Chapter 26 Monica Belmont's Evil Scheme II
"Ugh...! What should I do...!"
Monica Belmont, the daughter of the Duke Belmont family, was troubled about the upcoming tea party.
Of course, if it were just a simple tea gathering, she wouldn't be this worried.
The problem was coming up with a plan to outsmart the annoying illegitimate child of Granbell──Yumie Granbell, who was confirmed to attend.
"If I just let myself be made a fool of, it would be the same as tarnishing the Belmont name. However, if I use half-hearted measures, I'll just end up being countered again."
In the first place, Yumie didn't even recognize that she had outsmarted Monica, and she probably didn't even think she was being meddled with.
But from Monica's perspective, Yumie had thrown sharp, sarcastic remarks at her during their first meeting, and when she was pressured to kneel, she used that to show her own generosity, all while not shying away from the fact that she was an illegitimate child, trying to serve her family and win the hearts of the other young ladies.
Yes, in reality, Monica's entourage of young ladies had already fallen for Yumie.
Whenever they opened their mouths, they would say things like "Ms. Yumie is so cute," or "Her determination to serve her family while knowing her place is admirable," or "I want to pledge my knightly oath to Ms. Yumie," to the point where Monica felt like shouting in disbelief at how they were gushing about her.
"I need to... find a clever way to break Ms. Yumie's reputation and show my strength...!"
To be honest, Monica didn't actually hate Yumie that much.
She was annoyed that Yumie had caught the prince's interest and affection, but she didn't seem to be attracted to the prince herself, and there was a sense of relief in her heart that being an illegitimate child would only allow her to be a concubine at best.
Yumie's straightforward, genuine smile was soothing to watch, and there was something strangely captivating about her occasionally sharp tongue and somewhat masculine gaze... Monica thought that if their positions were different, they could have been good friends.
However, she was a member of the Granbell family, and Monica was a member of the Belmont family.
Right now, since they have a somewhat conflicting relationship due to political policies, it's hard to get along too well.
And more than anything... being completely on the losing side is something that the pride of a Belmont cannot allow.
"I will definitely... make that girl say 'gah!' at least once, and make her look at me with respect!!"
Imagining Yumie looking at her with sparkling eyes, she indulges in a little delight.
...The fact that she is imagining Yumie looking at her with respect instead of submission is a clear sign that she is quite poisoned by this thought, but only she is unaware of it.
"Something... something..."
Thus, she continues to seriously devise plans to defeat Yumie.
Normally, she would have come up with some silly idea and it would have ended without incident, just a little playful banter among the kids.
Yes, normally.
"Um, Milady."
"Huh?"
A maid calls out to the troubled Monica.
Was there a maid like this? Monica tilts her head slightly, remembering that this was a newcomer who had just joined recently.
"Is something the matter?"
"Milady, you have a wonderful talent for magic. It's true that your fine control may not be up to par yet... but in a real battle, you could easily overwhelm the daughters of Granbell."
"Hmm."
Indeed, it was the incredibly powerful attack magic that made Monica famous overnight.
If she could compete in that arena, it might be possible to defeat Yumie.
"However, it wouldn't be appropriate to showcase attack magic at a tea party."
"...Then, what if there were an 'accident' that forced you to showcase it?"
Monica's face twitches slightly.
Exposed to her gaze, the maid's face turns pale, but she still voices her opinion until the end.
"If you go south from here for a while, there's a sparsely populated forest. The lake there is not a bad location for a picnic, but occasionally wild boars and other fierce beasts appear, which is a bit of a drawback. If you could scatter them with your magic, everyone would look at you differently."
"Hmm..."
Monica reflects on the maid's suggestion in her mind.
If it's just a beast, it can definitely be easily taken down with magic.
Even in the worst case, if she goes out, she'll have guards with her, so there shouldn't be any danger at all.
Yes, Monica makes her decision.
"Not bad. Let's have tomorrow's tea party in a picnic style outside. I need to get permission from father right away."
"I'll handle that, so don't worry. The Master will understand better if I explain it to him since I know the area. Milady, please focus on preparing for tomorrow."
"I see, that makes sense. Well then, I leave that to you."
"Yes! Leave it to me!"
Thinking about the purpose, she wonders if casual clothes would be better.
While Monica murmurs this as she chooses a dress, the maid leaves the room.
"Is this... okay...?"
With her face pale and her body shaking so much that her teeth clattered, the maid ran away.
Little did she know the fate that awaited her.
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