Chapter 51
Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Imperial Tea Party (3)
"Y-Yurie...l?"
"......"
"D-Did you accept the invitation?"
The crown prince jumped to his feet, eyes wide, at the sudden appearance of my second sister, Uriel. Snapping out of my stunned daze at his voice, I finally came back to my senses.
"How could I refuse an invitation from His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"O-Oh! Exactly!"
"Though it seems others didn't feel the same way..."
Black long hair framing a seductive smile, paired with those perpetually narrowed eyes that made her expressions hard to read.
She matched the description of the second daughter perfectly, so there was no doubt—this was definitely my second sister.
"...Hm?"
Just as I was tensing up, never expecting to run into her here, Uriel's gaze drifted to the teacups on the table, her eyes narrowing even further.
"This is... Azure Cloud Snow tea, isn't it? Made from those rare leaves that only grow deep in the East Continent's snowfields?"
"That's right! As expected of Belverk's second daughter, so sharp..."
"...Though some idiot ruined the flavor by steeping it for a whole week. Must have money to burn."
The crown prince flinched at my second sister's biting remark as she lifted a teacup and took a sip, averting his eyes and scratching his head.
"Ahem, well..."
No wonder it tasted too bitter for such a fancy brew. I'd thought there was some secret technique to steeping it for a week, but nope—just botched it.
"Oh, by the way, have you heard the rumors?"
"...Huh? What rumors?"
As I shot the crown prince a glare alongside her, Uriel set down her teacup with a sly smile and turned to him.
"Word is, the Second Prince has been acting suspiciously lately."
"Second Prince? What's he up to? Another expedition?"
"...Never mind. It's nothing."
But as the crown prince stammered in confusion, Uriel lost interest, her expression shifting as she turned her gaze to me.
"Hello, my cute little brother."
"......"
"Hehe, no need to be so tense."
She caught me looking a bit nervous at her sudden address and began gently stroking my head, then whispered with narrowed eyes.
"Or maybe I should be the tense one."
"...?"
"What you've accomplished in just half a year since arriving at the estate... it's truly impressive."
Her whisper sent chills down my spine just from hearing it.
"Winning over the family head and third daughter. Subjugating the head's maid legion. A secret alliance with the First Knight Order. Even the elders' favor..."
"......"
"Haha, is the secret your adorable looks?"
Every word she said felt like it burrowed deep into me, tightening like a vice.
"Eek."
As I shuddered from the eerie sensation, Uriel suddenly grabbed my waist from the seat right next to me and hoisted me up.
"Eep?"
Before I could even resist, she plopped me onto her lap and caressed my cheeks, whispering softly once more.
"Don't misunderstand. I want to get along with you."
"Ah, y-yes..."
"If I go back to the estate like this, my Second Knight Order and maids will clash with the family head's faction—it's obvious."
Something risky laced her words, but I couldn't focus on them right now.
'...Heavy.'
Her chest, rivaling or surpassing even Mother's, loomed over my head, asserting its presence.
"So... before that nightmare happens, I need to build some rapport with you. And maybe seal an alliance."
In that situation, I glanced up hesitantly from my dazed expression and subtly brought up the incident from before.
"By the way, what was that weird fur in the glass vial you gave me last time..."
"Hehe, no idea what you're talking about."
"But you said it was going to parasitize me..."
At that moment, Uriel's eyes flashed red.
"...Don't speak of things without proof."
"Eek."
"Do bad things like that, and Big Sis might have to punish you."
She suddenly slipped her hand under my clothes and started tickling me all over, forcing me to drop my questioning and gasp for air.
"Th-that feels weird..."
"Heehee..."
"S-stop it!"
It started as playful tickling, but her suspicious chuckle signaled it was getting weirder, so I finally wailed and raised my voice.
"Oh, do you know about this?"
She finally stopped, hand still on me, and whispered as if something just occurred to her.
"His Majesty the Emperor's been having headaches lately over his son's lust for power."
"...Huh?"
"Hehe, that innocent look won't work on me."
I'd put on a pure, wide-eyed face thinking it was some headache-inducing political talk, but Uriel pressed on with a cold smile.
"But doesn't something feel off?"
"......"
"The Crown Prince right here seems totally detached from those rumors..."
Come to think of it, even when we first met His Majesty at the debutante, she'd put me on her lap and grumbled about that.
And sure enough, the crown prince I'd seen so far didn't seem like a threat to the throne...
"...Hm, what's really going on here?"
With no more info, I tilted my head innocently for real this time.
"Uh, um..."
"Oh, right, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Ah, yeah?"
The crown prince, who'd been eyeing us and trying to butt in, perked up as Uriel turned to him.
"Even for a tea party, this is getting boring."
"S-sorry?"
"No, not asking for an apology. Just want to make a suggestion."
And just like that, a fresh proposal came from Uriel's quietly gleaming eyes.
"How about a simple game to chase away the boredom?"
"...A game?"
"If we could get a deck of cards nearby..."
But in the strictly heroic imperial family, they'd never have gambling rabble's card decks on hand...
"H-Here you go!"
"...Hm?"
"N-No misunderstanding. Just happened to have them."
My doubts lasted only a moment before the crown prince frantically pulled a deck of playing cards from his pocket and presented them to Uriel.
Don't tell me he prepped them to play with the promising prospects he was supposed to meet today?
Nah, too pathetic—let's pretend not.
- Shuffle, shuffle...
As I eyed the crown prince pitifully, Uriel slid the cards into her hand and shuffled them with flashy skill.
"No tampering, standard size and count. Perfect."
After shuffling thoroughly, she set them down with a satisfied smile and added,
"Anyone know poker rules?"
Five minutes later, the maids had cleared the tea table spotless, and what started as a "friendly" match turned into full-blown gambling.
"Wow, you win again!"
"...Haha! Take that, Crown Prince."
"Truly impressive. Hehe."
The impromptu card game, led by Uriel, began with the crown prince dominating.
"Of course I'd win. I practiced alone countless times for emergencies... Ahem."
Wait, is poker even a solo game? He didn't split personalities and bet against himself with cards laid out, did he?
"Our cute little brother shows it all on his face."
"Ack."
"First time playing something like this?"
But I wasn't in a position to mock others.
As Uriel said, I'd go wide-eyed at good hands, then frantically glance around.
"D-don't touch me."
"...Oh? Why not?"
Uriel peeked at me fondly and sidled closer, petting my head again.
"Nothing to be shy about with family."
"...Y-yes."
"Good boy..."
I tried to firmly block her hand this time, but a cold smile crossed her face, so I meekly leaned into it.
"...You'll need more practice managing your expressions, won't you?"
She stared down at me, then whispered chillingly, ignoring my gaze.
No wonder even Lilien feared uttering her name. Now I get why.
"Anyway, seems everyone's getting the hang of it. Shall we spice it up for fun?"
As I sat obediently enduring the pets with my head bowed, Uriel glanced between me and the crown prince and spoke.
"New rule's simple. After final bets, swap one random hidden card clockwise."
"......"
"Only from the three hidden cards. Swapping shown ones would be no fun."
I tilted my head at her proposed rule, pondering.
'Something fishy...'
It created comeback chances post-bets, so definitely thrilling.
But Uriel, the genius, suggesting it? There had to be a reason...
"More exciting this way, right?"
"Y-yeah, definitely!"
"But still not thrilling enough. Let's add stakes from the next round."
Before I could voice doubts, the overconfident crown prince agreed enthusiastically, and the rule stuck.
"500 gold per chip. Sound good?"
"...Uh, wait..."
Even turning our "friendly" game into real gambling.
"I-I accept."
The crown prince hesitated at the hefty stakes but, as royalty, accepted.
"...Fine."
I hadn't hit 10 yet, so no allowance, but with Mother's massive emergency fund, I was Belverk too.
"Then, good luck again."
With our agreement, the revamped game took a wildly new turn right away.
"W-wait a second!"
Incredibly, the crown prince's solo streak saw his chips dwindle fast.
"This is wrong somehow!"
By the time he snapped out of it, most chips piled in front of Uriel.
"Um..."
He started wagering personal items instead of chips.
"I have nothing left to bet... What now?"
Even his clothes seized, the crown prince stared blankly at us and asked timidly.
"Then the game's over."
Uriel smiled coldly amid her chip pile.
"I'll take the Azure Cloud Snow leaves and food as collateral."
"Th-this...!"
"Hehe, sorry. But I can't forgive anyone—even gods—for brewing tea that badly."
Her words only deepened the crown prince's reddening face.
"Well, time to eat..."
"Wait!"
"...Hm?"
As Uriel smiled and rose, it happened.
"One last game! Please!"
"......"
"My pride can't take this!"
The crown prince shot up, blocking her desperately.
"But Your Highness has nothing left to wager."
"Th-that's true, but..."
"Hm, we could change the bet."
Uriel's lips twitched up briefly, then she feigned contemplation.
"Last place strips their top this time?"
"What?"
"Haha, common in gambling dens. Desperate folks always bet like that."
I doubted my ears at her proposal, watching silently.
'Strip poker? Here?'
At the crown prince's tea party? He could lose, and isn't this lèse-majesté?
"...Huh."
Glancing around, the maids had vanished like ghosts.
So, whatever happened in this garden now stayed between us three.
"Uh......"
But the crown prince, who'd been raring for any bet, suddenly froze, sweating bullets.
"What's wrong, Your Highness?"
"......"
"Don't tell me you're not confident?"
Uriel taunted him with a mocking lilt.
"...F-fine. I accept those terms."
"Swear on your name too?"
"I, Alberion Lumen Shinehardt, swear on my name."
Provoked, he clenched his fists and muttered lowly.
"This hand... I'll win for sure."
His eyes burned with uncharacteristic resolve.
"Well then, straight flush for me."
The crown prince's final game, fueled by determination, ended tragically without twists.
"......Fuck."
He dropped his head blankly at Uriel's declaration—taking one of his cards to complete her straight flush.
'No pair, obvious.'
In a last-place-only-lose setup, that despair meant trash hand.
"Your face says it all. Winner decided."
Uriel smiled chillingly, reading it perfectly.
"Time to strip your top, as promised."
Sudden desperate shout echoed through the tea hall.
"No!!!"
Pale-faced, the crown prince bolted up, begging profusely.
"A-anything but that... Please."
"...?"
"I beg you. Change it to another wish."
What's this? He looked desperately earnest.
"Lifetime tea party pass?"
"No need."
"Th-then... ownership of my villa..."
"I have plenty."
He kept suggesting alternatives, but Uriel shot them all down coldly, then tilted her head with a sly smile.
"...Hehe, but why the sudden change?"
Cold atmosphere descended on the tea party.
"You're a guy, right? Shirt should be no big deal."
"......"
"Or is there a reason you can't?"
The crown prince fell silent, head bowed.
"...Pardon? Your Highness?"
At her silky voice, his trembling hand reached downward.
"R-rather..."
"...?"
"...I'll take off my pants."
He clutched his pants desperately, pleading with earnest eyes.
"Time for the final round."
"W-wait! Uriel!"
"Cute little brother. Draw one card from His Highness's hand."
Uriel turned to me, utterly ignoring the standing, pants-clutching crown prince.
"K-Kairen."
Despair-filled, he released his pants, snatched up his hidden three cards like a thief, and muttered shakily.
"H-help me out..."
Honestly, no clue what's happening.
But no matter what, I do not want to see the crown prince's underwear!
'...Big Sis System.'
Of course, I couldn't strip Uriel either, so no choice but this.
What's going on?
"...Huh?"
Kairen, sulking briefly, drew one of the three trembling cards from the crown prince's hand. Uriel's eyes turned icy.
"......?"
As Kairen slipped one of his hidden cards into the crown prince's hand, the crown prince's eyes bulged too.
"N-no pair."
"......"
"I'm last."
Kairen's gloomy voice broke the tea party's silence.
"Kairen!"
Confirming his hand now a pair, the crown prince teared up, calling Kairen's name.
"Ahaha..."
Uriel watched quietly, then let out a low chuckle.
"What trick did our cute little brother pull?"
She fixed Kairen with a cold stare, voice low.
- Bob, bob...
Her piercing gaze shifted briefly behind the crown prince. Kairen flinched but answered innocently.
"...N-no idea what you mean!"
Behind the crown prince floated Kairen's translucent system window, revealing his cards openly.
"Th-then now..."
Ignoring the blatant cheating, Kairen muttered forlornly.
"......I'll strip."
Silence blanketed the tea party once more.
"...Chirp?"
Peep, out basking in the sun, overheard and let out a dumb chirp from the branch.