43. Tea Party

43. Tea Party

“S-sorry.”

“Then why did you unnecessarily pick up the milk!”

The lowest-ranking lady, who had drawn Skadi’s attention by picking up the milk, bowed her head. The lady on the other side, still catching her breath on the ground, quietly expressed her anger.

Fearing that making a sound might lead to the same incident as before, the lady, despite her rising anger, was quietly whispering her displeasure.

“What did you say?”

“Uh….”

However, if there was one thing the lady overlooked, it was that a beastman’s ears couldn’t be fooled by whispers.

Her perked wolf ears caught the two of them arguing, and soon, as the blue eyes turned towards them, they froze stiff.

Skadi opened her mouth.

“You two, are you perhaps not on good terms?”

“Ah, n-no. We’re just, um, normal.”

The lady replied, avoiding eye contact. In reality, their relationship wasn’t normal but rather that of a follower and the one being followed, but she instinctively knew that saying so now would lead to a very unpleasant outcome.

Skadi observed the two intently.

The lady who drank the tea avoided eye contact, and the lady who drank the milk was trembling with her eyes cast down on the ground. They looked far from ‘normal.’

Skadi reached out and poked the lady’s chest.

“Hmm.”

“Hiiik…!”

The ladies had attended social events before. While the lowest-ranking lady who drank the milk might be excused, the highest-ranking lady should have been able to maintain her composure without difficulty.

But today, she was unlucky. The turbulent emotions from being forced to drink milk & tea, combined with the overwhelming fear of the other party, caused the lady’s composure to crumble helplessly.

Skadi didn’t miss that expression. Skadi gently reached out and stroked the lady’s cheek, and with what she considered a bright smile, she said.

“You’re lying?”

To the ladies’ ears, those words sounded like a death sentence.

“S-sorry. Actually, we, we don’t get along very well.”

Continuing a lie that had already been exposed was the mark of an amateur. Here, one had to admit their sins and confess their mistakes. The lady spoke with that thought in mind.

“Ah.”

Skadi exclaimed upon hearing that. Then, after pondering for a moment, she opened her mouth.

“Friends should get along well, shouldn’t they?”

“Yes, yes….”

They weren’t friends. They were merely a follower and the one being followed. However, unable to refute, the lady could only nod.

“I’ll make you friends.”

“Yes…?”

Skadi then helped the two ladies, who were still lying on the ground, to their feet and made them face each other. ‘What is she planning now?’ the ladies trembled and waited for her next words.

“Closer.”

The two ladies took a step forward towards each other.

“Closer.”

Once again.

“Closer.”

Finally, when they were so close that their noses were almost touching, Skadi was satisfied.

The lowest-ranking lady had low self-esteem and wasn’t tall. On the other hand, the highest-ranking lady had a relatively tall stature, so the lady ended up looking down at the other lady.

The distance was so close that their breaths mingled.

Skadi said.

“Kiss.”

“Yes…?”

“Did you not hear me?”

“Ah, no, I heard you. Yes.”

Seeing that the Grand Duchess seemed displeased, the ladies stiffened and closed their mouths.

The two ladies, firmly held by their shoulders by Skadi, looked at each other. Their hair flowed down, getting closer and intertwining.

The lady glanced at the Grand Duchess. The Grand Duchess didn’t seem inclined to let them go.

Her blue eyes stared intently at them.

Resigned, the lady closed her eyes, trembled, and leaned forward. As their faces drew closer, and their breaths wafted, their lips were about to brush against her cheek, the lady immediately pulled back, trying to escape.

If Skadi hadn’t held her back.

“Once more.”

“Yes…?”

“You didn’t do it properly.”

The Grand Duchess didn’t seem to allow half-heartedness.

Tears threatened to fall. What benefit could she possibly gain to endure such humiliation by accepting this invitation? She vowed never to set foot in the Marquis of Louer’s residence again after this tea party, and the lady slowly lowered her head again.

Peck.

“Again.”

Peck.

“Again.”

Peck.

“Again.”

Peck.

Soft lips met, and soft cheeks brushed against each other. The scent from the other’s hair filled her lungs.

How many times did this repeat? A moment when the concept of time felt distant.

“That’s enough now. It’s sufficient.”

“Hic… sob….”

The lady, her strength gone, collapsed on the spot, tears streaming down her face. Skadi, unfazed by the lady’s state, continued speaking.

“Now you’re friends, right?”

“Yes, yes….”

The lady nodded repeatedly. Fearing that any sign of dissent might lead to a repeat of the ordeal, she desperately affirmed.

“Good. I’ll be checking to see if you’re getting along, so don’t fight. Understood?”

“Yes…?”

“Don’t you like it?”

“No, it’s not, sob….”

Skadi made them kiss again, saying it was the last time. The lady, unable to even maintain her dignity, pressed their lips together, tears flowing down her face.

… Watching that scene, the lowest-ranking lady felt an inexplicable sense of triumph. It felt as if she were repaying the humiliation she had suffered under the name of power.

She ran her tongue over her lips.

If she could feel such sensations just by using her lips a little, and if she could get revenge on that lady….

The lady was startled by the lust that suddenly arose in her heart. What was even more surprising was that it didn’t feel bad at all.

As a lowest-ranking follower, how much insult had she endured? Most tasks were dumped on her, and if any problem arose, her tail was immediately cut off. While gaining so little, the risks were so high.

“….”

But seeing the lady who treated her that way now unable to move in front of the Grand Duchess, it was so… so….

The lady licked her lips with her tongue. She felt a moist and soft sensation.

The conversation from earlier flashed through her mind.

“I’ll be checking to see if you’re getting along.”

“Ahaha….”

The lady laughed. ‘Checking’ meant that she would have to ‘show’ her ‘getting along’ to the Grand Duchess in the future. And that would be her weakness.

The lady’s eyes gradually sank into darkness.

——

“What were you doing? I couldn’t see because Edel was blocking it.”

Meanwhile, Claire’s eyes and ears were being covered by her maid. When the situation seemed to be over, the maid left, saying she had to go somewhere briefly.

“It wasn’t anything special.”

Skadi, returning to the table, leaving the two ladies whose initiative seemed to have reversed, replied. Skadi looked back and said.

“Priscilla. Aren’t you drinking tea?”

“I have to… Hmm, in a little while.”

Priscilla was burying her face in her tail and taking deep breaths. It was a common occurrence, so Skadi didn’t pay it any mind and looked at Ella, who was sitting next to her.

Ella was stiffly frozen. Her breathing was rough. Her face was also red. Skadi reached out and waved her hand in front of her eyes.

“Haa…!”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes….”

Skadi looked ahead. She saw the terrified ladies. One of them was holding milk.

“Oho.”

… As another pair of ladies who tried to drink milk tea and suffered misfortune was added, the ladies didn’t even dare to touch the milk.

“Priscilla.”

Skadi called Priscilla. Priscilla lifted her face buried in her tail and looked at Skadi. Her white hair brushed against her cheek.

“Do you put sugar in your tea when you drink it?”

“…? Yes. I prefer sweet things to bitter ones.”

Priscilla replied, tilting her head. Then Skadi picked up her teacup without a word and poured the tea into her mouth.

Skadi, with her mouth full of tea. Soon, Skadi picked up a sugar cube and put it in her mouth. At that time, Priscilla still didn’t understand what the other party was trying to do.

Claire was the same. She had her eyes and ears covered until just now, so she didn’t know what Skadi was trying to do.

The only person who could predict the future was Ella, who was witnessing all of it in real time. Ella tried to stop Skadi, recalling what was about to happen-

“Slurp.”

“??!”

Skadi lowering her head was much faster.

A deep, deep kiss, with tongues intertwined and trying to drink each other. From Priscilla’s slender throat, which convulsed with gulps, the flow of liquid was clearly visible.

The act continued for a very long time. Or perhaps, it felt like it continued for a long time.

Ella’s face turned bright red, and she squeezed her eyes shut. It was undoubtedly a shameful and vulgar act, and there was no reason to envy it.

Seeing Skadi touching another person’s chest, seeing Skadi kissing someone else….

Somehow, a part of her heart ached.

Meanwhile, Claire’s mouth was wide open, unable to close.

The chaotic tea party ended like that.