The midday sunlight streamed through the tall corridor windows, slicing the marble floor of the pantry into sharply contrasting geometric blocks of light and shadow.
The air was thick with the rich, distinctive aroma of black tea.
Ailiya stood before a table covered in a lacy white cloth, methodically preparing tea for the afternoon guests. To reach the tea canister on the top shelf of the cabinet, she subtly rose onto the tips of her toes.
As her body stretched upward, her fitted black-and-white maid uniform inevitably pulled taut.
The familiar, irritating tightness in her chest returned once more, a heavy sensation that made her breath catch slightly.
She lowered her head, tugged at the constricting collar of her uniform, and silently sighed in her mind at the minor discomfort this body brought her.
It seemed… she really would have to get it altered to a larger size.
Ailiya frowned unconsciously. Though she resisted the idea rationally, this developing maiden’s body clearly had no regard for the mental endurance of her former male player.
Thud, thud, thud, thud—!
Just then, a sudden, hurried, and completely reckless set of heavy footsteps echoed from the corridor, shattering the stillness of the pantry.
Without even lifting her eyelids, Ailiya continued focusing on pouring tea leaves into the delicate teapot.
Panting, panting…
The footsteps raced past the half-open pantry door with a whoosh.
But after less than two seconds, the footsteps eerily backtracked.
Leo, his sweat-soaked, messy blond hair plastered to his head, looked like he had just been pulled from the water. Gripping the pantry doorframe with both hands, he panted heavily and poked half his body in.
He had just swung a brush over a thousand times in the scorching training ground, and his throat was now parched and smoking.
When his wolf-like eyes locked onto the steaming black tea on the counter, his amber pupils instantly dilated.
Leo let out a vague, hoarse groan, barged into the pantry without any regard for basic noble etiquette, and snatched up the delicate teacup.
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
He tilted his head back, his Adam’s apple bobbing wildly as he downed the entire cup of black tea in one go.
A few drops even trickled from the corner of his mouth, falling onto his sweat-drenched clothes.
“Ahh—! I’m alive!” Leo let out a deeply satisfied sigh, wiping his mouth haphazardly with the back of his hand.
Ailiya remained in her pose, holding the teapot, her eyes coldly fixed on this utterly graceless person.
“What a breathtaking feeding performance.”
Setting down the teapot, Ailiya’s voice was crisp and caustic. “I originally thought only the pigs in the estate’s barn made such a… vibrant gulping sound when fighting over slop.”
“I never expected that the Young Master, in your talent for vulgarity, has already surpassed all of humanity.”
“It’s just a pity about this freshly brewed cup of black tea. Its value has clearly been completely wasted.”
Ailiya picked up the new tea she had just brewed, casting a cold glance at Leo.
“Pfft—cough, cough!”
Choked by her venomous tongue, Leo coughed repeatedly, his face reddening as he retorted, “I-I was just dying of thirst! You don’t know how long I’ve been swinging that brush under the sun!”
As he coughed, he lowered his head to put the teacup back in its place.
Ting.
The teacup made a crisp clinking sound.
“Ailiya, is there more?”
Ailiya ignored this pointless nonsense.
Leo continued to plead, “Good Ailiya, you’re the best. You can definitely brew another cup, right?”
The air fell silent for a full three seconds.
“I refuse. If you want to drink, brew it yourself.”
Ailiya frowned slightly. She turned around, calmly adjusted her slightly wrinkled uniform front, pulled the edges of her white gloves flat, and restored her dignified head maid appearance.
“Since the Young Master’s training is over, allow me to remind you of one thing.”
Ailiya picked up a clean cloth and slowly wiped the countertop. “The cup of black tea you just gulped down like a barbarian was prepared for the guest who is about to arrive.”
“Huh?” Leo froze for a moment.
“Although I am grateful for the Young Master condescending to do the tasting work for me,” Ailiya lifted her eyes, a cold, mirthless smile curving at the corner of her mouth, “your sweat has severely polluted the air in this pantry.”
“To prevent the guests from mistakenly thinking that the Kastian Manor’s afternoon tea is being held in a pigsty, please, immediately and right now, take your sweat and leave.”
Leo was rendered speechless.
He suddenly, inexplicably, thought of his tutor, Ian, who had already returned to the academy.
Ian, who always put on an academic air, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and had noble manners constantly on his lips.
He had once said: even if dying of thirst in a desert, one must not drink a cup of tea in more than three sips.
But Leo had once accidentally caught this seemingly prim and proper, secretly repressed teacher, on a hot summer afternoon, hiding in the shadows of the library, chugging down a large mug of ale like an old drunkard, finishing with a completely graceless burp.
Compared to Ian’s two-faced repression, the head maid’s sharpness was, truly, consistent inside and out, making her hard to get along with.
“Fine, fine, I’ll leave! I’ve drunk enough anyway!”
Rubbing his nose, knowing he was in the wrong, Leo still couldn’t help but mutter softly.
He turned around, his hands gripping the doorframe. On his youthful face, still carrying sweat and a few streaks of dust, he rarely put away his usual flighty and frivolous manner, revealing a sincere and brilliant smile.
“And, just now… thanks for your guidance.”
Leo’s fingers gripping the doorframe tightened slightly, his voice clear and genuine. “Even though you said it was just a so-called fair exchange, taking my allowance money before agreeing to teach me.”
He paused, his eyes shining with bright light. “But, thanks! I swung that move over a thousand times today, and it really did feel different.”
“And the tea you brewed… it was pretty good. I’ll drink it again next time if I get the chance. Hehe.”
Then, Leo saw Ailiya pull a brush out of her pocket. A strong survival instinct made him decisively choose a tactical retreat.
He raised both hands in surrender and quickly backed toward the door.
“I’m going! I’m going right now! I’ll go take a bath first. I promise I won’t get in your way here! And I won’t show up to disturb your work!”
With that, afraid Ailiya would hit him with some other venomous words, he slinked out of the pantry like a golden retriever.
Accompanied by a burst of light footsteps, his figure completely disappeared at the end of the corridor.
A breeze blew, rustling the curtains in the hallway.
The pantry finally regained its proper silence.
Ailiya stood still, holding the white cleaning cloth in her hand.
Sunlight spilled onto her silver-white short hair and her profile, softening her cold features slightly.
[Life Experience Points Earned: Maid +15]
Hearing the crisp system notification in her mind, the impatience in Ailiya’s eyes dissipated a little.
“What a pain…”
She sighed softly, picked up the bone china teacup that Leo had emptied, and walked to the sink to wash it.
Soon, she brewed the tea again, placed it on the tea cart, and pushed it to the drawing room to serve the guests.
Behind her, her silver tail lazily swept through the air, tracing an elegant arc.