New World, New Life: I Became A Bigshot In The Ancient World
Chapter 133: A MIX OF ANGER AND RESENTMENT

Chapter 133: A MIX OF ANGER AND RESENTMENT

Liam pierced his sword into the ground and sat back down, panting lightly. He then picked up his book which had been lying open face down on the table and began to read silently.

Aristia raised her eyebrows and turned to Lauren with questioning eyes.

"Brother Liam will soon leave for the academy. He’s training and studying even harder," Lauren remarked.

Aristia was confused.

Liam was soon turning eight years old. He would leave for the academy in two years. Was two years soon?

"I see," she nodded like she understood. "But... why’s he studying when there’s still two more years?" She asked.

"Huh?" Lauren asked, looking at her with confusion. "Boys attend the academy at eight."

"Oh..." Aristia nodded. She finally understood why Liam was like this now.

[Was that why Priscilla Essylt said that that brat Zachary Splane would attend the academy this year during the Kingdom’s anniversary banquet last year?] She thought, recalling what happened.

It hadn’t occurred to her to ask Vasily about it when she was told that the king had changed the policy to ten years old.

[I didn’t know it only applied to females. Really, Vasily should have been clearer.]

Her gaze slipped back to Liam. [That’s why he’s working so hard? They really hold that academy with importance.]

"Will an examination be taken before you are accepted in the Academy?" She was curious.

"I don’t know," Lauren shook her head.

"No." It was Liam who replied, his eyes still fixed on his book. His brows furrowed in thought. He hadn’t heard anyone say anything about an examination when they talked about the academy.

Aristia kept staring at Liam. She didn’t know why, but she had so much affection in her heart for him. What confused her even more was that there was some other emotion she couldn’t pinpoint. It was probably the original Aristia’s emotions. Aristia looked down at her chest where her heart was located, not knowing why the original Aristia would have such emotions.

At that moment, servants entered the garden. The food was ready. They arranged the food on the table and bowed, standing at the side.

"Let’s eat," Aristia smiled.

All except Liam reacted. His eyes were still fixated on his book.

Aristia leaned forward on the table and tipped the book down a little with her finger.

"Let’s eat, brother Liam. You can’t study on an empty stomach."

Liam finally looked up from his book, his blank face melting into a smile.

He closed the book and shifted it aside. Then, he too began to eat.

After lunch, Grand Duchess Catherine, Duchess Alistair and Viscountess Vasily approached the children in the garden.

"Children, we will be attending a tea party tomorrow with the ladies of the North," Vasily began.

Everyone nodded in understanding. The North was home to various noble families who chose to reside away from the capital, each managing their own fiefs and responsibilities, just like other parts of the kingdom—South, West, and East. The Hemsworth Fief was situated in the North.

The ladies of the North were all the noble ladies who belonged to the north. Not everyone preferred to live in the capital. They stayed in their Fiefs.

Aristia listened half-heartedly. [I’d wanted to stop by the art store and take care of some things, but now, I don’t think that’s very possible.] Aristia thought to herself.

"We will depart in the morning, so ensure you are prepared," Catherine added with a smile, her eyes moving warmly over each child.

Liam nodded. "We will be ready."

The adults nodded in acknowledgment before the adults led the children back towards the estate, leaving them to their own devices for the remainder of the afternoon.

The next day, just as Catherine said, they left in the morning for the tea party. It was a tea party for ladies and children. The tea party was held in the Clyvehill Fief which was neighbouring the Hemsworth Fief.

Throughout the ride from the Hemsworth Fief to the Clyvehill Fief, Aristia stuck her head out of the window. It wasn’t only her, Liam and Lauren did too. It was their first time in this Fief. Alaric and Lilith were not brought along and were being looked after by their personal maids who were also their nannies.

[This is the third place I’ve been to in Amberale since I began to occupy this body.]

The first was the capital, and the second was the Hemsworth Fief. She hadn’t gone anywhere else.

Aristia stuck her head out of the window. It wasn’t only her, Liam and Lauren did too. It was their first time in this fief too.

The carriage entered the Clyvehill Estate. As they arrived at the entrance of the Clyvehill mansion, the hostess was waiting to greet them. She almost couldn’t hide the wide smile on her face as she did it. She couldn’t believe the Imperial princess would attend a tea party hosted by her, a Countess belonging to minor nobility.

They were the last to arrive. The hostess led them into the mansion to a wide room. Other noblewomen and children had already arrived and were holding conversations.

They were all seated at round tables. Even though they were engaged in conversation, their eyes would stare towards the entrance of the room. They had heard that both the Imperial Princess and the Duchess were attending and couldn’t wait to verify the information. Some also discussed this.

When the people they were awaiting showed their presence, the ladies and children stood up. Only when they were seated, did they also sit back down.

"Thank you all for joining me today. Your presence has made this tea party delightful..."

The hostess, Countess Sylvia Clyvehill, said some words of thanks to the guests for attending. Most of them were from the minor nobles, and the rest aristocrats without title.

The tea party began officially. The conversations continued.

"Did you hear about Lady Harper’s latest ball, Lady Margaret? It was simply exquisite!"

"Oh, indeed, Baroness Eliza! The decorations were breathtaking, and the music... simply divine!"

"And those gowns! How gorgeous they were!" A woman Aristia heard was called Baroness Sophia added to the conversation.

Aristia listened to the conversation between the women, hoping to glean any useful or interesting information.

She hadn’t attended any balls because children typically did not attend formal Balls.

Balls were considered adult social events where the focus was on socializing, dancing, and networking among adults of the upper classes. Children, especially those from noble families, were usually cared for by nannies, governesses, or other household staff during such occasions. Hence, she had no idea what was happening at those events.

"Speaking of trends, have you seen the latest tapestries from the East? They’re quite intricate." Lady Margaret said.

"I must admit, I’ve been indulging in a bit of embroidery myself. Keeps the mind sharp, don’t you think?"

"Absolutely, Lady Chloe." Baroness Eliza agreed, then turned to Lady Margaret. "And how is your son faring at the academy, Lady Margaret?"

Lady Margaret smiled a bit proudly, "He’s adjusting well, thank you. Quite eager to excel, much like his father."

Baroness Eliza asked, "And what about your plans for the summer, Lady Sophia? Any travels in mind?"

Lady Sophia replied, "Indeed, I’ve been contemplating a visit to the coast. The sea air always invigorates the spirits..."

[Uh... These conversations are boring.] Aristia stopped listening to the conversation of the women beside their table. The ladies were just discussing social events and fashion.

The tea party continued like that and soon, the hostess announced that it was time for lunch.

Countess Sylvia Clyvehill stood up and tapped her spoon on her cup. "Ladies and dear children, may I have your attention, please? It has been lovely having you all here today. The servants will now be serving lunch. Please join us in enjoying this meal together."

Servants entered the room and began to serve food at the tables.

The tables they sat on were round and could accommodate six people. Aristia and her cousins along with three other noble children. The children who attended the tea party were all above three years of age and below ten years.

Well, it was mostly females from ages eight to nine as the males were at the academy. Only males below eight were present at the tea party.

Aristia narrowed her eyes. One of the children was staring at her with anger and resentment. She could feel the piercing gaze on herself.

It didn’t take long to find the culprit.

She was beautiful and had mauve hair and turquoise eyes— features that were not very common among the minor nobility. The girl stood out among the crowd but also wasn’t very noticeable, as if she blended in. Aristia didn’t know how she was able to do that.

She had noticed the glaring when she entered the room but had decided to ignore it. But no one else at their table seemed to notice.

[What did I do?] She was sure she wasn’t responsible for whatever reason propelled the child to stare at her that way.

She barely left the Grand Duke’s Mansion and the girl’s face wasn’t familiar which meant she didn’t reside in the capital or she just didn’t pay attention her. It wasn’t like she was familiar with much noble children apart from those in her circle, and those belonging to pure nobility. There shouldn’t be much interaction between them.

She shrugged it off, after all, what had she to do with childish grudges?

But the stare was becoming quite intense and the girl refused to look away. Aristia made eye contact with her, but she still did not look away. Only when her eyes narrowed did the staring stop.

The arrival of the food shifted Aristia’s attention away from the girl. She maintained her composed demeanor despite the unsettling stare from the unfamiliar girl.

As lunch was served, the conversation around her continued in the same vein— social pleasantries, upcoming events, and fashionable trends. She picked at her food with interest.

Well, it was more appealing than the conversation around her anyway.

Beside her, Liam seemed more interested in his meal than the adult conversations. He occasionally exchanged glances with Lauren to draw her attention whenever the ladies’ topics veered into territories that held little interest for the children.

He didn’t understand most of them but it sounded a little bit weird to him. He thought he didn’t need to do so for Aristia as she was focusing on her food. Liam had no idea Aristia’s ears were alert and she could hear most of the conversation.

Meanwhile, Aristia couldn’t keep her expression straight.