You stay here with her Majesty. Im going to go by myself.

Senior maid Weber, who said so, went on her way after making her intent clear.

I walked alongside the Empress.

The Empress dowager is a person with a strong sense of pride, if I were to directly offer her help, she would most likely reject it.

Wow, Your Majesty, the handmaiden said, impressed by how astute the Empress was.

So Ill have to accept that for now but if anything comes up, tell me.

As a result of the Empresss thoughtful remarks, the handmaiden nodded with a face bubbling with emotions. She was moved by the Empresss kindness.

Hehe, isnt my Empress cool?

By the way, I didnt see any maids all the way to and from the Empress dowager palace. Where did everyone go?

Oh, thats because

The handmaiden declared in a content voice.

Everyone got fired.

In that moment, the empress eyes gleamed sharply.

It was followed by a bright smile from the Empress shortly after.

..I see.

Her voice, not hiding her satisfaction in any way, continued.

Its going to be a difficult endeavor to accommodate the guests without extra hands. Ill send some maids from the Empress palace as soon as possible.

What? No, youve helped the Empress dowager and I a lot. I cant be grateful enough or return the favor.

Dont get me wrong, said the Empress.

The Empress pretended to play dumb and crossed her arms.

The reason Im sending maids is because I dont want to see Charlize suffer.

Oh, of course, Your Majesty. I appreciate your kindness towards the Empress dowager nonetheless. replied the handmaiden.

W-What. It was a joke. Ill help the Empress dowager and that includes you.

..Oh.Thank you, Your Majesty, she said with gratitude, bowing her head.

The handmaiden now looked like she was about to drown in her emotions.

And I probably have a similar expression.

Empress, youre the best!

Anyway, I hope this can be of some help.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

The handmaiden bowed her head once again.

Finally, the Empress turned to me and stroked my head.

Charlize, I need to be on my way. Please help the handmaiden, Ill see you later.

Yes, Ill do my best!

I nodded with a wide smile.

* * *

..I thought everything would turn out well.

Alas we ran into an unexpected problem.

Its kinda off-putting to have the venue inside the Empresss dowagers palace, plus there isnt a suitable place for tea time.

The handmaiden on the other hand, who had been shaking her head back and forth for a while, muttered with a sigh.

In order to not play into the Emperors palm..

The handmaiden and I tried our hardest to conceal the shabby appearance of the palace as much as possible.

However, the Empress dowager palace itself proved to be a problem.

No matter how meticulously one may sweep and wipe, you cant change old wallpaper and furniture into new ones.

Should we just tidy up the reception room? Reorganize the layout somehow? No, thats not it

The handmaiden spoke to herself in an anxious voice.

I glanced out the half-opened window and squinted due to the sunlight.

The day was clear, the way the sunlight touched my skin felt amazing as the gentle early summer breeze gave a pleasant warmth.

It was truly a perfect sunny day.

On days like this, I usually eat lunch outside with Damian..

Ah-hah!

My eyes lit up immediately.

Is it really necessary for the guests to be indoors?

Huh? What are you suggesting? the handmaiden asked.

Since the weather is so nice, Im thinking about having tea time outdoors!

Okay, I got this in the bag!

I clenched my fists.

Outdoor tea time?

Yes.You did say that the guests would come as soon as the state council meeting was over right?

The handmaiden whose eyebrows were now furrowed, slightly lowered her head, giving me an approving nod.

That means theyve been indoors all along. I stated.

Yes, thats true.

So I think it would be fine to have tea time outside for a change. Itll brighten up the mood. What do you think?

But contrary to my lively voice, the handmaiden only shook her head sullenly.

Well, there are plenty of things that can go wrong with such a quick change in decision. At least, a lot of things they can catch onto.

Catch onto?

For example, something like a chair or table placed outside. Itll be apparent that theyre all outdated.

The handmaiden dropped her shoulders to an extent that I felt sorry for her.

Hmm, are you also worried that we wont have enough for all the guests? I mean we dont know the exact number of guests coming.

No, the numbers arent a problem. We have enough, she responded.

The handmaiden in return asked me with a downcast face.

Its just that, at a venue where youre hosting distinguished guests, you cant put out old furniture, now can you?

Really? Then.

I tilted my head with a solution in mind, asking the handmaiden back.

Shouldnt it be alright as long as they dont notice that its old?

..as long as they dont notice?

Yes. If you change the tablecloths and chair seats to a new one, theyll feel pretty refreshed. Itll give a sense of unity too.

With those words, color returned to the handmaidens darkened face.

Yes, thats a good idea. Sheets and tablecloths are easily available.

I added a word while I was at it.

I think the atmosphere will be just fine, sitting in the shade will be comfortable and if we want to go for something luxurious, we can have an awning.

Wont it feel like a picnic though? I thought to myself.

Maybe a picnic is what they need, I know it helps me clear my mind and brings back fond memories.

I shrugged my shoulders.

The handmaiden, who seemed to be contemplating the time needed to brew tea, let out a long sigh after a while.

Ugh, how many times have you sighed?

At this point, the ground will shake at how much youve sighed!

However, the other problem is that there arent enough flowers and vases to decorate every table, mentioned the handmaiden.

Ah..

Even if you were to collect as many flowers as possible, there still wouldnt be enough to decorate as the trend these days demands an abundant number of them, she added.

Huff, these problems are like mountains. Just one after the other.

I narrowed my brow.

Maybe I could

No, theres no way I can do that. I cant request the Emperor to send flowers to the Empress dowagers palace. He hates her.

What can I do? Hmm

Other than these useless teacups that cant hold flowers, wouldnt it be nice to find decent vases in the warehouse?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep