[Lavinia's POV—Princess's Office—Continuation]
I slid my gaze to the parchment on my desk—the neat, perfect list of noble families waiting to be invited for tea. My finger tapped the page once, deliberately.
"Then it's settled. Ten days from now. My first tea party… and their first trap."
I let the silence linger, savoring it. Delicious. Heavy. A silence that sounded wicked, as if thunder itself should've rumbled after my words.
Until—
"For that… you need to actually select the nobles and begin writing the letters, Your Highness," Sera said flatly, cutting through my villainous moment like a butcher's knife through pudding.
I groaned, slumping forward. "… Why must you ruin my dramatic pauses? Do you not see I was building atmosphere?"
Sera ignored me like a pro. "Atmosphere doesn't send invitations."
Ugh. Why was she always right?
Then, out of nowhere—
"Do you want me to help you then?" Rey drawled, his smirk sliding across his face like he'd just offered me the moon.
