The drawing room was too bright.
Alesia sat stiffly on the velvet settee, her fingers curled around a teacup she had no intention of drinking.
'This is a mistake.'
She had rehearsed this moment a hundred times in her head since waking up in the past. But now, facing him again—Duke Kael Estermont, the man who had once sealed her fate—her carefully constructed composure threatened to crack.
The Duke sat across from her, his posture relaxed, but his eyes—cold, calculating, utterly unreadable—locked onto her like a predator assessing prey.
'He already suspects something.'
She forced herself to take a slow breath.
'Don't falter. Not now.'
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.
Alesia lifted the teacup to her lips, the scent of Earl Grey bitter and familiar.
'I used to pretend to like this just to annoy him.'
She set it back down, untouched.
The Duke's gaze flicked to the cup, then back to her.
"You don't drink Earl Grey."
Alesia's pulse stuttered.
'Damn it.'
In her past life, she would have sneered and taken a sip anyway, just to spite him. But now—
'If I pretend to like it again, he'll see through me. If I admit I hate it, he'll wonder why I served it.'
She chose the lesser risk.
"I don't," she admitted, her voice steady.
His fingers tapped once against the armrest.
"Then why serve it?"
'Because I wasn't thinking. Because I'm still trapped in old habits. Because—'
"Habit," she said instead.
His eyes narrowed.
[Duke's Suspicion +5%]
A servant hurried in with a fresh pot, the scent of peppermint cutting through the tension.
"My apologies, my lady," the girl murmured, replacing the cup.
Alesia didn't react, but her mind raced.
'Did I order peppermint? No—someone else did. Who?'
The Duke's voice cut through her thoughts.
"You knew I was coming."
Alesia's grip tightened imperceptibly on her skirts.
'He's testing me.'
She met his gaze, her smile deliberate.
"A lucky guess."
His expression didn't change, but the air between them grew heavier.
[Affection -2]
Outside, rain began to fall, the sound muffled against the windows.
The Duke stood abruptly, his shadow looming over her.
"We're done here."
Alesia rose with him, her movements smooth despite the tension coiling in her chest.
'He's leaving. Already.'
"The engagement contract—" she began, but he cut her off.
"Will be reviewed." His voice was ice. "I don't tolerate games."
'Games?'
A sharp laugh threatened to bubble up, but she swallowed it.
'You have no idea what games are coming, Duke.'
She tilted her head, her smile sharp.
"Neither do I."
For a heartbeat, their eyes locked—a silent challenge, a promise of future battles.
Then he turned and left, the door closing behind him with a finality that echoed in her bones.
[Quest Failed: "Impress the Duke"]
[New Penalty: "Duke's Wrath (Timer: 7 Days)"]
The moment the door shut, Alesia exhaled, her shoulders slumping slightly.
Her hands trembled—just once—before she clenched them into fists.
'That could have gone better.'
The System's voice was dry.
[Adjust strategy or face consequences.]
Alesia's lips curled.
'Oh, I will.'
She glanced at the abandoned teacup, her reflection distorted in the cold liquid.
'Next time, Duke… I'll be ready.'