Chapter 29 : Celebration
Isabella irritably crumpled the invitation letter, then carefully smoothed it out.
The cheap parchment and crooked handwriting lacked any elegance.
The message was blunt:
To celebrate passing the entrance exam, I’m hosting a small party in my room tonight. I sincerely invite Isabella to join. —Ailiya Winston
“Who’d go to a maid’s party!” Isabella slapped the letter onto the table, crossing her arms huffily.
Yet, the letter seemed cursed, her eyes drawn back to it repeatedly.
What’s she up to? A party? In that storage-closet room of hers? Can she even afford a chef or snacks?
And… why invite me? Is this a challenge? It’s definitely a challenge!
Her mind waged war, two inner voices clashing.
One urged: Don’t go! You’re a countess! Attending would lower your status!
The other countered: Go! You have to see what she’s planning! What if she’s scheming against Lady Liliane?
Yes, that’s it!
Isabella slammed the table, seizing the perfect excuse.
I’m not going for her party—I’m spying to protect my beloved Lady Liliane!
Convinced, she ordered her maid to prepare a “modest gift befitting her status” and headed to Ailiya’s room.
Before the plain wooden door, Isabella took a deep breath, adjusted her lavish gown, and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door opened.
But instead of the expected white-haired maid, a breathtakingly cool beauty stood there.
“L-Lady Liliane?!”
Isabella’s brain froze, her body petrified as if hit by a stone curse.
Why is she here?! In this dingy, cramped commoner’s room?!
“Something?” Liliane asked, arms crossed, her violet eyes glancing over Isabella.
“I-I-I…” Isabella stammered, terrified, holding up the invitation like a student presenting homework. “Ailiya invited me!”
Liliane’s gaze lingered on the letter for a second before she stepped aside. “Come in.”
“Yes! At once!” Isabella scrambled inside, as timid as a rabbit in a lion’s den.
She scanned the room—predictably sparse. A bed, a table, no frills.
The only standout was a mountain of assorted liquor bottles on the table.
Is she raiding the academy’s wine cellar?
But another question loomed larger.
“Um… Lady Liliane, why are you…?”
“I was invited too,” Liliane said, sitting at the table, lifting a teacup with the grace of a royal tea party. “I had nothing better to do, so I came.”
That explains it!
Isabella nodded, carefully placing her gift—a costly bottle of elven fruit wine—on the table’s edge.
“Hey, Isabella! You made it!” a cheerful voice called from the corner.
Isabella turned to see Ailiya, standing on a stool, humming as she tied a final balloon to the ceiling lamp.
Clapping her hands, Ailiya hopped down, greeting Isabella warmly.
Isabella’s cheeks flushed, but she quickly resumed her haughty demeanor, clearing her throat. “Hmph! Don’t get the wrong idea! I’m not here for your party! As a noble, I received an invitation, and even if I don’t want to come, courtesy demands I decline in person! Unlike some commoners who’d rudely ghost someone!”
“Sure, sure, you’re the epitome of manners,” Ailiya said, nodding absently, inwardly rolling her eyes.
You brought a gift worth my week’s debts and call it “not wanting to come”? Arrogant much?
Across the room, Aurora hummed off-key, delicately placing a cream-and-strawberry cake in the table’s center.
Liliane sipped her tea, poised as if the chaos around her didn’t exist.
Setting down her cup, she eyed the host. “Ailiya, is this your ‘party’? Are we just sitting here?”
“Of course not!” Ailiya grinned mysteriously, striding to the liquor pile like a magician about to perform. “Tonight, I’ll teach you pampered nobles the ultimate commoner way to have fun!”
She slammed two ale bottles on the table.
“Rock-paper-scissors drinking game!”
“Drinking game?” Isabella frowned. “What’s that?”
“Simple rules,” Ailiya explained, clearing her throat. “Two players face off, each showing zero to five fingers while shouting a number from zero to ten. If your shouted number matches the total fingers shown, you win. Loser drinks!”
Isabella’s face twisted in disdain. “Gesturing and shouting? That’s so… crude.”
“It’s about bonding!” Ailiya said, undeterred. “Get buzzed, and hearts open up! Plus, if it’s too tame, we can keep score.”
At “score,” all three noble girls perked up, their competitive instincts flaring.
Gotcha! Ailiya smirked inwardly, tossing out more bait. “Scoring’s easy: win a round, get a point. Losers drink and face a small penalty. Highest score is tonight’s ‘Fist King’!”
She paused, scanning the nobles with a taunting grin. “What? Scared? I guess a game needing quick wits and reflexes is too much for poetry-and-tea-party brains.”
“Who’re you underestimating?” Liliane set down her cup, eyes glinting coldly. “A commoner’s game? Beneath me.”
“Exactly!” Isabella chimed in. “Afraid of your little trick?”
“Bring it!” Aurora struck a battle pose. “Witness the true power of the ‘Chosen One’!”
Their fiery resolve made Ailiya’s heart skip, but she kept her confident smile.
No way! This is a classic commoner game we’ve played since childhood! You nobles outclass me in lineage, magic, and knowledge, but tonight, on this table, I’ll win one back!
“Great! We’ll draw lots for matchups!”
First round: Ailiya vs. Aurora.
“Ailiya! We’re friends, but in the realm of victory, I show no mercy!” Aurora declared fiercely.
“Same to you!” Ailiya shot back. “Get ready to drink yourself under the table!”
After trading bold words, the duel began.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
Ailiya’s eagle-sharp eyes and precise rhythm dominated, her shouts and gestures a masterclass in psychological warfare.
Poor Aurora, overwhelmed, lost spectacularly.
Glug, glug… burp!
With a loud belch, Aurora’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, “defeated.”
Second round: Liliane vs. Isabella.
This match was a stark contrast to the fiery opener.
Isabella, maintaining her ladylike image before Liliane, used a lace fan to half-cover her face, her gestures dance-like.
Liliane, expressionless, moved with textbook precision.
Their drinking was so refined it seemed like they were sampling fine wine, making Ailiya’s eyebrows twitch.
Liliane’s sharp mind prevailed, winning effortlessly.
Finally, the grand finale.
Master vs. maid. Creditor vs. debtor.
Ailiya Winston vs. Liliane von Winter.
“Lady Liliane,” Ailiya said, raising a glass with an uncharacteristically bold grin, “tonight, you’ll see a commoner’s revenge!”
Liliane glanced at her, lips curling slightly. “Win first, then talk.”
“The victor has the right to speak!”
The duel began.
Ailiya unleashed her full prowess, shouting: “Five leaders! Six-six-six! Eight horses!”
Her spirited cries filled the tiny room.
The match was another rout, with Ailiya dominating Liliane.
She grew cockier, practically sprouting a tail.
But just when victory seemed certain, the tide shifted.
Liliane adapted at an alarming speed, matching Ailiya’s rhythm and even pulling ahead.
The score tied.
“Huff… huff…” Ailiya panted, sweat beading on her forehead.
This demon… no pushover! Her first time playing, and she’s keeping up!
One final round.
Ailiya locked eyes with Liliane, her brain racing to predict her moves.
Liliane, leisurely sipping tea, casually waved a hand at the last second, calling a number.
The result was clear.
Ailiya won.
“I won… I WON!!!” After a stunned pause, Ailiya erupted in a triumphant cheer.
Beaming, she poured a brimming glass of ale and slid it to Liliane. “Here, my lady, drink up!”
Liliane eyed the glass, not dodging the loss, and downed it calmly.
But as the glass hit the table, something changed.
A flush spread visibly from her pale neck to her ears.
Her expression remained steady, but her violet eyes grew misty, her gaze hazy.
Her alcohol tolerance… is that bad?! Ailiya gaped.
Swaying, Liliane reached for the bottle, as if to pour another.
“Hey! What’re you doing?!” Ailiya panicked, grabbing her hand. “If you can’t handle it, stop!”
“No…” Liliane shook her head, slurring stubbornly. “We agreed… I have to finish…”
“Oh, gods!” Ailiya couldn’t take it. She snatched the bottle away.
“I’ll drink for you! Happy? Now rest, my lady!”
Raising the bottle, she chugged the cold liquid down.
One bottle, two, three…
By the sixth, Ailiya’s consciousness faded to black.