Chapter 71: Unexpected Reunions and Unspoken Affections

“Ah-choo!”

Inside the Duke Liddell’s mansion in Maplewood City, Alice covered her mouth as she sneezed.

“Caught a chill?” The Duchess Liddell, standing beside her, glanced over. “It seems I should have told the chef to add more pepper to the soup.”

“On the contrary, I think there was too much pepper in today’s dishes, causing many guests to sneeze uncontrollably,” Alice replied, her brow slightly furrowed.

“Pepper is a precious ingredient imported from the New World. Adding more makes the dishes seem more refined. In such banquets, the prestige of the food is far more important than its taste,” the Duchess Liddell chuckled.

In the grand hall, servants were diligently clearing away the remnants of the feast.

News of Alice’s successful admission from the Southwest Saint Academy to the Capital’s Grand Cathedral Academy had quickly spread throughout Maplewood City. It was only fitting for the Liddell family to celebrate this achievement, so the Duchess Liddell had organized this banquet, inviting the city’s elite for another social gathering.

The eyes of every guest at the banquet held an ill-concealed mix of envy and admiration. They unanimously praised the young Duchess, not only for her noble birth but also for her exceptional intelligence. Having been accepted into the Empire’s highest institution of learning, she was undoubtedly destined for a truly elevated future.

Some even joked that Alice might catch the eye of the Imperial Family, marrying a prince and becoming a future empress. To these remarks, Alice could only maintain her practiced smile, responding with graceful silence.

“Such socializing is truly exhausting,” Alice sighed deeply.

“Don’t you dare complain about being tired! Once you enter the Grand Cathedral Academy, you’ll face this kind of socializing every day! We still have two months before the semester begins for intensive training; your ballroom dancing is still utterly dreadful!” the Duchess Liddell declared sternly.

“I have to learn dancing too…?” Alice felt a sudden urge to retreat at the mention of it.

“As a spy infiltrating enemy territory, you must possess a strong sense of urgency. If your identity is exposed, you won’t even know how you died. The witch’s abilities can’t guarantee complete safety, as you’ve already experienced.

“Your greatest reliance remains the identity I’m currently providing you. Even the Church wouldn’t dare casually suspect or accuse a noble Duchess. Therefore, you must play this role well.

“Mastering noble etiquette and espionage techniques will bring you nothing but benefit. Don’t wait until you’re caught to regret it,” the Duchess Liddell lectured, her expression serious. “This principle, in summary, is: ‘You’ll regret not learning until it’s too late.'”

“I know, I know,” Alice conceded. Having spent so much time with the Duchess Liddell, she had grown a little wary of her nagging.

She and the Duchess Liddell had truly become teacher and student. The Duchess Liddell was indeed an excellent instructor, patient and cunning, having molded the former slum child into an accomplished noble young lady.

“By the way, did you contact His Majesty yesterday?” the Duchess Liddell suddenly inquired.

She had specifically instructed Alice the day before to inform Queen Isola of her successful admission.

However, Alice shook her head. “I tried contacting her twice with the magic mirror, but received no response. She’s probably not near the mirror.”

The Duchess Liddell frowned skeptically upon hearing this. “That’s not right. Queen Isola is the creator of the magic mirror; it’s directly linked to her precognitive abilities. Even if she’s not physically beside the mirror, she should sense someone using the mirror she created.”

“Huh?” Alice was hearing this for the first time. “Then why didn’t she respond to me?”

“This…” The Duchess Liddell pondered for a moment, then a realization dawned on her.

‘It must be because you’re about to meet your ‘old flame’ at the Grand Cathedral Academy,’ the Duchess Liddell thought, though she kept the words unspoken.

At the same time, she felt a pang of frustration towards Queen Isola.

‘Your Majesty, Your Majesty, what’s the point of hiding?’

‘If you care this much, you should be more proactive! If you fancy someone, you should use every means to seize them and train them to be utterly subservient. That’s what a witch does!’

She almost regretted only imparting knowledge and power to Queen Isola, rather than properly educating her on matters of the heart.

Just then, a servant who guarded the main gate entered the mansion, crossed the hall, and reported to the two women, “Young Miss, Madam, a guest has arrived.”

“The banquet has already ended; why would there be a guest?” The Duchess Liddell was somewhat surprised.

The entire banquet had lasted over three hours, starting at noon, and it was now almost dusk. How lacking in a sense of time must one be to arrive so late?

“The party didn’t have an invitation letter; they’re not here for the gathering. She introduced herself as ‘Lady of Hearts’ and claimed to be your friend, Madam…” The servant reported word for word. Like most servants in the mansion, he had been recruited locally by the Duchess Liddell and was unaware that such an esteemed guest had been residing in the ducal territory.

Alice and the Duchess Liddell’s expressions changed instantly.

“Quickly, lead us to her!”

They exclaimed in unison.

Before long, the two were led to the grand courtyard outside the mansion, where Queen Isola, veiled, was already waiting.

The Duchess Liddell dismissed the servant, instructing him to take Queen Isola’s luggage inside. Then, turning to Queen Isola, she spoke in a hushed, astonished tone, “Your Majesty, why did you come without informing us? We haven’t had time to prepare anything…”

“There was no need. I feel my body has mostly recovered, and it’s time to check on your progress here. Besides, there’s also an arrangement to speak with the ‘Tea Party,'” Queen Isola replied calmly, her gaze sweeping between the two before settling on Alice’s bewildered face.

Noticing Alice’s expression, her eyes visibly dimmed. “It seems… you’re not particularly pleased to see me?”

The Duchess Liddell reacted swiftly, subtly reaching behind Alice and pinching the flesh on her lower back.

Alice flinched in surprise, immediately snapping to attention. She quickly offered Queen Isola a smile. “Pleased, of course, I’m pleased! I was just… too surprised!”

‘Happiness should be shown through actions, you fool!’ the Duchess Liddell cursed internally. Without further ado, she put more force into her hand and gave Alice a hard shove.

Alice stumbled forward two steps, caught off guard, and collided directly with Queen Isola.

In her astonishment, Queen Isola instinctively embraced Alice to prevent her from falling.

Alice, both startled and bewildered, turned to look at the culprit. She saw the Duchess Liddell silently mouth the word “Embrace,” accompanied by a sharp, threatening glare.

Seeing this, Alice had no choice but to return Queen Isola’s embrace. To ease the tension, she added, “It’s truly wonderful to see you again, Isola!”

Her words weren’t false. Having been separated for nearly two months, they had only managed brief conversations through the magic mirror. Direct meetings were indeed incomparable.

“…” Queen Isola held Alice without speaking.

“Isola?” Alice asked, a little surprised.

The Duchess Liddell watched Queen Isola with a knowing smile. Queen Isola’s face was flushed, and though her expression remained neutral, her eyes sparkled with newfound vibrancy.

‘To be young is truly wonderful, so innocent…’ Patra, the Grand Witch and a veteran of many romances, mused inwardly.

‘But it’s also incredibly frustrating to watch. I truly wish I could tie them up and bang their heads together until they confirm their relationship,’ the Duchess Liddell silently tucked this dangerous thought away into the depths of her mind.