At about the same time, Deanna received a letter from the Outer Palace explaining that the Ministry of the Interior had taken advantage of her situation. --The next day...

　The next day.

The next day, "I can't express my gratitude enough to your ladies and gentlemen for coming at such short notice today. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen.
"If Mrs. Magnum summoned me, I must come at all costs. --Isn't that right, gentlemen?

　In the largest room in the palace, with enough space for all of the entourage (Diana had only heard that this was also where they held the Les Armeniastes service), Madame Magnom greeted the forty-one entourage members who had gathered without losing her calm demeanor. When Diana affirmed her words favorably and urged her to agree, the three "named" and "Red Rose" ladies nodded their heads without pause.
　The lady bowed lightly to Deanna to express her gratitude, and then returned her gaze to the whole.

I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that. If you've been paying attention, you've probably already heard about the recent turmoil in the Outer Palace.
"......, the delegation of the Stanza Empire has offered to accompany the royal family of the Kingdom of Ergeland as their envoy upon their return?
Yes, Miss Waterlilies. Yesterday, the Ministry of the Interior informed me that although it is unclear how the coordination with the Stanza delegation will go, I would like you to proceed with the selection of a suitable consort to represent the delegation in the Imperial Palace so that preparations can be made promptly when the Ergeland delegation is organized. Of course, there is no way that you can send your wife to the empire when there is no formal diplomatic relations with the Stanza Empire, and I have told you about that.
"In light of the current situation at the Outer Palace, I have to say that it is highly doubtful that Madame Magnum's honest opinion will be accepted.
"That's right, Lord Suzuran. And now that we have received such a notice, the Imperial Court must at least formally make the appearance that it has made a selection.
"Of course, everyone here understands Madame Magnom's position and distress. Of course, everyone here understands Madame Magnom's position and distress. No one believes that she is seriously thinking of sending one of her aides to the Stanza Empire.
"...... Thank you for your kind words. Violet-sama.

　That's a very noble and far-fetched conversation. In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. ...... calm and collected is only on the surface, but the current Mrs. Magnom is said to be the most pissed off person in history. The same goes for the three "named" people.
　Nevertheless, there is no need to gather all the members of the entourage (even to gather a large room full of round tables and chairs for a tea party) if you just want to set up the formality of a "selection meeting. The reason why I went to the trouble of gathering all the members of the entourage for the "selection meeting" is because...

Oh, my. I don't think it's a bad idea for a side family to represent the Kingdom of Elgrand with the name of the Kingdom on their back.　In the event that you are a member of the royal family, you will have to go through a great deal of trouble to get out of the country, but if you are a member of the royal family, you can go through the same procedure as a nobleman's son or daughter goes to a foreign country to study or do business. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort, so if you can deal with a sudden request like this, and your status is quasi-royal, you can save the reputation of the kingdom.

　While hiding her mouth with a fan, Liliane says in a high-pitched voice. --So that's what Diana wanted to know.
　I'm sure you'll understand. I'm not sure what to make of that. In other words, it proves that there is a faction in the Inner Palace other than Diana and the others who are trying to manipulate the political situation in collaboration with the Outer Palace.
　The question is whether this faction is a complete puppet of the Outer Palace, or whether they are trying to get into politics with their own free will and purpose. If it's the former, you can just slap them all together, but if it's the latter, the way you deal with them will change drastically depending on the situation.

(As expected, Master Liliane seems to have been given a certain amount of information by the outer court.

　Liliane has hardly exchanged letters with her family. (As expected, Lilliane has been given certain information by the outer court.) Lilliane rarely exchanges letters with her family. Supplies are sent frequently, so either there is one-way information in them, ......, or there is an entity that is like a "darkness" to Diana. In normal circumstances, it would be impossible for the Darkness or Kai not to detect the presence of such a suspicious person, but considering the fact that the enemy is accompanied by a spiritual power (Spircea), it is likely that the presence can be completely eliminated by some means.
　--I'm sure you'll be able to figure out the best way to get rid of it.

"Yes. As Peony-sama said, it makes sense to send a representative of the Ergeland Kingdom's delegation from the side room.
"After all, she is the representative of the country. You must have a suitable status.
In that case, the most suitable one would be ......, the highest-ranking of the entourage.

While the ladies of the Peony Faction all agreed with Liliane, it was the ladies of the Red Rose Faction who changed their color. In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

"Well, what are you saying?
I'm sure you're not the only one. This is not the time to select a representative, but to unite our hearts and stand up to the tyranny of the Outer Palace.
"Well, well. I can't believe that a man whose family's business is dealing with stanzas would say such a thing. Are you sure you want to do business with someone so untrustworthy?
"......, there is a difference between a mere business transaction and a business relationship between countries. Even if you can trust the person you are doing business with, the country as a whole can be tricky. There is no contradiction in that.
"But I've heard that your father and brother are both close friends of the Stanza delegation.
"Whatever my father and brother may think. No matter what my father or brother may think, as a resident of the palace, I am firmly opposed to the outer court's decision to put my wife's life in danger.

(I'm pretty sure that the Marquise Zafira and Baroness Dredd are having a war of words over there.

　Needless to say, the Marquess of Zafira is a radical conservative who is close to the Marquess of Landrose, while Baron Dredd is an upstart aristocrat and innovator who started out as a merchant family importing and exporting food mainly to the stanzas. Baron Dredi is an innovator and an up-and-coming nobleman who started out as a merchant, importing and exporting food mainly to the stanzas.
　I've heard that Baron Dredd is a member of a faction in the Outer Palace that is sympathetic to the Stanza delegation, but from the looks of things, my daughter does not agree with her father. This time, however, even the innovators are not monolithic, and it seems that only a few of the families who have their daughters in the inner court are as pro-Stanza as Baron Doredi. Most of them remain silent or say.

Baron Dredd is a very kind-hearted and compassionate man. He may have believed the pitying delegation of Stanza, but if you think about it, you will soon realize how dangerous it is to go to the Stanza Empire as an envoy. That's what my father thinks, too, and that's why he's not in favor of the mission.

　Quietly but clearly, Baroness Nasha Crockett - who was also Shayla's friend - spoke up. As Nasha said, Baron Crockett has consistently said from the beginning of this matter, "We must separate our association with individual Stanzans from our deepening ties with the Stanza Empire itself. He is one of the few people who have continued to insist that we must not allow ourselves to be distracted by the delegation sent by the Stanza Empire.
　Baroness Riddile Ernest, who was sitting next to Nasha, nodded in agreement.

You all know that, don't you?　But when they first entered this country, their attitude was horrible. They did not even think of the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who were entrusted with their hospitality, and they did not even pretend to reflect on their attitude of looking down on the Kingdom of Ergeland.
"...... Yes, indeed. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that thanks to the Red Rose's amazing skills, their tyrannical behavior has been eradicated, and they're now saying that they're sorry. I'm sure you're aware of that, but I'm not sure if you're aware of that.



　Shayla, who was sitting at the same table as the two of them, said in a tone of voice that was not quite able to kill the anger in her voice, with her eyes completely fixed. Shayla, and the three named people, knew that Prince Stanza's target was Diana, so they were actually at full throttle from the beginning.
　Almost all of the Red Roses and Neutrals nodded profoundly at Shayla's words, but...

I don't think so.　I think that's why it's so important to send a delegation. It doesn't matter if only Stanza's delegation knows about the Kingdom of Ergeland and the excellence of its people. It is only when the people of the Kingdom of Elgrand enter the heart of the Stanza Empire as emissaries and let them know the excellence of the Kingdom that they can correct the misconceptions of the Stanza Empire.

(...... I see, you have a point.)

　It's hard to tell if this was Liliane's own idea, or if she had been instructed to respond like this after a detailed discussion, but either way, her argument makes a certain amount of sense. Shayla seemed to feel the same way and choked on her words, unable to immediately refute.

I know what you mean, Liliane. I know what you mean, Lillian, but it's not something that needs to be done in a hurry right now.

　Instead of Shayla, who was at a loss for words, it was Raiya who softly made a counterargument. She has been the social center of her age group for many years, and as expected, she knows how to pause.

The relationship with the Stanza Empire is definitely one of the diplomatic matters that we need to consider carefully in the future. In some cases, as Liliane said, it may be necessary for the Kingdom of Ergeland to send an envoy to promote goodwill. But I don't think that's the right thing to do now that they're disrespecting the kingdom.
I agree with Raia. In the event you're not sure if you're being honest or if you're just making it up as you go along, the Stanza envoy has stated that he wants to make a true friendship with the Kingdom of Ergeland, and it's not too late to find out how they're going to behave once they return to the country. You can't do any good diplomacy in the Stanza Empire, which has overwhelmingly few allies, even if you send an envoy from the Kingdom of Ergeland at this stage.
"Even if we take an offensive diplomatic stance, it's still too early to tell. No matter how good the plan is, it can turn out to be a bad idea if the timing is wrong. You have a good point, Liliane, but it is clear to everyone that we are not yet ready to make that happen.

The three "Named" said softly but clearly to Liliane, "No". It was clear from the act at the end of last year at the House of Lords that the three of them were in league with Diana, but even so, for them to clearly announce their separation from Liliane - the conservatives - in front of all the ladies in the palace, they had to be prepared to do so. It's not possible. ...... Especially for Laia, the daughter of the Marquess of Stresia, who has been a member of the old conservative aristocracy for many years.
　In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. Was it anger, frustration, or some other emotion? It was a distortion that Deanna, who was sitting next to me, could only barely make out, so I'm sure very few of the other ladies in the room noticed it.

...... I don't think so.

　One moment she was upset, the next moment she was hiding it nicely.
　Lillian opened her mouth in a superficially ladylike and respectful way to the older lady.

I, for one, would not have agreed to such a story that would have sent our people to their deaths if there had been no communication between the Stanza delegation and our country. I'm sure it's the same with the people at the Outer Palace who are showing a positive attitude towards the Stanza delegation's proposal.
I'm sure that the people in the outer court who are showing a positive attitude towards the Stanza delegation's proposal are the same.
"...... I didn't know that you were so willing to accept a foreign mission, Liliane. You are so generous, I must learn from you.

　Although Leticia's words were favorable to Liliane, her eyes were not smiling despite her smiling face, and her voice was much lower than usual. From the very beginning, she was convinced that there was an ulterior motive. It is also a phrase peculiar to a nobleman, urging him to "tell me what's wrong with you, and get on with it.
　Liliane, who looks down on Laetitia in the first place, smiles at her innuendo.

Lilliane, who looks down on Letitia in the first place, laughs at her innuendo.　I am?　Not at all.

　Lilliane's outright denial of Laetitia's argument reveals her true feelings. In fact, Deanna doesn't really dislike her personality and attitude, which she clearly likes and dislikes. It is not a rule that you have to be absolutely favorable to other countries just because you are a member of the aristocracy in a country that fully recognizes trade with other countries. ...... The problem is that you are trying to enforce that favoritism on others.

It is not possible for me to accept such shameless people favorably. I don't know if they are envoys or members of the royal family, but they have the audacity to enter our court and walk around with impunity. Just looking at his face makes me shudder.
"......, Miss Liliane. You said earlier that there is a certain amount of interaction between these shameless and ignorant people and our country.
Indeed, there is, isn't there?　--Right, my dear Red Rose?

　It's a good idea to take a look at the actual information on the web, as well as the information on the internet. In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. Not to mention His Imperial Highness, the Red Rose also seemed to be enjoying herself very much, and the conversation seemed to be lively. If it is the Red Rose, who is trusted by His Highness the Prince, she will be able to work closely with the Stanza delegation and fulfill the role of envoy more than adequately.

(Hmm, so that's the direction you're going. (Hmm, that's the direction you've come to. ...... In a way, that's what I expected.

　It is now almost certain that Liliane has been instructed to "guide the discussion to make Diana the ambassador of state" at this meeting. All that remained was to ascertain the extent to which her free will was involved in that "instruction.
　I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with that.

...... I'm in trouble. I never dreamed that Lillian had such a high opinion of me.
"Well, that's humble. You were so friendly with His Highness the Prince of Stanza.
I was merely a guest of His Majesty's at the palace. I also accepted to talk with His Imperial Highness the 18th Prince of the Stanza Empire, but that was only because the content of the conversation was just a chat to comfort His Imperial Highness' boredom that did not require His Majesty's help, and I don't think I gained His Highness' trust with that kind of talk. In fact, His Highness the Prince and the members of the delegation might laugh at the Kingdom of Ergeland for appointing a woman who can only talk like that as the head of the delegation.

　I didn't tell a single lie. It was because of Juke's order that Deanna had a tea party (or questioning session) with Prince Stanza, and they didn't exchange opinions about the current state of affairs and diplomacy. It could have been expected that Prince Exiga would try to find out the inner workings of the Kingdom of Elgrand through his questions to Diana, so as expected, the prince has taken all possible precautions.
　The conversation between the prince and Diana was entirely about the history and culture of the two countries, and the difference in consciousness and thinking between the people and the ruling class that had been built upon it. The prince may have approved of Diana as a scholar, but to what extent he saw in her a talent as a government official remains to be seen.
　...... His, Prince Exiga's, goal is to get Diana as a "woman". In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to use it to make a lot of money. Even if most of the Stanza delegation didn't know the prince's true intentions, they would be laughed at by the prince himself and the man who claims to be his aide.

(That's the problem, isn't it? (That's one of the most difficult things to solve.



　I wondered what Liliane's reaction would be.

"It's really unbecoming of the Red Rose to be so modest. It is obvious to everyone that His Highness the Prince of Stanza has opened his heart to you, Red Rose. When she was talking with His Highness, the Red Rose also looked very happy and cheerful. I'm sure you feel that His Highness the Red Rose is much more special to you than to the other princes.

　The air in the room froze at Liliane's smiling words. It's unclear how many of the concubines living in the palace believe the "Red Rose (Diana) is King Juke's favorite princess" theory, but at least it's known as a fact to the outside world. To say to such a person that "other men are more special" is an act of disrespect that goes far beyond politeness. The entourage of the Red Rose Faction blushed in anger, while the three named men and Shayla only looked at me in concern.
　Deeply grateful to them, Diana smiled.

I'm Liliane," she said, "and as a scholar, Your Highness is an excellent one. I am, to use Master Liliane's words, "a trifling woman who insinuates herself wisely into the domain of the Highness," so I cannot deny that I was impressed by Your Highness' profound knowledge. But that would be true even if His Imperial Highness were a woman. I don't think this is something that should be limited to 'His Highness'.
"However, if you approve of even a part of His Highness, then there must be a relationship of trust there.
There is a difference between trusting His Highness' intelligence and trusting him as a ruler. There are many scholars in the world who are exceptionally talented in their own field, but are below average in other fields. No matter how good your highness is as a scholar, looking back at the diplomacy of the stanzas, he is far from trustworthy as an official or a politician. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work.
"...... Even if the Red Rose doesn't believe in His Highness the Prince, isn't His Highness?
I'm not His Highness, so I don't know what His Highness is really like. ...... If, by any chance, His Highness thinks that I am worthy of being a representative of a country, as you say, Liliane, then he is too blind to judge people.

　Every time Deanna spoke, Liliane's eyes lit up with the word "confusion. She looked as if she had never thought that Diana would criticize Prince Stanza so bitterly.

(...... Who or what told you that?)

　So much for a wait-and-see approach. Lillian is certainly working with "someone" in the outer court to turn this situation to their advantage.
　But even if she's just being manipulated by someone, it doesn't mean that she's completely lost her will. It's not. She still has room to feel the discrepancy between the reality in front of her and the story she has been told, and to think for herself.

(Thoughts, ideas, methods, all incompatible. I am determined to destroy it no matter how many years it takes. ...... But there will always be a place for her in the future, even after the crushing. I want to destroy Liliane Landrose as a noblewoman, in a position to be involved in politics, and not just take away Liliane.

　If things go on like this, the day will come when Liliane will be turned into a pawn. Someone, whose identity is unknown, will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
　Diana can't accept Liliane as a noblewoman who rules her people. But that doesn't mean she's willing to take Liliane's life. Even if you're no longer a noble, even if you've lost your power, the future still lies ahead of you as long as you live.

If Liliane finds out, she'll definitely say I'm meddling and that it's none of her business. --But I've made up my mind. I won't let anyone around me die in vain ever again.

　With a secret determination in her heart, Diana looked straight at Liliane.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I'm sure you're aware of it. In public, I am just a daughter of a noble family who has no authority in politics. This is true not only for me, but for all of the ladies here. Appointing such a girl as a representative of the country's envoy is like declaring that you don't expect much from the Ergeland Mission in the first place. It's not every day that a foreign country behaves in such a way as to undermine its own country.
I'm sure you're aware of that, but I'm sure you're not.
I'm not sure what you mean by "diplomacy", but I'm pretty sure that's what you mean.　If you want to reply that you don't have the right to make a decision and will take it back, you will only worsen the position of the legation. It would also give Ergeland a chance to be underestimated by the Stanza Empire.

　Liliane said that many of the members of her entourage were unaware that the Stanza Empire had been secretly plotting to invade the Kingdom of Ergeland for years. This is why I used a softer expression, but the rumored emperor of the Stanza Empire would have killed all of the Ergeland delegation that came to his door, then told a big lie that the representatives of the Ergeland delegation had signed a contract to become a member of the Stanza Empire, and then used that as the basis for a brazen invasion. It would not be surprising if they did.

(......) If the trend of dispatching missions cannot be stopped anymore. After all, the best plan is--

　Breathe quietly to bring back the darkening eyes.
　The limbs that were about to tremble were contained by a strong determination.

In the event you have any questions regarding where and how to use the site, please do not hesitate to contact me. I think that not many people are in favor of this idea,.......
Even so ......, we are not in a position to go against the Soto Palace's decision.
That's exactly what Liliane said. --Madame Magnum.

　In a calm voice, Diana called out to Madame Magnum. Madame Magnum approached her immediately.

"Yes, Master Red Rose.
I'm sure you're aware of that, but I'm sure you're not the only one.　--We will obey the order of the Royal Court as a side chamber of the Kingdom of Ergeland, but it is unpleasant to be thought that we are just pawns to be moved by the Royal Court's decision without any thought or will. I'm sure you can understand that even if they have their own will, and even if they were to be selected as the representatives of the delegation, it is not something that they or anyone around them would have wanted.
"Yes, sir. --I promise.

　There was power in Mrs. Magnum's voice. With a smile that was not an act, Diana nodded back.

"So, is this the end of the formalities?

　Yolanda immediately clapped her hands in a gentle voice. Deanna nodded her head in agreement with Mrs. Magnum.

"Yes.
"Yes, Mr. Suzuran. --I'm sorry, but we can't just leave you here like this. Tea and refreshments have been prepared for you, so please make yourselves at home.

　With Madame Magnum's words as a signal, the maids and maids-in-waiting brought in tea sets and pastries one after another. Deanna smiled a little and stood up.



I'm going to go and say hello to my friends for a while.
"I'm sure you can sit quietly, but I'm sure everyone will be here to greet you.
Normally, yes, but with this seating arrangement, ......

　In this impromptu side room meeting, the five "Named" are seated side by side with Deanna in the center, on a higher level. This is a form of separation between the side chambers of the named ones, who are technically candidates for the regular queen, and the other side chambers. Lilliane is next to Deanna, and I don't think I can talk to all the Red Roses in this seating arrangement.
　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that.

I'm sure you'll understand. You should come back before the tea gets cold.
"Yes, Master Riah.

　In the event that you've got any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Deanna slowly walked down the steps and went around the desk in the route she had been secretly thinking about throughout the meeting.
　In principle, the desks were arranged according to their positions in the palace, so it wasn't long before Deanna reached the desk where Nasha, Shayla, and Lidil were sitting. Although Lidil is the only exceptionally low ranking person in this group, it seems that seating is determined not only by rank, but also by human relations to facilitate the exchange of opinions.
　The three of them were about to stand up when they saw Deanna, but Deanna stopped them just as she did the rest of the table.

I'm sorry to bother you. I just wanted to say hello. Please make yourselves comfortable.
"Oh no, my Master Red Rose. It's an honor.
No way. Thank you so much for being so open and honest with me earlier.

　I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll understand what I mean. I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it. ...... It seems that Shayla is aware of Diana's inner turmoil.
　It's a good idea to take a look at the actual information on the web.

(...... ah, what?)

　I don't know. I'm not sure how to describe it, but there's something about Nasha that feels off to me. It's very small, but you can't just walk right past it.
　After observing Nasha and her surroundings without being rude, Deanna discovered one of the reasons for her discomfort.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.
"......, I'm so sorry.
There's no need to apologize. Maybe you're not feeling well?　If you're not feeling well, I'm sorry I put you through so much today.
No, not at all. It's just that I've been eating a little too much lately.
Is that so?　Is there anything else wrong with you?

　In front of Nasha there was nothing but tea with lemon floating in it. The serving plate was still white, not a single scrap of baked goods had fallen off.
　A poor appetite is a sign of any disease. Not only gastrointestinal illnesses, but also the beginning of psychological illnesses can cause loss of appetite.

Do you have trouble sleeping, or wake up quickly after falling asleep? Anything like that?
No. ...... Not particularly. In fact, I think I sleep better than usual.
Yeah. ......
And it's not a big deal that I can't eat. I can eat some things just fine. Like that lemon cake they gave out the other day.
Oh. It had a refreshing sour taste. It was delicious.
Yes. So it's nothing serious. Thank you for your concern.

　The soft smile on Nasha's face did not indicate that she was lying. While she was satisfied with the situation, there was still a subtle feeling of discomfort in Diana.

(For now, I'll just share it with everyone later. ......)

　It's not natural for us to stay at this table for a long time. Deanna nodded.

I understand. If you continue to feel unwell, you should see a doctor.
"Yes, Miss Red Rose.

　While leaving the table after greeting each other, Deanna continued to think about what to say to her friends, including Nasha.