It would be some time before Liliana saw Petra again. She had intended to visit her the next time she met Riley for tea, but the prince’s increased workload meant he hadn’t been interacting much with his fiancée candidates. Instead, he had pivoted to hosting social gatherings with lower-ranking nobles—events Liliana attended only occasionally.
Eventually, another tea party invitation arrived.
Liliana brought the potted lily of the valley with her in the coach. Its flowers had wilted with winter approaching, but the bulb remained healthy, no doubt thanks to her talented gardener. It would have bloomed again next year had it not been used for a hex.
Really, it’s a good thing it’s withered. It’s easier to carry like this.
She had conducted as much research as she could and concluded that the hex had transferred from the plant to her simply because of her proximity to it. Considering the duke’s attempt to dispel the curse in Fortier, it likely hadn’t been meant as a permanent measure.
Still, I don’t know what father intends to do if he succeeds in removing my fiancée candidacy...
Liliana suspected he was scheming, but she had no way to know for certain. For now, her best course of action was to regain her voice in secret. A small smile crept onto her face. Strangely enough, she had no doubt they would succeed in dispelling the hex.
I guess that says a lot about how much faith I have in Petra.
Of course, she had no intention of relying on the mage for everything. She already felt embarrassed about depending on her this much. If she had one concern regarding Petra, it was her connection to Ben Draco, the brother of one of the game’s romanceable characters. Liliana didn’t know enough about the vice minister to judge what precautions she should take.
He never appeared in the game, so maybe I’m overthinking it.
Upon arriving at the palace, Liliana followed her usual route to the familiar parlor. Riley didn’t keep her waiting long—though he looked thoroughly exhausted when he entered. There was barely a spark of life in him.
“Are you tired?”
Riley’s eyes widened before his face softened into a wry, curious smile. “Do I look it?”
“You do. Is work wearing you down?”
“You could say that. Not that I’m entrusted with anything important.”
There was something bitter in Riley’s tone, though Liliana chose not to press him. Instead, she turned her attention to the maid setting out their tea and snacks. Palace servants often struck her as tense—understandably, given that they served royalty—but this woman seemed unusually calm.
A sudden chill crawled down Liliana’s spine. She didn’t recognize the maid. And as she studied the table more closely, she realized the cutlery was gold, not the usual silver. Riley would have noticed under normal circumstances, but he was far too preoccupied in his current state.
I meant to overlook a few things to help push myself out of his list of fiancée candidates, but given the circumstances...
Should she warn the prince or pretend she hadn’t noticed the attempt on his life? Her thoughts spiraled as she weighed each possibility.
As one of the romanceable heroes from the game, Riley couldn’t meet his end this early. Then again, the swarm Liliana had encountered on her way home from Fortier had deviated from the original storyline, and she couldn’t ignore the chance that this situation might too. No matter how unlikely disaster seemed, blindly trusting the game’s plot could be fatal.
Plus, I really don’t want to be suspected of poisoning anyone.
Her mind made up, Liliana spoke just as Riley reached for his teacup.
“Wait, Your Highness. It seems to be poisoned.”
“Lady Liliana...?”
The prince stared at her, stunned, as if he couldn’t process the words. Then he snapped back to his senses.
“You there. Stop where you are. And you...”
Riley ordered the maid who had brought the tea and sweets to remain still, then gestured for one of the royal guards. The servant went pale, and the chamberlain stiffened at the abrupt change in atmosphere.
“Could you bring us silver teaspoons?” Riley asked softly. “And some sugar cubes.”
“A-As you wish,” the guard replied, a grave look in his eyes. He clearly understood why he’d been given what would normally be a maid’s task.
Watching the scene unfold, Liliana adjusted her opinion of the prince. Rather than accept her claim outright, he intended to confirm the poison for himself.
From what I can tell, my cup is poisoned too.
Riley must have built up some resistance to poison, though Liliana had no idea how much had been slipped into their tea. Was the culprit simply trying to weaken him enough to jeopardize his position as crown prince, or was the goal to eliminate both him and his most likely fiancée? Since Liliana’s drink was poisoned as well, it couldn’t have been an attempt to frame her and put pressure on Duke Clarke.
If only I’d mastered that poison-neutralizing spell. Treating it as an impurity with water and earth magic didn’t lead anywhere.
If she could identify the type of poison, she might be able to separate its compounds by their molecular structure, but her knowledge in that area was patchy at best. Her personal solution had always been simple: Don’t eat or drink anything contaminated.
The royal guard returned quickly with the silver spoons and sugar cubes, then resumed his place by the wall with the others. All of them kept wary eyes on the maid as Riley slowly dipped one of the spoons into his tea. Nothing happened at first—then the metal began to darken, an ominous black creeping up toward the handle.
Liliana tested her own cup, careful to move slowly. Her spoon blackened as well. She turned to Riley, and their eyes met. He wore a heavy expression, tinged with anxiety.
“I suppose my tea isn’t fit for drinking either,” she said with a smile.
“How unfortunate.”
The maid trembled at Riley’s calm pronouncement. Without hesitation, the guards seized her and forced her to her knees.
“Y-Your Highness...!” the woman cried, the picture of despair.
Riley coolly crossed his legs, gaze fixed on her. “Was this your doing?”
“N-No, I... I would never...!”
“Hmm?” The prince’s smile was dazzling, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold.
He’s starting to resemble the crown prince from the game.
Liliana paused as the memory rose unbidden. The start of the game was still seven years away, yet the steel that would define his adolescence was already beginning to show.
Riley waited for the maid to explain herself, but she could barely string two words together. She looked moments away from fainting. With a sigh, the prince abandoned the interrogation and ordered her arrest. Only when the royal guards handed her off to be taken away did he finally turn back to Liliana.
“Sorry,” he said, genuine concern seeping through. “Our tea party has been ruined.”
The tainted snacks were whisked away and replaced with fresh ones. Tea was hard to enjoy after almost being poisoned, though.
“I don’t mind.”
“Thank you.” Riley let the tension ease from his shoulders. After a moment of thought, he asked, “Lady Liliana...if you don’t mind, may I call you simply Liliana from now on?”
The request caught her off guard. Clearly, the prince wanted to close some of the distance between them. She wanted the opposite—but as one of his fiancée candidates, she had no good reason to refuse.
“If you wish.”
Riley’s face brightened with wholehearted joy. “Again, Liliana, thank you. You may call me just Riley from now on.”
“I appreciate the consideration, Your Highness.”
“Come on, you can do better than that.”
Liliana’s head spun. Why was he suddenly being so insistent?
“Very well—Lord Riley.”
It was the best compromise she could manage. Addressing him without a title felt like a step too far.
“I suppose that will do for now.”
Liliana said nothing, pretending she hadn’t heard him.
“So...would you like to come to my office?”
“Your office, Your—um, Lord Riley?”
Their meetings at the palace were almost always held in parlors—either the one they used for tea parties or another for gatherings with other nobles. Liliana knew the prince had an office, but he seldom received guests there. He had extended that privilege to Austin and lately to her brother Clyde, but never to his fiancée candidates. If she accepted, she would be the first to set foot inside.
Seeing Liliana at a loss for words, Riley added, “No pressure. It’s okay if you’d rather not.”
She hesitated. The attempted poisoning had brought their tea party to an abrupt end, and it wasn’t yet time for her meeting with Petra. It might also be wise to gain a better sense of the palace’s layout; the game’s supplementary materials hadn’t included a map. For a story centered on romance rather than rebellion or escape, it hadn’t been necessary.
“It would be my pleasure.”
Riley greeted her answer with a smile.