The Side Character Got Promoted To The Villainness!

Chapter 18: The Spirit Festival (2)

The desserts seem to be never ending. As soon as a tray was emptied, it was quickly replaced with one stacked full and high. Same with the tea. As soon as the bottom of the teacup became visible, someone would always be there to refill it, like a magic cup that has generates infinitely. 

Because I avoided touching the desserts, I drank more tea than I could handle and soon after, I was seeking for a bathroom. I asked one of the maids for direction and they were more than willing to lead the way.

I'm going inside the mansion. I wonder if I'll be meeting Lucaon......

The inside of the mansion was grander than I anticipated. With the navy blue curtains tied to the side, the light pouring in from the windows were enough to illuminate the entire hallway without any magic lamps (lamps with magic stones. Illuminates brighter than candles). The hallway we walked down was decorated with expensive-looking vases and bouquets of flowers put in them. 

We quickly arrived the bathroom and I excused myself while the maids waited outside to escort me back to the garden. The bathroom was extremely clean, without a speck of dust. It also had a faint scent of lavender and lemons, I think. The marble floor so polished I could see my own reflection on it. There's even a small stool in front of the sink for the children that were unable to reach it.

I thought that I could finally relax after being alone, but this just makes me more stressed out. I feel like I'm contaminating this space.

***

After I was finished with my business, I bid goodbye to this brief alone time and exited the bathroom. The two maids were still outside and they were whispering something to each other while looking at me. They stopped immediately after they saw me. 

We walked the same path back, and just as we were about to make a turn, the maids suddenly stopped and bowed deeply. 

"Greetings, my lord." The maids greeted in unison. 

I peeked from behind them and saw the duke in a loose outfit. He was wearing a plain white blouse and black pants. the strings at the collar were untied, exposing his beautifully carved collarbone. His hair was not combed back like he always did. Instead, he let down his bangs which made him look younger for some reason. He yawned and nodded to the maids, gesturing them to be at ease. He then finally saw me. 

"Oh?" He looked a bit surprised with my presence, and then he reverted back to his poker face. "The tea party was today, I assume."

"Yes, my lord. Mr. Alfred is serving the guests at the west garden." One of the maids replied while keeping her head low. 

"Hmm." He put a finger below on his chin, as if deep in thought, and then he gave a slight smirk to me and said, "Prepare a table at the greenhouse. I shall attend to this little guest personally."

What the fuck? Don't try to seduce me with that sly smile of yours. The last thing I need was another round of tea with the duke. 

"Yes, my lord." Both the maids bowed and left while giving me a curious look. 

"Shall we go then, Miss Astria?" The duke bend down a little and held out his hand to escort me. I didn't have much choice. My mouth twitched as I took hold of his hand, him leading me to wherever the place was. 

***

I didn't know where we were going until we reached a greenhouse. It's called a greenhouse but it looks more like a forest in a glass house. The atmosphere was more humid and warmer compared to the garden. When we arrived, there was a round table covered with a white cloth with embroidery on the corners. There were only two chairs and a number of servants standing around the table ready to serve us. A servant helped me onto the seat. There was a cushion on my seat which made the table lower for me. 

After the duke got into his seat, the servants started to serve the food. There was a small tower of cakes and muffins on my side and a cup of tea for both of us. The tea in my cup was the one I had in the tea party while I saw a different tea being served to the duke. It looked clearer, as if there's no cream nor sugar in it.

I want that......I wonder if I can request for the same tea......

"What is it? Do you want to try this?" The duke noticed my gaze and asked. I lightly nodded my head, hoping it was not impolite to reject a drink served to me. 

He gestured to a servant and in the next moment, a fresh cup of tea was served to me. The tea was brownish red and clear. I took a whiff and could pick out a flower aroma, maybe some fruit too. I blew lightly and took a sip carefully from the piping tea. It tasted as it smell, but with more bitterness, just the way I like it. 

"Seems like you like it." He put down his cup after a small drink. "You don't like sweets, do you?"

I froze. How did he know? Before I could answer him, the most embarrassing thing happened. 

My stomach growled. Loudly. 

Because I hated the sweets, I avoided eating them as much as possible just now. I blushed and look down, unable to bring myself to look at the duke.

Argh, I wanna dig a hole and bury myself in there so much!!

"You must've not eaten much at the tea party." He chuckled, knowing he had hit the bullseye. 

He motioned to one of the servants and whispered in their ear. The servant left the greenhouse and after some time, came back with a covered dish. He put the dish in front of me and lifted the cover, revealing the dish. It was a simple set of sandwiches, with a side of cherry tomatoes. There were a few crispy-looking lettuce in between the bread without crust, and neatly laid out slices of ham and creamy scrambled eggs. 

I looked to the duke hesitantly. He just continued drinking his tea while reading a few documents that another servant brought him just now. I picked up a sandwich and took a bite. 

Finally, something that wasn't sweet touched my palette. It felt warm going down my stomach. 

It didn't take me long to finish the sandwiches. The tea was a perfect pair for them, washing away the grease left in my mouth.