Enjoy your teatime (Part 1)

*knock* *knock*

"...?"

As someone knocked on the door to the splendid tea room, Charlotte lowered the teacup with steaming baverage and turned away from the Crown Prince she was having a pleasant conversation – which was a part of directions she received from Medea.

Or at least that's what she thought she was doing.

"...dear brother, were you expecting someone...?"

"Don't worry about it. Just play along with your big brother."

Charlotte asked in confusion, to which Noah smiled and leaned in, patting her arm reassuringly.

"Young lady Zorivia Rotteloss's personal assistant with a message from his master."

"...?!"

When the visitor introduced himself alongside the reason for his arrival, the crown prince flinched slightly.

Noah expected that Medea might show up – but it sounded like Zorivia wasn't with him...

"Medea...!? Umm... umm... do let him in."

Charlotte fidgeted in unease, feeling her throat getting dry as she wondered what it could be about and expected a really bad outcome. Even so, or rather because of that, she ended up nodding at the maid, who was looking at her and awaiting directions.

"..."

The silent guard standing tall by the door moved slightly as if preparing to block the visitor's way in case he made some threatening moves.

...and the maid opened the door...

"Her Highness, first princess in..."

The maid bowed her head while answering, but the moment she looked up, she closed her mouth, baffled.

"..."

Then she walked out without another word, making everyone else in the room raise their brows in consternation.

"Your Highness."

After that, the black-haired Medea entered the room and beelined straight towards the delicate round table at which the first princess and the crown prince were sitting.

Medea didn't kneel or even bow his head. Instead, he went a bit out of his way and stood right by the sofa, blocking one of the five pompous chandeliers in the tea room.

"What is the meaning of th...?!"

"Guards, seize him."

Noah, already pissed off about his plan derailing, scoffed angrily, all worked up about the blatant lack of manners, but right then, Medea raised his right hand and called out.

"What do you...!?"

The guard standing by the door sprung to action with a pathetically long delay, but as he did, four other guards entered the room and grabbed him, unceremoniously throwing him to the floor.

"EXPLAIN YOURSELF THIS INSTANT!"

"?!?!"

Shocked, Noah shouted while Charlotte was looking between everyone else, frantically trying to figure out what was going on. She then froze up completely when she noticed a pale blue marble in Medea's raised hand.

"If you are not in cahoots with this traitor, speak up, or you will be treated as an assassin."

"End this nonsense this instant! I demand you answer me properly!"

"I AM NOT A TRAITO-GFGH!"

The black-haired man demanded while raising his left hand to his chest, ignoring both the crown prince and the silenced shout of the pinned-down guard.

"So be it." *whooosh*

"Hiiii!"

Medea scoffed and slightly shook his hand before flicking his wrist and throwing the knife that seemed to appear in his grip out of nowhere behind his back – causing the crown prince to let out a pathetic, high-pitched shriek...

*stab* "Khhhh...!"

...but as the knife flew all the way to the chandelier that Medea was showing his back to, the sound of the blade piercing flesh was followed by a muffled wheeze...

*rustle* "...ah...!"

...which in turn was followed by a panicked gasp as a stealthy person who was hiding their presence on the chandelier lost their balance and began falling to the floor.

"...~!"

*crack* *KREAAAAK*

It was exactly what the grinning Medea was waiting for and had the pale-blue marble prepared – he turned around like a spring-loaded knife and crushed the magic pellet, unleashing a gust of bluish air that ended up nicking the feet of the falling person...

...and turning their legs from knees down into icicles, completely throwing off their center of gravity and sense of balance and...

*THUMP* *CRACK*

"GHAGH!"

...making them shatter into fine pieces as the unidentified individual slammed against the ground...

"...who in the world...?!"

"...!"

Charlotte's eyes widened as she gasped – but the only person who knew the intruder's identity closed his mouth shut, staring at the frostbitten nubs of the individual wrapped in dark clothes wearing a mask covering their whole face.

"..."

Medea rushed at the intruder, taking off the yellow marble from one of his earrings as he moved.

"...wha... eh...?"

The concussed masked intruder shook their head. The first thing they saw as they looked up was the black-haired man grinning like a demon rushing them.

"EH?! W-WAIT! I'M A MEMBER OF...!"

*rip*

The person raised their hand toward the charging Medea, raising their shockingly girlish voice, but by doing that, they exposed a pair of bracelets around their wrist—the bracelets that Medea grabbed and tore off with one hand while pushing the hand with the yellow marble forward.

*crack* *ZAP*

"GHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

The magic pellet was crushed against the intruder's chest, and the paralysis spell activated at full power. The masked person's body tensed so hard it turned to stone, making them unable to even blink.