Tea Time (Friesha's note 24)

"Oh oh! Dear me! Sebastian please bring us some food upstairs to my second room. Miss Fifirisha and I shall proceed there," Milla simply stood up and then held my hand. "Now then, shall we go?"

I simply went along with her quietly as we both went our way upstairs. I then made sure no one else is looking before I asked, "Hey, what was that all about?"

"Oh, it was nothing in particular to think of. Please don't think of it too much," was all she said as we walked quietly without a word until we reached the room we once were.

After the door was closed tight, I then asked the question I had since I came to realize I was brought here, "Milla, why did you return here? Doesn't your father want you dead?"

Milla, who was basically spinning and prancing, halted for a while before answering, "I have nowhere else to go you see. And my tea time is so important that I cannot miss it."

"What's so important about having tea? You can practically do that anywhere?"

"Oh, oh! Indeed you are right miss Fifirisha. But tea time must be here."

"Why? what's with this tea time?"

Suddenly our conversation was disturbed by Sebastian and some servants as they brought trays of food inside the room. They placed all those on a dining set near the window. I was tugged on the arm by Milla as we went to take our seats. Once, the trays were opened, I was again greeted by the delicious scent of the food as if inviting me to dig in.

"Now, may all of you leave, except for you Sebastian," Milla gave of a command which seemed to not be disobeyed as the servants exited the room quickly and silently.

"Sebastian, tell me," I asked the moment the door was closed. "Why did you bring Milla back here. That time before the bandits took us away, you asked one of them to confirm whether Milla's father really was behind it. The look on your face told me you already knew..."

Sebastian took a deep breathe and sighed heavily, "Unfortunately, all I have at first was a hunch. The incident this morning about the bandits confirmed it."

"Confirmed what?.." my curiosity somehow disregarded the food in front of me.

"There is really no rule here in Pheremoor kingdom about sharing of properties to couples. Once two people marry, each of them still has the right to keep their wealth to their own. Here in the Mayoubhoughergoise family, the one who owns everything is Madam Frioritalinnarama Voinanne Mayoubhoughergoise, miss Millavuenoghatthendillia's mother. And amongst all her children, she favored miss Millavuenoghatthendillia as the apple of her eye. As to Mister Ferdirealm Ashtony Mayoubhoughergoise, he favored his eldest son, sir Adamanthiniobellandero Shakithvasthiomme Mayoubhoughergoise of all."

"Oh, seems like favouritism here is strong," I simply nod as I listened when in fact, the names were killing me.

"Indeed, although the other siblings doesn't seem to care, as long as they get a share it's fine. There really is no family bond here in this manor. Only greed and selfishness lingers in every corner. My hunch began when I once overheard sir Adamanthiniobellandero talk to Mister Ferdirealm (ah, the names again...) privately about how much he desires all the shares to be his.What scared me was when Mister Ferdirealm promised to give to him everything after he takes care of the nuisance."

"Ahfmm, Ayr Shreee," I just then realized I was already eating a lot as I listened to the story. *gulp* "But why are there shares already? What happened to Milla's mother?"

"Ah, Sebastian. I think it's time for a delightful tea time," Milla suddenly suggested. "Have you prepared what I requested?"

"Indeed milady. Everything is prepared for tea time," Sebastian only answered bowing his head.

"Wait, wait. Are we not still eating? Why have tea at this time?" I was really confused what tea time meant.

Milla only wiped her mouth with a cutesy lace cloth and stood. She then went to me and grabbed my hand, "Come come miss Fifirisha. I'll show you to where tea time is always held," and without giving me time to reply, took me outside the room and into the dark hallway. It was merely given light by small lamps about seven feet of distance.

"Hey, what's really going on?" I asked as we just passed by servants who seemed to have been carrying some kind of health materials of some sort. After a while of walking, we stopped at the entrance of a humongous beautifully decorated door.

"Now without delay, let us enter," Milla then opened the door and light from inside brightened up the hallway. As we enter, there exited one of her siblings, the woman with scarlet hair.

"Ah, dear sister Shammiallannamba Biovustheronnanmiose Mayoubhoughergoise (seriously?). I did not know you come here often." Milla was quite shocked to see her sister come out of the room. "Hmm!" was all she said before leaving in quite a hurry.

Then, I was again dragged by the arm and entered the room. It was bright inside with furniture which somehow doesn't belong to this world. The craftsmanship of every design was praiseworthy with its nature designed interior. As I was admiring the beauty, we stopped at a bed at the near corner of the huge room.

"Dearest Mother, it's time for yet another delightful tea time. Come come, let us celebrate once more!" Milla spoke with her natural voice, only this time was quite low. However, there was no response from the one covered with blanket from head to toe.

We didn't notice there were two people at the corner talking to each other. They came to us after Milla spoke about tea.

"We truly apologize miss Millavuenoghatthendillia, we did our best even though it was already impossible," one of the person, which might have been a surgeon or something, said in a gloomy manner.

"She was already gone since last night," the other one added.

Just then, Sebastian came with a tea set accompanied by the two maids Milla had before carrying a tray of cakes. They placed it on a table next to the bed which Milla immediately opened.

"Dear me, Sebastian. I thought I told you it should be clustermoon cakes!"

"I truly apologize milady but you ate all the clustermoon cakes a few days ago."

"Oh, oh! Oh oh oh! Dearest gracious goodness, did I really?"

The two maids only nodded alongside Sebastian which made Milla take a deep breathe and sighed, "Well, these starberry cakes also blend well with the high mountain dusk tea. Now shall we proceed?"

The two people were then driven out of the room without giving a chance to speak. The door was then shut and the two maids went back to Milla.

"Now let us begin! Sebastian if you may, hold dearest Mother up like last time," she then sat down in complete anticipation and looked at me. "I assure you the tea is delightfully delicious."

The maids then poured tea to each teacups and the smell of high mountain dusk tea wafted towards my face, coating my nose with its aroma. Still, it wasn't enough to rid me off my curiosity as I stared at Sebastian carefully remove the blanket. There underneath that beautifully made blanket was the corpse of madam Frioritalinnarama Voinanne Mayoubhoughergoise, with a beautiful smile on her face.

"Oh, greatest Mother! Please do forgive me for eating all the clustermoon cakes before today, but these starberry cakes are as delicious as those," Milla then picked up one starberry cake with her pinky up finger and took a small bite. "Hhmmmm!!! Exquisite! Ah, the delight!" she then took another bite.

Milla then looked at me, "Miss Fifirisha, do so try for yourself!" She then extended to me one piece of starberry cake. I couldn't possibly refuse her now, thus I accepted it and took a bite. The flavor was bland, too bland. It was like eating hardened flour.

I then looked at the corpse Sebastian just made to sit up. I didn't know what came over me as I turned to look away and closed my eyes. Perhaps it was because I couldn't stand to see the smile on the corpse's face, or the smile on Milla's face. I just couldn't...

"Please, look," was what I heard from Sebastian's whisper which made me open my eyes. "Please, look at this moment as miss Millavuenoghatthendillia's chosen friend..."

When I did, I saw Sebastian silently weeping with tears flowing from his eyes as he hid his face behind the corpse's shoulder. The other two maids were also desperately hiding their emotions as they covered their mouths pretending to cough.

Milla then suddenly looked at me with such innocent eyes and asked, "Delicious isn't it?"

That moment, I was left completely blank in thought. I looked at my surroundings with the faint gloominess lingering in the air. The silent cries, the warm smiles, I didn't know what to react, yet I did.

"Mmh! Delicious!"