The Inner Palace was in shambles. It was probably the roughest it had ever been.

The king, who had shown no interest in the palace since its establishment in the early spring, suddenly visited the rooms of the 'named' concubines one after another.
The entourage, which had been divided into two groups, the Red Rose and the Peony, could not read the king's intentions and fell into a state of confusion. While rumors swept through the palace that "Master Peony" was favored by His Majesty, a story spread that His Majesty had visited the Waterlily Salon and was deeply impressed by "Master Waterlily's" talent, and new rumors spread that "Master Suzuran" and "Master Violet" had also spoken intimately with His Majesty. It would be a lie if this didn't cause confusion.

The Peony Faction, not wanting to miss out on this opportunity, spread the word that Waterlily and Suzuran were originally conservatives, and that they were part of the Peony Faction. In short, it's a mess.

What a big mess. ......
"It can't be helped, I knew it would happen to some extent.

In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web. In the event that you've got a lot more than one of these, you're going to be able to find a lot more than just one.

"I knew it, I knew it, but!　I knew it, I knew it, but why do women love to gossip, and why are they so relentless with their enemies?　Can't we all be a little calmer and friendlier?
"I guess that's why we're like this.

I'm not sure what to say. I spent a few days going from place to place in the inner palace, spraying water on the sparks that were flying everywhere. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

"Master Diana, thanks to this rumor, Shayla Callerd's reputation has been weakened.
It's a blessing in disguise. It's a blessing in disguise, though I'm sure Raia and the others were aiming for that as well.
Indeed, .... After all, you are the flower of society.

I'm not sure what to make of it. In the event you've been living in the palace for a long time, Yuri and the other palace attendants are unfazed by the commotion. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do today.

So, what are you going to do today?
You didn't plan to have any visitors, did you? Let's just take a stroll as usual and see if there are any sparks.

Knock, knock.

"......?

The three of us looked at each other as the knock came at the perfect time. After a brief pause, Yuri went to greet the visitor.

"Who is it?
"Well...
"Master Diana. The chief lady and two of the Red Rose's ladies are here to see you.
...... I have a bad feeling about this.

They usually bring trouble with them. I'm not sure what to make of it. After learning about the state of power surrounding the royal court's ladies, it's not a person I feel comfortable welcoming.

But that doesn't mean I can't turn him away. Please let me through.
Yes.

As soon as she nodded, Yuri ushered in the chief and two women. Deanna smiled at him.

"Welcome, Madam Chief. I've been worried about you since I haven't seen you in a while.
"Yes, no, ......, I hope the Red Rose is well.
Yes, thank you.

That's not a wrong answer. I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.
But she was certainly angry about something else, and the smile on her face was unnecessarily powerful. As a result...

"I am truly sorry that I have not been able to take better care of the Red Rose...

It seems that I'm frightening the Chief Magistrate unnecessarily.

(That's not what I want you to reflect on, though, is it?

(That's not what I want you to think about, but it's true.) However, since we don't have much information about her, it's not a good idea to fight her head-on. From Deanna's point of view, she is of her mother's generation. If you underestimate adults, you'll get into trouble, this is common sense.

No, Madam President. Yuri and the others are doing a great job. They've always been very helpful to me.
So, what do you think of ......?
Yes. So, what can I do for you today?

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and how to get there. ...... Well, it's just an application of the "Crester way of swimming" in social situations.

I'm sure you'll agree. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.
"His Majesty sent you to ......?　Well, what is it?

I tried to sound happy, but inside I had a bad feeling about it. It's a good idea to take a look at the website and see if you can find any information about it.

The details are contained in this imperial order, but His Majesty wishes to hold a garden party in his palace in the near future, inviting the close relatives of his entourage. The Red Rose, first in line to the entourage, will be in charge of the event. She has asked me to make sure that everything is in order.

Is that so?



With a smile plastered on his face, he said, "Well, I'd like to play such a big role in ......? I think he was surprised. It was as if his thought process had escaped from the reality of the situation.

I am not surprised that His Majesty proposed to hold a garden party, or rather a tea party, inviting the families of his aides. The instigators of this were Raia, Yolanda, and Leticia, and I had already received reports from them that they had tried that. In short, His Majesty rolled beautifully in the hands of the three of them, just as planned.
But why? Why was the preparation left to the Red Rose? It's an event held in the palace of the king, and one would think that the chief consort would be appointed to be in charge.

"His Majesty must have thought that the Red Rose would make it a wonderful garden party.
It's the biggest event in the palace's history, and who better than the Red Rose to organize it?
It must be wonderful, since all the relatives of the entourage are to be invited.

--Is it because Her Majesty doesn't actually like the Chief Concubine that much or something?　Or is it simply a harassment against the Red Rose?　No, I don't think he can even think of harassment, not with the way he is now.

"It must be a grand garden party.
"So beautiful and blooming that people will think they're in heaven.
"For the prestige of the palace and the court, we must show the people the most beautiful garden in the land. It's as if the god Shustra had blessed it.

--No, but it could be an opportunity, if you think about it. For His Majesty, the 'garden party' may be a light-hearted idea, but for the palace, the future is at stake. Rather than having the maids of honor take charge of the event and have it deviate from their intentions, it would be better to have the Red Rose lead the event on the surface, while consulting with the planners on the details, so that things can go smoothly.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what you need to do.

"Well, yes. It's what His Majesty wants. It's an honor, even if it's a big one.
"......?　Yes, it is.
Chief, tell His Majesty that I've accepted the position. Then, since I must immediately think about who to invite to the garden party, I would like you to submit a written statement of all the members of the entourage, both their names and their families.
What?
I have a rough idea of who the Red Rose is, of course, but when it comes to inviting people to a garden party held in the name of the king, I can't just rely on my memory. We have to think about who to invite after comparing it with the family tree that is recorded in the official documents.

Of course, Diana doesn't really need that. The Cresters have already done all the research and have more than enough information on each of the side chambers and their families to hold a garden party, but they can't accidentally tell it to the head mistress. Therefore, if I were to hold a garden party, the first thing I would have to do is to make a list of the invited guests, and for that, I would have to ask for data on the relatives of all the side chambers.

Oh, um, Miss Red Rose, ......?
What is it?　Oh, yes, I have to start maintaining the garden at the same time. The autumn flowers are just around the corner. ...... Where is it?　Would you like to see the royal decree?
"Yes.

Rita took the book and handed it to Diana after a beat. She opened it quickly and Deanna raised an eyebrow.

"The east courtyard?　It's true that it's the largest garden in the palace, but ...... it's mainly planted with spring flowers. It'll take a while to get ready...
"Red Rose!

He called out loudly. Deanna looked at the owner of the voice, the headmistress, puzzled.

What's wrong?　What's wrong? Is there anything more you want to tell me?
...... This is the time of year when the palace is overwhelmed with preparations for the New Year's events. If you have any questions about the garden party, please contact me as soon as possible.
"I see. But I'm a lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court. But I'm a lady of the inner palace. I can't move freely, so there's a limit to how much I can prepare. --I'll do my best to help, but if you're in the service of the palace and you're in the service of the king, please make every effort to ensure that the first ever royal garden party held in the king's name is not a disaster.

The Chief Magistrate's face twisted in an obvious way. It's not that I don't like it. I don't mind, but if the garden party fails, won't you guys be in trouble? It is not surprising that she replied with a smile. The point is that this time, the chief lady wanted to say something like this, thank you very much.

"Excuse me at .......
"Yes. I would like you to submit the information about your wife and family as soon as possible.

Smiling. With a smile on her face, Deanna waved off the head mistress. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

...... You're in a lot of trouble, aren't you?
I'm sure you'll agree.　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you.
You can't expect the ladies to cooperate.
It was obvious that they wanted the party to fail so that the Red Rose would be blindsided.
Of course that's what they want. But if you make a mistake, isn't that abandoning your duties?

I haven't seen such a blatant threat in a long time. It was probably pressure to take full advantage of her position as "lady-in-waiting. It seems that the chief lady, who was initially frightened of the Cresta family, has come to her senses since Diana has been surprisingly quiet in the palace.

It's a stupid way to attack. If we use this opportunity, we can find out more about the chief and the ladies. ......?
"What is it, Master Diana?

The reason why Deanna changed her mind was because of a sentence in the imperial order.



"I would like to set a date for the garden party about a month from now.

"Renovating the ...... spring garden into an autumn garden in a month?　Don't be so reckless!

Deanna stood up in a great hurry.
The break inevitably came to an end.