Chapter 101: Alice Strikes Back

That… that’s basically an indirect kiss!!!

“Wow, Princess Field, you scolded me before, but aren’t you just the same!”

Looking at the purplish-red stain left on Liyakade’s lips, her rare shy expression, and the faint traces on the rim of the cup, Alice went crazy.

But what drove Alice even crazier happened next. Field raised her wine glass, spun it once, and sipped the wine from the exact spot Liyakade’s lips had just touched.

“You, you…”

Alice sprang up from the edge of the bed, speechless, pointing at Field and the wine glass in her hand.

How could… how could Miss Liyakade have ended up indirectly kissing like it was nothing?!

“Miss Liyakade, are you still a bit thirsty?”

Alice turned to Liyakade as she asked, reaching out to bring her own wine glass over.

“No! I’m not thirsty anymore!”

Liyakade hurriedly waved her hands to stop Alice.

Just now, Field had launched a sudden attack, pressing the cup right to her lips, so she hadn’t reacted in time. Otherwise, Liyakade would never have let Field feed her so easily.

“Uuu…”

Hearing this, Alice drooped her head, looking like she was about to cry.

Frustrated, she snatched the wine glass from Field’s hand, sat herself down between Field and Liyakade, and continued to gulp the purplish-red wine along that same trace.

“Too sneaky… Princess Field…”

At this point, the wine was like bitterness sliding down Alice’s throat and settling into her heart.

“Isn’t that too pathetic, Alice-chan!”

Field never imagined that just because Liyakade didn’t want to drink Alice’s wine, Alice would turn around and steal the wine Liyakade had drunk.

“Alice-chan, now it’s become an indirect kiss between three people!”

Sei be sei

“I don’t care, three people is three people!”

Alice didn’t mind at all. Anyway, her relationship with Field was already close, so an indirect kiss was nothing.

“Hey! Is the wine in Field’s cup really that tasty?”

Liyakade’s heart, which had been inexplicably racing, gradually calmed.

She tilted her head, puzzled as she watched Alice snatch Field’s wine glass.

Even though it did feel a bit different when Field fed her earlier, the taste hadn’t really changed.

Why was Alice so intent on fighting Field for the wine?

Actually… maybe she was just jealous about the indirect kiss with Field.

Who knew Alice cared so much about something like this?

But Liyakade herself wasn’t particularly concerned about indirect kissing.

After all, when they were acting in the play before, the two of them had almost kissed her cheek.

At this point, wasn’t talking about indirect kisses a little too late?

Thinking this, Liyakade picked up her own wine glass and sipped it again.

“Tastes the same as Field’s. No difference.”

Recalling the flavor from Field’s cup, Liyakade felt there was no real difference, except maybe for the slight acceleration of her heartbeat at the time.

“Ahem… It’s still different.”

Alice coughed twice and said seriously.

“The wine in Princess Field’s glass really does taste better. If you don’t believe me, Miss Liyakade, try it again?”

Hearing Alice’s words, Field, sitting at the edge of the bed, couldn’t help but smile.

Alice’s devious schemes were practically bouncing off her face.

Liyakade was so smart, how could she possibly fall for this…

“Really? Let me try.”

“Huh? You actually believe it?”

Half-doubting, Liyakade accepted the wine glass Alice handed over. Meeting Alice’s expectant gaze, she took a sip from the spot both Alice and Field had just used.

“Eh, no difference either.”

Liyakade knew Alice was just jealous over that indirect kiss, so she decided to take advantage of her tipsiness and tease Alice a bit more.

“It’s just as delicious as the wine in my own glass.”

“That’s because…”

Alice’s golden eyes spun with a mischievous glint, as if she had come up with a bad idea.

“Because Miss Liyakade’s drinking posture is wrong!”

“Eh? There’s a correct posture for this?”

Liyakade didn’t believe it at all.

“And besides, Alice, isn’t this your first time drinking? How would you even know about postures?”

“B-book… I read it in a book, that’s all.”

Alice stammered her reply.

“So what’s the right posture? Don’t tell me it’s like Field feeding me. I’m not doing that.”

Alice’s words piqued Liyakade’s curiosity.

She wanted to see what Alice was planning, but if it involved repeating Field’s earlier move, Liyakade wasn’t up for it.

“Miss Liyakade, first hold up your glass like I’m doing.”

As Alice spoke, she raised her wine glass in front of her as an example.

“Okay.”

Liyakade imitated her, lifting her own glass and holding it in front of her.

“Then what?”

“And then… don’t move.”

Alice paused, then scooted a little closer to Liyakade.

She slowly stretched out her hand, reaching around the arm Liyakade was using to hold her wine glass.

“W-wait!”

Liyakade suddenly realized she was sitting even closer to Alice now than she had been with Field earlier.

When Alice’s pale, lotus-like arm circled around, Liyakade understood what this posture was.

This was Crossed Cup Wine!

“Li-Liyakade, it tastes better this way!”

Alice’s face flushed as she stared seriously into Liyakade’s crimson eyes.

“T-this isn’t what I imagined at all…”

Feeling the warm, soft sensation of Alice’s arm, Liyakade’s heart began pounding uncontrollably again.

“Drink up, Miss Liyakade!”

Alice’s gaze was filled with expectation, a burning heat, and a hint of nervousness, clearly hoping Liyakade would drink with her in this posture.

“If you do, I’ll be really happy!”

“You… fine, fine. Let’s call it a reward for you today!”

Since Alice had come this far, Liyakade felt embarrassed to refuse.

Besides, the posture was already set—how could she refuse now?

If she was going to reject, she should’ve done it before Alice’s arm wrapped around.

But by then, Liyakade hadn’t reacted in time.

With that, Liyakade tilted her wine glass, moved even closer, and let the purplish-red wine slip into her mouth.

Seeing this, Alice also drank together with Liyakade.

“Th-this should be good now, right!”

After drinking nearly half the cup, Liyakade unwound herself from Alice’s arm and set the glass on the nearby Bedside Table.

She couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or being so close to Alice, but her head felt hot and light, and her face was flushed.

“A-Alice… are you happy now?”

“Yes, very happy, Miss Liyakade.”

“I never expected… Alice, you really have a way with things.”

Watching the whole scene, Field smiled.

She never thought Alice would turn the tables like this.

So today ended in another tie.

By now, all three were tipsy.

Everyone’s eyes were a bit unfocused, so they all climbed onto the bed together—though Liyakade was dragged up by the other two.

“Liyakade, when you gave your speech at the end, didn’t you say you’d confess to someone in private? Who was that person?”