#106. A Dangerous Invitation (2)
Despite all the tension, the banquet prepared by the Crown Prince passed peacefully.
The only uncomfortable thing was that Pavel was seated far away from Sasha.
Sasha glanced at Pavel from across the hall. Sitting beside Ruslan, he ate with his usual stern expression.
At first, she had suspected there was some scheme behind separating them. Normally, a husband and wife sat together at such events, but here they had been deliberately split apart.
But as time went by and nothing happened, the tension in her shoulders eased.
If Ruslan picked a fight first, she was ready to respond. But if nothing happened, she saw no need to stir things up.
Life in Kalita had been nothing but one storm after another. Soon they would leave, and until then, wasn’t it fine to enjoy a little peace? Enough incidents had already occurred.
So Sasha focused on the banquet.
Fortunately, the food was delicious, and Princess Irina—sitting next to her—kept chatting warmly, making her feel at ease. Sasha found herself blending into the atmosphere without awkwardness.
“If only this last event before leaving Kalita could end quietly like this…”
But her hope was quickly broken.
“Why so quiet, Count? Does it not suit your taste?”
Sasha’s head snapped around at Ruslan’s voice.
Across the wide table, Ruslan was smiling at Pavel.
“What’s going on…?”
Because of the seating, she couldn’t clearly see the situation. She fixed her eyes on the two men with a tense face.
“Ah, was my preparation lacking?” Ruslan tilted his head. Then he added,
“Or don’t tell me—you don’t even know how to eat it?”
Pavel stayed silent.
Unlike the others enjoying the food without issue, he had hardly touched his plate. Unfortunately, only southern dishes were set before him—strange seafoods he had never seen in the northern inland.
Crabs, shellfish, creatures with hard shells and many legs. To him, they looked more like insects than food. He didn’t even know their names, let alone how to eat them.
Ruslan knew this, and his smile deepened. He had arranged everything anew that morning. Seeing his plan work pleased him.
But then—
“No, I misspoke. Of course, a noble wouldn’t be ignorant of how to eat Prosciu.”
At last, Sasha understood the situation.
It wasn’t the worst scenario she feared, but—
‘How childish…’
Still, she could see why. After losing so badly to Pavel, Ruslan’s pride had been crushed. He wanted to get back at him somehow, even in this ridiculous way.
Hurting Pavel directly would be politically dangerous. Though Ruslan was the Crown Prince, Pavel was the heir of the northern Grand Duke. If he harmed him openly, it would shake his own position.
If Ruslan had no rivals, maybe he would take that risk. But Pavel had told her Irina seemed to be aiming for the throne as well. That made it harder for Ruslan to act recklessly.
‘If this is all he prepared, then it’s easy enough to handle.’
Sasha straightened her posture, lifted her utensils, and quietly summoned a small spirit.
「Little wolf~ Look over here~」
The spirit giggled and whispered in Pavel’s ear. Only he, wearing the gloves Sasha had given him to heighten spirit affinity, could hear it.
Catching his gaze, Sasha smiled with her eyes. The spirit whispered again—
「Copy Sasha~」
Immediately, Sasha reached for the same seafood dish that sat before Pavel. She had asked a servant to bring it near earlier.
With grace, she demonstrated how to cut and eat it.
Pavel copied her perfectly, so naturally that no one noticed he was imitating her.
After swallowing a bite, he finally replied to Ruslan.
“The food you prepared suits me. As you see, I know how to eat it.”
Then he added, calm but bold:
“Your preparations weren’t lacking, but… if northern cuisine had been served alongside southern, it might have shown the harmony of the empire even better.”
Ruslan’s brows twitched, then he burst into laughter.
Sasha tensed, watching closely. But surprisingly, he didn’t seem offended. Instead, still smiling, he pushed more food toward Pavel.
“That’s good to hear. Have some more.”
Sasha narrowed her eyes, unsettled.
‘Is that really all?’
It seemed like just a small incident, nothing more.
Relieved yet confused, she lifted her glass. Ruslan chuckled again. From a distance, he could see how anxious she was, all because of this little “prank.”
Yes—this was only a prank. A light distraction before the real game began.
Ruslan thought: If only Sasha weren’t guiding him like a mother, Pavel would’ve been humiliated.
But instead, he found Sasha’s quick thinking pleasing. The woman he wanted by his side had proven her resourcefulness.
Still smiling, he turned back to Pavel, who was now eating confidently.
If the Volkovs were a cold, loveless couple bound only by politics, things would be simpler. But clearly, between them burned a strong passion. They weren’t ashamed to kiss deeply in public, exchanging dazzling glances.
That was fine. Emotions could cloud judgment. If he could shatter their passion and trust, their bond would break on its own.
If Alexandra chose to leave Pavel willingly, Ruslan’s plan would be even easier.
Holding his glass, he leaned toward Pavel.
“A toast.”
Pavel silently raised his own glass.
Clink!
The clear sound rang out as Ruslan’s wine splashed a few drops into Pavel’s cup.
Pavel noticed, but without comment, he calmly drank.
Ruslan smiled.
The food itself was harmless. But certain dishes, when mixed with a special wine, produced dangerous effects.
Prosciu seafood… a herb called Chakam… and wine laced with an accidental byproduct of an old imperial medicine.
Together, their effect was simple:
Hallucinations. Intense arousal. A mind overwhelmed by uncontrollable desire.
‘If it can affect even monsters, Count Volkov won’t resist it…’
Many women were seated at the banquet. Ruslan chuckled, wondering with which of them Pavel would disgrace himself.
All Ruslan had to do was keep them here until the effects took hold. Pavel Volkov would destroy himself.
And when the time was right, Ruslan would step in and drive a wedge between the couple. Divorce would follow soon after.
The banquet dragged on longer than expected, thanks to Ruslan. He kept turning the conversation toward Sasha.
“I heard, Countess, that you’re quite knowledgeable about ancient relics. Is that true?”
