High Society Conspiracies

‘Haaa… A flower vase again, then.’

Aya had not wanted to come. Yet here she was, seated beneath a parasol on a balcony lit by the afternoon sun, a teacup in hand. With her were the four princes, and before them was a table laden with sumptuous pastries and aromatic tea.

As usual, she listened to the conversation in silence.

“It seems House Sorovia has been purged,” Enzo remarked, making Aya jolt. “Etor Gallahan has ordered the execution of the nobles.”

‘That is…Lady Maruscha's family.’

Gabriel replied, “So it appears. Treason alone would have been enough, but the inquisition uncovered far more.”

“Quite bold of them, I say. The members who served in the palaces were involved in embezzlement, counterfeit documents, and graft,” Drystan added.

“Most notable,” Aiden interjected, “is that they covertly interfered with investigations on House Gayatri's open case.”

“Forgery of royal authority, bribery of officials, obstruction of justice… So, treason was merely the crime that finally exposed the corrupted clan.”

Aya lowered her gaze to her tea, absorbing every word. Under the royal statutes, those crimes were punishable by death. Romina and Cassian had informed her of this. With treason compounded by malfeasance, the main branch had been sentenced to execution while their relatives faced varying penalties depending on their involvement.

‘Lady Maruscha… Despite everything, you taught me far more than you may have realized.’ Some lessons came from the things she said, others from the things she did, and then more from the things she never meant for her to learn. ‘Instead of peace, I hope you find the satisfaction you sought in me.’

“Subsequently, speculation surfaced about House Sorovia’s alleged connection to a secret organization operating underground,” Aiden disclosed with a hooded expression, much to the surprise of all present.

“A secret organization…?”

“The Pureblood Covenant. They believe in hereditary superiority, or that the gods have ordained certain noble lineages. They have this entitled ideology that their ancestors are the first, original chosen people.”

“The same group that’s after-?”

Enzo’s piercing gaze immediately silenced Drystan, who then glanced at Aya. ‘...Suspicious. Are they hiding something?’

“Calix has not been around for a while,” Aiden continued, earning Enzo’s pointed look this time while Drystan hastily turned away.

She ignored their odd behavior for now in favor of saying, “E-Excuse me. Has anyone heard from him? We write to each other, but he hasn’t responded lately.”

“Oh? You seem quite close. Was he unable to attend your tea party, too?”

‘He’s still hung up on that?!’ Aya forced a smile at Enzo. “He was. He must’ve been busy, too.”

“It is hardly uncommon. Sometimes, we cannot reach him for months.”

‘So, Calix does go missing for that long. Why, though?'

“Aiden,” he called suddenly in a low voice. “Pray tell, where did you get that information from? Not even House Ignatius is privy to that. Could it be from…Rah Aerowenlore?”

‘Lord Lorenz? Now that he said it, someone else has been sending me letters about Dad’s condition in his stead. I'm grateful for that, but I also can't help but worry.’

Gabriel chimed, “I heard he has been staying in the Amethyst Palace and has yet to return to the Aerowenlore Isle since the crowning ceremony.”

“The Premo takes charge whenever a Rah has business elsewhere. I see no cause for concern regarding his prolonged sojourn,” Aiden stated.

Trying to keep pace with their back-and-forth, Aya recalled her lessons on governance and state affairs.

Former royalties or Divine Vessels became heads of the six Anchorages, the oldest and most prominent noble houses in the archipelago. As with the royal family, their rule of succession was not by right of inheritance. If the Divine Vessel ascended the throne, like Gallahan, the Rah position would be appointed to a relative or a trusted individual.

Due to the constant power shifts in the Anchorages, it was the next highest-ranked noble house, also typically the largest, that held the most influence on the island. Those who led these families were called Premo, if male, or Prema, if female. Apart from being proxies for the Rahs, they presided over the primary noble factions and served as advisors.

"What might this business be this time?” Enzo probed.

Aiden shrugged, sipping his tea. “The Threshold Crossing Feast is fast approaching. It is in winter, so I, the Divine Vessel of Wind, am leading the event, and he is assisting me."

“The Harvest Thanksgiving Rites is in this autumn, but you will not see Rah Vonwerstein lingering around the Amber Palace- Ow!” Drystan yelped and looked down at his feet.

“Is everything alright?”

“Someone just-!”

“Are you two still fighting?”

Both Aya and Drystan turned to Aiden. “...You mean us?”

“Come now. No more roughhousing~"

‘T-This guy…?! He’s clearly the one who kicked him under the table!’

“Say, Hiraya.” In the past, Aiden's smile felt like sunshine to a mere flower vase that was her, but now, it brought not a shred of warmth even as he beamed at her the same way he did before. “You have interacted with all the parties mentioned so far, have you not?”

Aya straightened up, then out of nowhere, Drystan spoke, “Spare her from this. With all her recent activities, she scarcely has the leisure for conspiracies. Were she aware of every matter of the nobility, I would be more intrigued about how she found the time.”

'Is he...helping me?'

“Ah, yes, forgive us. This should be a time to relax.” Enzo offered her a plate of cookies.

Gabriel poured her a freshly brewed cup. “Indeed. We are glad you are here with us.”

“The topics may have been somewhat jarring for you, though.”

“What do noblewomen even talk about?”

“Shall we discuss the latest trends, then?”

“It is the first time we have a lady with us. Apologies, we are at a loss.”

Aya, too, was a bit flustered. ‘They noticed I felt out of place.'

“Well, you know,” Aiden chuckled lightly. “This is what tea parties are for.”

She stared at them, finally understanding.

They had been trying to keep her apprised of the latest developments in noble society—one rumor, one observation, one piece of news at a time. As Romina always said, these gatherings mattered more than she thought. They were no mere recreation, but also quiet exchanges of information. A noble could spend every waking hour attending to estates, correspondence, and official tasks, yet remain culpably ignorant of the world around them.

‘And the four of them have been doing these tea parties since when exactly?’ Aya gazed at the floral centerpiece on the table. ‘I guess knowing what’s happening beyond my own duties is itself a responsibility.’

And maybe simply being a flower vase was not it.

---

After the tea party, Aya spent the rest of the afternoon reading novels in the main palace’s library, though with unwanted company.

“It’s a pity you don’t go to the academy with us.” Drystan sat across from her with his chin propped over his hand.

“Is that supposed to be a slight?

“Huh?”

“I’m no longer under house arrest, but I am to be homeschooled until I'm deemed fit to travel and live in a dorm.”

“Because they think you’ll sneak out again or something?”

“Hm.”

“Do you still do that, though? Your first and last offense was months ago.”

Her cheek twitched. ‘Actually, I just did it the other day.’

“I wasn't being demeaning. I just thought we could study together for the exams if you were there. I…could use some help.”

‘This boy…’ She squinted at him. ‘...He’s only after my illusion.’

“What an unusual pair.”

The two looked up to find Aiden strolling towards their table. Aya winced inwardly. She should've been doing her favorite pastime now. She had no idea why they're coming one after another.

Aiden took the seat beside Aya. “So, Drystan. How come you're asking her for help when you have us with you in the academy?”

“Uh, um, well… She shared her study materials with me yesterday, and…”

“Oh? How generous! I see you now use illusions as study materials.”

“You saw that?!”

“It was quite clever~”

Aya and Drystan glanced at each other, bemused. ‘He left before the rest of us, though. Was he still around? And earlier today… He's been acting weird, too.’

“Is something the matter, Aiden?”

The boy cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

“I know you're the one who hit me during the tea party.”

“Hiraya did the same before, didn't she?”

“H-Huh? Why me?” She couldn't understand him.

“It's not the same. What even is your point?”

“Like her, I wanted you to shut up. That's all.”

Drystan appeared scandalized while Aya took that as confirmation. ‘If there’s one thing I learned from reading so much, it's that I should never judge a book by its cover. He wasn't passing by to check in on us. He also didn't happen to be nearby yesterday. He seeks us out deliberately.’

“Why, you-!”

“What is it he should shut up about?” she asked outright, facing him head-on.

He grinned at her, bright and warm. “Well, every one of us does have a secret or two~"

‘... I'm getting a bad feeling about this.’

“I believe you now understand what purpose tea parties serve, but allow me to tell you more.” Aiden leaned closer to Aya, then whispered, “They are also an opportunity for observation. Mien, habits, mannerisms—I keep them all in mind. Each is as unique as it goes. You, however, are not particularly consistent in that regard, Hiraya."