Tea Party

Angel had never imagined that this slightly bluish glass bead was the culprit that had brought Jon from Earth across worlds! At that moment, beyond astonishment and shock, Angel felt even more curiosity and conflicted emotions.

He was naturally curious about such a transcendent item. But what he felt more strongly was conflict. If not for the glass bead, his mentor would not have fallen to his present state. Perhaps he would have lived happily on Earth with his beloved wife and daughter.

Besides that, a faint voice in Angel's heart told him: if not for the glass bead, he would never in this life have met someone as learned as his mentor. Without his mentor's teachings, perhaps he would already have become a wastrel. As for life, value, and the world, he would have remained mediocre and ignorant, with no understanding at all.

Jon naturally knew nothing of Angel's twisting thoughts. He rolled the glass bead around in his palm, then stretched out a hand nearly withered away and laboriously placed the bead back into Angel's hand.

"Since I already threw it away, that means I gave it up. You picked it back up, which means it was fated to be with you. Keep the Outer Eye... I'm about to go into the ground, but you're still young. Perhaps you might still have a chance to reach Earth." Jon smiled and shook his head. He did not believe in that possibility himself, yet he still insisted, "If you do reach Earth, I hope you can take my ashes back to Huaxia and bury them beneath the oak tree at my old home in Jiangdong..."

The night mist was heavy. Angel propped up his cheeks and kept vigil beside Jon. Only after Jon had fallen asleep did he rub his aching arms and leave.

His mentor's body was growing worse by the day. He did not know how much longer he could hold on. No matter how reluctant Angel was, if things were truly as his mentor had said—if the Gaia Consciousness wanted his mentor dead—what could he do? The only thing he could do now was stay happily by his mentor's side and, during his final days, fulfill his filial duty as best he could.

When he left the little courtyard, moonlight shone over the earth. Dressed in thin clothing and draped in a fur cloak embroidered with his family crest, Angel's shadow stretched long beneath the moonlight as he trudged alone toward the castle at the center of the manor.

Meanwhile, in the castle's great hall, a troupe of gorgeously dressed dancers lifted the hems of their colorful puffed skirts and spun merrily to the musicians' tune. Expensive candles made from boiled deep-sea fish oil were lit one by one by the maids, illuminating the hall as brightly as day.

Pleasant scents drifted through the hall: the fragrance of wine, the rich aroma of cheese, and faint floral and tea scents.

When Angel entered, this was the lively, jubilant scene he saw.

Leon stood in the middle of the crowd with a goblet of red wine in hand, laughing and talking loudly with several unfamiliar faces.

Presumably, those were the visitors from the Mone Family?

As Angel quietly sized up the newcomers, Leon noticed him as well. Delighted, he pulled him into the center of the crowd and introduced both sides by name.

At the very front stood a middle-aged man dressed with utmost gentlemanly refinement. He had emerald-green eyes, dark brown hair, and sharply defined features. His whole bearing was like a long sword drawn from its sheath.

"Angel, you came at just the right time. Let me introduce you. This is Count Eaton, who guards the front lines for the Mone Family," Leon said.

Angel smoothly offered his greetings. Noble etiquette had long been carved into his bones; every movement he made carried elegance and aristocratic grace.

"These two are Alan and Irene, Count Eaton's son and daughter."

Alan appeared to be around fourteen, roughly Angel's own age. His features had not fully matured yet, and his chubby face made him look adorable. He had inherited his father's green eyes and brown hair, though his hair was curly and unbound, lending him an extra touch of childishness.

Although Irene was the younger sister, she looked far more mature than Alan. Her figure was gradually filling out, and in her splendid aristocratic gown, she resembled a little princess on the verge of shedding her youthful innocence, brimming with the allure of youth.

While Angel was observing them, they were observing Angel as well.

Angel's appearance perfectly matched the Empire's standard of beauty: golden hair, blue eyes, fair skin without any sickliness. Every feature was flawless, and together they were breathtaking. The proof was that when Angel smiled and greeted the Alan siblings, Irene's face immediately flushed red. Using the excuse of carrying a tray, she hid behind Alan.

This little girl...

Eaton chuckled to himself. Still, he was surprised by Angel's appearance. He had never expected the unremarkable Old Pat to have two sons, each more handsome than the last.

After a round of compliments, Leon saw Eaton constantly glancing back and said, "Since this is called a tea party, we can't only drink wine. Tea is the true star."

With that, Leon clapped his hands, had the singing and dancing maids stop, and personally led everyone into the tea room to take their seats.

Just then, the great hall's main doors creaked and slowly opened.

Rain pattered outside, and only then did everyone realize that a heavy downpour had begun.

A mysterious figure entirely cloaked in black slowly walked in.

Leon frowned and asked in a low voice, "Esteemed guest, you are..."

Before he could finish, Count Eaton, Alan, and Irene strode forward and respectfully gathered around the newcomer.

"Viscount Pat, this is my father, Moro Mone," Eaton introduced. "My father has always enjoyed light tea. He heard that there would be special tea today, so he came along. However, something came up on the road earlier, and he had to leave briefly. That is why he only just arrived."

Leon gave an "Oh," signaling his understanding. Then, with even greater enthusiasm, he stepped forward to welcome this elder of the Mone Family.

Angel, however, glanced at Moro's shoes, and his expression shifted slightly... They were typical soft suede shoes, their edges covered in wet mud. What especially caught Angel's attention was that the mud had a faint reddish tint.

The soil around Gelu Town was mostly yellow earth and black earth. Red soil could only be found in one place within a hundred miles... Pat Tea Plantation.

He cared so much about the tea plantation that he had even braved the rain to visit it before the tea party?

It seemed the person who had asked about Morning Dew After Rain was this old man Moro. Yet Angel still did not understand what was so special about Morning Dew After Rain. Its taste was bitter, with only a trace of sweetness lingering after one finished it. Other than his mentor, this was the first person to show interest in Morning Dew After Rain.

Angel did not expose Moro's actions. His expression merely stiffened a little. The Mone Family was powerful and influential; their tiny rural noble family could not possibly contend with them. He could only hope that today's tea party would satisfy them.

After lowering his hood, Moro looked like an utterly ordinary old man. His white beard was long, his eyes crinkled with smiles, and he even seemed somewhat kindly.

Leon had the head maid Mana bring out all the tea refreshments prepared that day. Beside them sat several exquisite porcelain pots carved with patterns.

"These teapots contain every variety of tea produced by our manor."

As Leon introduced them, Mana lifted the lids one by one.

The instant the first lid was opened, a faint plume of white steam rose amid a rich floral fragrance.

"This is Ice Honey Flower Tea. The tea is made from the petals of the Moon Honey Tree, unique to Pat Manor. It is not brewed with milk, but with melted snow water from the mountains. The taste is sweet without being cloying, and its coolness seeps into the mind." Leon sighed. "Unfortunately, it is already the long winter season. If it were drunk in the height of summer, it would be even more refreshing."

After the Mone party tasted the tea, only Irene seemed to like it enough to drink several more mouthfuls. The others merely sampled it lightly. The black-robed old man, Moro, only sniffed it once before setting it aside.

The second teapot contained milk tea, though it differed from the milk tea popular in the Empire. Its flavor was quite unusual.

"It is called Meng-Milk Tea. It uses a sour fruit called Xiameng, paired with fermented cow's milk and Bolan Leaves to make the milk tea." After speaking, Leon pointed to Angel beside him. "My little brother loves this tea most. He drinks several huge cups every day, yet he sneaks around and refuses to let anyone know. Hahaha."

Angel rolled his eyes at Leon inwardly, though he kept smiling on the surface.

"Is this what Brother Pat likes to drink?" Irene's eyes lit up. Full of anticipation, she took a porcelain cup from Mana and gulped it down.

After draining it in one go, a thin layer of milk skin stained the corners of her lips. Irene closed her eyes, seemingly savoring that pleasant flavor—slightly sour, yet utterly delicious!

"So good!" Irene exclaimed. "It's even better than the flower tea just now!"

Hearing Irene say this, her brother Alan also took a cup and drained it in one gulp. Alan smacked his lips, narrowed his eyes to slits, and nodded with great enjoyment, wholeheartedly agreeing with his sister Irene's taste.

Count Eaton merely smiled as he watched his two children. He did not drink the milk tea. From Leon's words, he had already understood that this pot had clearly been prepared for Alan and Irene.

Old Moro also doted greatly on his two grandchildren, directly pushing his own cup of milk tea before Irene.

After that, Mana opened several more teapot lids in succession. Most were milk tea and flower tea varieties, and Moro showed little interest in them. Only the two pots of green tea leaves Jon enjoyed drew a brief taste from him. Yet after tasting them, Moro still appeared uninterested.

Angel turned his gaze to the final teapot. It contained the last of the three teas Mentor Jon loved most, and the only tea plant he had brought from Earth—Morning Dew After Rain.