Chapter 11: Tea party
The limousine ride lasted longer than I expected. My thigh throbbed every time the car hit a bump, but nobody offered a bandage or even acknowledged that I was injured.
Bianca sat across from me, scrolling through her phone as if I wasn’t there. The other girls chatted among themselves, occasionally glancing in my direction before returning to their conversation.
When the car finally stopped, we were outside a private garden estate connected to the academy’s elite social wing. White roses climbed the trellises surrounding the property, and a large pavilion overlooked a carefully maintained lawn. Several servants stood near the entrance waiting for instructions.
Bianca stepped out first.
One of the girls immediately grabbed my arm and pulled me after her. My injured leg nearly gave out when my foot touched the ground, but I managed to stay upright.
Nobody cared either way.
"Try not to stain the tablecloth," Bianca said without looking back.
Inside the pavilion, a tea party was already underway.
Five or six third-year girls sat around an expensive table covered with fine china, small pastries, and silver serving trays. Soft music played somewhere in the background.
The moment we entered, every conversation stopped.
All eyes turned toward me.
Bianca walked to the head of the table and sat down. I was guided into the chair beside her.
Only then did I remember I was still wearing the cat ears.
One of the girls looked me over before laughing softly.
"Bianca, why did you bring a girl dressed as a catboy?"
Another leaned forward.
"She’s cute though. Did you pick the outfit yourself?"
I remained silent.
Drawing attention to myself never ended well.
Bianca calmly lifted her teacup.
"He’s not a girl."
A few girls blinked.
Then several of them laughed as if she had made a joke.
One of them stood up and approached me. She picked up a folding fan from the table and slowly opened it.
When she stopped in front of me, she used the edge of the fan to lift my chin.
I had no choice but to look at her.
Her expression changed slightly.
"Oh."
The amusement disappeared.
"This isn’t a girl."
A slow smile appeared on her face.
"It’s the boy Bianca has been keeping around."
The table became much quieter.
Several of the girls started examining me more carefully.
Whispers spread almost immediately.
"That’s Adrian Cross."
"The one Senior Bianca is always dragging around."
"He looks rough."
"Something happened to him."
Bianca set her cup down.
"He’s mine."
The simple statement immediately ended most of the discussion.
The girl with the fan looked amused.
"Interesting. Usually your toys don’t stay around this long."
Bianca didn’t answer.
Instead, her hand settled on my shoulder.
Not gently.
Just enough pressure to remind me she was there.
"Bring him some tea," she told one of the servants. "And get something for his leg. I don’t want blood on the tablecloth."
That was the closest thing to concern I had received all day.
A notification appeared.
______
[Hidden Event Triggered]
Tea Party Attendance
Reward: +8 Sin Points
Warning: Social Dynamics Shifting
Multiple Yandere Interests Detected
______
I stared at the message.
That was not encouraging.
The conversations around the table gradually resumed, but the atmosphere had changed.
The girls kept looking at me.
Not constantly.
But enough.
The feeling reminded me of being a new animal placed inside an enclosure while everyone watched from the other side of the glass.
Bianca leaned closer.
Her voice dropped low enough that only I could hear.
"Behave."
A chill ran down my spine.
"Or I’ll make today much worse than a little stab wound."
The servant returned with a cup of tea and placed it in front of me.
I stared at it for a moment.
Just a few hours ago, I had been sitting in class.
Now I was trapped at a private tea party surrounded by rich girls who treated people like property while the system informed me that multiple yanderes had apparently taken an interest in me.
At this point, I wasn’t even sure what counted as a normal day anymore.
The tea party continued as though nothing had happened. The girls discussed family businesses, internships, social events, and people I’d never heard of. Most of the conversation revolved around the lives of wealthy heirs and heiresses. I couldn’t contribute even if I wanted to.
Not that I planned to.
Keeping quiet felt like the safest option.
Unfortunately, it also made me interesting.
The servants moved around the pavilion with practiced efficiency, refilling teacups and replacing empty plates before anyone needed to ask. Most kept their eyes lowered.
Most.
As time passed, I noticed that several of the maids accompanying the senior girls kept glancing in my direction.
The looks were brief, but they kept happening.
One maid nearly bumped into a chair because she was looking at me instead of where she was walking.
Her employer noticed immediately.
A blonde senior sitting across from Bianca followed her maid’s gaze before looking at me herself.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Interesting."
Bianca didn’t look up from her tea.
"What is?"
The blonde rested her chin on her hand.
"Your toy."
I was starting to hate that word.
The blonde snapped her fingers.
"Emma."
Her maid stepped forward immediately.
"Yes, Miss Charlotte?"
Charlotte pointed at me.
"Dress him up."
I nearly choked on my tea.
The pavilion grew quiet again.
Some of the girls looked interested.
Others looked entertained.
Apparently nobody found the suggestion strange.
Bianca slowly lowered her teacup.
The atmosphere changed almost immediately.
Before anyone could say anything, a familiar notification appeared.
______
[Choose Response]
[1] "Senior Bianca, please help me."
[2] Remain Silent
[3] "I don’t want that."
______
I stared at the options.
Option three looked like a terrible idea.
Option two wasn’t much better. If I stayed silent, everyone else would simply decide for me.
That left the first option.
Unfortunately, the system had chosen the exact words.
"Senior Bianca, please help me."
There was no way I could say that normally.
I looked at Bianca.
Then at the choices.
Then back at Bianca.
This was humiliating.
Then an idea occurred to me.
A terrible one.
Which probably meant it would work.
I pressed my thumb against the stab wound hidden beneath the table.
Pain shot through my thigh.
My grip tightened immediately.
For a moment, my vision blurred.
I nearly swore out loud.
Instead, I pressed harder.
The pain was real.
The tears gathering in my eyes were real too.
I hated this system.
Selecting the first option, I looked toward Bianca.
"Senior Bianca..."
My voice came out weaker than I intended.
"Please help me."
The reaction was immediate.
Bianca’s teacup shattered against the ground.
The sharp crack echoed through the pavilion.
Every conversation stopped.
The servants froze.
The maids froze.
Even the girls who had been smiling moments ago suddenly fell silent.
Bianca rose from her chair.
The scraping sound seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet pavilion.
Charlotte blinked.
"Bianca?"
Bianca ignored her completely.
Her gaze moved from me to Charlotte.
Then to the maid standing beside her.
When she finally spoke, her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Who gave you permission to touch my belongings?"
Nobody answered.
Emma’s face had gone pale.
Charlotte’s smile disappeared.
Bianca took a step forward.
"Do you want me to strip you and your maids naked and send you home like that?"
Silence.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody treated it like a joke.
The threat had been delivered so casually that it felt worse.
And judging by the reactions around the table, everyone believed she would do it.
Observation activated automatically.
______
Bianca Hartwell
Current Emotional State: Amused
______
I stared at the notification.
Then at Bianca.
Then back at the notification.
Amused?
She looked anything but amused.
Charlotte recovered first.
"Bianca, I was joking."
"No."
The answer came immediately.
"You weren’t."
A small smile appeared on Bianca’s face.
"If Adrian had stayed quiet, you would’ve done it."
Charlotte didn’t respond.
That was answer enough.
Bianca’s attention shifted back to me.
The coldness in her expression softened slightly.
Observation activated again.
______
Bianca Hartwell
Current Emotional State: Amused
______
There it was again.
Amused.
Not angry.
Not irritated.
Amused.
As if she were enjoying this.
The realization unsettled me more than the threat itself.
Bianca wasn’t losing control.
She wasn’t acting on impulse.
She knew exactly what she was doing.
And she was having fun.
