Tea and Cookies
The sun blazed brightly overhead on a clear morning. It was time for the usual training session.
“There are too many bandits.”
“…”
“Way too many. Seriously.”
At Serion’s sudden remark, Hwian tilted his head in confusion.
He already knew that bandits had suddenly increased in number lately. Whether it was because of the rumors surrounding the Hero summoning that had the entire kingdom in an uproar, the sudden surge of bandit groups had left not only the knight order but also the city guards in every region struggling. Serena had told him as much.
Still, a bandit was just a bandit. No matter how skilled they were, they would be nothing more than ants before knights like Serion.
“Thanks to them, I can’t even set foot in the palace anymore. Ha… There really are too many of the bastards.”
“I heard you were busy, but is it really that bad?”
“It’s to the point where I barely get to see my little sister’s face. At least you’re here, so that’s a relief.”
Hwian frowned at the friendly tone in his words.
The impression Serion gave off after their reunion in this second round was slightly more human than before. Unlike the noble and aloof swordsmanship instructor from the past, the current Serion treated Hwian far more casually.
It wasn’t that he particularly disliked it.
“Have you been getting along well with her lately?”
…It was just that every time Serion asked about Serena with that bright smile, Hwian’s head would start to ache a little.
“There’s no such thing as getting along well or badly. You already know this—I was dragged here against my will.”
Hwian answered with a sigh mixed in.
There was nothing to get along about. Serion seemed to want him to stay close to her, but from Hwian’s perspective, it was simply unpleasant.
He hated this world. He hated this place that had led him and everyone around him to death.
Even after crossing over death through regression, the unpleasant feeling refused to disappear.
The one who had summoned him to this world was Serena. He now knew it hadn’t been by her own will, but even so, holding goodwill toward her wasn’t an easy thing for him right now.
“…Well, that’s true enough.”
Serion spoke in a regretful voice. Hwian glanced at him from the corner of his eye and opened his mouth.
“So what brings you to see me? I doubt you came all the way here just to chat when you’re so busy.”
“Hmm~ Chatting is one of the reasons, but yeah, you’re right. I came to give you a warning. The situation seems pretty bad.”
“A warning?”
“About the bandits.”
Hwian’s head tilted further. Serion’s expression as he spoke was serious, which only deepened his confusion.
As he had said earlier, bandits were just bandits. No matter how numerous they were, there was no reason to fear them while staying inside the palace.
Serion should know that much. So what exactly was he trying to warn him about?
“The bandits’ equipment is strange. Their numbers are oddly high, too.”
“…Meaning?”
“It looks like they’re receiving support from somewhere. For example—”
Serion’s voice dropped to a whisper, as if sharing a secret.
“—You seem rather free, Serion.”
From behind them, a voice like the plucking of a harp suddenly rang out.
Serion flinched, his shoulders jerking as he turned around in clear panic. Hwian turned as well.
It was a woman with striking red hair.
Tall stature and a voluptuous figure. The woman holding a black parasol over her seductive dress smiled brightly down at the two men.
First Princess Alisie.
The central figure of the noble faction, responsible for trade and diplomacy within the palace.
“I hope you’ve been well, sister.”
“Indeed. You look healthy too. Are you two men having a secret rendezvous on such a hot day? I had no idea our little brother had such a hobby.”
“…Your words are rather mischievous.”
In front of a grimacing Serion, Alisie let out a delighted giggle. Then she pulled a single sheet of paper from her bosom and held it out to him.
“Take it.”
“What is this…? A report?”
“It seems another bandit group has been discovered west of the Liomel territory. Given the scale, it looks like you’ll have to go yourself.”
“…But I just returned from the west not long ago.”
“Then perhaps you should have searched more thoroughly. Who could have guessed the weeds you thought you’d pulled up would take root again?”
Serion frowned. Alisie smiled sweetly.
It feels like watching a play, Hwian thought, resting his chin on his hand.
The First Princess was trying to keep the Third Prince away from the palace. He wasn’t foolish enough to miss the subtle power struggle unfolding before him.
“…I’ll see you later, Hwian.”
With a somewhat suppressed voice, Serion left the training grounds. Now that the two of them were alone, Alisie spoke with a distinctly satisfied expression.
“Hero… Hwian. Yes, that was your name. This is our first time meeting like this, isn’t it?”
Her ruby-red eyes curved into a bright smile.
“Shall we have a little chat?”
What a truly irritating voice, he thought.
The place Alisie led him to was the drawing room she used.
Thick blackout curtains blocked the sunlight streaming through the windows. Inside the dimly lit room, a sweet fragrance clouded the mind.
It felt less like a drawing room and more like a secret meeting chamber.
Hwian stepped inside without any sign of discomfort. He had visited this place several times before his regression—it was a space that heavily reflected her tastes.
“It’s a lovely room, isn’t it? I asked Father for it when I was young. I’ve been using it however I like ever since.”
Alisie said this to Hwian as he sat down. She approached with a teapot and cups that seemed to have been prepared in advance, smiling brightly.
“Do you like tea? We’ve just received some excellent leaves from the Empire. The aroma is quite captivating. Once you try it, I’m sure you’ll—”
“You talk too much. Get to the point.”
Alisie’s hand, which had been about to pour the tea, froze in place.
Hwian had no intention of showing her any respect.
He had used polite speech in front of Serion, but that was only because he respected the man. There was no need to change his tone before a woman he neither respected nor held in awe.
An arrogant woman.
Hwian let out a small snort at the sight of Alisie’s hand trembling faintly as it gripped the teapot.
The Alisie he remembered was a typical ruler. She enjoyed expensive teas and perfumes, indulged in gourmet food, and took pleasure in higher authority and the obedience of those beneath her—a haughty royal through and through.
Alisie, who had stopped moving at Hwian’s unexpected attitude, soon resumed. She poured tea into two cups with a soft trickle and spoke.
“…How rude. Is this how all otherworlders behave?”
“You don’t have to compliment me like that. So, the main point?”
At Hwian’s unshaken demeanor, Alisie clicked her tongue. Then she leaned back in her chair, gracefully bringing the teacup to her lips with refined poise, and asked,
“I hear you’ve been going around with Serena. That lowly creature.”
At the contempt in her voice, Hwian’s eyebrows twitched. Without a shred of guilt, she continued.
“Dump that wench and come to me instead. It’s not a bad offer, is it?”
“…Hah. How direct.”
“Wasn’t this what you wanted?”
Beneath her seductive red hair, Alisie wore a sly smile.
She set her teacup down with a soft clink and tilted her head.
“She’s been an eyesore for a long time. I respect Mother, but I can’t understand why she would take a woman like that as a concubine. A mere commoner occupying a place in this ancient palace… doesn’t it disgust you?”
“I don’t really know. And I don’t know why you’re telling me this either.”
“You need to understand your position better. What it means to be a Hero to us.”
Greed flickered in her red eyes. They were the eyes of an ambitious woman craving greater power.
Seeing them, Hwian recalled the Alisie from before his regression.
“Your submission alone will bring the nobles flocking to you. And that growing number of followers will eventually produce power.”
She was a woman who coveted the throne.
A usurper who had seized control of the noble faction opposing the First Prince’s ascension, raised her sword, and tried to claim the throne herself.
“Come to me and I’ll share a little with you. Power, liquor, food, women—whatever you want. Isn’t that better than staying cramped up in that tiny room with that little brat? I’ll drive her out and give you the remaining space. It’ll be quite spacious, I imagine.”
A woman who could no longer control the oversized faction she had created and simply let herself be carried by the current. A woman who had begun shaking the already weakened Adonia from within during the external wars.
—And in the end, the foolish woman who had been betrayed by her subordinate Sikal Front and stabbed in the back.
With a captivating smile, Alisie reached out and stroked Hwian’s cheek with a touch like a snake’s. Slowly, he lifted his teacup.
“…Well, the room I’m staying in now is rather small.”
“Oh. You catch on quicker than I expected? I thought you were a stiff one. Good. Then from now on—”
“However.”
And with that, he poured the entire contents of his teacup straight back into the pot.
“I dislike you.”
The untouched, high-quality tea emptied from the cup with a clear sound. Watching the few droplets splash around, Alisie’s lips twitched. It was a clear sign of rejection.
An arrogant woman. A greedy ruler.
An incompetent woman who craved greater heights yet lacked the vessel to contain them.
She was exactly the type of person he hated. Besides, with the subjugation of the Demon King looming before him, power held no meaning. More than anything, he simply couldn’t stand the way she spoke as if everything would naturally go according to her will.
Hwian rose from his seat, leaving the frozen Alisie behind.
“You’ll regret this.”
He lightly ignored her trembling voice and walked out.
Spring sunlight, now close to noon, poured through the windows into the hallway. As he walked quietly for a moment, familiar footsteps approached.
“Ah, Hero!”
“…Princess.”
“I was looking for you. You weren’t at the training grounds.”
White hair swayed gently in the breeze. Beneath it, golden eyes shone softly.
She was a head and a half shorter than him. When he noticed the small pouch in her tiny hands, his eyebrows rose slightly.
“Oh? Your clothes are a little damp… Just a moment. I’ll go fetch something to wipe—”
“What’s that?”
“Huh? Ah, well… I thought you might be hungry, so I made these. It’s my first time, so they turned out a bit strange…”
Looking somewhat hesitant, Serena held out the pouch. Hwian tilted his head and opened it.
Inside were small cookies. Uneven in shape and size, with some parts clearly burnt, they were unmistakably the work of an amateur.
“You…”
“I-I’ll go get something to wipe you with!”
Embarrassed to hear his reaction, Serena bowed her head quickly and dashed off down the opposite hallway. Watching her retreating figure, Hwian picked up one of the cookies and put it in his mouth.
Crunch.
A gentle sweetness spread across his tongue. For some reason, his chest felt strangely ticklish.