symbolized perseverance and humility

Anastasia did not expect Elisabeth to come for her at that moment. None of them could recognize the flowers, yet they made it seem as if she were the ignorant one. Taking a deep breath, Anastasia stepped forward and took a closer look at the flower.

The murmuring around her quieted as the young ladies watched, waiting for her to speak and make a fool of herself. Everyone knew that the first daughter of the Duke's household was poor in her studies.

Anastasia did not rush. Instead, she observed the delicate checkered petals and the slender stem swaying gently in the breeze. Then, she straightened and met Miss Augusta's gaze.

"This is Fritillaria meleagris," she said calmly. "Also known as the Snake's Head Fritillary."

A ripple of surprise spread among the young ladies. Some turned to each other, whispering, while others looked at the flower with renewed curiosity. None of them had heard of this flower before, so they could only turn to Miss Augusta to see if she was correct.

Elisabeth, on the other hand, pinched herself to hold back her laughter. She believed Anastasia was merely guessing to save face. She was waiting to see Miss Augusta's reaction before mocking Anastasia for trying to fool everyone.

Unexpectedly, Miss Augusta's eyes brightened. "That is correct. The Fritillaria meleagris is indeed a rare flower, difficult to cultivate outside its natural habitat. It prefers damp meadows, and even in the best conditions, it is not easy to grow."

Elisabeth's smile stiffened. She felt as if her ears were deceiving her. After all, she knew how ignorant Anastasia was supposed to be.

Anastasia nodded slightly. "My mother managed to grow one during early spring before her death. She said they symbolized perseverance and humility."

"That's correct," Miss Augusta said with satisfaction.

Elisabeth clenched her fists. She had wanted to embarrass Anastasia but had instead given her an opportunity to stand out. The other young ladies, who had expected her to falter, now looked at her with something close to admiration.

"How rare," one of them murmured.

"I have never seen this flower before," another said.

Miss Augusta smiled. "It is rare to meet someone so young who recognizes it. Your mother must have taught you well."

Anastasia lowered her eyes slightly. "She loved flowers." Talking about her mother made her sad. When her mother was teaching her about flowers, she had never taken it seriously, but at that moment, that knowledge had saved her from embarrassment.

Miss Augusta turned back to the group. "This flower is about to bloom. You should watch closely, it only lasts a short moment."

The young ladies stepped forward eagerly, their earlier gossip forgotten. They watched in fascination as the petals slowly unfurled, revealing the intricate pattern inside.

Elisabeth clenched her fists but said nothing. She had miscalculated. Instead of making Anastasia look ignorant, she had only drawn more attention to her.

Anastasia, however, remained calm. She did not gloat, nor did she acknowledge Elisabeth's attempt. She simply stood quietly, watching the flower bloom, remembering the times she had watched it bloom with her mother.

After enjoying the moment, the ladies returned to their seats.

"Why don't we recite some poetry?" a lady suggested.

"That's a great idea! We can take turns reciting," another agreed.

"No, no, let's sing," someone else said.

"Yes! Sing! I will play the Lute," another chimed in.

"No, how about we do embroidery? There are so many beautiful flowers for inspiration here," another suggested.

The ladies argued among themselves, each wanting an opportunity to showcase their best talents.

"How about this instead? Each lady can choose what they are best at and present it to the celebrant," a teacher suggested.

"That's true. Today, the celebrant has given us the opportunity to witness a rare sight. It's only right to present our best talents," another teacher agreed.

The teachers felt it was a reasonable suggestion. After all, different students excelled in different arts. Miss Maria also approved of the idea. Anastasia did not have many talents, but since she had been the only one to identify the flower earlier, she felt that even if she chose not to participate, no one would think she was ignorant. This was a win-win situation for everyone.

"Sister, what are you going to present?"

Just when Miss Maria thought nothing would go wrong, she heard Elisabeth's voice. Elisabeth wore a polite smile, her face filled with curiosity.

Miss Maria frowned. She did not like Elisabeth much, she was always trying to stir trouble. If she did not try to act fair as a teacher, she would have long rebuked her.

"Why bother? No one said participation was compulsory," Miss Maria said. She did not want any of her students to be embarrassed.

"Oh! Seeing that my sister is so knowledgeable about flowers, I thought she might want to show us her other talents. Anyway, we are all just having fun and using this opportunity to present something to the celebrant," Elisabeth said. Her voice was not low, so the ladies around their table heard her. Many of them turned their attention to Anastasia.

"Yes, Lady Anastasia. Although you are now the Crown Prince's bride, there's no harm in presenting something to the celebrant," Lily, Agatha's daughter, joined in. She held a grudge against Anastasia, blaming her for her mother's embarrassment.

"That's right," another lady agreed. They suddenly made it seem as if Anastasia was putting on airs and looking down on the celebrant at her own party.

"When did I say I wasn't going to present anything?" Anastasia asked seeing that her plan to not participate has been ruined.

She had no plans to present anything. First, because she could not pretend to be ignorant and embarrass herself like she did at home. And second, because if she showed her true talents, the Duchess and her daughter might realize she had been pretending all along. She wasn't sure what consequences that revelation would bring.

"Well, you haven't said anything, so we assumed you had no plans of presenting," Lily said.

"Well, I was deciding what to present, since my talent is at most average," Anastasia said. She was well aware of the gossip about her.

When the ladies heard this, they suddenly remembered the rumors that Anastasia was bad at her studies. Of course, she wouldn't have anything to present.

"Then, I am looking forward to seeing what you present. Since you're so conflicted, you must be good at many things," Lily said.

"That's right! I am looking forward to Lady Anastasia's presentation the most. I must broaden my knowledge," another lady added.

"Yes, hearing a presentation from the future Crown Princess is indeed a blessing," another said.

"My sister has always been talented. She simply doesn't like the spotlight much," Elisabeth said.

After all, the more praise Anastasia received now, the more disappointing her presentation would be.