novelraw Chapter 232 : Chapter 232
Chapter 232 : Chapter 232
Volume 4, Chapter 20 ~ I'm Not Drunk!
“Ugh… damn woman, I’ll shank you one day.” Rubbing her reddened forehead after two chops, Yimi sulked behind Wenfu, muttering softly while retreating in disgrace to sit at the kiddie table.
“Well then, for our shared future—may fortune in battle be ever with us! Cheers!”
Felicia, it seemed, was both experienced and fond of drinking. Understandable—being a royal princess, her life was filled with social obligations.
You drank at banquets. You drank at balls. You drank at meetings where royalty gathered every other week. Alcohol was simply a staple at such events.
Unlike girls who were forced to attend such affairs, Felicia appeared to genuinely enjoy drinking—maybe even a little too much.
Astrid raised her wine glass and gently clinked it against Felicia’s before taking a refined sip.
Watching from the kiddie table, Wenfu tilted her head, feeling like she had stumbled into an upper-class ballroom soirée.
Their movements were so elegant.
She looked at the small glass in her own hand, decorated with a lemon slice, then at her simple outfit, and felt like a country bumpkin who’d mistakenly wandered into a high-society banquet.
Yimi, sitting beside her, sipped glumly on juice and occasionally threw side-glances toward the main table.
Unfair! She was older than most people at that table—so why was she stuck at the kiddie table?!?
She didn’t hate fruit juice or anything, but sometimes she just missed red wine.
In truth, what Yimi liked about drinking wasn’t the taste—it was the feeling of being treated like a mature adult. On drinking occasions, when she could hold her liquor without faltering, those who mistook her for a child would look at her with newfound respect. Over time, she grew fond of that.
So no—she didn’t love alcohol. She loved what alcohol represented.
Where Astrid sipped with restraint, Felicia drank boldly. After a sip, she tilted her head back and downed her glass of crimson wine in one go.
She even licked the corners of her mouth, her supple tongue sweeping up the last drops. Whether it was the alcohol or not, her lips now bore a sultry red hue that made them all the more bewitching.
Drinking, after all, was meant to be done with others. Otherwise, it wasn’t really drinking.
Astrid didn’t drink much, and Felicia didn’t press her. Kids shouldn’t drink either—Felicia could understand that.
But there was one person at the table who hadn’t even touched her glass—no movement at all.
“Teresa, are you alright?” Felicia turned to the golden-haired girl who had been as still as a mountain since the beginning. “Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
“Well then…” Felicia glanced at the untouched glass in front of Teresa, still filled more than halfway. “Your wine glass seems… rather full.”
It was basically the Blue Star equivalent of: "Why is there still so much wine in your glass? Planning to raise goldfish in it?"
“No rush. The food hasn’t even arrived yet. Isn’t it a bit early to drink?” Teresa replied calmly, but Felicia’s suspicion deepened.
“Teresa… could it be that you don’t know how to drink?”
“If you don’t, there’s no need to push yourself.”
“Tch.” Yimi, from the kiddie table, muttered with a blank face, “A grown-ass Elf, and she’s still got the alcohol tolerance of a juice box. Shameful for an Elf.”
“Don’t listen to Yimi’s nonsense. I do know my way around alcohol. A couple of drinks won’t be a problem.”
“Is that so? Just don’t force yourself if you can’t handle it.”
“No worries, I’ll be fine. In fact, I’m worried you might get drunk first, Felicia.”
“Oh?~ Is that so?” Felicia smiled brightly at Teresa’s bold tone—she had the audacity to claim she could out-drink her?
In the Kingdom, Felicia had never lost a drinking contest. With ancient dragon blood flowing through her veins, her alcohol metabolism was incredibly fast. Her tolerance was legendary.
She was curious now—just how well could an Elf hold her liquor?
Soon, food arrived, plated beautifully on fine white porcelain.
Felicia had been thoughtful—the kiddie table got small dishes, while the adults were served large portions.
She had considered Wenfu and Yimi’s appetites, but that only made Yimi even more annoyed.
She cast a sidelong glance at her gluttonous tablemate, who was practically drooling. Why did she have to be treated like a kid?
“Tonight, we drink until we drop.”
Felicia raised her glass while elegantly slicing into a perfectly seared steak.
“Teresa? Shall we?”
“Mm.” Teresa raised her glass and gave a composed smile, just as she was about to drink—she was stopped.
“Hold on, Teresa. No drinking before the toast! What’s the rush—trying to show off your tolerance?” Felicia teased. From a few subtle gestures, she could tell—this was likely Teresa’s first time holding a wine glass.
Still, it should be fine. A glance at Astrid—who had downed one glass without batting an eye—told her Elf alcohol tolerance couldn’t be that bad.
The three clinked glasses together. Felicia, as before, downed her entire drink in one gulp, no hesitation.
Astrid took a modest sip—neither too little nor too much.
Teresa imitated Felicia instead of Astrid and downed the whole glass in one go.
…And immediately choked.
At first, she thought, It’s just a liquid, right? Can’t be that bad. Everyone drinks it, so it must taste decent...
Wrong.
The moment it entered her mouth, the bitterness hit her like a freight train—hundreds of times more intense than tea.
Instinctively, she wanted to spit it all out—but the others were watching, especially that brat Yimi.
A flash of pain crossed her expression, but Teresa forced herself to suppress her gag reflex, ignoring the bitter sting and pungent fumes. She swallowed it all.
Cough. Cough cough...Even as she tried desperately to maintain composure, she clutched her throat and coughed a few times.
So this is the taste of alcohol…?
It was disgusting.
Worse than tea. How could something taste this bad? Was it expired?? But Felicia and Astrid seemed to enjoy it—they didn’t even flinch.
It hurts. It’s bitter, astringent, choking. It burns going down the esophagus. If this isn’t a bad batch...
Why do so many people like this stuff??
She couldn’t understand.
Astrid had been watching Teresa from the beginning, with half an eye.
She knew—Teresa could never like alcohol. It was too bitter for her. Someone who only enjoyed desserts and fruit tea wasn’t made for this.
Seeing Teresa struggle, Astrid gently dabbed the corners of her lips with a napkin.
“If you’re not feeling well, maybe stop drinking,” Astrid offered her an out.
“Pfft.” Yimi, sipping juice beside them, couldn’t help but chuckle. Though her expression barely changed, a smile curved her lips.
“Trying to save face even when you can’t drink. Told you—booze isn’t for kids. Stick to your fruit juice. This stuff’s too much for you.”
“Teresa, so you can’t drink?” Felicia also felt a bit guilty. “Sorry, I assumed you had a decent tolerance.”
After all, Teresa gave off the vibe of a refined young noble lady—it was surprising to find she couldn’t hold her liquor.
“Why don’t you drink juice with Wenfu and Yimi, then?”
“No need.” Now that she’d recovered, Teresa took the napkin from Astrid, wiped her lips, and declined Felicia’s offer.
“Of course I can drink. I’m just... out of practice.”
“Seriously?” Yimi jumped at the chance to jab. “If you really can’t, I’ve got an idea—put some sugar in your wine. You’re basically a kid, right? Only sweet stuff works on you.”
Teresa ignored her and calmly refilled her glass.
This time, not just halfway—but all the way to the brim.
Felicia started to get nervous.
The wine they were drinking was called Succubus’s Kiss. As the name implied, it didn’t hit hard at first—but it had an intense aftereffect. Like being enchanted—you’d feel great one minute, then lose all sense of self the next.
She only drank half a glass at a time.
And Teresa just went and filled it full.
She let out a quiet burp. A faint blush colored her cheeks like a ripe fruit.
“Um…” Felicia wanted to say something—but then she saw Teresa raise her glass and drain it in one gulp.
“.........”
The room went dead silent. Yimi opened her mouth—but said nothing.
Glug. Glug. Glug.
Teresa gently lowered her glass, wiped her mouth, placed a hand over her stomach, and cast a glance toward the kiddie table.
“Who said I can’t drink?”
“.........”
“More.”
Just as she was about to refill, Astrid quickly grabbed her hand.
“Okay, okay—everyone knows you can drink. Let’s stop here.”
“You’re acting a little strange…”
“My, Astrid, are you worried I’ll get drunk~? But I’m not drunk. I’m perfectly clear-headed.”
Teresa smiled and gently pried Astrid’s hand off. Not only did she refill her own glass, she topped off Felicia’s and Astrid’s too.
“Come on—cheers~” Teresa’s voice floated like a breeze.
Before either of them could respond, she had downed her drink again in one go.
“You two—why aren’t you moving? Don’t tell me you’re scared~?” Teresa rested her head on her hand, her face flushed, hair cascading over her shoulder.
“Didn’t you both say you could drink? What’s wrong now? Talk about a big game, but you can’t back it up~?”
Her voice got airier and airier.
“Pfft. Pathetic. Useless. Trash. Trash~” Teresa collapsed onto the table in laughter. Her usually pure, bell-like voice now dripped with allure and drunken flirtation. Just hearing her could get someone tipsy.
“Teresa, you’re drunk.” Astrid had never seen Teresa this out of sorts. She reached out to support her—only to be brushed aside.
“I’m not drunk! I’m not drunk… I told you, I’m not drunk!” Teresa sat up, wobbling, her lips pouting. “You’re not drinking? Fine—I’ll drink it for you!”
“No, we’re drinking.” Felicia and Astrid exchanged glances, then quickly drank from their glasses.
“Tch. Lame. No fun at all.” Seeing they hadn’t finished their drinks, Teresa frowned and pouted.
Drunk as she was, she looked like a little drunkard—but with a sultry charm that was the complete opposite of her usual innocent self.
Before either of them could react, Teresa picked up the wine bottle and filled their glasses to the brim.
“Teresa, you’re definitely drunk…”
“I hic said—I’m not drunk!”
“Now—drink~” Her cheeks flushed even deeper, and her behavior grew more erratic.
“Bad kids don’t drink? Then you’ll need a little punishment, okay~~?”
Felicia finished hers, but Astrid still had quite a bit left in her glass. Teresa smirked mischievously.
“Oh my~? Astrid, can’t finish your drink? Such a weakling.”
“A new-generation Elf Princess can’t even hold her liquor?”
“You need… to be punished~”
“Teresa—? Mmph!” Before Astrid could say anything, the mouth of the wine bottle was shoved between her lips.
“Hehehe~” Teresa tilted the bottle—wine level dropping visibly.
But Astrid’s mouth was too small, and the bottle too large. Resisting the alcohol, much of it dripped down the corners of her mouth, soaking her clothes, tracing down the snowy valleys of her chest—now tinged with a flush of maple red.
“Teresa-sis, don’t—don’t do that!” Wenfu cried.
“Little kids shouldn’t butt in.”
Teresa’s pink-tinted lips curled into a smile, but her eyes glinted black with predatory intent.
“Unless… you want to be a bad kid too?”
“Meowuuu…” So scary.
Drunk Teresa-sis was so scary.
Wenfu was terrified.
“Blergh! Nngh…” After being force-fed half a bottle, Astrid clutched her stomach and gagged. The bottle finally pulled away—and what came out next was an overflowing mouthful of wine.