Chapter 105

Siena was currently in the midst of currying favor.

She, a direct descendant of the imperial line, was doing her utmost to flatter a drug dealer. It was something that should not exist, considering the dignity of the royal family.

‘But strangely, my mood isn’t bad.’

On the contrary, it was quite the opposite.

As Siena fiddled with her cutlery, she felt an odd sense of pleasure creep over her. The food before her had been skillfully crafted by palace chefs who had previously been overusing their talents on making oatmeal and sandwiches. Today they had been allowed to unleash their true potential, and the result was spread out before her.

There were beautifully prepared bell peppers stuffed with various ingredients, lamb dishes paired with truffles, and more. Despite all the effort, frankly, it didn’t stir any particular feeling within her. Her dinner had already ended with a piece of pudding and cake some time ago.

Although the food wasn’t particularly compelling, there was another kind of entertainment present.

‘He eats well.’

Even though he had just spent over three hours watching an execution alongside his sister, Victoria, Alan seemed entirely unbothered in terms of appetite. Watching Alan eat was entertaining in itself.

—

“Our maternal relatives own windmills. Several, in fact. They are an important source of income.”

“The peasants would pay them to grind their grain there, I assume.”

“Yes. I heard from our maternal grandfather that they’ve recently reduced the usage fees. They’ve never really engaged in usury, nor has the State pressured them to do so. Perhaps they’re adjusting in response to seeing how the Wolphall family is doing?”

“It would make sense. They probably don’t want to give them any pretext.”

Such simple conversations were surprisingly enjoyable.

‘Why is it enjoyable?’

As she thought about it, a reason did come to mind. Actively and amiably trying to please Alan brought her an odd sense of satisfaction.

Even though she had the capacity to push things to chaos at any moment, she was restraining herself and observing with interest what unfolded. The feeling of lowering herself to gain Alan’s favor was surprisingly not unpleasant.

In essence, it was the pleasure derived from restraint.

Suppressing the dark thoughts that instinctively arose and replacing them with alternative plans while offering Alan a glass of wine—it all added to Siena’s enjoyment.

The more she restrained herself, the more precious Alan seemed to her. Even the otherwise boring dinner, something she would have dismissed as a senseless waste of time in the past, had become enjoyable because of it.

Siena focused on the mundane meal and casual conversation—and then—

“Siena?”

“What is it?”

“I’m appreciative of your efforts to accommodate me, but there’s no need to destroy a perfectly good dish.”

“Oh, sorry.”

As she glanced at her plate after Alan spoke, she noticed the lamb dish expertly cut into uniform pieces. It was something she had unintentionally done while observing Alan.

The food hadn’t been ordered with her palate in mind. Still, she found herself aimlessly poking at it, until it ended up in this state. Yet, even in the midst of this, she had managed to keep the cuts looking somewhat elegant.

Siena flashed a shy smile—a deliberately calculated one—and looked at Alan.

She then slowly began to speak.

“Alan, how was your meal?”

“I was satisfied. However—”

“I was satisfied too. Truly. …Honestly, there is something I want to ask you, but I’m hesitant because I think it might make you uncomfortable. If you allow, I’ll ask. Thinking about it now, the very act of seeking permission before asking seems kind of fun.”

“Just ask, Your Highness.”

“Really? You won’t get mad? You’ve been using honorifics since before.”

“Yes.”

Since dinner was nearing its end, there was no reason she couldn’t ask.

Siena signaled to a maid to bring out tea for after the meal.

She let the ruined lamb dish be removed as well. She didn’t care that she hadn’t eaten half of the prepared food.

Her focus was never on the meal but on Alan.

With all the utensils neatly cleared, Siena folded her hands on the table and looked directly at Alan.

“Alan.”

“Yes.”

“Even though you’re probably already aware— I have no intention of giving up on you. And judging by today’s events, my sister feels the same way. She’s willing to leverage our maternal relatives… though of course, she wouldn’t think of it that way herself, but in reality, that’s what it amounts to.”

“I am aware of this. So, what would you like to inquire about?”

Alan’s expression remained calm as he posed the counter-question.

How could he remain so composed, caught in the middle of two heirs to the throne?

Perhaps his exposure to major events throughout the year had numbed him, but Alan was not that kind of person. He was the type to deliberately cause ripples while fully aware of the consequences and had the capacity to shoulder the aftermath himself.

That made her all the more curious.

“Alan, how do you think this will end?”

“This?”

“You know what I mean. Stop pretending. I’m asking how you plan to handle the situation with us and whether you’re prepared to handle the consequences.”

Alan did not respond.

The clearly awkward expression on his face was oddly appealing—an allure akin to when he manufactured drugs. It was something that made her continue staring at him.

—

Siena was smiling a pleasant smile as she watched me.

I detected no sense of urgency in her.

Was her interest in me less intense than Victoria’s, giving her more room to maneuver? Or perhaps she had already prepared herself to manage the chaos that was inevitably coming. It wasn’t impossible that she even hoped for it; if it allowed her to avoid taking cues from me and directly contend with Victoria, she probably wouldn’t back down.

“Yes. Someone like Siena would never back down.”

As for me, I wasn’t quite ready yet.

It wasn’t as if I’d been idle this whole time. I had made it clear that “if you two fight, I might get hurt,” and I had acted cautiously. Particularly in front of Victoria, I intentionally behaved in a detached manner to avoid giving her any openings.

However, nothing had changed so far.

“If anything, the situation has only worsened.”

Victoria seemed more reserved, while Siena was uncharacteristically kind.

There was still no clear answer. Frankly, one didn’t exist. Siena, aware of that, was likely why she was smiling like that.

“Hmm.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes, for now. But judging by your satisfaction in seeing me in an awkward position, I’m quite pleased.”

“Good.”

As I spoke, I felt a thirst creep in.

I moistened my lips with the tea a maid brought. It was rather bland for a tea meant to be served at a royal table. Of course, the taste wasn’t critical at the moment. As I moved to place the cup down, Siena’s eyes sparkled with curiosity again.

What did she have up her sleeve now? I soon found out.

“It’s tea from the Great Forest.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes, Alan. One of the elf tribes has enjoyed this tea for a long time. According to some bureaucrats stationed in Medelin, heroin addicts particularly favor this tea. I imagine it complements heroin well?”

“…”

A tea favored by heroin addicts.

Since ancient times, elves have consumed narcotics in unique ways. While heroin is generally used in solitude, elves would gather in squares to share it and sometimes blend wild tobacco or herbs from the Great Forest with it.

Holding a pipe in one hand and a teacup in the other wasn’t uncommon.

Still, something felt off.

“You mentioned that heroin addicts frequently seek out this tea?”

“Yes, unusually so. They become happy as long as they have heroin and this tea. They submit willingly to any directives from Marcela, that regent.”

Heroin addicts primarily seek more heroin.

If they seek something else frequently, there must be a reason. Given the tea’s bland taste, it wasn’t due to flavor. The remaining possibilities were two: either the tea leaves enhanced the effects of heroin, or they facilitated its overuse. Nothing else made sense.

“Why the surprised look, Alan?”

Based on her reaction, Siena might have had a rough idea but still offered the tea out of curiosity—to see if I recognized the leaves.

“I have a suspicion as to why the elves favor this tea.”

“But that’s not what you asked.”

“Simply a token of gratitude for this evening’s feast. Though I assumed that someone as astute as Your Highness already suspected.”

“True. Similar to why Leon Rothe Dale looks for both morphine and ephedrine, if my guess is correct.”

“Likely the same.”

In the humid climate of the Great Forest, a substitute tea with a high caffeine content—or perhaps a plant with even more stimulating alkaloids—was naturally grown. The elves seemed to have stumbled upon the optimal combination while experimenting with various methods.

None of this was particularly surprising.

Drug addicts, who on the surface appear to lack thought, are always on the lookout for ways to enhance their euphoria.

Throughout my contemplation, Siena continued to smile.

“Interested? Care to share some leaves for research purposes?”

“If offered, I wouldn’t decline…”

“Not particularly eager right now?”

“No.”

Siena nodded as if she understood everything.

“I see. Sorry for adding to your worries when you’re already troubled. And you don’t need to answer my earlier question either. I just want to make a good impression on you, Alan. If I’ve made any mistakes, I apologize.”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

“If that’s how you feel, thank you.”

An act of consideration, not adding unnecessary burdens to my life.

I appreciated the sentiment but refrained from expressing it. I had a sense of why Siena was acting this way.

‘Is she playing with me?’

Siena seemed to be enjoying putting me in an uncomfortable position, subtly. While her desire to create a good impression was genuine, her wish to play with me was likely equally genuine. Up until now, it was me who had been conditioning her, but today it seemed the roles had reversed.

“The dinner was fun, Alan.”

Tossing her hair back, Siena spoke.

Dinner ended with her bright smile, leaving me deep in contemplation that evening.

Fortunately, I did come up with a plan…

Though it felt like sinking deeper into a swamp with every move, inaction was not an option.

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