Right after spending time in their long and sweaty bath, Haruki and Asuka parted from each other. Being royalty, Haruki was taken to the dining hall, while Asuka, like the rest of the slaves, was taken somewhere else to have some breakfast. However, just to keep an eye on her safety, Haruki made sure to put a demonic spy on her tail.
Led into the dining hall, he was greeted with the glister of their fine silver as well as the sharp gaze by the duchess and her son. Making sure to adhere to proper etiquette he gave them a nod of acknowledgment.
"Here, if you will, Lord," pulling up a chair for Haruki, the butler offered him a seat.
With Margarette and Riley sitting on the opposing ends of the table, he felt a bit intimidated to be seated in between them.
"Thank you," saying to the butler, he took the seat regardless.
Glancing across the table, the three took brief notice of each other's presence. The tension between them was clear, but the reasons for the troubles were far from the same.
'I haven't had a proper talk with Margarette yet, but she doesn't seem to be in a chatty mood at the moment.' Springing forth a pair of demonic spies from his palm hiding under the table, he had them attach themselves to them both. With that done now he could not only spy on them directly but also keep an eye on everything transpiring in any room of the castle.
"So…" Breaking the awkward silence, Riley rested his hand on the table. "Lord Laria, were you able to find your maid?"
"Yes, she was helping with the food preparations," glancing back and forth between the two, Haruki added further. "And about your request to have her ch-"
"Stop! No! I mean, ahem…" faking a cough, Riley gawked at Margarette before turning back to Haruki. "We can discuss that later."
"What request are we talking about here?" Plastering and unassuming smile, Margarette rested her chin on the back of her hand.
As Haruki turned to look at her, the first thing he noticed was her plentiful breasts obscenely gushing out of her open-cut blouse. Gandering up her barely covered breasts, Haruki then noticed something much more noticeable. Adorned with an ember stone necklace looming over her chest as well as diamond earrings hanging down to her chin, Margaret was clearly trying to show off her beauty.
'And that pale snow-white skin, it either feels eerie as a ghost or extremely mystifying,' With no in-between to her charm, Haruki wasn't sure if he was enthralled by her beauty or disturbed by it.
"It's nothing to do with you…mother," forcing a smile on his face, Riley glared at Margarette with great intensity.
Seeing her son giving her that glare, her lips contorted into a grimace. Turning her attention back to the duke, she decided to give him a proper introduction.
"I humbly apologize for leaving in such haste yesterday, young duke," plastering a warm smile, she continued. "But you have my word that we'll make up for such a shameful welcome with our matchless hospitality."
"So I've seen," replied Haruki, trying to keep from seeming spiteful. "And you don't have to worry about the welcome, it wasn't your fault that you got sick."
Leaning her head over her right hand, Margarette's eyes gleamed up at Haruki's reply.
"Well aren't you such an understanding kid, I never would've guessed that after meeting your father," bursting into a laugh, Margarette washed her tears off with her fingers.
Her remark was very much meant to provoke Snow, but with Haruki holding no emotional bond to the late duke, he had no reason to show his dissent. As Margarette's laugh died down, the food was finally brought in by the servants. Plating up numerous exquisite cuisines, the three royalties were quickly served their breakfast.
A whiff of the whirling odors from the dishes was enough to water Haruki's mouth. But taking caution he picked up the utensils and waited for the other to take on the first bite.
"Would you like a bit of wine, duke?" Being poured herself by a servant, Margarette offered Haruki the same.
"It's a tempting offer but I'd have to decline," hearing Haruki's response, Margarette twirled the glass under her nose before taking a light sip.
'It's done,' thought Haruki, still making sure to not let his emotions show on his face.
"You never offered me," Riley budged in with a deep frown on his face.
"Come on Riley, not in front of the guest," Margarette shot back.
Whatever the situation between the two was, it only seemed to get worse with each passing second. Haruki himself had noticed it by now, still, he was trying not to stick his leg where it didn't belong.
"Not in front of the guest what?" Glancing up and down her dress, Riley's face contorted deeper in anger. "Just look at yourself, pretending as if drinking is the problem, not those whorish clothes off yours."
Riley's words didn't only shock Margarette, but Haruki too was left baffled by comments towards his own mother.
"Riley!" Slamming her palms on the table, Margarette sprang up on her feet. "Is that any way to talk about your mother?!"
"Step-mother," he mumbled, holding a fork directed toward her. "Remember that distinction, you've been forgetting that too much recently."
The violent nature of the quarrel made Haruki feel like he had to intervene before things got a bit too out of hand.
"How about you both calm d-"
"Stay out of this duke!" Cutting him, Margarette yelled before he could finish.
Exchanging a quick glance with Haruki after that his mother yelled out at him, Riley huffed a sigh before turning back to look at her.
"And you call me rude," moving out of the chair, he let go of the fork. "I'll eat some other time, have fun."
Forcing a sarcastic smile on his face, he began walking towards the exit. With all this going on Haruki noticed how Riley hadn't even touched the creme stew, which Asuka had poisoned with the potion.
'Dammit, we might have to get him another way,' given Riley's as well as Margarette's hostility towards Haruki and Asuka, trying to corrupt them without the potions was a near-impossible task.
"Riley, stop right there!" The grinding of Margarette's teeth screeched so loud, Haruki could feel discomfort in his own mouth. "You're not gonna leave when we have a guest with us, so get back into that chair and eat."
"Oh don't worry mother," standing right by the door, he gave her a devious smirk. "I'm sure duke Laria doesn't mind sharing more time with you than me, after all, I wasn't the one to leave him at the city gates."
With that said, he walked right out of the dining hall.
'The hell is wrong with these two? Even the clovers didn't fight this immaturely.' His knowledge of the two limited to second rumors, Haruki had no idea what was really going on between the two. 'I've attached those spies to them so hopefully, I'll get to know them better soon.'