Kirsten stopped drinking her tea and leaned in while wrapping her arms around Saena’s neck. When her smiling eyes curved up right in front of Saena’s face, Saena felt a strange tingling sensation.

She wondered if anyone could resist if Kirsten deliberately tried to seduce them. It was amazing how she possessed such complex charm — being both sensual and aesthetic while also sharp and intellectual.

Kirsten was truly impressive. And Evian and Floria, who were close to Kirsten, were also extraordinary.

‘Ah right, Kayan is here too.’

Though she hadn’t placed much meaning on her interactions with Kayan, seeing him come visit like this made her feel she needed to reflect on herself again.

Despite being her only same-age peer, using the term ‘friend’ felt awkward. It seemed partly because she had started reconsidering the term ‘friend’ that originated from her relationship with Elizabeth while returning through time.

But more importantly, they were ‘good people.’

That’s why Saena wanted to call them ‘dear friends’ rather than just friends.

Saena smiled at Kayan with joy naturally rising to her face.

“…Saya?”

“Yes?”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Would you like more tea?”

Saena gestured to the servant while pointing at Kayan’s cup as he nodded with a somewhat flustered expression.

She selected a few less sweet desserts from the various options on the table and pushed them toward Kayan. With a slightly reddened face, he cleared his throat and drank his tea.

Saena turned her head with a slight smile, only to find herself making direct eye contact with Floria.

“……”

“……”

Though Floria quickly turned her head away, Saena remembered how she had pushed a grapefruit tart toward her during yesterday’s tea party.

While it wasn’t exactly a repayment, her next action came naturally. She pushed a plate of chocolate cake, Floria’s favorite, toward her.

Floria raised her eyebrows at Saena’s action. Though the effect was ruined by her droopy eyes making her look not intimidating at all.

“You like this, don’t you?”

“Hmm, hmm.”

For some reason, Floria’s cheeks reddened as she pretended to be distracted.

‘Why is everyone’s cheeks red? Is it hot in here?’

As Saena was looking around the interior with this strange question in mind, Evian’s question reached her ears.

“By the way, what kind of tea is this? The taste and aroma are unfamiliar but really delicious.”

Come to think of it, while everyone else had been drinking tea, Saena hadn’t picked up her cup even once. Looking at the color and taking a sip, she could tell what kind of tea it was.

But just as she was about to speak, an answer came from elsewhere.

“It’s tea imported from the Southern Kingdom.”

A male voice.

But not Kayan’s.

“…Brother?”

It was Sage.

“Hello. I heard my sister’s friends had come to visit, so please excuse my rudeness in coming to greet you.”

Sage bowed deeply at the knee, like a knight greeting a lady.

“Hmm?”

“It’s the Debov style.”

“Hello.”

“Brother?”

Kirsten, Evian, Floria, Kayan. Each had their own reaction.

“If it’s not too presumptuous, may I join you for a moment?”

“Um, yes. Please do.”

Kirsten, having quickly read the group’s intentions with her eyes, gave permission, and Sage sat down. A waiting servant quickly added another place setting.

Sage took a sip from his teacup and spoke.

“It’s called Kalua.”

“Ah, so this is Kalua!”

“I’ve heard of it too.”

“As expected of the wealthy House Debov.”

“This isn’t something you can get just by having money, though?”

Kalua tea was grown only in one kingdom in the South.

This plant had very particular growing requirements. It needed an environment that was both mild and cool. Though it seemed impossible, it only grew in such conditions. That’s why this tea could only be cultivated in the few cool plateaus in the warm South.

Moreover, it could only be harvested for a brief season when the flower buds formed. It couldn’t be picked before the buds formed or after the flowers bloomed. It had to be harvested when the buds were just about to bloom, as that’s when it held the finest flavor. Yet it wasn’t the flower petals that were picked. Another irony was that it wasn’t flower tea but leaf tea.

The leaves picked during the bud stage carried the scent of flowers despite being leaves. One could taste both leaf and flower simultaneously, and the taste was so excellent that people who tried it once would desperately want more Kalua tea when they couldn’t get it.

However, due to its unique growing environment and extremely short harvest period, the price was unspeakably high. Beyond the high price, the annual production was so low that it was absolutely impossible to obtain without connections.

“House Debov has connections with Southern merchants, so we were able to acquire a small amount this year.”

“Wow, getting such a treat while visiting a sick friend.”

“…Sick friend? What do you mean by that, Saya?”

Evian, who had been marveling at the tea, spoke without thinking and then made an ‘oops’ expression at Sage’s sharp reaction.

“…It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? Then why did they say it was a sick visit?”

Here was another person who, like the nanny, would torment her when it came to Saena’s health.

“Look at me, Brother. Do I look sick anywhere?”

“…Hmm. Well, no.”

Not satisfied with just looking, Sage checked Saena’s forehead with his hand and examined her all over.

“Yesterday, I stupidly fell when getting up. They came to cheer me up, worried I might not go out because I was embarrassed.”

“…What? You fell in front of people? How did that happen?”

“I was nervous.”

She mixed truth and lies in her answer.

Sage had asked her to tell him everything about the Prince, but this wasn’t the right place to discuss such matters.

“…Sigh. If you had attended various social gatherings earlier to get used to socializing, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“……”

“So are you okay where you fell? Did you apply medicine?”

“…Brother, I’m fine, so please stop.”

Actually, she wanted to say ‘give it a rest,’ but Saena kept quiet, considering the young head of household’s dignity.

“Oh my, my former partner. You have such a kind and attentive nature, huh?”

“…Lady Kirsten. It’s been a while…”

“You used to call me Kiki, didn’t you?”

“……”

Sage suddenly went quiet.

They were close enough to use nicknames?

She remembered when the two of them had disappeared for quite a while during the debutante ball. What had happened then?

As she looked at Sage with eyes sparkling with curiosity, he seemed to be increasingly trying to avoid the topic.

“Hmm. Didn’t you come to see me when you knew I was here?”

“…My sister’s friends…”

“Really?”

The conversation seemed to be getting more and more interesting, and Saena listened intently.

The problem was that the flow was interrupted midway.

“Young Master.”

“…Butler?”

The butler appeared at the doorway with a troubled expression. Sage quickly got up and approached him, and the butler whispered softly in his ear.

“…What? Really?”

“Yes. What should we do?”

“Hmm……”

As the atmosphere suggested something unusual had happened, the voices in the reception room naturally quieted down.

‘What’s going on this time?’

Then, Sage looked at Saena with a strange expression.

Saena, who hadn’t thought at all that this unknown matter might be related to her, realized it was when she saw Sage’s expression.

The way he glanced at her was unsettling.

She stood up, approached him, and asked.

“What’s the matter?”

Sage led her outside the reception room and whispered quietly.

“His Grace the Duke has come to visit.”

“…What?”

“He’s here to see you?”

“……Me? Now?”

“Yes. Now.”

Saena’s mind went blank for a moment.

Setting aside why he had come, she didn’t know what to do right away.

‘Another reception room? But what about my dear friends? Should I ask them to wait a moment? If I leave, they’ll ask why….. Should I ask His Grace to come another time?’

In an instant, countless thoughts and options flooded her mind. But she had no idea what would be the most appropriate decision.

She couldn’t stop a Duke of such high status, but she didn’t want him to meet her friends either. She couldn’t keep either side waiting long.

But it seemed she had been lost in thought for too long.

“…Young Master, Miss.”

The butler called out in a small voice to bring Sage and Saena back to attention, then started walking ahead.

“Welcome, Your Grace. Thank you for visiting House Debov. Please, this way.”

Before she could even make a decision, she saw a tall silhouette at the end of the corridor.