42. Tea Party

42. Tea Party

The noble ladies who looked back froze with their faces as pale as death. A cold, sharp, expressionless gaze watched them.

Holding noble ladies she had never seen before in both hands, and with Priscilla inexplicably attached to her tail. A pale blue sword hung at her waist.

Her blue eyes swept indifferently across the tea party hall.

‘Why is the Grand Duchess here….’

One of the ladies thought, terrified. Why had she suddenly appeared?

No, that’s not right. Perhaps it was something that could have been foreseen. Both the eldest and second daughters of the House of Louer had become the Grand Duchess’s playthings, so it would be strange to believe she wouldn’t come to the tea party.

The ladies’ thoughts continued. Perhaps the tea party itself was held under her influence from the beginning?

What if Priscilla didn’t hold the tea party to solidify her family’s precarious position, but to lure in victims under the Grand Duchess’s coercion?

If that were the case, they would have willingly walked into the mouth of a hungry wolf.

Realizing that fact now, the ladies began to tremble. They had originally intended to pressure the unstable Marquis family and gain various benefits, but if it turned out like this….

Their gazes, which had been wandering aimlessly, eventually fell upon the noble lady in Skadi’s arms, whom they had never seen before. It was a girl with long, flowing blue hair.

‘Who is that…?’

This was, after all, the Marquis’s tea party. Naturally, all those invited here were of noble status. As such, the ladies, who generally knew each other’s faces, had no one with such a face in their minds.

Given that she was wearing a school uniform with gold accents, she was certainly a noble, but to which family did she belong?

The ladies’ gazes turned to Ella, who was in Skadi’s embrace.

‘Hiiik…! How many high-ranking nobles are there!’

… Ella, the daughter of a Baron, who had inadvertently found herself among high-ranking nobles, had to tremble in fear.

“Aren’t you going to greet me?”

The Grand Duchess scanned the ladies and spoke. Only then did the ladies realize that they had been so lost in thought that they hadn’t responded to the Grand Duchess’s greeting.

The ladies looked at each other. It felt as if electricity was crackling between their eyes.

A tense game of wits unfolded between them.

Finally, one of the lowest-ranking ladies, unable to withstand the pressure, stood up and bowed her head.

“Ah, greetings, Grand Duchess Skadi von Lyra.”

“Yes, hello.”

The conversation ended with a simple acknowledgment. However, the lady couldn’t sit down and, pressured by the other ladies, had to speak again.

“Um… If you don’t mind, what is that young lady’s name…?”

“Huh? Ah, you mean Ella?”

Ella was startled to hear her name called. It was embarrassing enough to be in this position, but to be singled out by high-ranking nobles!

Skadi said to Ella, whose face had turned bright red.

“Ella, greet them. You have to introduce yourself.”

“What?!”

Are you crazy?

Ella barely managed to suppress the words “Are you crazy?”. It didn’t matter if Skadi was foolish, but she couldn’t utter profanity in front of other high-ranking nobles.

Ella, still held by Skadi, said her name in a voice that seemed to crawl out of her throat. It was incredibly embarrassing.

“Um… Ella von Silverrain. I am the eldest daughter of Baron Silverrain….”

Baron’s family. Upon hearing that, the noble ladies flinched. After bowing so subserviently, to think that the other party was merely a Baron’s daughter!

Just as their faces were about to relax-

“Maintain your expressions properly.”

“Yes?”

The highest-ranking lady stopped them. She whispered quietly into the ladies’ ears so that others couldn’t hear.

… Of course, Skadi could hear everything, but Skadi wasn’t intelligent enough to understand the meaning of their conversation.

“But she’s just a Baron….”

“Think about it carefully. She’s being held by the Grand Duchess like that! What does that mean?”

“Ah…!”

Bridal carry. The posture Skadi called ‘princess carry’ was one of the poses taken by lovers to confirm their affection for each other.

Of course, it was unimaginable that the promiscuous and lewd Grand Duchess would be in love with anyone, so it was unlikely that the Baron’s daughter and the Grand Duchess were lovers.

However, if the person who carried even the Marquis’s second daughter by her tail was holding someone so preciously, it could be inferred that their relationship was at least not ordinary. At the very least, it meant she was under the Grand Duchess’s protection.

“Th-then, what I just….”

“It was dangerous. Keep your wits about you.”

How would one react if someone treated their cherished toy roughly? Especially if the owner of that toy was an emotionless killing machine?

There was no need to say more.

Look at that sharp white sword hanging at her waist. It would be better if her limbs were severed on the spot. If they were not careful, their entire family could be annihilated by the wrath of the Grand Duchy.

Realizing that fact, the ladies gasped, their faces turning deathly pale. Suddenly, they saw the flowers adorning the tea party venue.

Flowers slowly freezing to death.

Over the colorful hues, white frost descended, freezing and killing the vegetation.

If they hadn’t corrected their attitude, that would have been their fate. The ladies straightened their bodies and greeted Ella with a respectful attitude.

“… Why is everyone acting like that?”

Ella tilted her head, confused by the sudden change in their demeanor.

After a moment of slight confusion, Skadi sat down. Priscilla sat in the seat of honor, and Ella was semi-forcibly seated next to Skadi.

“Oh, what is it, when did you get here?”

“Hello, Claire.”

Claire, who had been devouring snacks like she was drinking water, finally noticed Skadi’s arrival and greeted her.

“Thank you all for accepting my invitation.”

Seeing that the atmosphere in the hall had settled down appropriately, Priscilla opened her mouth. It was a line that her sister had pre-written for her.

She mentioned that the tea was from the famously expensive Beast Kingdom, and the pastries were made by the Empire’s most renowned pâtissier. And various other stories.

“… So please enjoy yourselves.”

Although it seemed like a normal opening speech, it contained various political messages. Priscilla felt admiration in her heart, thinking that her sister was truly exceptional for coming up with such a line.

Priscilla continued.

“As you all know very well, two special guests are attending today. Grand Duchess Skadi von Lyra, and the Third Princess Claire Lovennt.”

Skadi raised her head when her name was called.

“However, as this is a private gathering, there is no need to be overly formal with the two of them. So please feel free to enjoy the refreshments. Thank you.”

Priscilla finished speaking with a smile.

Despite the cold air, the ladies broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing that Priscilla showed no signs of apprehension towards the Grand Duchess, it seemed she had used the Grand Duchess to spite them and orchestrated this gathering.

It was a silent declaration: ‘I’ve already been targeted, so you guys should experience it too.’ The ladies tensed their bodies.

Seeing that the Princess also said nothing, it seemed she had already been subdued by the Grand Duchess. Rumors said that after sexual harassment, there was even a sword fight, but had she finally subdued even a royal?

If the Princess was in such a state, where on earth were the Imperial inspectors? They wondered, but there was no way an absent inspector would suddenly appear.

Ultimately, to protect their chastity, they had to somehow appease the Grand Duchess’s mood.

Skadi tilted her head and said to the frozen ladies.

“You guys, aren’t you drinking tea?”

“Ah, no! We must drink it. Ahaha, the tea smells wonderful.”

The noble ladies raised their teacups with stiff movements. The tea did smell good, but there was no time to appreciate it.

Just then, the lowest-ranking lady picked up a glass of milk. As she was about to pour the milk into her teacup to mix it….

“Wait a moment.”

“Yes, yes…?”

Skadi immediately stopped her.

Had she offended her in some way with her previous action? Did the Grand Duchess dislike milk tea? ‘I’m screwed now.’ All sorts of thoughts flashed through the lady’s mind.

Skadi continued speaking.

“That’s not how you drink milk tea.”

As Skadi said that, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, the ladies forgot to maintain their composure and looked at Skadi with puzzled expressions.

However, they couldn’t resist. The lady holding the milk paused and asked in a voice that seemed to crawl out of her throat.

“Th-then, how do you drink it…?”

Skadi pointed at her and said.

“First, you drink the milk.”

“Yes…?”

“Then.”

Skadi chose a suitable person from among the other ladies and spoke. Ironically, it was the highest-ranking lady.

“You drink the tea.”

“…?”

Skadi made the two ladies drink milk and tea, respectively. Then, she brought the two close together and said.

“Now, you kiss each other and mix it in your mouths to eat.”

“”?!?!!””

All the ladies opened their mouths in shock. Ella was no exception. The only ones who weren’t surprised by this statement were Priscilla, whose attention was focused on her tail, and Claire, who was engrossed in eating snacks.

In place of the two, whose mouths were bulging with milk and tea, another lady asked.

“What nonsense- Ah, no. Who on earth said that?”

“My friend told me. She said this is the proper way to drink it.”

What a ridiculous excuse. The claim about hearing it from a friend was just a pretext; the Grand Duchess simply wanted to play with the prey in front of her.

Or, if there really was a friend who said such a thing, that person must be truly wicked.

Under Skadi’s piercing gaze, the two ladies faced each other. Each with their cheeks puffed out with milk and tea.

Skadi urged them on.

“Come on, hurry up.”

The two, shedding tears in their hearts, kissed each other. Starting from their cheeks, the liquids flowed from mouth to mouth through the small passage. The milk, mixed with bodily fluids, that they couldn’t quite swallow, gently flowed down their cheeks.

Drip, drip. Droplets of milk flowed down.

Finally, after swallowing all the liquid, the two collapsed on the spot, breathing heavily. Tears welled up in their eyes.

‘….’

… Seeing that sight, Ella felt a slight, almost imperceptible, thrill.