* * *

Time flew, and evening arrived before I knew it.

The tea party hosted by Arthe was set in the outdoor garden beside the palace.

As soon as Baek Yigang and I finished getting ready, we made our way there.

Anna, who had been absent all morning, returned with a faint injury on her face, much like Asel.

She handed over a neatly folded note.

“Dowoon, I’ve delivered the message about what happened earlier. Here are the coordinates for the royal palace of Arthe, sent by the princess herself.”

“Thanks, but where were you this morning? I only saw Asel.”

“…Hmm. I had some training to attend.”

Anna turned her gaze away with a faint, wistful smile, her expression slightly somber.

It felt like pressing further would be inappropriate.

First Asel, now Anna—they both returned with injuries.

Whatever kind of “training” this was, it seemed grueling.

“By the way, Dowoon, have you picked out your wedding dress yet?”

Anna, back to her usual cheerful self, looked up at me with expectant eyes.

“Ugh, I’d rather not talk about that….”

“Lata will handle it.”

“What? Why?!”

Before I could dodge the question, Baek Yigang answered in my place.

And of course, it had to involve Rata again.

At this point, it was undoubtedly fate—or some kind of curse.

Seriously, what is that person’s deal?!

How can someone craft a wedding dress in mere days when it takes other designers months?

It’s practically magic!

And considering my size, it’s both impressive and terrifying.

“Well, if Rata is handling it, there’s no need to worry,” Anna said with a bright smile.

Unlike her, I wasn’t relieved in the slightest.

I’m really, really worried.

If the hidden quest rewards turn out to be bad, I’m going to tear this system apart.

“Your Highness, this way, please.”

We arrived at the garden, where Arthe’s officials were waiting to greet us with polite bows.

Just from the effort they’d put into hosting this tea party, it was clear how much pride Arthe took in their tea culture.

Delcia approached to welcome us, her demeanor relaxed but her words pointed.

“I’ve placed your seat across from mine, just like at the last banquet. But no touching, please. It’s… surprisingly irritating.”

Whispering this warning into Baek Yigang’s ear, Delcia turned and walked off.

Baek Yigang, unfazed, led me to my seat.

Oddly, the Emperor was absent. He should have been invited, so why wasn’t he here?

“The Emperor?”

“Busy with state affairs, apparently,” Baek Yigang replied nonchalantly.

I couldn’t help but laugh dryly.

It was hard to pity a man who clung to life so precariously.

“How ridiculous. Just a while ago, someone else was handling those ‘busy affairs’ and is sitting right here.”

The fact that the Emperor often dumped his responsibilities on Baek Yigang made his excuse all the more absurd.

Sure, he might genuinely be sick this time, but he’d used that excuse even when he was fine.

“He’s probably making a reasonable excuse for once since his health is failing.”

As Baek Yigang spoke, I glanced around the area. Security was tight.

With so many high-ranking officials from both nations present, even someone like Cedric, who typically wouldn’t act as a bodyguard, was here.

Blue and Reggie stood nearby, and imperial guards were stationed in orderly rows.

This added security seemed to reassure everyone, as the party atmosphere was peaceful and relaxed.

The spacious, open-air garden was adorned with a buffet-style selection of desserts, and the cool evening air added to the sense of freedom.

“This is Vint tea, Arthe’s most famous. It’s made from young leaves freshly harvested from the western region.”

Soon, a vibrant red tea reminiscent of black tea was served.

As I scanned the long banquet table, I noticed a few familiar faces, including Piel and Ian, sitting nearby, quietly sipping their tea.

“Baek Yigang.”

At my call, his amethyst eyes turned toward me, cold and indifferent as ever.

“Don’t you think Piel has been unusually quiet lately?”

“Seems like he’s finally learned his place.”

“It doesn’t feel right. I doubt he’s given up on his ambition for the throne.”

I frowned, pondering aloud as I lifted my tea.

Before I could take a sip, Baek Yigang grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

Startled, I set the cup back down and looked at him questioningly.

He pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me.

“What’s this?”

“A silver spoon.”

“There are plenty of those here.”

The table was scattered with sugar dishes and silver spoons, so his choice seemed odd.

Baek Yigang shook his head.

“This one is enchanted. It’s far better at detecting poison. Use it before eating or drinking anything.”

“What about you?”

“I’m resistant to poison.”

His bored tone matched his indifferent expression, as though the topic didn’t concern him.

But his words struck a chord—didn’t Piel say something similar to me before?

Figures. These brothers are more alike than they’d ever admit. Still, pointing that out would earn me an icy glare, so I let it slide.

I stirred my tea with the enchanted spoon.

No immediate change in color.

Maybe I needed to wait longer?

As he stared absentmindedly into the teacup, hoping for some sort of reaction, he suddenly sensed movement from the front.

Looking up, his gaze met Delcia’s, who was already watching him.

“Wizard, I hope the tea is to your liking. The Vint tea is my favorite from the capital.”

…Delcia was truly an intimidating woman.

When it was just the two of them, she was utterly relaxed and easygoing, but in public, she transformed into the epitome of elegance and refinement befitting a princess.

Unlike Baek Yigang, who was equally insufferable inside and out, Delcia maintained a strict boundary between her public and private personas.

Living with two selves couldn’t have been easy, but it was certainly impressive.

“The aroma is lovely,” he said simply.

“That’s why I enjoy it,” Delcia replied with a gentle smile, lifting her teacup gracefully.

But just then, an unsettling intuition flashed through his mind.

Wait a second—does the target of Piel’s schemes have to be me or Baek Yigang?

If the issue at hand is the royal marriage, then Delcia could just as easily become a target.

After all, wasn’t it Piel who killed Delcia in the original story…? This doesn’t feel right. I can’t just ignore it.

“W-wait a moment, Princess.”

Delcia paused, teacup midway to her lips, and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“In Pendium, it’s a trend to add sugar cubes to tea. Considering it’s a chilly evening, a bit of sweetness might be better for your health.”

Hand it over.

Now.

His gaze practically screamed his intent as he glared at Delcia, his eyes darting back and forth between her and the teacup.

“…If you insist, I’ll leave it to you.”

Thankfully, whether she understood his meaning or not, Delcia handed him the teacup with a serene smile.

He added a single sugar cube to her tea, stirring it gently with a silver spoon.

Memories of the night Asel had crushed Aquila with his blade resurfaced, the image of the blade’s charred blackened edge vivid in his mind.

If Piel had tampered with the tea, the silver spoon would surely react.

Yet, despite waiting intently, the silver spoon showed no signs of change.

Is it fine?

Was I overthinking it?

Just to be safe, let’s add a bit more sugar and see what happens…

Grabbing a handful of sugar cubes from the bowl, he dumped them all into the tea, stirring with an intensity that bordered on aggressive.

“Um… Wizard? Isn’t that a bit too much sugar?” Delcia asked, her tone betraying mild alarm.

Oops. I got carried away.

“This one’s for me, then. Please have mine instead—it has just the right amount of sweetness.”

He laughed awkwardly, sliding his teacup toward her while lifting the overly sweetened one to his lips.

Wait. Did I just use the silver spoon Baek Yigang gave me?

The two spoons looked identical—was it his or not?

The realization struck too late as the tea was already sliding down his throat.

Thankfully, the silver spoon hadn’t reacted, so there shouldn’t be any immediate danger.

Still… Did I add too much sugar?

This is unbearably sweet. So sweet, it’s nauseating.

As the overwhelming sweetness churned his stomach, his vision began to blur, and the world around him tilted precariously.

His upright perspective collapsed into a slanted view, his body losing its balance.

Amid the chaos, his wavering gaze locked with Piel’s silver eyes in the distance, their flickering light betraying unease.

‘You bastard. It was you, wasn’t it? My gut was right…!’

There was no way something as trivial as sugar could have caused this.

It had to be Aquila’s doing.

Just as he was about to defiantly yell, “I knew it was you!” the world around him faded to black.

* * *