While Flora was still silently maintaining her seated posture, Ilya suddenly said softly, “Flora, why don’t you say a few words as well?”
Flora was dazed for a moment.
‘Me…?’
“Yes.” Ilya’s gaze was gentle and encouraging. “Just keep it simple.”
Lias smiled faintly. “There is no need to be nervous.”
“Alright… Mother.”
Xueli didn’t speak but stared at her.
Flora’s fingers tightened on her skirt.
The three-day crash course completely collapsed at this moment. But she still forced a smile that wasn’t too stiff.
“I… am honored to meet you both… er, Queen Lias and Princess Xueli. I… am still working hard to adapt to life with the demon race. Although I am still not quite used to it… I will continue to learn.”
After speaking, she felt her voice lacked confidence.
Lias nodded gently. “Although your nervousness is apparent, your attitude is very sincere.”
Xueli gave a soft “Mm.”
“Indeed, Princess Flora is truly sincere,” Xueli commented as well.
**[Attitude Points +1]**
Lias turned her head. “Xueli, you should say a few words too.”
Xueli was silent for half a second before finally opening her mouth. Her voice was like a frosty blade lightly touching glass. “Fine.”
She turned slightly, her gaze falling on Flora. “Princess of the demon race, it is our first meeting.”
A pause.
“Your… efforts, I can see them.”
Flora was so startled she almost looked up at her. Because although that sentence was cold, it did carry a hint of acknowledgment.
However, Xueli’s next sentence followed immediately. “But… you indeed have many shortcomings and need to improve.”
Flora: …
‘Thank you for throwing my mood back to the bottom of the valley again.’
Lias shook her head gently. “Xueli never minces her words. Please do not take it to heart.”
Flora shook her head hurriedly. “It is fine. I… I know she means no ill will.”
Xueli glanced at her sideways, appearing unaccustomed to such an interpretation. But she didn’t speak.
Ilya patted the back of Flora’s hand and whispered, “Very good.”
Flora’s tense heart relaxed a little at that moment.
The conversation among the four of them came to a temporary halt, and a quiet aftermath flowed through the air. In this subtle pause, the sound of light footsteps came from outside the door.
*Knock, knock.*
A maid knocked gently on the door and, after receiving permission, pushed it open respectfully. She carried a silver tray with four sets of exquisitely designed tea sets on it.
The atmosphere of the entire room softened as the fragrance of tea drifted in.
Flora was stunned for a moment.
She thought it was just a casual chat; she hadn’t expected a formal tea service. As soon as the tea fragrance hit her nose, her body relaxed almost instinctively.
She was originally someone who loved drinking tea.
The maid placed the teacups in front of everyone in turn.
Lias and Xueli’s cups were silver-white with deep red borders, clearly carrying the style of the blood clan.
Ilya and Flora’s cups were cooler in color, with small magic patterns engraved on the rims.
After the maid bowed and withdrew, the whole room was so quiet that it felt as if one could even hear the scent of the tea.
Flora’s action of picking up the teacup was the most natural thing she had done so far.
Because she used to drink it almost every day.
Her slender, white fingers lightly supported the handle. Though her movements were careful, they exuded a quiet, calm, and graceful beauty.
She first lightly sniffed the tea’s aroma, then took a small sip — unhurried and composed, her movements clean and sharp.
The moment the rim touched her lips, a faint tea fragrance overflowed. It wasn’t the cold, crisp scent of blood clan tea, nor the deep scent of demon race tea, but an unexpectedly mellow flavor resulting from a blend of the two.
When the tea slid down her throat, her eyelashes trembled slightly, as if this familiar taste had gently soothed her emotions.
Perhaps because she had been nervous all morning, this sip of tea calmed her entire being.
Flora lowered her eyes, her fingertips holding the cup with a gentle strength, completely different from the stiffness and tension she had shown when she first arrived.
She suddenly looked like a young lady who had truly been “raised as a noble.”
Even she didn’t realize how natural and gentle she was being.
Xueli observed Flora intently.
Those heterochromatic silver and red eyes were still as calm as an icy lake, but her heart had already undergone some changes.
‘This demon princess drinks tea quite well.’
‘Her posture and expression can indeed be called elegant.’
‘Her movements are clean and beautiful.’
She gave Flora a small score in her mind.
Because in her view, Flora was still a bit “ridiculous” in other aspects.
Her footsteps were weak when walking, her standing posture wasn’t stable enough, her eyes were evasive, she lacked the steadiness of etiquette, and she wasn’t enough like a true royal heir…
‘Her tea drinking is alright; she has a noble aura,’ Xueli muttered to herself. ‘But otherwise, she is like a kitten that was just picked up — the kind of shivering, timid little kitten.’
However, no emotion could be seen on her face; she still maintained that cold and polite expression.
Flora noticed Xueli’s gaze.
Flora had been drinking quite relaxedly, but then she suddenly realized that Xueli seemed to be silently staring at her.
Her heart tightened, and she hurriedly put down the teacup. Her sitting posture instantly became upright and stiff again, not daring to move an inch.
‘Is she looking at me?’
‘Does she think the way I drink tea is also wrong?’
‘Did I just put the cup down too loudly?’
Flora panic-searched her soul and even thought silently, ‘Should I have Lena teach me the proper tea-drinking standards later…?’
Xueli suddenly spoke.
“You… are good at drinking tea,” Xueli said indifferently.
Flora almost didn’t react. “Ah? Eh… thank you, Princess Xueli.”
“Mm.”
Xueli gave only that one word.
But for Flora, this was already a very high evaluation. After all, Xueli must have cursed her ten times in her mind just now.
“Do not deny it; your posture while drinking tea is very beautiful.”
It was Lias who spoke.
She looked at Flora, a trace of unexpected softness appearing in her eyes, as if she were seeing a “flower blooming that she hadn’t expected.”
Her tone wasn’t heavy, but it was genuine praise.
Flora was stunned and almost choked on her tea.
“I… thank you, Queen Lias.”
Lias smiled faintly. “It seems you have a talent in certain areas.”
‘Talent?’
Flora thought silently, ‘Does drinking tea count as a talent…?’
A very slight and shallow sense of comfort flashed in the depths of Ilya’s eyes.
She hadn’t expected Flora to do much better than this.
But seeing that she didn’t “completely collapse” in front of outsiders was an unexpected relief for Ilya.
Lias looked at Flora and Xueli, smiled gently, and said in a casual tone, “Actually, you are similar in age. Once you become more familiar… you might even become very good friends.”
Flora: “!!”
Xueli: “…”
Both of them froze at the same time.
Xueli slowly looked away, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Flora’s ears turned slightly red, as if her thoughts had been seen through. She had never even considered the possibility of “friends.”
Afterward, the atmosphere of the tea party actually… began to relax.
Flora took a second sip of tea, her movements still beautiful.
Xueli observed in silence.
The main dialogue still centered on Ilya and Lias.
The atmosphere in the drawing room was indescribably strange.
It was like two parents bringing two children to an adult meeting and some casual small talk.
Looking at Xueli’s relaxed appearance, Flora felt very uncomfortable.
She certainly wasn’t sitting here comfortably!
Constantly controlling her body to maintain her posture was truly exhausting for her.
‘When will this end? I don’t want to continue this grind!’