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Chapter 199: A Dawn Tea Party
poke poke... poke poke...
Something was poking my cheek.
"Mmm... nnn..."
But I was too sleepy to care.
poke poke... poke poke...
It’s getting more persistent! As if determined not to let me fall back asleep.
Who dares to disturb my rest?
I opened my eyes slowly, and in front of me…
"...Mm. Good morning."
".Abel?"
My Elven teacher was staring at me, her face too close.
There was soft breathing...
Next to me, my little sister was still asleep, her head resting on my chest.
Outside, it was still a mix of light and darkness. It was that time just before dawn.
"What's up? You didn’t say anything about today’s departure being this early."
Today’s the day we head to Abel’s garden. We had gone to Kishkud Island to collect water for the trip, but the main outing is set for today.
"Mmm. Come to my room. I’ll treat you to some tea."
And with that, my teacher turned and briskly left for "Abel’s Secret Base."
She’s usually expressionless, but I could almost swear her ears were a bit red. Was that just my imagination?
"Well, since she went out of her way to invite me..."
There’s no way I’d say no.
After carefully placing Phe, who was still sound asleep, next to Mom, I freshened up and went upstairs in my pajamas.
"Whoa... smells amazing!"
The attic room was filled with the rich aroma of tea.
There were a few treats on the table, but only a small amount—it was still before breakfast, after all.
On a small round table meant for personal use, two cups were set out.
One was a refined, white teacup. The other was a plain mug, nothing particularly impressive.
The elegant cup was Abel’s own, while the mug was the one I made. Like with my little sister, it seems my teacher has been using it daily too.
"Al, your tea is in the teacup."
With a look that said “don’t even think about it,” Abel pulled her mug closer. Hey, I wasn’t going to take it from you!
"Mmm... delicious..."
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of appreciation as I took a sip.
Not only was the tea brewed well, but its leaves were clearly high-quality. Of course, they belonged to Abel-sensei, after all. This isn’t something you’d find just anywhere.
The tea at the Sacred Lake had been delicious too, and this one was just as good. Even Mia’s tea-making skills are pretty solid. At this rate, I’ll be spoiled for anything less than top-notch tea.
"And these... kuzumochi?"
"Mmm. Made from divine kuzu starch."
Divine kuzu? Isn’t that one of those ancient divine plants that supposedly died out at the beginning of the magical era?
She mentioned it so casually, but that's pretty incredible.
A small portion of rare kuzumochi was served with a generous amount of brown syrup drizzled on top. Abel must really have a sweet tooth.
Personally, I’d prefer a little less syrup with a dusting of roasted soy flour, but—
"Mm... delicious!"
The extra syrup surprisingly adds a nice flavor. It held its own against the kuzumochi.
"Did you make this syrup yourself, Abel?"
"Mmm... it’s a regular item at the association"
"Really? I didn’t expect a regular item to be this good."
"The association has its own dedicated farm. Some of the plants are grown by Elven staff personally, so they produce quality ingredients."
The association really goes all out, huh...
Running a business honestly with high-quality products is the backbone of success, the safest and most secure way to prosper. And judging from what I know of the association head, she would choose the safety over risk every time.
"So, Abel?"
"...?"
"What’s the occasion for this sudden tea party?"
"..."
Abel-sensei looked away, the same reaction she had when she left my bedside earlier.
(Hmm... not sure what’s going on.)
From her reaction, it doesn’t seem like this is just a casual invitation. But prying feels wrong...
If she wants to say something, she’ll tell me. If not, she’ll keep quiet.
Well, no need to push. The tea and treats are wonderful, after all.
As she kept her gaze averted, Abel-sensei inched a little closer to me. It was an odd movement, but I decided not to comment.
"...Al."
"Yes?"
"...Al, you promised to go with me to the garden."
"Yeah, that’s right."
That’s why we went to Kishkud yesterday for water, and why we’re heading to the garden soon.
"Sure, we went to the lake yesterday. But that’s all."
"What do you mean?"
"..."
Abel tugged lightly at my sleeve.
"There was nothing for me at the lake."
"Oh..."
So that’s it.
The original plan had been an outing with Abel, but I ended up spending most of the time with Phe and Mina.
I didn’t mean to ignore her, but I realize now it might’ve come across that way.
"You were messing around with Kupikupi, but when it comes to magic, I could have taught you."
Uh, that wasn’t exactly “messing around”—Kupikupi was pestering me.
"Sorry... that was thoughtless of me."
"...I’m not angry. If Al formed new bonds, that’s a good thing. But still..."
It seems she felt a bit lonely.
Maybe this tea party was her way of making up for it. I feel a little guilty for accepting so casually.
"Alright, then today—"
"No."
"Huh?"
Abel shook her head slightly.
"Just having you come to the garden means I’m taking up your time. Humans have short lives. Even a single day is precious."
"Abel."
I grabbed her shoulder, making her flinch.
"Yes, it’s true that human life is short, and that each day is precious."
"Mmm."
"And that’s exactly why—"
"Mmm?"
"That’s why... I want to spend that time with you."
"...!"
Ah, geez. I must sound incredibly cheesy right now.
If this were recorded, I might just disappear from sheer embarrassment.
But for once, I feel like I’m saying the right thing.
"..."
Abel looked down.
After a moment, she spoke softly.
"Can I... take up some of your time?"
"It’s not about taking. I’m saying I want to be with you."
"Then... stay with me today."
"Of course. Wait—whoa!"
Suddenly, as if I was falling sideways, I was pulled right into Abel’s embrace.
What just happened?!
"Mmm."
Abel—why was she patting my head?
I considered pulling away, but—
"...Al. Hehe."
With that smile, resistance was impossible.
