### Chapter 18: Family Dinner (Part 1)
Alright then.
At this point, I was almost certain that my mother had no idea about the situation between Viki and me… Ugh, we don’t have a situation! That crazy woman must have spilled her scoundrel intentions to my mother while I was away. How dare she!?
I was so embarrassed I could’ve dug a hole and buried myself. I couldn’t look my mom in the eye anymore.
So, I did what any self-respecting turtle would do—I stared blankly at the plate in front of me. It held a massive roasted bird—something I had never seen before—why wasn’t it dessert? Viki, where’s Captain Gray when you need him? I desperately needed something sweet to divert my attention…
I wanted to find an excuse to leave this place…
Just step out, and when I come back, I’d just “happen” to sit in a different spot…
Wait!
Suddenly, I shot up from my chair: “Mom, I think my stomach is a bit—”
“If your stomach isn’t feeling well, I’ll have someone call for a doctor.”
Viki turned her sharp gaze on me as if she were going to pierce through my very soul: “I’ve heard you use that trick countless times from Lady.”
Huh?
Mom, why are you selling me out like this?
I wasn’t giving up that easily; I sulked and said, “I just wanted to go to the restroom…”
After saying that, I turned my head to avoid Viki’s gaze.
“…Then just go.”
After a moment, I heard Her Majesty the Queen speaking, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Then it hit me why I had to wait for your permission to go to the restroom. I could just go whenever I wanted…
But as I pushed my chair back and took a step, that woman chimed in again: “If you don’t want to sit with me, you can just say it; I won’t mind.”
Her tone was oddly calm, yet deep.
“……”
Yeah, now I couldn’t leave if I wanted to.
You can’t do this to me, Viki…
It feels just like…
“Oh! Looks like we’re late!”
Suddenly, a loud voice boomed from the hall outside the archway, breaking the awkward atmosphere over the dinner table like it was made of glass.
Everyone turned to see Duke Skarlij striding into the dining room, followed by Hoover and Pope Knight Tarlasya… and that “Fake Viki”!
The one yelling was none other than the hearty Northern brute, Uncle Hoover, who immediately set his eyes on the feast laid out before us and bellowed, “Haha, Lady cooked for us herself! Tonight’s going to be delicious… What about the snow wine? How can a splendid Northern feast like this be without Winter City’s special brew!”
He then turned to Viki, his expression faltering as he scratched his head and flashed his goofy smile: “Hey… respect to Her Majesty the Queen, sorry, sorry! I thought you weren’t coming; I got a bit loud there.”
On the other side, “Fake Viki” was practically buzzing with excitement. Dressed in a rather extravagant red gown, she hurried over, lifted her skirt, and scampered to stand behind me, resting her hands on the backs of both my and Viki’s chairs, scanning our faces with a mischievous glint: “Ooo, ooo, ooo…”
“Ooo what? Just find a place to sit down!” Viki shot back, unimpressed.
“I want to sit on Miss Silvya’s left!”
She noticed Viki was on my right and that the left side was free, seemingly not caring about any opinions but her own, she looked at my mother and father with a faux-pitiful face: “Is that okay? Can I?”
“Go ahead and sit; what’s the big deal?”
Duke Skarlij replied with a grin, only to be met with a glare from my mother.
But my father didn’t seem to care: “Your Majesty Elizabeth, I apologize for the wait. We encountered a little situation outside—I just wrapped it up and rushed over.”
As he spoke, he took the seat at the top of the table, while Hoover and Tarlasya followed suit, sitting opposite my mother and Annie, with Tarlasya taking the seat designated for “younger generations,” although nobody seemed keen to mention that now.
“Understood.” Viki nodded at my father without much else to say.
“Hey? Why aren’t you sitting down? Why are you just standing there?” Fake Viki, already seated next to me, suddenly looked up, her face a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
“Not your concern.”
I wasn’t about to give her a good response. I rolled my eyes and ignored her, and as for her sitting next to me—whatever, let her have it.
But once that distraction happened, I completely forgot about needing to go to the restroom. Seeing my mother didn’t look like she was going to let me switch seats, I settled back down.
Just then, the Head Maid brought the dish Captain Gray had prepared and placed it in front of me, then feeling the wine had breathed enough, she picked up the wine bottle with a delicate white napkin and began her formal introduction to everyone: “This is a premium dry red wine from the 1154 vintage, hailing from Silgaya’s Samaranka Estate. Renowned for its unique flavor and rich aftertaste, it’s one of the last batches made at Samaranka Estate from Western Continent grapes, a legend in the winemaker’s heart, coveted by many collectors. It’s the most exquisite item in the royal cellar…”
…Hmm?
This wine…
Isn’t this what Viki drank the first time we met?
She even showed off about it!
I vaguely remembered… ah.
While I was spaced out, the Head Maid had already poured wine for Her Majesty the Queen.
“Hey, what’s the point of drinking wine? No matter how good it is, once it’s in your gut, it’s just sweet water. Some even taste sour; they don’t hold a candle to our Northern spirits!”
Hoover’s loud laughter echoed across the table; he directed his comment to Annie. However, the flamingo lady covered her face and ignored him. Hoover didn’t mind and turned back to my mother: “Lady, do you have any snow wine? I remember there was still quite a bit left at the Lion Hunting Army.”
“Absolutely, how could we not?”
My mother smiled and called over one of the maids to fetch the wine.
“Your Majesty Elizabeth, I’ve heard you enjoy drinking. Would you like to try our Winter City’s snow wine? It’s the most popular drink in the Northern Region,” my father added for Viki’s benefit.
“Sure!”
Her Majesty readily agreed, completely ignoring the fact that I was quietly pinching her thigh under the table… Today, I discovered that even though this woman’s legs looked delicate, they had no meat on them. Pinching them felt absolutely fantastic, like squishing QQ jelly, especially through that sheer skirt—oh, why was I thinking about this nonsense?
“I usually don’t drink spirits, but since I’m in the mood, trying a bit wouldn’t hurt.”
“Then I want some too!”
Suddenly, Fake Viki perked up: “I want to try your snow wine! While I was in the palace, my sister never let me drink, but she always snuck off to drink alone.”
This woman just casually spilled Viki’s secrets.
Is she really Viki’s sister?
How could Viki have such a goofy sister?
Smack! My hand was suddenly slapped away. I was caught off guard since I was lost in thought. When I turned my head, I met Viki’s increasingly impatient gaze.
“Is this fun?” she asked.
“What’s fun?”
Before I could respond, our mother, who had been acting like she didn’t care but secretly observing us the whole time, spoke up.
