Chapter 0.73: The Daring Questions Game III

The flickering lights of the obsidian chandelier shimmered above the long dining table, casting faint reflections on half-finished glasses and scattered petals of red roses. The warmth of wine lingered in the air, sweet and heavy, while silence momentarily fell after the last wave of laughter.

Then, a single sound broke through.

The distinct scrape of a chair echoed through the room.

Everyone's gaze shifted.

It was him again.

With casual grace, Jin rose to his feet, his black suit catching the light like the surface of polished stone. His crimson eyes gleamed, more amused than serious, and without a word, he stepped back up onto the table — again. The same table from which he'd been scolded with glances moments before. Only this time, no one stopped him.

Not Naoko, who merely sipped her wine, calm as a moonlit lake.

Not Rina, who covered half her face with her hand in exasperation, cheeks pink from the wine and from something much more flustering — embarrassment.

But Amelia, the lady and head of the Amberhart family, looked at Jane with her golden eyes, staring at him as if to say, "I accept the challenge." 

Jin sat cross-legged on the table, directly across from her. His tone was playful, yet sharp. Like a child with a dagger.

"So," he began, voice light as mist, "Round three, Lady Amelia?"

Amelia raised a perfectly arched brow. "Is that what this is now? A game?"

"Oh, I wouldn't call it a *game*," Jin said with mock gravity, twirling an empty fork between his fingers. "But since we're both dressed up and married into the same family… why not pass the time with a little honesty?"

Her lips curled. "Honesty? From a Rotschy?"

He grinned. "Touché."

Naoko remained silent, her silver eyes half-lidded, observing with vague amusement as if this were merely theater. Perhaps, to her, it was.

Rina, sitting beside her mother, leaned forward and whispered urgently, "Jin, stop it. Please. She's not thinking clearly."

But Jin didn't seem to hear her. Or perhaps, he simply didn't care.

His eyes returned to Amelia.

"Tell me, Lady Amelia," he asked with a tilt of his head, "have you ever… regretted marrying your husband?"

Amelia blinked. Then smiled.

A slow, knowing smile.

"That depends," she said smoothly, "on whether you're asking as my son-in-law or as an inquisitive child who doesn't know when to stop."

Jin chuckled. "Answer as a woman, then."

She tapped her glass, golden eyes glinting. "Fine. I'll play along."

A pause. The wine swirled in her glass like blood in water.

"Yes," she said quietly. "There were days I regretted it. Moments. Hours. Never entire years… but seconds can cut deeper than decades."

Jin whistled. "Poetic."

"You asked," she said simply.

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Follow-up question — have you ever been… tempted?"

"Tempted?" she echoed, playing innocent.

"By another man," Jin said, voice velvet-soft, yet deliberate. "While still married. Not in thoughtless admiration, no. I mean *truly tempted*. Hungering. Needing. Craving."

A small laugh escaped Amelia. "Such dangerous questions for a boy who just wore his wedding ring an hour ago."

"Then give a dangerous answer," he whispered.

Naoko's eyes narrowed slightly, still silent. But her gaze never left Amelia's face.

Amelia, though clearly affected by the alcohol, met the question with elegance.

"There are temptations, Jin," she said, voice husky with truth, "that a woman never acts on. And yet, their memory lingers longer than touch ever could."

Jin's smile widened, not in mockery, but in satisfaction. "That's not a no."

"That's not a yes either."

They stared at each other, one scarlet-eyed, the other gold-eyed — a quiet, perilous equilibrium.

Then Amelia leaned in.

"And what about you?" she asked. "Ever wanted someone you weren't allowed to have?"

Jin tilted his head. "I'm sixteen, Lady Amelia. 

I have not left this palace. I do not have your experience, unfortunately. Perhaps I can learn some advice from you about regret and deviation.

Rina groaned, hiding her face again. "Can someone *please* stop him?"

But no one moved.

Because, for all their teasing, this wasn't a conversation — it was a duel. A subtle war of words, confessions half-given, boundaries half-crossed.

"Your turn, boy," Amelia said.

Jin stretched like a cat, then asked, almost casually, "Was your wedding night everything you expected?"

Rina's face turned scarlet. She picked up a napkin and threw it weakly at him. "Stop it! This is—!"

"—a family celebration," Jin said, catching the napkin midair. "I'm just learning about the family."

Amelia smiled lazily. "I was young. Passionate. Reckless. I suppose it was exactly what it was meant to be."

"Unforgettable?" he teased.

"Unrepeatable," she said.

He laughed.

Then silence fell again, for just a beat.

It was Naoko who broke it, finally speaking, her voice as still and sharp as a winter night. "Are you done?"

Jin looked at her, surprised.

"No," he said softly. "I'm just getting started."

But he slid off the table and returned to his seat beside her like a loyal wolf returning to its den. Rina sighed in relief. Amelia only smirked.

And in that silence, something unspoken passed between the three women — mother, daughter, and stranger. Something sharp, something old, something waiting.

Because in House Rotschy, nothing was ever just a joke.

It was always, always, a warning dressed as a smile.