That was why Arne was still sitting next to Kale, drinking.

‘Bianca, if the Second Prince no longer associates with Kale, would the Duke force me into an engagement?’

Arne put down the glass she was holding and politely addressed the Second Prince.

He replied without missing a beat.

“Is this the famous pride of the North, Reta?”

The Second Prince, a fellow drinker, showed interest in the Reta that Arne was holding.

“Would you like to try?”

“Gladly.”

As the Second Prince held out a silver cup, Kale grabbed it. His eyes sparkled as if he had found prey.

“How can you use a silver cup, Your Highness? You should use a golden cup. The Wayne family does not treat guests like this!”

Trying to regain his pride, Kale took away the silver cup and personally ordered a servant to bring a golden cup.

Unaware of the Second Prince’s quickly hardening expression.

‘Stupid Kale.’

Arne inwardly clicked her tongue. The Second Prince Liam had many enemies because he was recognized as a prince despite his status as a bastard.

After an attempt on his life by poison, the Second Prince secluded himself for a while and only attended Kale Wayne’s banquet after people started questioning his succession rights due to health concerns.

Because they had often hung out since their childhood days due to their common interest in alcohol.

‘He didn’t tell him about the poisoning incident, which means there must be no trust among them. Or maybe he’s just stupid.’

A silver cup is the most basic tool for detecting poison.

Moreover, the Second Prince wasn’t completely detoxified yet.

He was just resisting the poison because he had a tolerance, not because an antidote had been made. The necessary herb was missing.

‘The herb that can make that antidote is the laccarine grass in the Grand Duke of Renigrad’s herb garden.’

That herb is what connected the Grand Duke of Renigrad and the Second Prince. Thus, the alcohol business involving the Second Prince, Leverun, and the Wayne family came to be.

“But Kale, don’t you have tea? There’s only alcohol. I thought you would have black tea or… Ivellata tea.”

“There’s pride in being a drinker. What do you mean tea, at an evening party?”

Kale failed to see the Second Prince’s face harden further at the thought of showing off his golden cup.

At that moment, Arne took out her handbag and pulled out Ivellata tea, known for its mana stabilization and detoxification effects.

“Is that Ivellata tea?”

As expected, the Second Prince’s eyes lit up.

“Yes, there’s a mana surge this dawn, so I brought one as an emergency.”

The Second Prince couldn’t just ask for the tea, knowing there was a mana surge and that she only had one.

Besides, the poisoning incident was kept strictly confidential.

Arne leisurely brewed the Ivellata tea, watching the increasingly anxious Second Prince.

Of course, Arne’s handbag had plenty of Ivellata tea.

“My father always carries Ivellata tea.”

“Really?”

The color returned to the Second Prince’s face.

“Yes. I’ll tell my father to ask a servant to send some Ivellata tea to Your Highness. He would be honored.”

Arne smiled languidly. Kale was displeased that the Second Prince’s attention was on Arne instead of his golden cup.

That his golden cup was overshadowed by Arne’s mere Ivellata tea.

Yet, the Second Prince continued to look at Arne with shining eyes.

“That worked out well. But does Duke Ronia also have frequent mana surges?”

At the Second Prince’s question, Arne lazily curled her lips. A sheepish smile appeared on her slightly drunken face.

“No. You know how you can’t see what’s right under your nose. Years ago, there was a vassal who tried to poison the Duke. He ordered all silver cups in the Duke’s residence to be replaced with gold cups.”

“……”

The Second Prince rolled his eyes towards Kale. Just then, a servant arrived with a gold cup.

Kale’s hand hesitated to pick up the gold cup.

A subtle silence followed. It was at this moment that a very small seed of doubt sprouted.

“Oh my, I’ve said too much. I must be drunk. Please forget it. The Duke said to tell others that such things don’t happen.”

Arne rose from her seat, looking down at Kale’s foolish expression.

“I think I need to sober up with some cold air on the balcony. Meeting the Second Prince at today’s banquet is something I’ll never forget.”

Arne tilted her head languidly and bowed politely.

Beneath her bowed head, her eyes shone sharply.

Now that she would get rid of Kale right in front of her with that damn Ivellata tea.

Arne lifted her head and turned her body, making her steps. Perhaps because she had finished a bottle by herself, the drunkenness hit her suddenly.

Since she couldn’t pretend to be drunk in front of the suspicious Second Prince, she ended up drinking quite a bit.

Arne staggered with difficulty. It felt like mirages were swirling in front of her eyes.

And it felt like the ground was getting somewhat closer.

“Lady.”

She felt a firm grip on her right side. Tilting her head, she saw a familiar face.

“Cedric.”

“……”

Arne chuckled.

“I should have told you to drink Reta slowly. I forgot.”

“I know that much.”

Arne’s cheeks flushed red. Cedric thought she looked like a snow rabbit tumbling in a tomato field.

“It seems you don’t know at all. From now on, the lady shouldn’t drink.”

“Uhm. Nothing tastes right to me except Reta, anyway.”

Arne grabbed Cedric’s shoulder and stood up. Their heights, which did not match before, now seemed similar.

“Aren’t you scared of getting tamed?”

“……”

When Arne’s upper body tilted again, Cedric’s hand pulled her waist towards him.

“I guess so.”

Arne regained her balance and giggled.

“But is it okay to leave Amelia behind?”

“It’s okay since I already introduced Reta to Lady Leverun.”

Cedric chuckled as he saw Arne smile again.

It seemed that getting drunk and calling everyone by their name was her way of being drunk.

“Besides, if I sent Reta and the young lady ended up on the floor, that would be troublesome.”

Cedric lifted the leaning Arne and headed towards the balcony.

“If rumors spread that I’m a drunkard, grandfather won’t leave me alone.”

Cedric opened the door to the balcony and the cold night air rushed in, making their whole body shiver. Arne instinctively burrowed into Cedric’s embrace.

“……Maybe you’ll get hit by Grandma Teresa first.”

When Cedric closed the door, the murmurs of the banquet hall subsided. Instead, only the chirping of crickets whirled around.

Arne closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the cool air. She didn’t dislike the cold filling her lungs.

“They say Reta activates mana, it seems to have a good effect.”

“Is that so?”

“My mana feels like it’s throbbing inside my core.”

“Lady, that’s not the core, that’s your heart.”

Arne moved her hand placed on her heart to her core.

“Now it’s throbbing inside the core.”

Cedric raised an eyebrow. Arne opened her eyes and looked at Cedric as a smile spread across her lips like paint.

“Please hold my hand.”

Despite her audacity, seeing her smiling face, Cedric eventually burst into laughter.

‘Should I hold it?’

Seeing her sparkling eyes, he reflexively reached out his hand.

A smile formed on Cedric’s lips as he looked at her hand.

‘Is it already caught?’

Cedric grasped Arne’s hand. Arne burst into laughter again, as if she liked the feeling of her mana surging.

Unable to contain her joy, she giggled like a child, fidgeting with her hands.

Cedric gazed at Arne intently. Somehow, he didn’t want to let go of her hand.

“It seems I’ve sobered up now. Thank you.”

“I don’t think so.”

Cedric sat Arne on the railing, keeping one hand firmly on her back so she wouldn’t fall.

“It is so.”

Arne pulled Cedric’s cravat towards her. As he was pulled close enough to breathe her in, the enchanting scent of Reta wafted faintly from his breath.

Cedric’s hand that was gripping the railing tightened.

Arne slowly moved her slender fingers to untie his cravat.

With every touch of her fingers, Cedric gripped the railing tightly.

“It seems so, right?”

Only then did Cedric look away from Arne’s red eyes to look at his cravat.

The cravat that was loosely hung when he arrived at the banquet was now neatly tied.

But the tightness didn’t feel suffocating around his neck.

“The cravat is a bit small. Change it to a bigger one. You are on the larger side, after all.”

Arne’s fingers tapped Cedric’s neck.

“…I’ll do just that.”

The tendons on the back of Cedric’s hand bulged as he gripped the railing.

* * *

Bianca strode quickly in search of Duke Ronia.

After looking around, she found Duke Ronia talking with a servant.

“……has instructed you to visit with the Ivellata tea.”

“Ivellata tea?”

“Do you not have it? I heard that the Duke has it. If you don’t have it, you don’t have to come……”

“Not at all. I have it. I’ll visit soon.”

“He is resting in that place on the second floor. Do not keep the esteemed guest waiting too long.”

“Of course.”

Duke Ronia nodded his head. For some reason, he was told that if he brought Ivellata tea, the Second Prince would allow a private meeting.

This was a godsend opportunity! Since the First Princess was the only legitimate child of the Emperor, after the previous Empress passed away, Liam, an illegitimate child, was belatedly acknowledged as the Second Prince.

It wasn’t that the princess had no right to the throne, but it was customary for a prince to become the Emperor.

It was obvious that the only prince, the Second Prince, would be the future Emperor; therefore, one had to become his close aide.

Missing out on this time, when he had suddenly been appointed prince and had no nobles he was close to other than Kale, was not an option.

‘Ivellata tea, right? Arne must have brought it in the carriage.’

Duke Ronia became anxious. It was because he didn’t know when the capricious Second Prince would change his mind.

“Father! There you are. Well, about Arne.”

Bianca ran up to Duke Ronia and grabbed his arm as if aggrieved.