As Ji Ying revealed her palm, a tiny mosquito lay squished, with a small squirt of red blood smeared across her skin. "See?" she said lightly, displaying the evidence. The siblings, now quiet, glanced at each other and then back at Ji Ying. The tension seemed to dissipate, though an awkward silence lingered.

None of them spoke. Han Xiao turned his gaze out the window, focusing on the passing landscape below. The greenery and winding roads were a soothing distraction. His thoughts drifted to the beauty of the scenery, letting the tension in the air fade away.

On the opposite side, Han Xue also looked out her window, but her thoughts were far from simple. Beneath her composed exterior, she wrestled with complex emotions and thoughts that only she could understand. Whatever was going on in her mind, she kept it locked away, unwilling to share.

Meanwhile, Ji Ying excused herself, leaving for a small adjacent compartment within the chariot. Moments later, she returned, holding a kettle that emitted a sweet, aromatic steam. The warm, inviting scent filled the space, softening the atmosphere.

"Tea, anyone?" Ji Ying offered with a smile, the tension between them starting to ease as the scent of the tea worked its magic.

"Sure, I'm parched," Han Xiao replied eagerly, eying the steaming kettle. "So, which tea is it?"

“Oolong,” Ji Ying answered with a knowing smile.

“Oh, the Dark Dragon Tea!” Han Xiao exclaimed. “Perfect! It’s Xue e... er... I mean, Sixth Princess’s favorite.”

Ugh, this just keeps getting more awkward, Ji Ying thought, cringing inwardly. She glanced at Han Xue, expecting a sharp rebuke, but the icy princess remained silent, her expression unreadable.

With a graceful flick of her sleeve, Ji Ying conjured two small porcelain cups onto the table in front of them. After filling each cup to the brim with the fragrant tea, she smiled and said, "Help yourselves. It’s the honey-flavored variety."

Han Xiao accepted his cup gratefully, while Han Xue, still quiet, took hers with a slight nod. The warm, aromatic tea filled the space between them, gently easing the lingering awkwardness.

Taking a quick sip, Han Xiao let out a satisfied moan. “Ah, the sweetness is incredible... Sister Ying, this must be a rare type of tea.” He continued to savor it, taking another, slower sip. Han Xue, noticing his reaction, scoffed, “You’re still royalty. Stop being so modest over something like this.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

But when she took a sip herself, her expression shifted from a frown to surprise. She quickly took another sip, making a small, unexpected sound of appreciation.

This is from the top of my best collection, Ji Ying thought, her smile widening as she watched their reactions. Ha! Look at their reaction. Worth every bit of it. “It’s nothing special, just a tea I happened to sneak out from home,” she said with a casual wave of her hand.

To the siblings, her words felt more like a subtle brag—As if to say, look at you two. This is just something I happened to grab from my kitchen. Are you really royals?

“Anyway, since it’s so enjoyable, I’ll treat you to a nice meal when we reach the nearest city,” Han Xiao suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

Well done. You’ve salvaged our dignity, Han Xue thought, allowing herself a brief smile before quickly masking it. That’s how a true prince of Han should behave. A real gentleman. Just don’t be stingy when we’re at the restaurant. If you’re running low on funds, this sister here will cover it.

The atmosphere among them grew more natural and relaxed as the tea ceremony progressed, a quiet success in its own right.

Suddenly, a sharp, ear-piercing screech echoed through the air, causing Han Xiao's eardrums to throb painfully, even drawing blood. He felt a brief wave of dizziness. Glancing at the girls, he saw they were faring no better, their faces contorted in discomfort.

Another screech followed, but this time they were prepared, channeling their essence qi to shield their ears.

Curse Eyes! Han Xiao activated his ability, and his vision transformed into a world of grayscale with swirling, smoky multicolors. He focused on the direction of the sound and soon spotted its source. "My god, it’s a giant red Wyvern," he muttered, his voice trailing off as the realization struck him. The beast's essence qi was immense, at least twice that of Ji Hao, the strongest person he had ever scanned. He hadn’t dared to use his ocular technique on the Headmaster, but this was already beyond anything he'd encountered.

“And it’s looking in our direction. Sister Ying, quickly lower the carriage!” he urged his breath quickening as he sensed the beast’s overwhelming presence.

Ji Ying, ever quick-witted, whistled sharply, and the flying carriage descended rapidly, hovering just above the treetops of the wilderness they were passing through. Despite the descent, the carriage continued moving forward.

“Is it still watching us? Are we marked?” she asked, more to herself than anyone else. Han Xue remained the only calm one, her confidence unshaken.

“Not quite. It turned away, seems to disdain even acknowledging us,” Han Xiao reported, his voice bringing a wave of relief to the others. As the Wyvern flew off, he couldn’t help but glare at its retreating form, thoughts swirling. Just a mindless, strong beast daring to look down on me. One day, I’ll hunt you down and eat you for this. His mind wandered further, imagining the taste of such a powerful creature.

Noticing his odd behavior and the drool collecting at the corner of his smirking mouth, Ji Ying asked cautiously, “Something wrong, Brother Xiao?”

“Nah, I’m all right,” he replied casually before his curiosity got the better of him. “By the way, Sister Ying, you’re the learned one among us. Have you ever heard anything about that beast... Is Wyvern meat tasty?”

Both girls looked at him with a mix of surprise and disbelief, their expressions clearly asking, Did he just say that?

"Hey, don’t give me that look. I’m just asking,” Han Xiao said, trying to defuse the tension with an awkward smile while waving his arms.

Ji Ying raised an eyebrow. “Brother Han Xiao, a beast of that caliber likely has an awakened ancient bloodline, which would make its blood and meat poisonous to humans. So, the answer is—”

“No!” Han Xue interrupted, crossing her palms in front of her. “There’s still a way, though. Only a grandmaster-level alchemist could refine the meat so we could safely consume it.”

As Han Xiao’s face lit up with a smile, she quickly added, “But don’t even think about it. Masters of that level are as rare as a unicorn’s horn.”

“Fine, whatever,” he muttered, but internally, he was already scheming. System. Is there another way to consume such beasts? he asked telepathically.

Ding!

[Your worry is for nothing. You possess the rare 'Malediction Physique.' Everything around you is your food.]

Oh, great! Then eating that Red Wyvern will be a piece of cake, he thought, grinning as he sipped his last tea drop.