Chapter 252: Teatime And Desperation PT1

It was a beautiful morning. The kind that almost felt peaceful, the kind that fooled you into believing the world was kind.

Lydia stood in front of her mirror, quietly watching her reflection. She wore a simple but graceful blue dress that shimmered faintly when the sunlight touched it. Her hair fell in soft curls over her shoulders, and her eyes, though calm, carried a sadness that never truly left.

As she looked at herself, she said softly under her breath, "I will never let myself be hurt again."

Xena was standing behind her, carefully fixing the lace at her waist and brushing off invisible dust from her sleeves. "You look beautiful, Your Highness," she said with a gentle smile, trying to lift Lydia’s spirit.

Lydia only gave a faint nod. "Thank you, Xena."

Just then, the door opened. Anna and Katherine stepped in. Anna’s expression was bright as always, her tone cheerful. "Everything is ready, Your Highness," she said. "They are waiting for you."

Lydia nodded and turned slightly toward them. "Good," she said softly.

Katherine, however, looked at her with concern. "Are you sure you’re alright, Your Highness? You’ve been quiet all morning."

Lydia gave a small smile, pretending. "I’m alright, Katherine. It’s just tea."

Katherine looked doubtful. "Are you sure?"

"I am," Lydia said again, a little more firmly this time.

There was a small silence. Then Lydia sighed, gathering herself. "Let’s go."

---

Meanwhile, in another corner of the palace, Tatiana lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her face was pale and her eyes swollen from crying all night. The sunlight filtering through her curtains made her look even more fragile, like a ghost of herself.

Yelena, her handmaid, stood beside her bed holding a tray with bread and fruit. "My lady, please eat something," she said softly. "You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday."

Tatiana didn’t move. Her voice was flat. "Leave me alone."

Yelena frowned, worried. "My lady, please. You’ll make yourself sick. You must eat something. You know, while Her Highness is having her formal tea today, all of us are running around serving those spoiled ladies tea and cake. More reasons to waste money and gossip, I say..." She mumbled, rolling her eyes.

Tatiana slowly turned her head toward her, her expression hardening. "What did you say?"

Yelena froze, realizing she had gone too far. "Nothing, my lady. I just meant—"

Tatiana sat up suddenly, her eyes flashing. "All of this is because of that woman," she hissed. "That bitch."

Yelena gasped softly. "I’m sorry, my lady. I shouldn’t have said anything. Please forgive me."

Tatiana ignored her apology. She sat quietly for a moment, her fingers gripping the blanket tightly, her voice trembling as she muttered, "She took everything from me."

Yelena tried to calm her down. "My lady, please—"

But Tatiana’s tone changed. It grew cold and steady. "Prepare a bath and a dress for me."

Yelena blinked. "Why, my lady?"

Tatiana looked toward the window, her eyes dark and glistening. "To attend," she said softly. "Obviously."

---

The tea gathering was held in the glass hall near the royal garden. It was a beautiful place—tall glass walls surrounded by blooming flowers and soft light filtering through. The tables were dressed with lace cloth, porcelain cups, and silver trays of cakes and fruits.

Lydia sat at the center, calm and graceful. Her blue dress shimmered like the calm sky behind her. The noble ladies sat around, laughing softly, their fans fluttering as they gossiped.

The first to speak was Viscountess Mirena, a lively woman in her fifties. She laughed as she lifted her teacup. "Your Highness, I must say, I am very grateful to you," she said with a wide smile. "Since your new law, my husband has been treating me like a human being for the first time in our thirty years of marriage."

Everyone chuckled.

"He even stopped his affairs," Mirena went on, her tone half mocking. "He’s been buying me gifts every day—flowers, jewelry, all sorts of nonsense. All because he’s afraid I’ll divorce him and he’ll lose half his estate!"

The ladies burst into laughter.

Mirena grinned proudly. "But you know what? I’ve thought about it. I’ll just pretend to be the good wife for a little while longer. Then, I’ll still divorce him."

The whole room filled with laughter. Even Lydia smiled faintly, sipping her tea. The moment was light and warm, but beneath it, Lydia could still feel a shadow of pain pressing against her chest.

The conversation soon shifted, as it always did, to affairs and men.

"Men these days are afraid to cheat," one lady said, shaking her head.

"They should be," another replied. "It’s about time."

The laughter returned—but it didn’t last long.

Because the doors opened.

And Tatiana walked in.

The sound of the door closing behind her seemed to silence the room. Every fan froze mid-air. Every cup paused halfway to the lips. The cheerful laughter faded into whispers.

Tatiana walked gracefully into the room, dressed beautifully in pale gold, her chin lifted proudly. But her eyes gave her away. They carried bitterness, the kind that could poison an entire room.

The ladies exchanged looks of disgust. One whispered, "She dares show her face here?"

Another murmured, "Shameless creature."

Someone at the far end leaned toward Lydia and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, you are too kind keeping that woman in your palace. If it were me, I’d have her shipped far away."

The ladies chuckled again, covering their mouths with their fans.

Lydia only raised her hand slightly, silencing them. Her face was calm, her tone soft but firm. "I didn’t call you all here to talk about filth," she said. "I called you here to talk about something more important."

The room went quiet again.

Lydia placed her teacup down and looked around. "There are too many in Svetlana who suffer quietly. The poor, the sick, the widows, and the children who have no one to care for them. If we wish to build a better Svetlana, we must help those who cannot help themselves. That is why I asked you all here—to form something meaningful, not gossip."

The ladies nodded, impressed and ashamed at the same time. A few clapped softly. Soon the entire table joined in, clapping for her kindness and wisdom.

But as Lydia smiled faintly and nodded in gratitude, she suddenly felt her stomach twist painfully. Her vision blurred for a second, and a wave of nausea rose in her throat.

She tried to stay calm, holding her breath as the women kept talking, but she could feel her body trembling.

Tatiana’s eyes followed her every movement with quiet satisfaction. There was bitterness, but also something dark—almost like pleasure in seeing Lydia falter.

Lydia forced a smile and stood up slowly. "Excuse me," she said quietly, "I need to step out for a moment."

The ladies nodded politely, and Lydia left the table. She walked as gracefully as she could until she was far enough. Then she hurried toward another part of the garden, her hands over her mouth.

When she reached a quiet spot near the roses, she leaned against the wall and finally threw up. Her body shook, her chest aching with both sickness and frustration.

When she was done, she wiped her lips and took a deep breath, tears gathering in her eyes.

"I can’t hide this much longer," she whispered softly to herself. Her voice broke. "What am I going to do?"

She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself. But then—

She felt a warm hand on her back.