Chapter 11 : Chapter 11
Volume 1
Chapter 11 : When It Comes to Being Despicable, I Still Surpass You
“Does Your Highness truly think I am the sort of person who would put something strange into the tea?”
Hearing Selicia’s words, Muen froze for a moment.
Then, as if he had suffered a tremendous blow, his expression turned crestfallen.
He looked as though he might start pounding his chest and wailing to the heavens at any second—so tragic that it would summon snow in the height of summer to prove his innocence.
“If Your Highness distrusts me so much, then I can only prove myself through my actions! I shall drink first as a show of respect!”
Muen grabbed his own cup of tea, ready to tilt his head back and drain it in one gulp.
“Wait.”
Selicia suddenly spoke, stopping him.
“There is no need for Young Master Muen to take it so seriously. I was merely making a small joke.”
“A joke…”
With that completely expressionless face of yours, that did not look like a joke at all!
“As your betrothed, Young Master Muen, I have trusted you from the very beginning.”
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Selicia’s lips.
For her, that alone seemed to count as a smile.
“I was only teasing you just now. Please do not take it to heart.”
“Is that so?”
Muen set the teacup down, letting out a subtle sigh of relief.
“In the future, Your Highness, please refrain from making such jokes that could easily damage the trust between us.”
“Of course. I have already realized my mistake.”
Selicia still did not drink her tea.
Lowering her head, she toyed with the cup in her hands.
Through the deep red liquid, she seemed to be gazing at her own reflection.
“In truth, there is a reason why I make such jokes.”
“Hm?”
“You should know this, Young Master Muen—my actual age is a few months younger than yours.”
“…Yes, of course I know.”
Know my ass!
I was completely shocked, alright?!
Selicia, the student council president of Saint Marika Academy—two full grades above Muen—was actually younger than him?
The original story never mentioned this at all!
Wait a second…
Does that mean that, although she appears to be his senior, she is technically his younger sister?
Given that the royal family and noble houses are bound to share some blood relations, calling her “little sister” would not be inappropriate.
Is this some kind of evolved version of that “cute yet mature” archetype?
This is bad.
The moment Muen imagined the cold and aloof senior Selicia privately calling him “big brother,” he felt a dangerous thrill.
That kind of contrast struck straight at his heart!
“After all, I am a genius who skipped two grades. It is not strange for such a situation to occur.”
“But precisely because of that, I often feel very tired. The people around me are not my peers, yet I must act as mature as they are—no, even more so.”
“So, when I am in private, in an environment where I feel at ease, I sometimes show a more childish side.”
“A childish side?” Muen was taken aback. He never expected those words to come from Selicia.
“Yes, like just now.”
Her silver-white lashes fluttered slightly as she asked softly,
“You are not angry, are you, Young Master Muen?”
“Of course not.”
Muen could not help but smile, answering without hesitation.
“If it is Your Highness, I can accept even your childishness. In fact, it makes you feel more approachable.”
“Really? That is wonderful.”
Selicia suddenly lifted her head.
“In that case, I happen to have another rather childish request. I hope Young Master Muen can indulge me.”
“Huh?”
“Your tea seems to taste better. So… could we exchange cups?”
“…What?”
Muen’s smile froze instantly.
He stared at Selicia, his hands and feet turning cold.
Her eyes still carried that distant, icy aloofness.
Yet through the frozen surface, Muen seemed to glimpse a trace of cunning… and mockery hidden beneath.
Damn it.
I let my guard down for a moment, and this woman has already taken control!
So all that talk about childishness was a lie.
She really suspects something is wrong with the tea!
But she probably did not expect him to be bold enough to actually drug it.
Otherwise, what awaited him would be a piercing chill of ice.
“This… might not be appropriate.”
“What is inappropriate about it? Did you not say you could accept all of my childishness? Or is it that—”
Tilting her head, Selicia asked slowly, word by word,
“—you are afraid of something, Young Master Muen?”
“H-How could that be? I have done nothing wrong. Why would I be afraid?”
Muen forced a flawless smile onto his face.
“Then why—”
“Because… I have already drunk from this cup!”
Muen tightened his grip on the teacup and declared loudly,
“If Your Highness drinks it, that would be… an indirect kiss!”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Selicia showed not the slightest sign of wavering as she continued,
“Yes, exactly.”
Muen widened his eyes, staring intently at her.
Well then, Your Highness.
As a cold and noble ice princess, can you withstand the words “indirect kiss”?
Surely someone as pure as you would blush at the mere mention of it.
“I do not mind.”
Yet Selicia showed no trace of embarrassment.
“As your betrothed, I can accept something of this level.”
As if she had truly accepted her role as his fiancée, she even reached out her soft hand and gently placed it over Muen’s.
But Muen felt no warmth from the contact—only a bone-chilling cold.
Because Selicia was prying open his fingers one by one, taking the teacup from his grasp.
At this point, there was nothing he could do.
He could only watch silently, helplessly, in despair.
Like watching the countdown to his own death.
“Come to think of it, I am rather looking forward to the tea brewed by Young Master Muen.”
Although she showed no expression of anticipation whatsoever, Selicia still raised Muen’s cup to her lips.
Then she glanced at him and asked,
“You are not drinking, Young Master Muen?”
“I will. I am drinking.”
Muen forced his lips into a stiff, corpse-like smile.
He picked up the cup that originally belonged to Selicia and slowly brought it to his lips.
He moved as slowly as possible, as though trying to stretch the moment into eternity.
But under Selicia’s gaze, even the slowest process would eventually reach its end.
Closing his eyes in resignation, Muen tilted his head back and poured the tea into his mouth.
Watching this, Selicia narrowed her eyes slightly.
She glanced again at the tea in her cup, then turned her head slightly to look outside.
Clinking glasses and flowing music—just beyond this room, separated by a single wall, a grand ball was underway.
Most of the nobility of Belland had been invited.
Even a Duke’s heir would not dare do anything foolish at such a time… would he?
At last, Selicia took a small sip of the tea.
Hm?
Why does it still taste strange?
Frowning, she lowered her head to look at the cup.
The tea inside swayed gently, its red hue as vivid as blood.
Could it be…
Selicia suddenly looked up.
From the beginning until now, Muen had not said a single word.
And now, he was smiling.
The corners of his lips were stretched almost to his ears, yet his mouth remained tightly shut—a deeply unsettling sight.
“You—!”
For the first time, panic appeared in Selicia’s eyes.
But it was already too late. She felt her entire body begin to go limp.
And at last, Muen opened his mouth.
“Blech—!”
He spat out every last drop of the tea.