Bai Ci, of course, was not fooled by Lawrence's gentle mask.
Leaving aside the note the king had secretly slipped her, the primary reason was that she had already heard this man's voice through her Eye.
The person who had conspired with the head maid to poison her into madness was the very man standing before her.
Truth be told, Bai Ci was not entirely sure what expression she should make.
Mainly, she had not yet decided what persona would be the most convenient to adopt, or how to best secure a favorable position for herself in this environment.
Thus, in the end, she merely smiled and asked bluntly, “Judging by your words, Your Grace, do you intend to become my mentor and teach me how to rule the empire?”
“Since Father went to the trouble of entrusting this matter to you, I assume you must possess extraordinary talent in statecraft and a tireless dedication to teaching.”
“In that case, I wonder what kind of lesson plan and curriculum you have in mind for me, Your Grace?”
Lawrence froze slightly, clearly not expecting the young princess to speak so directly and bluntly, without a shred of a young girl's typical bashfulness or reserve.
He had heard from the head maid that this young princess had a thorny personality. He had dismissed it before, but now that he was experiencing it firsthand, he realized the description was not an exaggeration.
The entire speech he had meticulously prepared—his draft designed to gradually win her trust and subtly manipulate her mind—instantly caught in his throat, completely useless now.
But Lawrence was, after all, a seasoned veteran of political intrigue. His composure and shrewdness were polished to a flawless sheen.
At the very least, when faced with Bai Ci's question, he was not so easily shaken as to lose his composure.
Even though he was completely unprepared for that specific question, according to his own claims and supposed level of capability, he should have been prepared.
Thus, after a brief moment of surprise that lasted no longer than a blink, the smile on his face remained unchanged. He nodded calmly, his tone as warm and accommodating as before.
“Your Highness is indeed wise and perceptive. That is indeed my intention.”
He accepted the role smoothly, then deftly came up with a deflective excuse, leaving himself plenty of room to maneuver and buffer.
“However, teaching in accordance with the student's aptitude is the very foundation of education.”
“Your Highness has lived in the countryside for a long time and has never been exposed to state affairs. I do not know the depth of your knowledge or the extent of your experience. To rashly draft a lesson plan so early would be too hasty, and might even do you a disservice.”
“Therefore, I believe it best to first gain a thorough understanding of your actual level, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and then tailor a curriculum and plan specifically for you.”
“Only in this way can I truly assist you, Your Highness, in taking over the administration as quickly as possible and stabilizing the overall situation.”
Lawrence's words were completely watertight, delivered with humility and decorum.
He managed to showcase his thoughtfulness while simultaneously dodging her direct inquiry, sparing himself from having to fabricate a plan on the spot that might contain loopholes.
Furthermore, this excuse perfectly concealed the fact that he had never once considered how to actually teach Bai Ci.
He truly was a seasoned player. This ability to think on his feet was indeed impressive.
Bai Ci thought to herself, maintaining a faint smile on her face.
A smile was an expression that could convey many different emotions, but it had to be paired with the eyes.
Thus, Bai Ci kept her eyes slightly lowered. As for what the other party could read from a simple smile, that was entirely up to his own interpretation.
She nodded slightly and followed his lead. “I see. It seems I was too impatient.”
“In that case, I shall look forward to your assessment and curriculum, Your Grace.”
It didn't matter if it would actually be useful, nor did she care whether she would actually follow his arrangements. For now, she just wanted him to hand over a plan.
It was a good way to give this duke, who had so much free time to plot poisonings, something to occupy his mind.
Hearing this, Lawrence felt a slight sense of relief, assuming his explanation had temporarily appeased this sharp-tongued young princess.
He was about to seize the opportunity to change the subject, bringing up another topic he had prepared to ease the slightly tense atmosphere.
Just then, two palace attendants dressed in neat servant attire slowly walked into the pavilion, carrying exquisite trays.
Upon the trays were hot tea and pastries.
Mia followed closely behind. With docile and orderly movements, she poured two cups of hot tea and placed them on the stone table in front of Bai Ci and Lawrence, respectively.
Afterward, she quietly retreated to the outer edge of the pavilion, standing with her hands at her sides, awaiting further instructions.
Rising along with the warm aroma of the tea was Bai Ci's vigilance.
This hot tea and the pastries had passed through the hands of Head Maid Mary. Just as Bai Ci had arrived at the pavilion, she had heard it through her Eye.
Thus, these refreshments might very well be poisoned.
But then again, perhaps they weren't.
After all, Lawrence was currently on the scene, sitting right across from her and chatting.
The two of them had not agreed on what specific item to lace with the poison; Lawrence had merely given the potion to Head Maid Mary.
As for when and how to administer it, it was entirely up to Mary to act on her own initiative as she saw fit.
It was a flexible and highly adaptable approach, but because of this, the difficulty of coordination between the allies was greatly increased.
If the tea really was poisoned, Lawrence might accidentally consume it himself if he wasn't careful.
To rise to the position of head maid, Mary could not be stupid. She wouldn't be so foolish as to be entirely oblivious to this risk.
Either Mary had not yet found the right opportunity to strike, meaning today's refreshments were perfectly clean and merely standard palace fare, or the two of them already had a mature, secretive method of poisoning that guaranteed only Bai Ci would be affected, ensuring Lawrence would remain completely safe.
It was impossible to tell truth from falsehood, and the risk was unknown.
Bai Ci made up her mind: if the enemy did not move, she would not move; even if the enemy moved, she still would not move.
As long as Lawrence did not take the initiative to drink the tea, she would not touch her cup in the slightest.
Even if Lawrence drank first, she would still remain still, refusing to take even a fraction of a risk.
Lawrence looked at the refreshments on the table, a subtle glint flashing deep within his eyes before instantly vanishing.
The direction of Bai Ci's thoughts was actually correct; Head Maid Mary had indeed already made her move.
It was just that these two had coordinated poisonings many times before, and had already developed a tacit understanding.
Thus, when they conversed, they only needed to communicate the details of the drug and their objective. There was no need to waste words explaining the plan down to the minutest detail.
Lawrence put on a gentle smile once more, seizing the opportunity to steer the conversation.
“Please, take a seat and rest, Your Highness.”
He gestured toward the stone stool. Only after Bai Ci sat down did he follow suit, ensuring he left no opening for any breach of etiquette.
“What I said just now is the absolute truth. His Majesty arranged this marriage in haste indeed because he was deeply worried about your safety, Your Highness.”
“I know you are still young, and having an engagement suddenly thrust upon you must feel uncomfortable. Therefore, I have taken some time to draft this proposal for our engagement ceremony.”
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