Delphina didn’t know a single person who could knock a drink back like that, without some pretty decent prior experience with alcohol. This wasn’t something an elevated physique like a Sword Master, or even a Dragon, could explain away. That just made it so alcohol didn’t affect you properly. Or at least it would take longer for it to do so.

The action of drinking like that was something gained from repeated action, much like a Knight repeatedly swinging his sword to achieve a well-practiced form. Pietro, was blatantly full of shit when he said ‘Well, it’s both our first time drinking this’…

“Is this prick trying to start a fight?”

Delphina hesitated as this challenge accidentally slipped her lips, luckily despite quite literally everyone, including the automaton hearing her. No one pointed out the rudeness. Sheepishly looking around, she quickly sipped her drink before grimacing and reaching for the sugar cubes that had been placed near her elbow for convenience.

“Pietro, sweetheart, my little pea. Please tell me. Why do you think drinking your first drink like that was okay?”

Despite Delphina being mildly put off by Elvira due to her nature, she was, in fact, trying to parent Pietro gently, who was currently frozen, and also appeared to be cold-sweating after realising what he had just done.

“Been around the Knights too much, have you, brother?”

Perhaps because she didn’t seem to like the Absinthe, this came out much colder than she had meant. Causing everyone to take a screenshot with their body, before turning to look at her.

Why on Earth was Medinador flinching?

“Wow! Phina, I always thought you took after your Father the most, what with you being so quiet. But we sounded perfectly alike just then!”

That was not the compliment Elvira seemed to think it was. But that did explain the overreaction from the others just then. So Delphina opted to politely smile and add yet another sugar cube to her Absinthe.

“Do we have any fresh cold water? I think it would be best to dilute it, Delphina.”

Medinador had picked up on her movements once again and knew what needed to be done. As one of the tall automata passed over a large glass jug, he picked up a fresh glass, placed a small silver sieve over the top, and slowly poured Delphina’s portion into the new glass through the sieve.

As the remaining sugar clumps stayed on the sieve, Medinador waited till all the Absinthe was poured out before slowly pouring the cold water over the sugar cubes. As he did so, the dark green drink in the glass slowly became milky white.

“Woah, that’s so weird!”

This comment from Delphina made him smile and elicited a chuckle from Elvira as well.

“This is also how your mother likes to drink it. Give it a try once the sugar finishes dissolving.”

“Now Pietro, don’t you think you should explain?”

Medinador’s tone had changed slightly to be more authoritative as they moved on. It seems like Pietro wouldn’t be able to get out of this one without some explanation.

“Ah, Delphina isn’t wrong. I’ve definitely picked up some bad habits whilst being with the Knights.”

Silence settled over the table as everyone waited for him to add to his explanation. Unfortunately, he didn’t, and as a result, the silence started to stretch out uncomfortably. While this was happening, Delphina continued to sip at the lightened Absinthe drink. “Delicious.”

Whilst she was decidedly unhappy that her own tastes seemed to align with Elvira’s, she definitely couldn’t drink this stuff straight. And she wasn’t going to force herself to do so any time soon either.

Seeing how the silence still didn’t seem to be broken. Delphina relented and decided to interact with Pietro, instead of keeping him at arm’s length.

“Was it the Burgess’ knights?”

Pietro jolted at the sound of her voice. He flicked his eyes over to her as if to check she was speaking to him.

“Uh, yes. I know you probably didn’t want me to interact with them after last time, but…”

Delphina immediately interrupted him.

“What do you mean? Since when do I tell you what to do? Even if I did, would you have listened wholeheartedly?”

Pietro seemed to wince. As did Delphina internally, she wasn’t sure where this attitude was coming from; she couldn’t be drunk on Absinthe due to her constitution. Was this the original Delphina’s feelings coming forward?

Wasn’t Delphina supposed to be a total bro-con? Or was something that happened in-game, yet to happen here, for it to cause a change in her attitude? Maybe this joint excursion with the Burgesses would reveal something. The timing was truly suspicious.

The Imperial National Ball was three months away, which meant she needed to find out exactly when the excursion was. They wouldn’t overlap at the very least, but now she had to plan.

“Look, I’m not the head of the Knights. I’m not ordering you around outside of work hours either, as the next Head of the Family. You’re my brother. So I don’t appreciate how you just said that.”

“Or was what they said true?”

Pietro’s face became deathly pale at this question from Delphina. She was taking a blind stab in the dark, but she needed to know what had happened. It wasn’t in the memory download from No.69 this time around, not that she’d even had any time to focus on that. But her body wasn’t even giving her automatic clues, like it had done so far.

Pietro dryly wiped his face with his hands and then pulled off his gloves. After doing so, he promptly got up and knelt just in front of Delphina. Taking the glass out of her hand and gently placing her freed hand against his forehead. He heartily apologised.

“Sister, I am so sorry that their thoughtless comments undermined your feelings and minimised what ultimately was the best decision for the family by having you as the next Head. I know you would never order me around, I know you have worked incredibly hard to get to where you are. I know you are entirely worthy of the Ducal title, and I truly never ever wanted to be the next Duke. I swear I am not palming that place off on you. You deserve it.”

“You lead the Hunters, which is far more complex work than the Knights. The Knights get to enjoy their exploits reaching the light of day. If your work ever comes to light, it will be because the situation has reached a dangerous phase—something no one wants to happen.

“As such, I will always, always support you, my sister. You get no thanks when you deserve far more.”