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chapter 9
Celestine led George to a teahouse tucked away in the farthest corner of the capital.
“This is farther than I expected.”
“Oh, not really. By carriage, it’s less than thirty minutes,” Celestine replied cheerfully.
“Still… I’m not sure it’s worth the trouble to come all this way,” George said.
He wasn’t wrong. The prince’s palace probably had any tea one could want, and this teahouse wasn’t particularly special to justify leaving the palace.
But Celestine had no choice.
She glanced at George briefly, then spoke with a shy, almost embarrassed smile.
“Is that so…? I’ve always wanted to bring someone dear to me to this place.”
“….”
“I heard this is where my mother first met my father. So I’ve always dreamed of coming here with someone precious to me.”
“I see… not bad, actually. You’ve managed to make it look presentable.”
Like autumn leaves drifting in the wind, George was easily swayed by her meaningless words, muttering with perverse pleasure.
“…But, didn’t you say you were abandoned, not knowing your parents?”
Sharp, huh. Celestine hurriedly explained.
“Well… the head of the orphanage seems to have known my parents. That connection brought me there. Did I… upset Your Highness by bringing you to such a humble place?”
“I’ve already captured your heart. How could I possibly be upset?”
Ugh.
“So, you’ve embraced me in your heart, and I’ve embraced you in mine. Very good. I like it.”
Ignoring George’s ridiculous words, Celestine glanced at the person standing behind them. A man in black approached with a tray and, with impeccable manners, set a teacup on the table.
…If this had been an ordinary teahouse, she wouldn’t have brought George here.
There was a reason for putting herself through this.
The teahouse’s name: Lethe.
Yes, the river of forgetfulness you cross after death.
The name sounded a bit eerie for a teahouse, but Greg refused to compromise. The reason was simple:
As soon as someone left, they would have no memory of the conversation inside.
Lethe served as a private hideout for Greg and his crew, a place where they plotted and schemed.
On the surface, it looked like a run-down teahouse, but inside it was entirely controlled by Greg’s people. They had maintained this space for decades, paying dues to keep it secret and safe.
This was why George had been brought here. Whatever happened inside, it would be much safer than anywhere else.
Celestine silently thought, First, I need to deal with George before anything happens. His two bodyguards are outside Lethe, keeping watch.
“Finest black tea, brewed from premium leaves. I hope it pleases Your Highness,” the man said with a small smile.
“The aroma is pleasant.”
“….”
“Grace, I have a few things I’d like to ask,” George continued.
“….”
“…Grace?”
“Yes? Me?”
Ah, right. I’m Grace right now.
“Apologies… I was so happy to be with Your Highness that I got distracted.”
George’s thin lips stretched into a grin.
“You said you had questions for me?”
“Yes. Even though this is our fateful first meeting, I know very little about you.”
“Oh… alright.”
“First, how old are you?”
“I turned eighteen this year.”
“Then you’re of age. Good to know.”
Even George, obsessed with women, hesitated with underage girls.
“What are your hobbies?”
“I’ll guess. Embroidery? Flower arranging?”
Really, all I do is sleep like a corpse…
“Ah, I guessed correctly. Good. Lately, daughters of noble families have been so foolish, even in Yeshua…”
“Foolish…?”
“Following men into martial arts, taking up horseback riding, even writing has become fashionable in society. Ridiculous! A woman writing? Unthinkable in the old days.”
“….”
“Lovely Grace, you must be far removed from such vanity, right?”
I want to kill him.
For the first time, Celestine felt a sharp, overwhelming murderous impulse.
“Would you like to try the tea first? I was worried it might not suit Your Highness’s taste.”
Instead of smacking George’s absurdly long nose, she diverted the topic with a gentle voice.
The foolish prince didn’t notice and began sipping the slightly cooled tea.
Celestine’s eyes gleamed with determination as she watched him.
“Melcy… go to my father immediately and tell him. The moment you’ve been waiting for has come. This is your chance to truly catch Dravaltin’s attention. And everything I tell you now—locations, preparations—don’t leave anything out.”
“What is it…?”
“First, close Lethe immediately. It’s usually empty, but better safe than sorry.”
Celestine had prepared many things in a short time.
“Second, whoever I bring here must have their tea laced with a sedative. The strongest available. Third…”
Once he drinks that…!
He’ll be out cold and won’t even attend the banquet.
It would be a little inconvenient afterward, but George was doomed to die at Hella’s hands anyway, and he’d used a false identity. No major worries. Even if something happened, it would be minor compared to disappearing from the story altogether.
Celestine thought that calmly.
“This teahouse actually serves surprisingly good tea.”
Yet, that bastard didn’t even hint at passing out no matter how much he drank.
“Unexpectedly good… almost like tea from the palace. But premium tea costs a lot. He’s not the type to indulge in luxuries beyond his rank, right? Slightly concerning.”
“….”
“Anyway, I’ve gone out of my way to bring him here at your request… this once, I’ll let it slide.”
Wow. And he’s lecturing me at the same time.
“I’ll finish soon, so we won’t be late for the banquet.”
Should I have used poison instead of a sedative…?
“Tonight’s banquet will be quite entertaining. A perfect opportunity to display my courage and bravery to all.”
At that moment, she locked eyes with a man observing from afar.
He shook his head, and Celestine realized she’d forgotten something important.
Tolerance…
Even someone like George, as a prince, would have been trained to resist poisons and sedatives from childhood.
“But Grace isn’t drinking at all… nervous because I’m here with him?”
No choice.
This was the only option left.
“…And third.”
Watching George gulp down her teacup, Celestine remembered her final instructions to Melcy.
“If he drinks the sedative tea and still doesn’t sleep, knock him out with a strike to the head.”
“Strike him in the head…?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
Celestine’s bright green eyes shone with determination.
The man immediately moved silently behind George, holding a large silver tray.
“If it’s alright with you, Grace, we can spend some private time after the banquet. You may even stay in the palace for the night if you wish. I’m always ready to host. Of course, if you want to… sleep in my arms—oops!”
A splash of brown tea hit Celestine’s face…
And George, in a disgusting mess, had buried his head into the table.
And he didn’t get up.
