Chapter 173
She knew in her head that it was safe, but maybe it was the memory of what happened after drinking tea back then.
Her heart began to race as if she were facing something ominous.
“It’s herbal tea. Would you like a snack as well?”
“…No, I’m fine.”
They’d be talking for about thirty minutes before heading to lunch anyway, so snacks didn’t really come to mind.
Nina quietly watched him as he elegantly poured the tea.
It struck her again just how much her husband liked tea time.
Given the way he steeped and poured the tea, it wasn’t the hand of someone doing this for the first time.
‘I knew he liked tea for a while now.’
Something about having tea eight times a day or so.
In noble society, a man’s taste or hobbies were often defined by cigars.
Unlike other men who smelled like smoke, he always had a pleasant scent.
And now she realized that scent was probably from this tea.
Clink.
Ash set the teapot down.
He glanced briefly at her face, then brought the teacup to his lips.
“…Isn’t that my cup?”
After taking a sip, he placed the cup down in front of her.
“This one’s safe.”
“…Ah.”
Only then did Nina realize just how plainly her unease had shown on her face.
She’d thought the shock had passed, what with the symptoms that day, their first kiss, and making peace with the family…
But apparently, a part of it still lingered inside.
“Even if it weren’t safe, I could just help you like I did that time.”
Like that time…?
Nina pressed her cool hand against her suddenly flushed face.
W…Why was he saying something like that so casually?
Her heart was pounding for some reason, her mouth went dry.
To cover up the tingling tension burning from her toes upward, she sipped the tea like she hadn’t just been feeling uneasy moments ago.
Why did he suddenly seem so kind… What was this chaos…
“…As promised, I’ll play the role of a good husband properly.”
That line… Did it mean he would act that way not just in public, but even when they were alone?
She didn’t want to show herself getting swept up in these changed behaviors that made it impossible not to misunderstand.
What if she ended up misunderstanding again, thinking he liked her, and it all fell apart again?
Nina forced herself to steady her heartbeat and said,
“It’s just because it only happened a few days ago. I’m sure I’ll be fine soon.”
She’d been through worse before. Was she really going to let that one thing shake her?
And whenever she thought of that day… it inevitably brought up the memory of their first kiss.
‘Ugh, don’t think about it!’
She’d been doing fine not thinking about it until now, so why today of all days?
She thought she’d kicked the habit of blaming others, but this time it was definitely her husband’s fault, saying such shameless things like he’d help her ‘like that time’.
As Nina calmed herself with the scent of the tea, she suddenly felt a gaze and lifted her head.
A smile was playing at the corners of his lips.
Was it because Ian would be arriving soon?
Or did he receive some good news?
He looked like he was in a really good mood.
“Ian’s supposed to arrive tomorrow, right?”
When Nina brought it up, he nodded.
“Yes.”
“I’ve finished preparing his room, and we’ll need to have new clothes made for him. I think we should plan a welcome party as well. Since he’s the heir, it’d be best if the party were fairly grand…”
Rather than attending another family’s party, it would be much better to host one at the Bayern manor.
Ian was undeniably the heir to the Bayern family, and since he had left for the academy at the age of eight, he likely didn’t even have memories of something as simple as a birthday party.
“It’s just… the guest list is a bit of a concern. For any other child it might not matter, but when it comes to the heir, I heard social connections before debuting into high society are extremely important. We can’t just invite anyone.”
“Can’t we just invite the usual people we always do?”
Nina shook her head seriously.
“No. That’s not how it’s usually done.”
Before Neville made his social debut, she remembered seeing her parents staying up all night making the guest list.
The family background, the parents’ reputation, the children’s reputation, and so on…
It seemed like they were considering a lot of factors.
‘The background of someone’s family shouldn’t be the only reason to choose a friend. But still, you are who you surround yourself with.’
Ian was already an admirable child, but…
“If you don’t mind, would it be alright if I asked my mother about it?”
ReadingRainbow9266
HA! I KNEW he would taste the tea for her 😂 Typical male lead behaviour. I love it 😍