Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 96

Chapter 96

The Santos Kingdom.

Constance Castle.

Beili woke up, washed, and headed to the dining room.

The Duke and Duchess were currently enjoying lunch at the dining table. After greeting her father and mother, Beili took her seat and prepared to eat.

The Duke looked up, casting a disapproving glance at Bartholomew.

He felt that since Bartholomew had returned home, she had spent almost every day sleeping until noon or even the afternoon. It was a terrible waste of time.

After all, by this time, Susanna would have already finished reviewing her lessons and, after finishing lunch, would be out attending tea parties hosted by other Noble ladies.

“Bartholomew, you should adjust your schedule…” the Duke began.

“Oh, enough, enough,” Madam Constance interrupted, looking up. “Luoluo is already exhausted from her daily dance practice. What’s wrong with sleeping a little longer? There is nothing wrong with relaxing and resting in one’s own home.”

With that, she lowered her head and continued serving pan-seared foie gras into Bartholomew’s bowl, drizzling it with a sauce made of roasted mushrooms and cream.

“Luoluo, don’t mind your father. Go on and eat,” Madam Constance said gently.

The Duke fell silent, his expression stiffening slightly.

As long as Bartholomew was kept happy, one would receive rewards in gold coins from Madam Constance; conversely, one would face even harsher punishments.

Under the Duchess’s infinite indulgence and exaltation, Bartholomew had become the person with the highest status in the Constance Family.

He had heard that two days ago, a maid had accidentally spilled hot tea on Miss Bartholomew’s skirt while pouring.

That very day, the maid was ordered to pack her things and get out of Constance Castle.

Consequently, everyone in the Constance Family, down to the gardeners tending the grounds, knew that when they saw Miss Bartholomew, they had to immediately drop their work and greet her with respect and enthusiasm.

*If this continues, Bartholomew will be spoiled rotten,* the Duke sighed inwardly.

Furthermore, the situation for his other daughter would only become increasingly difficult.

***

On the other side of the table.

Beili, focused on her lunch, was completely unaware of the Duke’s thoughts.

Since the break began and she returned to the Constance Family, her schedule had been packed.

Every afternoon, she had to set aside two hours to study dance and Noble etiquette.

At night, she had to undergo Beast Transformation into a butterfly and fly out of the castle to continue searching for Mana she could absorb.

She wasn’t idle at all.

However, because the Constance Family’s territory was a valley populated mostly by ordinary hunters, there were almost no people capable of magic. She had searched for several nights with little to show for it.

She was just about ready to give up on that front.

“I’ll start waking up a bit earlier tomorrow,” Beili said.

The Duke’s stiff expression softened slightly.

He was even a little surprised.

He had originally intended to use this matter to properly lecture Bartholomew, letting her know that a daughter of the Constance Family could not be so lazy.

Though he had been blocked by the Duchess, he hadn’t expected Bartholomew to accept his words so easily.

It seemed his daughter hadn’t been completely spoiled by his wife yet.

“Your father didn’t mean to blame you; I just believe such a schedule isn’t conducive to expanding your social circle.”

The Duke explained, “You should join Susanna and attend more tea parties hosted by other Nobles.”

Tea parties… hmm…

At the mention of those two words, Beili could already imagine herself sitting with a group of young girls, listening to them chatter away while she sat with her head down, drinking tea, eating snacks, or fidgeting with her fingers.

“Tea parties are useless; they’re just a way to waste one’s life away.”

Madam Constance picked up her spoon, took a sip of fish soup, and said nonchalantly, “If you want the children to make friends, we can host one ourselves.”

“We just need to have the butler prepare tea and snacks, decorate the garden, and invite the other Noble children over…” Madam Constance said.

“I am delighted to find that you are still keen on organizing social gatherings, Winnie,”

The Duke said in a low, meaningful tone.

“After all, Constance Castle has been desolate for over a decade. When others ask why we never host banquets-not even for Susanna’s birthday dinner…”

“I could only explain it away by saying you prefer the quiet,” he said.

The atmosphere at the table suddenly became a bit tense.

Madam Constance acted as if she hadn’t heard him.

***

Sensing the silence in the air, Beili’s knife and fork paused.

Having just woken up, her mind was still a bit foggy, but she finally pulled her thoughts back to the present.

She discreetly scanned the Duke and Duchess.

After a moment’s thought, she decided to ease the cold, rigid atmosphere.

Forcing a soft smile, she said, “It’s no trouble. I’ll go with Susanna next time.”

***

Two days later.

Beili and Susanna boarded a carriage and departed Constance Castle.

By the afternoon, they appeared in the garden of a certain Noble lady’s estate.

The sky was azure, and the sunlight was brilliant.

Several Noble ladies dressed in magnificent attire were gathered together.

Exquisite tea sets and various pastries were laid out on the table, giving off the sweet aroma of cream.

As they enjoyed their afternoon tea, they discussed the latest trends in hats, hairstyles, dresses, and perfumes, as well as the latest scandals and gossip within Noble circles.
However, most of the conversation revolved around the Prince of Sainthos.

Just as she had expected, Beili kept her head down, sipping tea, nibbling on pastries, and staring at…

Beili controlled the urge to look down and fidget with her fingers, because Susanna was already doing exactly that.

“Susanna, are tea parties always this boring?”

Beili set down her teacup and lowered her voice, speaking without much emotion.

Susanna snapped out of her daze, stopped her nervous fidgeting, and whispered, “Sister Bartholomew, you haven’t joined in… You could try picking up the topic they’re discussing.”

“Aren’t you trying to join in? But you still look bored to death.”

Beili said flatly, “Besides, I have absolutely no interest in what they’re talking about.”

Susanna lowered her head slightly, not responding to her sister’s remark.

In truth, when Sister Bartholomew had suggested attending the tea party with her, she had wanted to refuse in her heart.

Her father hoped she would be able to navigate various balls and tea parties with ease, handling relationships with confidence and grace.

But what her father didn’t know was that she was always neglected and marginalized at these events.

To avoid failing her father’s expectations, she could only force herself to sit there and listen until the very end.

Now, her pathetic state had been discovered by Sister Bartholomew.

…

“I heard a new prince has appeared in the Imperial Palace. He showed up overnight, and his origins are quite mysterious,” one young lady said, covering her mouth with her eyes sparkling.

“Oh… Is he His Majesty’s illegitimate son?”

“Who knows? After all, Cyril was the only prince in the Imperial Palace. I wouldn’t be surprised if an illegitimate son turned up now.”

“What does this prince look like?”

“That’s exactly what I was going to say-no one knows what he looks like. Not even the people inside the palace know.”

“How mysterious… It really makes one curious!”

“Don’t worry, the Royal Hunt is coming up in a few days. We’ll find out then.”

“The Royal Hunt! We’ll get to see Prince Cyril again!”

“I’ve already picked out the dresses I’m going to wear for those three days…”

…

The conversation turned dull once more.

Looking around, Beili noticed a beautiful pavilion in the garden.

Its latticed roof was covered in lush green vines, and a wicker chair sat beneath it-perfect for lying down.

“Susanna, I’m going to take a nap in the pavilion. Wake me up when the tea party is almost over,” Beili whispered.

“Sister Bartholomew… is that really a good idea?”

Susanna bit her lip, looking at her with concern.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. I’d much rather sleep comfortably over there than fall asleep here,” Beili said.

She stood up, using a casual excuse about admiring the flowers to stroll leisurely through the garden.

She meandered toward the pavilion.

Then she sat down, then she lay down, and then she fell peacefully asleep.

Susanna remained seated with the noble ladies, still trying to fit in.

After the group had exhausted their current topic, they paused to sip their tea. Their gazes simultaneously drifted toward the figure resting lazily on the wicker chair not far away.

Dressed in a grey-purple gown, her face was casually covered by a wide-brimmed hat adorned with feathers, flowers, and ribbons. Her long, silver-grey hair spilled over the edge of the chair like a pouring galaxy, shimmering with an enchanting luster in the slanted sunlight.

The figure didn’t move an inch, clearly deep in the realm of dreams.

“Susanna, is that your sister? She really isn’t social at all.”

A noble lady in a white dress raised an eyebrow, a hint of dissatisfaction in her tone.

“I know, right? Did you see her expression earlier? She practically had the words ‘utterly bored’ written across her face.”

Another lady in a blue dress chimed in, a clear sneer playing at the corners of her mouth.

“Susanna, you probably don’t get along well with your sister, do you? Why don’t we take this chance to play a prank on her?”

A blonde, blue-eyed lady suggested with a giggle, her eyes flashing mischievously.

Susanna hurriedly waved her hands and shook her head, too scared to even speak at first. After a long moment, she managed to say, “No, no, Sister Bartholomew will be angry.”

The lady in white curled her lip and said disdainfully, “Oh, Susanna, you’re just too cowardly!”

“We can all carry some pastries and pretend to walk past, then quietly drop some cream onto her hair.”

“Don’t worry, as long as we’re gentle, she won’t notice.”

The blonde lady persisted, continuing to egg them on.

“That’s going too far… Sister will really be angry…” Susanna whispered anxiously, her face flushing with panic and unease.

“She won’t find out.” The lady in blue looked at her with a warning tone. “If you won’t go, we’ll go ourselves. Just stay quiet and cover for us.”

Susanna gripped her teacup tightly, her voice trembling slightly.

“Please, don’t do this. Sister, she…”