The sunshine was warm, the breeze was gentle, the sky was clear, and the birds chirped joyfully in the trees. It was a perfect day for an outdoor salon. Helena wore her favourite celeste blue dress and sat in a beautiful garden. She sipped her tea and smiled brightly. The drink's scent was marvellous.
"What a nice day."
Helena then stared at Ruth Verdant, the salon's host. The older woman had matched the window to the curtain. Her light brown, copper-coloured hair complemented her chestnut-brown eyes. The wrinkles under her eyes did nothing to diminish the sweet appearance of her round face.
Lady Verdant married a Marquis and lived a peaceful life. She retired from high society once her children had grown up. She did not appear that much at social gatherings, but still had a big impact as the former social butterfly. The forty-year-old lady continued to hold a salon where she heard the latest stories about the nobility.
Helena chose to attend Lady Verdant's salon because she was not prejudiced against newcomers. Lady Verdant welcomed anyone with open arms, as long as they were courteous. It would be better to make her acquaintance than that of the young nobles.
Although she was fine this time, a misfortune befell Lady Verdant one day. She locked herself in her room and never showed up in public again. The reason for her sudden isolation was unknown. Helena wondered what could have caused such a drastic change in such a wonderful woman.
"Hey, hey. Have you heard about Prince Ruby and the Viscount's daughter?"
"He ditched her for another woman, didn't he? This time it's a lady from the Baron family in the countryside."
"Urgh... Why does he have to be so charming?"
Helena smiled as she listened, yet her mind thought otherwise.
"This is so boring."
The topic of the conversation at the tea party remained the same. It was always about gossip, the latest fashion trends, or marriage. Helena grew weary of hearing it all the time.
She recalled her past life. In her first life, Helena was a keen listener who barely spoke. In her second life, she was a liar who gathered everyone's attention. Neither remaining silent nor fabricating a story was fruitful. She decided to shift the subject. Her extensive knowledge of gardening (from her first life) and tea (from her second life) became handy.
"Do you know that catnip can be brewed into tea?"
"Really? I've never heard of that before."
"It tastes woodsy and grassy. I suggest mixing it with lemon for a few minutes."
Helena brought a new topic to the table. The other ladies began to discuss their hobbies and interests. Helena seized the opportunity to find out about their preferences.
"I almost forgot! Lady Blackmoore, I heard you received an invitation to the Royal Ball. Congratulations!"
A lady at the same table interrupted her. Helena was puzzled by her comment. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you're talking about."
That lady was hiding a dagger behind her smile. "My apologies. I made a mistake. I thought you and your sister got invited to the Royal Ball."
That lady was Ethel's friend, Mariah Heather. Her bratty face matched her personality. The brown auburn-haired girl always took Ethel's side. She embarrassed Helena on purpose to impress her sister.
Helena's eyes twitched at the provocation. Last week, her stepsister received an invitation to the Royal Ball. Being reminded of it was not exactly pleasant. In her first life, Helena was too timid to fight back against Lady Heather. In her second life, Helena threw tea at her. The current Helena was wiser and more experienced. She could handle this situation better than before.
"I understand that they did not choose me, for I am lacking in many areas. However, Lady Heather was a true noblewoman who received an education from childhood. Surely you obtained the invitation, right?"
"I..." Mariah's face was red. Her chances of acquiring a royal invitation were slim from the start. Although she came from a baron's family, she only managed to become Ethel's follower. Mariah could only visit the big party by clinging to her stepsister.
She went silent after embarrassing herself when a butler walked into the garden. He pardoned himself for disrupting the salon and whispered to Lady Verdant. That woman was stunned. "Please excuse me, ladies. I must tend to a pressing matter for a moment."
She hastily left the garden. Helena paid no mind and kept talking to the others.
The future was unpredictable. One small change of direction could lead to a whole new path. This salon was no different. Helena had never attended before. She never thought that her presence in that salon would lead her to a new destiny.
The sound of heels echoed through the hallway. Helena stopped drinking her tea when she heard them. "The one with the low heels must be Lady Verdant. Hmmm? There's someone next to her. It must be another lady wearing heels."
Someone was standing next to Lady Verdant. The moment the woman appeared in the garden, everyone stopped talking. All of their attention shifted in one direction. They all stood up and curtsied to the new guest. Helena followed the other ladies.
"Your Grace."
Everyone was shocked when Nora Vermillion showed up. She was the kingdom's only duchess. Her husband, the Duke of Eluvuris, was the First Prince's right-hand man. He earned the nickname 'Prince Lapdog' due to his loyalty. Duchess Vermillion was no exception. Like her husband, she held important positions in supporting the monarchy. She gained the title 'Dame of Justice' for protecting people and upholding the law.
Duchess Vermillion had a cold expression. Her olive-green eyes glared at the participants one by one. She opened her fan and spoke in a flat voice.
"It's nice to see young ladies nowadays are so polite."
Daze was written all over Helena's face. "Why is she in here?"
Helena interacted with the Duchess in her first life. They only exchanged greetings and never saw each other again. In her second life, however, Helena avoided the Duchess like the plague. Nora Vermillion was a dignified and honourable noblewoman. If the Duchess found out about Helena's behaviour in her previous life, she would ruin her standing in high society.
"Pardon my surprise visit, young ladies. I am in the mood to meet an old friend."
Lady Verdant chuckled. "It's a pleasant surprise, for sure. I never expected to see you today."
Duchess Vermillion was not on the guest list. If she were, the party would have been full of politically affiliated people. Helena glanced at the other noble ladies. They were pale with fear and anxiety. Everyone prayed not to commit a blunder in front of the Duchess. The Duchess herself realised that her arrival had created a rigid atmosphere.
"No need to pay attention to me. You may continue your discussion."
Lady Verdant and Duchess Vermillion seated themselves at a separate table. The young ladies were relieved and carried on talking. The atmosphere returned to normal after the older ladies sat farther away.
The salon ended without a hitch. Unfortunately, Helena failed her mission. She had lost her chance to speak to Lady Verdant. Helena sighed. Perhaps now was not the right time to get close to the Marchioness.
Helena gave her parting words before returning to her mansion. "Thank you for your hospitality. It was a lovely gathering."
Lady Verdant was pleased at Helena's politeness. "You're welcome. I'd love to see you at my next salon, too."
Unfortunately, Lady Vermillion's eyes caught her.
"Ruth, who is this? I've never seen her before."
Helena curtsied before her body froze in fear. "My name is Helena Blackmoore."
"Ah, the new lady of the Blackmoore family."
Duchess Vermillion opened her fan right in front of her lips. The brunette woman scowled at Helena from head to toe. Helena gulped. This meeting felt more like an interrogation.
"My friend, do you mind if I borrow one of your rooms? I need to speak to Lady Blackmoore alone."
Helena turned to Lady Verdant, hoping the nice woman would refuse the Duchess's request. "Please reject her..."
Helena stared at the sweet lady with eyes full of hope. However, Lady Verdant did not understand her plea. "Of course you can! Feel free to use one of the guest rooms!"
"NOOOOO!"
Helena was dumbstruck and screamed inside her head. She had no choice but to follow Lady Vermillion.
Helena was nervous. She had no idea what mistake landed her in this predicament. Duchess Vermillion was known for being fair. She never harassed people or abused her power.
"Lady Blackmoore, do you know anything about my family?"
Helena tilted her head. The question perplexed her, but she answered it. "The Vermillion family works directly under the First Prince."
"You are right. In fact, my husband chased a troublesome cult under imperial orders. My job is to support him by providing information. Recently, I found some interesting information about a noble lady enquiring about the cult in the library and bookshop."
Cold sweat broke out across her forehead. Helena's prediction was right. This was an interrogation. She was the suspect, and Lady Vermillion was the judge. Helena knew where the conversation was heading. The Duchess was trying to dig for information.
"Did you know how we found out about the cult?"
Helena shook her head. She had only recently discovered the cult.
"One day, Prince Heliodor opened our door abruptly and screamed about something horrible that happened in his domain. We followed him and found one hundred and twenty-seven dead bodies. Only three people survived the slaughter. Two of them had lost their minds, and the third was badly injured from self-harm. None of those three survived for long. Luckily for us, the last survivor lived to tell his story. A cult performed human sacrifices and other rituals to summon a demon. Imagine how disgusted I was to learn that such a thing happened in this kingdom."
Just thinking about it made Helena turn pale. "How did no one know about this?"
The Duchess sneered. "We altered the news reports to claim that they passed away from gas poisoning."
Helena lowered her gaze to the floor. The weight of the matter was heavier than she had thought. She remembered reading a news article about poisonous gas. Nobody was suspicious of the mass deaths because the corpses died unnaturally. There were no signs of a struggle or injuries on their bodies. Everyone agreed that poisonous gas was the most logical explanation for their deaths.
Only Helena knew the truth. Paradise Star's ritual was successful. They sacrificed those people to the demon.
"Tell me, young lady, why do you seek Paradise Star? Depending on your answer, I might decide to let you go or end your position."
"Well, I actually have repeated my life twice. After an investigation, I discovered my butler was a demon. He told me to search for Paradise Star. How shocked I was to learn that it was a cult!"
Like hell she could reply with that.
Helena struggled to breathe. Her heart raced, almost as if it were about to jump out of her chest. She felt nauseous and wanted to vomit on the floor. Helena had not achieved her goal, yet the situation was already grim. Duchess Vermillion's influence was strong enough to plunge her down. Forget high society. That woman held the power to crush her family to dust.
Should she lie? No, Duchess Vermillion's intuition was exceptional. She was trained to detect falsehoods. The Duchess of Justice would know if Helena was lying. She only had one option right now. Helena took a deep breath. She answered in a clear voice.
"I had no idea that Paradise Star was a cult before. That's why I was explicitly searching for information about it. I did not intend to cause any harm with it. I swear on my life."
Duchess Vermillion observed Helena. The young girl stared into her eyes. Her expression left no doubt. Everything Helena stated was the truth.
The Duchess closed her fan. "It's a vague answer, but I accept it."
Helena stroked her chest, feeling relieved that she survived the random death flag that appeared out of nowhere.
"If you have any more information about Paradise Star, please give it to me. You will be rewarded handsomely." Duchess Vermillion stood up and walked to the door. "I hope you remain on the right path. It would be a shame to lose a young, intelligent woman like you."
"Thank- thank you! I will not disappoint you!"
After the Duchess left, Helena returned to her home. She never expected to meet her at such an insignificant gathering. Helena did not want to experience that scary encounter. The meeting was exhausting. Helen went straight to sleep after returning home.
The next day, she visited the church, hoping it would lift her spirits. Much to her surprise, the church rejected her visit. A nun bowed and apologized. "My Lady, I'm sorry! We don't accept visitors right now!"
"That's rare. What is happening? The church always opens its doors."
The nun was nervous, pondering whether to tell her or not. She decided to speak and whispered into Helena's ear.
"A child has gone missing."