Grace Blodin, could you handle Lady McBury’s permit by today?”
“Yes, of course.”
Grace replied simply and glanced around.
She hadn’t intended to stay long.
Using the permit as an excuse, she thought she might leave naturally.
“Then, may I excuse myself?”
“Oh my, already?” Stea McBury asked with a regretful expression.
“If I’m to process Lady McBury’s permit by today, I’ll be pressed for time.”
“My apologies if it’s because of me. It’s not particularly urgent.”
“It’s no trouble. His Highness gave the order, and I said I could do it.”
The Crown Prince’s serene gaze rested quietly on Grace.
Through his sapphire-like eyes, she couldn’t discern what he was thinking.
But one thing was clear from his calm expression: the mysterious test had already ended.
“Your Highness, I’ll take my leave now.”
With a slight nod from the Crown Prince, Grace gave a polite smile.
She wanted to leave this unpleasant test setting as soon as possible.
However, she didn’t rush.
Fearing she might appear as someone running away in panic, Grace walked slowly and gracefully toward the white door.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
“I’m back.”
When Grace returned to the royal library, Ivan looked at her with a surprised expression.
“You’re back already? No matter how small it is, a royal tea time doesn’t end this quickly.”
Even as Ivan tilted his head in puzzlement, Grace dismissed it lightly.
“I hurried back to finish some work before the end of the day.”
Ivan furrowed his brow.
“You left the tea time with His Highness midway?”
“Yes, but I had His Highness’s permission.”
Grace nodded cheerfully, but Ivan crossed his arms with a serious expression.
“You left because of work?”
He let her go in the middle of the tea time? Ivan, who had watched the Crown Prince from a young age, knew Karl was rarely interested in others.
The only times he showed interest were when someone was politically significant, or he had a need or purpose for them. Otherwise, he often pretended not to know even the names of people he was familiar with.
That’s why Ivan had been surprised when he received the invitation stating Grace was invited to the tea party. Karl’s interest in Grace was entirely unexpected, and Ivan couldn’t understand the reason.
Why had the Crown Prince called for Grace? It didn’t make sense.
“Are you sure nothing happened?”
“Absolutely nothing happened!”
Grace waved her hands emphatically, but Ivan stroked his rough beard, not easily shedding his doubts.
“Hmm…”
“Did I do something wrong, Sir Ivan?”
Her eyebrows drooped, and her green eyes, moist with concern, looked up at him.
Ivan shook his head at her endearing expression.
“No, I’m sure His Highness had his reasons. Don’t worry about it.”
Hearing Ivan’s reassuring words, Grace suddenly recalled the atmosphere of the tea party and the Crown Prince.
“Perhaps His Highness did have some intention.”
“What do you mean?”
Curious, Ivan prompted her to explain, and Grace recounted everything that had happened at the tea party.
“He suddenly asked about my background and why I became a librarian. It felt like he was testing me somehow.”
“Testing you?”
“It seemed like he was observing me and the young ladies with great attention.”
As Grace spoke uncertainly, Ivan’s eyes widened in realization.
“Now I understand.”
The reason the Crown Prince had called Grace to such an event.
“His Highness used you to test the young ladies.”
“Used me?”
Ivan nodded confidently.
“Yes. He probably wanted to see which young lady was suitable to be the Crown Princess by observing their reactions to you.”
Rumors said that Karl had been attending various gatherings and meeting several young ladies. Amid his busy schedule, he had invited Grace and a few young ladies to a tea party.
The reason for all this was clear—Karl’s marriage.
As Crown Prince, Karl needed to marry to fully exercise his authority as the future emperor. The Crown Princess was expected to connect the royal family, the nobility, and the common people.
“Most noble ladies avoid interacting or even shaking hands with someone of common or low status.”
But a lady aspiring to become Crown Princess wouldn’t have shown any displeasure at attending the tea party with Grace. Ivan was sure of it.
“He must have invited you to see how the young ladies would react to a stranger like you.”
As Ivan explained, Grace began to think he might be right.
Feeling satisfied with his deduction, Ivan chuckled heartily.
“Don’t worry about it. You’ve already played your part.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“His Highness won’t call on you again. Not ever.”
Would that really be the case?
Grace still felt uneasy, but she couldn’t pinpoint why.
However, seeing Ivan’s confident expression, she nodded.
“I understand, Sir Ivan.”
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
After Grace left, Stea McBury gracefully took control of the conversation.
When the topic shifted to the upcoming ball, Grace’s presence quickly faded from the young ladies’ interests.
“Her Highness’s ball is just a month away.”
“You should call her the Grand Duchess of Grikel now, Lady Stea.”
“It’s hard to break the habit of calling her what I’ve used since childhood.”
Stea’s words subtly hinted at her connection with the royal family. The other young ladies exchanged uneasy glances but hid their discomfort as they continued discussing the ball and this year’s fashion trends.
“I heard Her Majesty the Empress will also attend the Grand Duchess’s ball. Will His Highness attend as well?”
Stea turned to Karl with a graceful smile.
“Yes, I’ll attend.”
Karl’s brief answer startled the young ladies, who looked at him with newfound curiosity.
“Will you accompany Her Majesty the Empress?”
“Have you decided what formal attire you’ll wear?”
As questions poured in, Karl simply maintained a serene, picture-perfect smile.
Although his expression was doll-like, with no discernible emotion, none of the ladies noticed. They couldn’t tell what the Crown Prince was thinking or how he viewed them.
Clink.
The sound of a teacup being set down momentarily silenced the room.
Stea softly murmured, “Her Highness once mentioned that His Highness was fond of white.”
Her gaze, questioning what he thought now, turned to Karl.
“Did my sister say that?”
“Yes. She mentioned it might not be entirely accurate since it had been so long since you last spent time together…”
As Karl’s sharp blue eyes glinted, Stea quickly looked away.
“I didn’t ask the Grand Duchess about it on purpose. It just came up by chance—while we were talking about a new, famous dress shop that opened last month…”
“Is that so?”
Karl’s gaze shifted, now calm and indifferent, as if the earlier sharpness had never been there. He looked at Stea McBury with languid eyes.
“With close friends, conversations often wander unpredictably from topic to topic. You can waste hours talking about trivial things.”
As he spoke in a mild, almost admonishing tone, the other young ladies gently comforted Stea McBury.
Meanwhile, a servant quietly approached Karl’s side, signaling that the tea party was coming to an end.
After all the young ladies had left, and the West Wing reception room had been tidied up, Karl lounged on the sofa.
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking drew his attention, and he turned his head.
“Come in.”
“You called for me, Your Highness.”
The one who entered was Sir Jack Moore. As he approached and bowed, Karl issued a cold command.
“No need to investigate Ladies Lilian, Vivian, and Nina from today’s tea party.”
“Understood. I will remove them from the Crown Princess candidate list.”
“And the investigation on Stea McBury?”
“The investigation on Lady Stea is complete. However, regarding the connection between the Grikel and McBury families that you mentioned…”
“For now, focus solely on Stea McBury. Even by following just her trail, you’ll uncover plenty.”
“Understood.”
“And one more. Dig deeper into someone else as well.”
Jack Moore nodded, waiting for Karl’s instruction.
“Grace Blodin.”
Platinum blonde hair, a pale and delicate face. A seemingly expressionless countenance, yet her bright green eyes sparkled vividly. A woman who skillfully masked her cool and calculating demeanor with a faint smile.
She had answered difficult questions with composure and left the tea party naturally, excusing herself for work.
“She might just be the one.”
