105 – Dinner
Siena was currently adjusting her tastes.
She, a direct descendant, was doing her best to adjust the tastes of a dru*g dealer, even though it shouldn’t be done considering the dignity of the royal family.
‘But strangely, it doesn’t feel bad.’
It was quite the opposite.
Siena felt a strange pleasure as she sipped her drink.
The dishes prepared by court chefs, who usually spoiled their talents making oatmeal and sandwiches, were laid out in front of her. Various dishes, beautifully filled with ingredients, such as roasted bell peppers accompanied by mushrooms, and lamb dishes with raisins.
It seemed like a lot of effort was put into it, but honestly, there was no excitement. Her dinner ended with eating a piece of pudding and cake earlier.
The food wasn’t great, but there was a different kind of fun.
“Good eatin’.”
On the topic of watching the pyrotechnics for over three hours next to Victoria, Alan seemed completely unaffected in terms of appetite.
It was entertaining just to watch Alan eat.
“Our family has windmills. Several of them. It’s an important source of income.”
“The peasants must be paying money there to commission milling.”
“Yeah. Grandfather mentioned this time that he reduced the fees. He hasn’t really taken undue profits so far, and it’s not pressure from the system either. Probably noticed the Walpole family’s move this time and decided to be wise, huh?”
“Sounds about right. Wouldn’t want to give them a reason.”
Even the simple conversations like this were quite enjoyable.
‘Why is it enjoyable?’
As I rolled my thoughts, there was a reason that came to mind.
The act of kindly asking Alan to adjust his taste brought her a strange joy.
Even though she could bring about a catastrophe if she set her mind to it, she was holding back as per her personality. Suppressing the urge to go all out and observing how things would turn out. It wasn’t too bad to lower herself to gain Alan’s favor for her own amusement.
If one were to describe it, it might be the pleasure of restraint.
Forcing oneself to forcibly erase instinctively arising inappropriate thoughts, immediately replacing them with another plan, and then forcibly suppressing the emerging urge to recommend wine to Alan.
All of this brought joy to Siena.
The more she held back, the more valuable Alan felt.
The reason this dinner, which would have been considered a waste of time at other times, was enjoyable was due to that. Ordinary meal, ordinary conversation, and…
“Siena?”
“Why?”
“I appreciate your accommodation, but there’s no need to disrupt a perfectly fine dish.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Upon hearing Alan’s words, I looked down at the plate and noticed the neatly sliced pieces of beef, all of them the same size.
It was an unintentional mistake, made while observing Alan.
The dish I ordered wasn’t meant to satisfy her taste. Yet, for some reason, I hesitated to put my hand down and ended up making a mess. Despite that, the pieces were cut beautifully.
Sienna looked at Alan, picturing a shy smile, or rather, attempting to appear shy.
And then, slowly, she spoke.
“Alan, how was the meal?”
“I was satisfied. However…”
“I was satisfied too. Truly. …Honestly, there’s something I want to ask you, but I’m afraid it might make you uncomfortable, Alan. If you permit me, I’ll speak. It’s amusing to ask for permission before opening my mouth.”
“Just go ahead, Your Highness.”
“Really? You won’t get angry? You’ve been using honorifics since earlier.”
“Yes.”
The meal must be over by now. There shouldn’t be anything stopping me from asking.
Sienna gestured to the maid, instructing her to bring tea after the meal.
I left the ruined beef dish untouched. I didn’t mind leaving half of the prepared meal uneaten.
From the beginning, her focus was not on the food, but on Alan alone.
Before I knew it, the table was neatly cleared, with all the dishes put away.
Sienna looked straight at Alan, fingers crossed on the table.
“Alan.”
“Yes.”
“You’re smart, so you probably already know, but I have no intention of giving up on you. And today made that clear. My sister feels the same way as I do. To gain you, both she and our family… Well, she might not think so herself, but that’s the reality.”
“I’m aware of that. So, what is it that you want to talk about?”
Alan calmly inquired.
How could one be so indifferent about a topic sandwiched between heirs to the throne?
Sienna had faced significant challenges throughout the year, which might have made her nonchalant, but Alan wasn’t that kind of person. He intentionally executed plans, well aware of the consequences, and bore the aftermath himself.
That’s why she was even more curious.
“Alan, how do you think this will end?”
“Is that so?”
“You understood. Don’t pretend you don’t.”
She was asking about his thoughts on how he would handle the situation between the princesses, whom he would choose, and if he had the confidence to deal with the aftermath. She knew it was a somewhat awkward question for Alan, but she was still curious.
“What do you think?”
Alan’s response did not come immediately.
Alan’s face, openly displaying embarrassment, was quite charming. As appealing as when he was producing dru*gs. She wanted to keep looking at him.
**
Sienna gazed at me with a smile tinged with mischief.
There was no sense of desperation.
Perhaps because her interest in me was less than in Victoria, she could afford to be more relaxed.
In my view, Sienna seemed prepared to handle any mess that might come up in the future. Perhaps she didn’t even know if she secretly wished for chaos. If she could freely fight with Victoria without worrying about my reactions, she wouldn’t avoid it.
“Yeah. Sienna will definitely not avoid it.”
Unlike her, I was still unprepared.
I hadn’t been idle all this time. I made it clear that I could get hurt if they fought, and I was cautious. Especially in front of Victoria, I deliberately acted dry to avoid giving her any room.
But so far, there had been no effect.
“Instead, the kids’ condition has only gotten worse.”
Victoria’s gaze became cloudy, and Sienna strangely softened.
There was still no clear answer. Because such a thing didn’t exist. Sienna probably knew that and continued to play dumb.
“Well, I don’t know.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes. At least for now. But I’m very pleased to see your awkwardness, judging by how satisfied you seem to be watching me struggle.”
“Good for you.”
As I spoke, I felt thirsty.
I moistened my lips with the tea brought by the maid. It was a slightly bland tea to be placed on the aristocratic table. Of course, the taste of the tea wasn’t important right now. As I was about to take a sip and put it down, Sienna’s eyes sparkled again.
What could it be this time? I could find out soon.
“It’s tea brought from the Dalsorim Choja-ji.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, Alan. It’s a tea that one of the elven tribes has enjoyed for a long time. I found out through officials sent to Medelin. Apparently, heroin addicts often seek out this tea. It goes well with heroin, probably?”
“….”
Tea enjoyed by heroin addicts.
Elves have always had a unique enjoyment of dru*gs. While heroin is often enjoyed alone, elves would gather in the square and smoke together, sometimes mixing it with wild tobacco or herbs found in the deep forest.
It’s not unusual to see them holding a pipe in one hand and a teacup in the other…
Wait a moment. Something seemed off.
“You mentioned that heroin addicts often seek this tea?”
“Yes, quite frequently. They seem content as long as they have heroin and tea. Marcela, the magistrate, willingly obeys any instructions related to it.”
What heroin addicts wanted was more heroin.
If they frequently sought it, there must be a reason.
Considering the taste wasn’t the main factor, it was clear that there were only two possibilities. Either the tea leaves enhanced the consumption of heroin or they intensified its effects. That was it.
“Why so curious, Alan?”
Sienna’s eyes revealed that she knew something about the tea while offering it.
Perhaps she wanted to see if I knew its true nature.
“I can only speculate why elves seek this tea.”
“I didn’t ask about that.”
“I’m merely teaching you as a token of gratitude for the dinner. I believe that if Your Highness is as perceptive as I think, you would have guessed it without my explanation.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Right. Is it similar to Leon Loderdale seeking morphine and ephedrine together? That’s my guess.”
“It’s similar.”
A substitute tea with a high caffeine content suitable for the humid climate of the deep forest. Or leaves from a plant containing more exhilarating alkaloids than caffeine. It seemed that the elves had experimented with various methods and found the optimal combination.
Up to this point, nothing was particularly surprising.
dru*g addicts, though they may appear thoughtless at first glance, always found ways to indulge in heightened sensations.
As I touched the teacup, Sienna continued to smile.
“How about it? Shall I share some tea leaves? For research purposes.”
“If you’re offering, I won’t refuse, but…”
“Seems like you’re not in the best mood right now.”
“Yes.”
Siena nodded in understanding.
“Alright. I’m sorry for adding unnecessary concerns when you’re already troubled. You don’t have to answer the question I asked earlier. I’m just making an effort to look good in your eyes. If I made a mistake, I’ll apologize.”
“No need to apologize.”
“If you think that way, that’s good.”
Consideration not to add troubles to my life.
I appreciated the sentiment, but I didn’t reciprocate. I could guess why Siena was acting this way.
“Is she playing with me?”
Currently, it seemed like Siena was cornering me and subtly enjoying it. While she genuinely wanted to appear good in my eyes, there was also a sincere desire to play with me. Until now, I was the one in control, but today, it felt like the roles had reversed.
“It was interesting today, Alan.”
Siena said while brushing her hair aside.
The meal concluded within the bright atmosphere, much like her smile.
…
That evening, I spent the night pondering over my worries.
Fortunately, there was a solution that came to mind.
As much as I felt like sinking into a swamp the more I thought, I couldn’t just stay still.