A trace of panic flashed across Ram's face, but she suppressed it in an instant.
"Don't misunderstand, Ram was just cleaning the stains on the door."
"No one asked what you were doing..."
Grin turned sideways and brushed past Ram, leaving behind a light remark.
The tips of Ram's ears instantly flushed a faint red. She quickly stood up from the ground, brushed the dust off her skirt, and hurried after him.
"Wait, Grin."
After walking a few steps beside Grin, Ram couldn't help but look back at Rem's room.
Her eyes, which were usually filled with arrogance, had softened considerably, holding more warmth than usual.
"I didn't expect you to be somewhat useful, actually managing to make Rem let go of her obsession. I'll begrudgingly count it as you doing the Oni Clan a big favor."
Grin laughed heartily. "Sister-sama is really not honest."
"Hmph, you're getting ahead of yourself."
Ram regained her tsundere expression, but her hands betrayed her as she took the tray from Grin's hands.
"Leave these chores to Ram, lest you clumsily break the bowls."
While still some distance from the kitchen, the two heard a clattering sound coming from the room.
It sounded like someone was rummaging through cabinets looking for something.
"A thief?" Grin glanced at Ram questioningly.
Ram's gaze sharpened, and she said with certainty, "It must be that idiot Barusu."
Just as she finished speaking, Subaru Natsuki was seen tiptoeing out of the kitchen.
He was carrying a pot of steaming black tea, his eyes gleaming with the satisfaction of a successful scheme.
To his surprise, as soon as Subaru Natsuki stepped out of the porch, his foot slipped as if he had stepped on an invisible banana peel.
He frantically twisted through several difficult breakdance moves before finally landing on the ground with a "thud," sitting there in a pathetic heap.
"Ouch! Who mopped the floor so slippery!"
Fortunately, he protected the teapot with all his might; otherwise, the Mansion's tableware would likely be missing another piece.
"Barusu, what are you doing?"
Ram's brow furrowed, her nose twitched slightly, and her voice carried a hint of disgust.
"Why does Ram smell koohi black tea? Isn't the tea used to entertain guests today the more affordable thorn-leaf tea?"
The production of koohi black tea is very limited; it's a rarity worth two hundred gold coins per kilogram in the Royal Capital market.
Normally, Ram would only bring it out to serve guests who are of the same rank as Roswaal or higher-ranking nobles.
"Sumimasen Ram, I'll formally apologize to you later. I have an urgent matter now, so I'll be going!"
Subaru Natsuki gave an awkward smile and scrambled up from the ground.
Without even bothering to brush off the dust and water stains on his clothes, he vanished in a flash.
"Now we really need to put a lock on the kitchen."
Ram's face turned completely cold; she was clearly genuinely angry.
The kitchen cabinet was half-open, the tea canister inside was left open, and quite a bit of dark red tea leaves were scattered on the shelf.
Looking at the mess before her, Ram's face grew even gloomier as she muttered under her breath:
"Darn guy, it seems it would be better to catch an Ulgarum and tie it to the kitchen door."
Saying this, she gathered all the tea leaves from the shelf into her palm and looked up at Grin.
"These tea leaves can't be put back in the canister. Would Grin like to have some? You usually don't get to drink such good black tea."
"Maybe later," Grin waved his hand. "What I'm curious about now is, who is this guest you mentioned?"
"A retainer from the household of Duchess Crusch Karsten."
Ram took a brand new porcelain pot, poured all the tea leaves from her palm into it, and stated calmly.
"Emilia-sama's Royal Selection Meeting is about to begin."
Grin realized upon hearing this. "So soon? Then I must go and take a look."
...In the Mansion's courtyard, the Sword Demon Wilhelm was unhurriedly wiping the lacquered guard of the dragon carriage.
Although he was over sixty, his figure remained upright and robust—an old gentleman seasoned by the years.
Carrying the tea set, Subaru Natsuki walked over quickly with a mischievous smile on his face.
He poured a cup of hot tea for Wilhelm and struck up a conversation familiarly: "Mr. Driver, isn't it boring waiting here all this time?"
Wilhelm took the teacup, took a small sip, and a look of enjoyment appeared on his face.
"The taste is good. The price of this tea shouldn't be low, right?"
Subaru Natsuki placed the tea set on a short ladder in the green belt and puffed out his chest proudly.
"This really is the most expensive tea in the Mansion. I only managed to ste—cough, bring it out after being surrounded by maids and guards."
Wilhelm's eyes narrowed slightly, and a trace of solemnity flashed through his deep gaze.
He set down the teacup, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable authority.
"So, using expensive tea as bait, what is it you want to know from these old bones of mine?"
Subaru Natsuki chuckled and leaned in closer to Wilhelm ingratiatingly, rubbing his hands together as he pleaded:
"I want to know the purpose of your visit to the Mansion, even if you only reveal a tiny bit of information."
"I must refuse," Wilhelm spoke plainly, casting his gaze toward the depths of the courtyard.
"If you haven't learned the purpose of my visit from other members of the Mansion, it only means that with your status, you shouldn't know these things."
As he finished speaking, the old gentleman noticed footsteps in the distance. Turning around, he saw Grin walking slowly from afar.
He inconspicuously handed the teacup back to Subaru Natsuki and said calmly:
"Thank you for your hospitality. Although I'd like to chat more, your Mansion's guard has already caught up here, so you should make your escape."
The old man truly didn't know the tea was stolen; otherwise, given the knightly principles he upheld, he would never have touched this cup of tea filled with trouble.
The Royal Selection Meeting requires all those qualified as Dragons Mikos to be present before it can begin.
Wilhelm's group visited the Mansion primarily to convey the time and location of the start of the Royal Selection Meeting to Emilia.
At the same time, it also served the purpose of investigating the strength of Emilia's camp.
He gazed into Grin's eyes, and a hint of vigilance quietly rose in his heart.
The aura on this young man was obscure and hard to discern, and his strength was unfathomable. Could he be the trump card Emilia-sama has been hiding until now?
To have managed to evade the eyes of various factions and only reveal his presence now.
"What a pair of greedy and sharp pupils, like those of a beast..."
The old man gave his evaluation in a low voice.
Having fought bloodily in the Demi-human War and slain countless powerful enemies, he only needed to look into an opponent's eyes to accurately judge their level of danger.
"Darn it, is Green-kun the one coming to hunt me down?"
Subaru Natsuki wailed with a bitter face; he had personally witnessed Grin's skills.
It was one thing to know magic, but yesterday while lying in bed and looking like he was about to draw his last breath, he suddenly transformed into a giant monster, nearly bursting the spacious room.
That fierce and malevolent aura was something he would never forget in his life.
"Green-kun, we have a life-and-death friendship from sleeping on the floor together! How about you turn a blind eye this time and let me off..."
"Don't panic, I won't catch you. But you really should avoid Ram for a while."
Grin patted Subaru Natsuki on the shoulder, soothing his uneasy emotions.
Subaru Natsuki was overjoyed and quickly poured a cup of tea for Grin as a bribe.
"Sss... what a rich flavor. Now I'm certain that Ram definitely won't let you off."
After a small sip of tea, Grin's dry throat was finally relieved.
When he was feeding Rem porridge just now, he had to blow on every spoonful; by the end, Grin was almost suffocating.
The discomfort of his dry mouth was finally smoothed away by this cup of hot tea.
While everyone was sizing each other up, a cute cat-girl walked out of the Mansion's main hall.
"I'm back, Old Man Will."