Chapter 135 The Villainess’s Tea Party
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I’d gotten some suspicious information from Cecilia and Lizel, my fiancées.
Apparently, Violetta Azalea – the villainess character of this world – was plotting to assassinate Princess Elisabeth of the Empire.
There was no concrete evidence.
But schemes of that sort among noble ladies always leaked signs to those around them. The other young ladies had been keenly picking up on subtle shifts in their group’s conversations, attitudes, and behaviors.
Violetta had always singled out Elisabeth – Prince Liam’s fiancée – as her mortal enemy, subjecting her to countless petty harassments. Now, it seemed, things had escalated to the point where she’d decided to go all the way.
Violetta was the quintessential “villainess” of this game world.
And Elisabeth was the archetypal “main heroine.”
Violetta plotting Elisabeth’s murder was practically predestined at this point.
(Still… the timing’s a bit too early.)
The attempted murder of the heroine by the villainess was supposed to happen later in the original timeline. Probably because I’d thrown the game script into complete chaos, yet another unforeseen event had cropped up ahead of schedule.
That said, Elisabeth should be fine. Prince Liam – the original story’s hero – was supposed to swoop in and save her. No matter how many “new events” got tacked on, there was no way the Empire’s princess would actually end up dead.
That, too, was part of the predetermined course.
I could leave it to Prince Liam and trust him to stop the assassination.
- But she was already my woman.
If danger was closing in on her, I couldn’t just leave it to that prince. I had to go save her myself.
(Guess I’ll head to the scene and intervene if necessary…)
This was no longer just a game world. It was reality.
Complacency was not an option.
If Elisabeth actually got killed, there’d be no undoing it.
According to Cecilia and Lizel, Violetta was planning to make her move during a tea party at the Academy gardens – this very afternoon.
* * *
After school.
I erased my presence completely and slipped silently into the Royal Academy of Magic’s sprawling gardens, where the tea party was to be held.
I’d copied the presence-concealing magic after watching Ashraf the Teleportation Demon use it.
Using that, I moved toward my destination.
Guards – not usually stationed there – stood sparsely at each garden entrance. Probably hired by Violetta.
But with my presence fully masked, I breezed past them without a single one noticing.
The well-tended greenery gleamed under an endlessly clear spring sky. The sweet scent of roses rode the breeze, tickling my nostrils.
Come to think of it, a while back – Violetta had actually approached me, trying to rope me into one of her schemes. I’d flat-out refused her ridiculous proposal and given her a little “punishment” for good measure.
(Might as well. Let’s see if I can’t teach her another lesson, personally.)
Deep in the garden – a special space cleverly partitioned by tall trees and thick hedges forming a green curtain.
The tea party in question seemed to be taking place inside.
Two guards stood imposingly at the entrance, but I slipped past them like a gentle breeze without them ever knowing I was there, positioning myself to observe the whole scene.
* * *
Six female students were in attendance.
Violetta and her two cronies on one side. Elisabeth and her two on the other.
They sat across from each other at the table, divided into their respective camps like soldiers preparing for battle, maintaining an outward air of politeness.
An array of colorful, beautiful pastries lined the center of the table.
The official pretense for today’s gathering was a refined affair: each camp had brought their finest tea leaves to serve the other.
(Violetta’s camp had prepared a potent poison, if I recalled.)
With pastries, you couldn’t fully control who took what.
So if poison was involved, it had to be in the tea.
I kept my presence completely hidden, quietly approaching the servants who were preparing the tableware and brewing the tea. I watched their every move.
(Oh ho. Interesting. So that’s how they’re playing it.)
Soon, the servants began pouring the freshly brewed, fragrant tea.
First, Elisabeth’s side drank the tea prepared by Violetta’s side. They praised its flavor with polite, inoffensive words.
Next came the turn for Violetta’s side to drink the tea brought by Elisabeth’s camp.
- And that’s when it happened.
Violetta set her teacup down on the table with an intentionally loud clink, rose abruptly from her seat, and launched into her accusation in one breath.
”What is the meaning of this?!” Violetta demanded, her voice dripping with practiced indignation. “There’s poison in this tea you’ve prepared for me! And the one who slipped it in – why, it must be you, Elisabeth-sama!”
Yes. The servant hadn’t poisoned the cup intended for Elisabeth-
They’d poisoned Violetta’s own teacup instead.
Her theatrics served as the opening act. The cronies flanking Violetta immediately began raising a ruckus, as if they’d been waiting for this very moment.
”What?! You can’t be serious!” Violetta’s first crony exclaimed, her voice rising to a theatrical pitch. “Elisabeth-sama – who’s engaged to His Highness Liam as a symbol of peace between our nations – you, who pretend to be a messenger of harmony, actually tried to poison our beloved Violetta-sama?! Unbelievable!”
”Oh my, what a scandal!” the second crony added, pressing a delicate hand to her chest in feigned horror. “She must have feared that Violetta-sama – far more beautiful than herself – would steal away her fiancé, His Highness Liam! Driven mad by jealousy, she resorted to the cowardly act of poisoning! How absolutely terrifying, this princess of ours!”
(…The only terrifying ones here are you lot.)
A truly ugly melodrama, performed by beautiful young ladies.
I watched this shoddy play unfold, biding my time – waiting for the right moment to step onto this stage myself.
Naturally, Elisabeth’s camp didn’t take this baseless accusation lying down. Her two attendants rose sharply from their seats, raising voices of protest.
”…Poison? What are you talking about?!” Elisabeth’s first attendant demanded.
”There’s no way we’d put poison in anything!” the second insisted. “This is such a transparent setup!”
They hadn’t done anything, so of course they’d deny it desperately.
But that’s exactly what their opponents wanted.
It was a misstep – one they’d played right into.
Beneath the endlessly clear spring sky.
Amidst the riot of blooming flowers.
The battle between women raged on.
—
Summary:
The protagonist learns of Violetta’s assassination plot against Princess Elisabeth and decides to intervene personally rather than relying on Prince Liam. Using copied presence-concealing magic, he infiltrates the Academy gardens tea party and observes Violetta’s staged poisoning scheme unfold.
—
Trivia:
The protagonist has previously copied presence-concealing magic from Ashraf the Teleportation Demon and uses it to infiltrate the tea party undetected.
Violetta’s assassination plot involves poisoning her own teacup and blaming Elisabeth for the crime.
The original game timeline had this attempted murder event occurring later, but the protagonist’s interference has accelerated the timeline.
The protagonist has a history with Violetta, having previously refused to join her schemes and administered a “punishment.”
Prince Liam is the original game hero and Elisabeth’s fiancé, but the protagonist takes personal responsibility for protecting Elisabeth because she is “already his woman.”
The tea party’s official purpose is both camps sharing and serving their finest tea leaves, a refined affair masking the underlying hostility.
The protagonist monitors the servants’ actions to confirm where poison was actually placed.
Violetta’s cronies are fully complicit in the staged confrontation, waiting for their cue to amplify the accusation.
Elisabeth’s attendants genuinely have no knowledge of any poison and protest in earnest confusion.
The protagonist positions himself to observe the entire scene before deciding when to intervene.
Notes:
• Cecilia – Eldest daughter of the Vermillion Duchy, former saint, and academy student, she is Xenos’s fiancée, addressing him as “Xenos-sama.” Featuring flame-red hair, blue eyes, and pet Lumiá, she can use a ring for a dancer disguise. Cold yet playful with ojousama speech, she maintains composure as a key intelligence source alongside Lizel. She rejected Prince Liam, adores Kuuko, and teases Lizel.
• Lizel – A petite, graceful Blanchet count’s daughter, wind mage, and academy student with pink twin-tails, purple eyes, and a signature smirk. Disguised in a dancer’s costume, this protective, anxious, and emotionally expressive tsundere is Grimlock’s classmate, Cecilia’s close friend, and Xenos’s devoted fiancée. Sharing Cecilia’s info network, she helps expose Violetta’s assassination plot.
• Elisabeth – Princess of the enemy Adrastea Empire, Prince Liam’s fiancée, and the game’s main heroine. Dignified and diplomatic even when cornered or falsely accused, she is targeted by Violetta’s assassination plot. While Xenos exchanges opinions with her, her heart has shifted from Liam to the protagonist, showing visible relief at his arrival while unconsciously avoiding relying on her fiancé.
• Violetta – Daughter of Duke Azalea. The orchestrator of the tea party trap, using poison to frame her romantic rival. Displays refined superiority and honeyed cruelty. Possesses a sharp, calculating mind wrapped in elegant manners.
• Azalea – Violetta’s family name. The villainess of the world.
• Liam – Liam Asgard, the golden-haired, emerald-eyed Crown Prince of Asgard, is Liliana’s older brother, betrothed to Elisabeth, and liege to Elliot and Aldrick. Though possessing royal Light Mana and a sense of justice, he speaks with polished grace to hide a manipulative, calculating ambition. Scheme-driven to destroy his rival Xenos and obsessively steal Cecilia, he uses his authority to incite war.
• Ashraf – A Teleportation Demon who serves as the guardian of Xenos’s mansion, protecting it against potential attacks. They possess presence-concealing magic, which the protagonist copies and uses to infiltrate the tea party.
• Eil – Dwarf princess and skilled artisan. Energetic and earnest with a bright, hopeful demeanor. Works alongside her four attendants to forge weapons and build a smithy. Shows shy vulnerability when confronted with romantic advances.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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