In a different world named Aerd.
A welcoming banquet had been prepared by the king of kingdom hart for the esteemed otherworlder guests of their land. These special guests had the capability to save their polluted land because of miasma and purify their tainted fellowmen.
There are three candidates and no one knows who is the real saint among them.
---
During the banquet, most people in the room are sneaking a peak towards the three ladies? seating at the VIP seat on the same table as the king, duke, and archmage. King Argus smiles all the time, Duke Damian remains detached and silent as always while Archmage Alexis was trying to start a conversation with the ice spirits floating around Eirwen Night.
Eirwen chose to ignore the nagging old man beside him and slowly enjoys his dinner at his own pace without caring for other people at all. He only reacts when Bela Laurel secretly glares at him and gives her an entertained smile.
"Shit~" grumbles Bela but she continues to portray herself as a virtuous lady.
On the other hand, the teenage girl named Angela is still nervous, she had her head down the whole time. Not only she didn't move to eat, she hadn't touched any utensils in front of her at all. Eirwen Night lightly knocks at the table before her and gets her attention. She instantly looked up when she saw the knitted sleeves with modern touches on the clothing. As she expected, some who were summoned with her in this world had the intention to speak with her.
Seeing that it was the big brother wearing a lady's dress, she hesitantly calls. "Gege?"
"Call Jiejie."
"Jiejie~"
"Good girl~ You can get your questions answered after you've eaten enough. There's no need to get nervous if they really intended to harm us, they would have killed us right from the beginning. Your worries are not boundless but at least believe in their words for now until you process enough information before you make your decision. Eat your food." said Eirwen without even giving the girl a single glance.
Angela Evans was at first stunned by his words but seeing him enjoy his dinner in silence, she finally heard her tummy rumbling inside. She was looking for a midnight snack before she was summoned. Her hunger is quite evident as she ate less for dinner in her world. When she finally calms down, Angela finally grabs her spoon and knife to start eating. Bela looked annoyed that the little girl's mood had turned for the better when she was intending to alienate her and make her lose confidence in herself.
While glaring at Eirwen, 'Grr~ this is all thanks to this slut!' Thoughts of Bela Laurel.
Only when they've finished eating did the king open his mouth to speak. They've moved location and went to an ordinary tea room for the girls to relax. Of course, the others were asked to leave after dinner. Now only the king, duke, archmage, and the three Saintess Candidates remained. A servant in the place had served them tea after a meal to help them digest. Some knights and maids were standing standby outside the room.
"Jiejie what is this? Tea?" asked Angela while looking at the murky black tea in her cup.
[H-Host! Don't drink it! There's something alive within the tea. Yuck!]
Eirwen lightly glances at the disgusting tea with coldness plus disdain before finally clicking his tongue. "It's mud."
For a foodie like our main character, anything that isn't delicious and edible is trash or mud to him.
The King and the archmage who were unintentionally drinking their tea at this moment choke when they've heard Lord Night's words.
Choke!
PFFT~
Angela immediately put down her cup and said, "Then I won't drink it anymore."
Unlike the two who showed their dislike for the tea with honesty, Bela Laurel on the other hand had done the opposite and drank the tea straight to her stomach.
She then gave Eirwen Night a mocking gaze, "A cup of tea that the king had personally asked for us Saintess Candidates to enjoy, you dare to call it mud, Eirwen Night! You're lacking etiquette for someone who is a prospect in becoming a Saintess don't you think so? Duke Damian." said Lady Laurel while smiling seductively at the handsome man beside her.
[EWWW~ She drank it all. Including those... Urk!!!]
"Shut up! Don't make such a sound in my head. You are making me want to vomit as well!" complained Eirwen Night in his mind.
Duke Damian lightly glances at Lady Bela without expression on his face before finally ignoring her all for once. He instead looked closely at his teacup and looked at the liquid within. Then he moves his gaze to Eirwen Night who crosses his arms nonchalantly.
"There's something wrong with the tea?" asked Duke Damian.
Slightly yawning, Eirwen Night wearily spoke, "You can pour down the tea and check it yourself. Why ask me? yawns~"
Spills the tea~
Damian Adrienne poured his cup on the table, spilling all the contents on it. Once everything was overturned, everyone who few small wiggling worms together with the tea. Seeing such a disgusting scene everyone bolt away. Bela Laurel's reactions are the greatest after all she was the only one who drank the whole cup of tea without leaving a drop.
"Urg!" Angela instantly covered her mouth while looking at the wriggling worm on the table.
She instantly felt her stomach churn and her face turned green. Bela Laurel runs away in the corner and starts puking. The sound of her throwing up echoes within the room. At this moment even the king and the archmage's faces were dark as charcoal.
PUKES~~~
While rolling his eyes in front of the king and the old archmage, "You guys are focusing too much on us that you didn't realize that your tea was intentionally spoiled by some. That bug seems to be dangerous. If the little ones didn't warn me..."
Duke Damian, "Except for the little girl beside you, not even a hint of intention is felt coming from you to inform us that there is something wrong with the tea, right?" he asked.
"Like how you have no interest in drinking your tea." retorted Lord Night. "Much less be interested in your internal affairs."
Silence ascended in the area as these two cold-hearted pairs exchanged uncaring words for their surroundings. The Archmage looked at the worms and observed them closely. It didn't take a while for the old mage to recognize what kind of worm was found in their tea.
"T-This is!!!" exclaimed Archmage Alexis.
Startled King Argus asked, "What's wrong, Alexis?!"
"These are child gu. Gu is a parasite that is often used as a medium to control someone else's body. It uses the mother gu to order its children. Anyone who had taken one can fall to the owner of the mother gu and follow its every command without question. The one who possesses the child gu would only listen and never disobey." said Archmage Alexis while glancing at the ashen face Bela Laurel who is now trembling with an ashen face.
There's fear and disbelief within her pinkish eyes. They could even see Bela trembling as her body shook uncontrollably beyond her command. Then she saw Eirwen Night's unconcerned demeanor. His whole aura emits coolness as if he had witnessed nothing is wrong.
"YOU!!?"
Lady Laurel wanted to scream at him, but after thinking about it on her own, she knew that the man had done nothing that caused her harm. Well~ except for not informing them ahead of time that there is something wrong with the tea. Her eyes rolled up and fainted due to anger, disgust, and remorse. Her scheming didn't end that easily as her fall was directed towards the young duke sitting beside her before.
Duke Damian didn't move to catch her nor spread his arms to shorten her drop-down motion. Instead, the Duke stood up unhurriedly as he saluted the king.
"Your Majesty. It is already too late. I'm sure that the saintess needs their rest." said Damian Adrienne.
Lady Laurel fell on the couch in a sprawling manner. She looks undignified and stupid especially when the duke had to dodge her in such an indirect manner. Her plans were once again cut off, but this time by the man she adores. Bela could only pretend that she really lost consciousness and laid on the open couch like a drunk man.
King Hart and Archmage Alexis shook their heads helplessly. As people who live their lives on political grounds, Lady Laurel's schemes were too obvious for them to notice. Only the innocent and naive little girl like Angela was worried for Bela in the real sense. As for Eirwen Night, he acted like nothing could be seen happening in front of him.
The King gestures for the servants to bring away Lady Laurel first and have someone remove the child gu she had drank before. They couldn't allow a Saintess Candidate to be someone else's marionette.
"Someone! Get Lady Laurel to vomit out the tea she had drank and escort her back to her room," ordered King Argus.
Some maids and knights took action collectively and got the fainted Lady Laurel to her own chambers. As for the problem of the drunk tea, they could try doing it in the room of the lady. Once Bela was carried out of the room by a night, some maids who were tasked to serve her well had followed after.
King Argus started spreading his smiles towards the other ladies.
"Let people escort Lady Evans and Lady Night to their chambers as well. There would be servants on standby to serve the ladies any time. You can ask questions to them as you want as well. The night had gone deeper. Let's make preparations to sleep."
Angela Evans and Eirwen Night stood up at the same time. They were blocked by maids and knights who were tasked to serve them. The former acted shyly but didn't really cower in front of the entourage of servants. She accepted them as Lady Evan already knew that she won't be able to sleep in the same room as her jiejie. After all, her jiejie is still a man in real life.
"Jiejie, could I see you tomorrow as well?" asked Angela with a pleading expression on her face.
Eirwen Night reacted as he was so sleepy, "If you find me then sure. But don't wake me up. yawns~"
A glowing smile appeared on the young lady's face as she nodded her head to her jiejie's words.
Lady Night glanced at the king and said, "I do not need people to serve me. Nor did I want any protection. Just one to show me the way to my room. As for the rest... I don't need it." said Eirwen as he walked away followed by only one knight.
No one stopped him from leaving as they could clearly see the sleepiness on his flawless face. Angela Evans and the people who were said to serve her had taken their leave as well after saying their goodbyes to the king and the rest of the people inside the room. The group of servants who were supposed to serve Lady Night was left in the place as well.
The king and the rest could see them trembling from dread as they didn't expect their service to be declined just like that.
"Send them back," said King Argus.
The head servants responded, "As you wish, your majesty."
Only after the other servants were sent away, did the king let out a long helpless sigh. He was even pinching the space between his eyebrows to calm his throbbing head.
"Their personalities and attitudes were totally different from the people of our world. Especially Lady Night, he is a bit too hard to control. Sigh~" complains King Argus.
Archmage Alexis nods his head in agreement. "Yes~ he's a tough nut to crack."
"Could you do something about him? He seems to be interested in you, Damian," said King Argus. He is talking to this young duke who sat back down on the other couch without anyone's notice.
Duke Damian replied to his king honestly, "Not enough information. Need to observe more."
King Argus responds, "Then observe him more. Discreetly or not. Or thing king would just leave him in your care. How about it?" he asked with a cunning smile on his lips.
Damian ignored him but still answered, "Do as you wish."
Then they could only move their conversation to the private office of the king.