HOT SEAT WITH COLD TEA

"Ohh. It looks like there are no seats left for you, Felicia." Alexander said, scoffed as he tried to push away the smirk on his lips. There were maids stationed nearby yet no one called them to aid her.

Seeing how he plotted this to embarrass her made Felicia cough. She's trying to hold back her tears of wanting to burst out from laughing. She glanced at how Helena was acting, and her expectations were right. Helena was smirking secretly at how embarrassing it was.

"Oh. Then I guess I have to tell the maids stationed here for me to get a seat." She said. The maids are stationed far yet they can hear them clearly. This also means that Felicia has to walk away and by the time she will be back at the table, she'll be left out.

As Felicia turned her body, making them think that they had already won, a hand suddenly grabbed her softly, making her rooted at her place as she slowly looked and turned her head towards the person who suddenly grabbed her.

"Please, lady. Take my seat." Liam offered with a smile on his lips, making the two shocked at her behaviour. At this point, Felicia wanted to snicker but she must hide her expression.

"You're the guest, Lord Liam. I couldn't just rob your seat prepared by my brother." Felicia said as she softly looked at him, hiding her malicious expression which Liam had already witnessed.

"She's right, Lord Liam... I can give my seat to my sister instead!" Helena exclaimed as she wanted to appear more kinder. Even Alexander couldn't believe his actions. It was wrong for him to do it.

"Liam, you are our guest. You can't just give up your seat since you are important." Alexander said towards Liam but Liam declined.

"Alexander, it's rude for a lady to fetch a chair for herself. Why don't you discipline these servants of yours for their slow service? Lady Felicia is still the legitimate daughter after all. I'm surprised and bewildered to see the kind of treatment where the firstborn lady is not acknowledged by low-level servants of the duchy. This shows the lack of respect towards their master. Don't you think so, Alexander?" Liam said towards Alexander who was flabbergasted and embarrassed.

It's as if Liam was directing the hit to him as the sole heir of the duchy, acting like this. Liam didn't even try to cover his rude remark with flowery and compliment words unlike earlier with Helena. He just straightly went rude to him.

Meanwhile, Helena was hurt by what Liam did but Liam didn't even look at her. The snide of Liam's remarks must have been understood by her slow brain. Seeing the two slowly shrinking with his words, Felicia knew she had to step up.

"Lord Liam, it is because of me that the servants weren't prepared to fetch another seat for me as I have only just joined without prior notice to them. I apologize for the lack of servitude of our servants here in the duchy." She said, apologizing and owning the mistake.

'I'm not doing this for all of you.' Felicia thought towards the pathetic servants who immediately acted after what the Young Marquis had said. How laughable it is that they were able to follow his command instead of her.

"We're so sorry for our incompetence, Young marquis." The servants apologized as they bowed their heads, gritting their teeth as if they wanted to attack Felicia that badly. Which is unruly because if it's not for her apologizing then they would be punished badly for offending the marquis.

"W-why don't we all sit now?" Alexander said when he sensed that the situation right now is getting tense. It is supposed to be to welcome his friend Liam who just graduated from the Academy with the highest colours, making the Marquisate much stronger in politics knowing that Liam will succeed soon. He's a worthy ally despite his rank being much lower than his.

"I agree, Lord Liam. Please be seated!" Helena seconded what Alexander proposed. Liam then pulled Felicia back to the table as he pulled the chair for her, making her seat comfortable and pushed back. Just like what a gentleman is.

Helena who was jealous of what the marquis did towards Felicia waited patiently, waiting for the marquis to serve her this time since she was the second daughter of the Duke, the highest man aside from the emperor.

"Lady, why are you still standing?" Liam asked as he sat on his seat, beside Felicia, curious about why Helena was still standing despite Alexander telling them to sit down. Even Alexander frowned at Helena.

Helena's cheeks turned bright red as she sat on the seat, without even getting an assist from Lord Liam or her own brother, Alexander. Felicia who felt the second-hand embarrassment coming from Helena wanted to hide from the table.

Liam then stared at Felicia, observing her behaviour yet she was acting coolly as if she wasn't bothered at all. This made him more interested towards the eldest daughter of the Duke who has two faces hiding in that innocent look of hers.

Alexander, who noticed that Liam was staring at Felicia wanted to break the contact. "Liam, how was the academy?" Alexander asked, making Liam look at him as he broke off his stare towards Felicia.

"The academy is still the same. There were a lot of new programs offered." He replied as he held his teacup, sipping elegantly from it. "Ah, Constantine and Florentine wish you well since you graduated early from the academy. " He added.

"Ohh. It's been a while since I saw both of them." Alexander replied.

"It must have been very pleasant Lord Liam at the academy. Congratulations on your graduation, I truly admire you." Helena said as she praised Liam. Liam then put the teacup back on the plate and smiled towards Helena.

"Thank you for your admiration, my lady. But it is simply because I was able to hold it well. If it wouldn't be because of this then I might become someone who lacks knowledge to overcome the same situations despite years of learning it." Liam said, making Helena smile at him.

"Aren't you congratulating Lord Liam, sister?" Helena asked as she sneered, attacking Felicia again despite being harassed by Liam again. His words earlier made her chuckle, the reason why Helena sneered at her.

"What are you laughing at, Felicia?" Alexander asked her, glaring at Felicia for laughing at the situation. "Do forgive me. I accidentally laughed as Lord Liam said he would be unintelligible if it weren't for him working hard. It's an unbelievable claim for someone who graduated with flying colours and with wide knowledge. I sincerely congratulate you, Lord Liam for passing the academy's strict standards and principles implied to the students." She said as she looked at Liam and smiled.

Once again, Liam's interests were piqued again as Felicia understood what he meant earlier. He could feel his smile turned into a grin as he watched her speaking flawlessly. This woman is something else that he wanted to have.

"Thank you, Lady Felicia. I'm a bit flustered with your words." He said as he looked straight into her eyes, admiring the emerald green shining like a polished gem worthy of fortune.

Seeing how Liam was acting towards Felicia, Helena couldn't help but bite her bottom lips. "Lord Liam, my sister is engaged with the Crown Prince Constantine so I'm afraid you can't admire her." She said, making Alexander slam the table.

"What are you implying, Lady Helena? Are you accusing me of something when I only knew her for the first time?" Liam said as he stared at Helena with cold eyes. Helena who was taken aback by his cold eyes immediately cowered in fear.

"I-I'm just saying that my sister is engaged with the crown prince... And she keeps on doting on you."

"Now you're accusing your sister? How shameless can you be to accuse both of us? Your sister is something else, Alexander. Claiming that both Lady Felicia and I are acting flirty with each other. I'm surprised." Liam retorted.

Alexander was once again embarrassed at Liam's words. Helena keeps on messing up right now and knowing Liam's personality, he'll dislike her with her rude attitude towards him.

"H-Helena, what you did right now is very offensive and rude. Apologize to the marquis." Alexander was forced to say those words to his beloved sister who looked at him with teary eyes and red cheeks. Alexander never asked her to apologise for the things she did. Except now.

"Only to the marquis? Wasn't I also insulted? Deary, I'm feeling hurt." Felicia said as she wiped the year from the corner of her eyes, making Alexander grit his teeth in annoyance. Felicia is a pain in the ass. He should have declined Liam's request when he asked Felicia to join!

"It is only appropriate for Lady Helena to apologize to both of us, Alexander. It is extremely rude to be accused of something else. Don't spoil her rotten." Liam said as he took another sip from his coffee.

Helena who was listening to their conversation couldn't help but look down, disappointed at her brother's words, Lord Liam siding with Felicia, and Felicia joining the tea.

Felicia was patiently observing how the events unfold in front of her. One gets prideful when one thinks she gets everything in her hand, often disregarding the fact that it is rude and offensive towards others. But with Liam, those shallow ploys won't work on him.

A smile crept into her lips as she sip the tea from the cup. It's getting cold, worthy of how the events turned out with Helena's prideful attitude and Alexander's embarrassment. She's glad that Liam invited her to witness how hot their seat is right now. Truly a drama.