What A Shame...

Lotus returned to find the three Octavinelle students busy discussing their next move as she went ahead to her room. It was probably an hour into her studies from the library books with her pot of Kuding tea when she heard a knocking on the door. Surprised, she raised a brow and smiled awkwardly with a hoarse voice, "Good evening, Jade. Um... Is there something you need?"

Despite having knocked on her door, the guy, who knocked, was the surprise one.

"Oh?" He looked down to her with slightly wide eyes, "There was actually someone here, after all."

Lotus nodded with a small laugh and joked, "Have you been checking out all of the rooms in the dorm?"

"How can that be?" Jade smiled courteously in response.

Lotus sighed and shook her head in disappointment, "Well, may as well. If you want tea, I'll bring some down to the lounge, then."

Jade looked surprised again but smiled with a hand on his chest rather kindly saying, "Haha... Well, I appreciate the offer, then."

"No problem, just give me a few minutes."

After turning her back to Jade, the tall guy managed to sneak a peak in her room. Seeing the amount of books stacked high on her table and a box of plants on it, Jade was instantly curious with his eyes drawn towards the table. Lotus saw this but chose to ignore his gaze as she took out a porcelain tea pot and cups.

Within a few minutes after he had left, Lotus came down to the lounge with the tea set on a tray. Azul had gone to the room he's decided upon and Floyd was asleep in his own room too.

"The tea you have is really different..." Jade noted curiously as he set his cup down curiously, "The scent of the leaves and the bitterness... Hm..."

Lotus looked to him curiously before responding, "You're... not going to be trying to implement this into your business, are you? This tea is one of the bitterest tea I know. For many, it's an acquired taste..."

"An acquired taste, you say..." Jade looked to her with a frown, "The tea has a much bitter taste than others I've had, but... There is an earthy aftertaste to it..."

Amused by his choice of words, Lotus smiled, "Kuding Tea is often drank by the elderly who often has tea growing up."

"If I may?" Jade gestured to the tea pot on the table.

"Go ahead?" Lotus raised a brow curiously.

Jade opened the pot and saw the leaves inside there with raised brow, "Ah, it's as I thought. There's no blend?"

Lotus shook her head,"From my birthplace, we don't have blends of teas commonly. It's usually the rich families who gets to do so and, according to my mother, the royalty often gets to have more blends of tea than others. However, the leaves of black tea in Mostro Lounge isn't lacking in the least in regards to quality, either. It's too bad that not many have it as it is."

"So, you're familiar with tea leaves as well." He looked to her in surprise before he smiled, "Interesting..."

Lotus laughed, "So you say, but you've been watching me have tea as it is in the lounge for the last two days."

"Haha..." Jade laughed as well, "So, I was found, was it? Your observation skills certainly aren't lacking either."

Lotus wore a small smile and took a sip of her tea before responding, "So, it would seem. I'll take that as a compliment, then."

Jade looked into his cup curiously as he muttered curiously, "It's different from what Kalim has shown me."

"Kalim?" Lotus raised a brow before she recalled the guy who got his bottoms lit on fire by Grim at the entrance ceremony, "Ah, him. I've heard he is the son of a rich merchant. If the words of others are correct, then I'm not surprised he'd be able to sniff out the difference of tea leaves immediately."

"So, his business is related to his ability to differentiate the tea leaves?" Jade looked at her curiously.

Lotus nodded, "Normally, yes. Different quality of leaves gives out different scent that is hard to tell apart unless the person is either a tea connoisseur or an experienced merchant. Sniffing out the quality also helps them avoid being scammed from buying poor quality leaves thinking they were of high quality. As a tea connoisseur yourself, you should also be able to tell the difference too, correct?"

"So, you already assumed that I enjoy tea as well..." Jade noted.

Lotus nodded, "Apologies, but you seem to enjoy study the tea this entire time with strong observation. So, I came to the conclusion."

Jade was quiet before he slowly came to a chuckle, "I see now... Yes, you can say that brewing tea is one of my hobbies. That's why I'm curious to know where you received your knowledge in tea from."

Lotus smiled, "Ah... So, I was right. Knowledge of tea is passed from ancestors to descendants in each generations. The more powerful the family, the more knowledge there is to pass down. From my birth place, it is the mother's role to teach the children how to brew tea and the father's role to educate the health benefit and type of leaves."

"Really? And the children remembers all of this?" Jade looked to her in surprise.

Lotus wore a wry smile, "We were taught to uphold and treasure the teachings of our elders from a young age as a sign of respect. To disregard it is similar to disregarding your ancestors. To be honest, it is actually a very stifling tradition. However, it is true that tea, by itself, is very relaxing."

She sighed and shook her head in dismay, "It's a shame that I don't recall more of my mother's teachings."

Jade nodded, "The fragrance of tea is certainly relaxing to the senses... It's very different from that of the Country of Hot Lands."

Lotus smiled, "The Country of Hotlands is much like a city of spice. From tea leaves to spice, they are very familiar with it. Even Chai tea is basically a blend of herbs and leaves into black tea and their green tea is more robust with more antioxidants than Long Jing. Long Jing is what my birth place calls green tea. However, the taste is lighter and toasty."

"Long Jing." Jade raised a brow, "I've heard of that tea somewhere before..."

"A little away from the Country of Hot Lands and Afterglow Savannah is a tiny country that manufactures Long Jing." Lotus reminded him, "The land itself is so rich the soil becomes red and the air is rather humid as well."

"I see..." Jade nodded again as he also recalled something along those lines.

Lotus nodded, "However, my ancestors are nomads, so they've had a lot of different teas before. They just aren't very familiar with putting milk and sugar in their tea. Even, I prefer to have my tea without them."

"Your book writing is certainly different from that of the others I've seen..." Jade noted the book in her lap.

"Ah, this?" She handed the book to him, "It's one of the things I plagerized from my family's library before I ran away."

"You ran away?!" Jade looked to her in bewilderment, "That must be very bold for you to leave your family at such a young age..."

Lotus shrugged, "I don't even know if it's called running away anymore either."

Seeing Jade give her a look of confusion, Lotus sighed, "I recently came across some old friends who notified me that my family's situation might not be what it seems. So, not even I know the truth of my background anymore, but I can say at least I don't have to return there if I don't want to. Though, it is nice to talk of tea with someone who appreciates it as well. So, thank you for having tea with me, Jade-senpai."

"Ah... Of course, you're welcome." Jade responded with slight surprise as he said this with a smile, "Have you not found someone else to share your passion with all this time?"

Lotus sighed, "I'm afraid not. My foster family are not fond of bitter things, you see. At most, I can only make her and my foster family chrysanthemum tea."

"Chrysanthemum tea?" Jade furrowed his brow in thought, "As in those yellow flowers?"

Lotus nodded, "That's right. Have you had them before? They're a good alternative to those who dislike bitterness and the tea can be drank hot or cold. Even children have no problem drinking it... Hehe..."

A thought suddenly came to her as she chuckled lightly.

Ah, it's truly been too long since she's had such a pleasant conversation with someone like this...

"Hm?" Jade raised a brow, "Is something the matter?"

Lotus shook her head with a nostalgic smile, "... It's nothing... If you want, I can bring the tea over."

"Ah, if it's not too much trouble." Jade looked down on his watch, "It must've passed your bed time too..."

"It's fine." Lotus responded with a wide smile, "I already have the headmaster's permission to stay past my curfew anyway."

She then left the room to fetch her container of tea which was actually in her ring, but she decided to make the long trip back to her room.

With the guy gone, Jade looked to the tea curiously as the door opened again.

"Ah... Lotus is gone now..."

"What do you think, Jade?"

The man looked up to see Azul standing next to the door with Floyd's head sticking out from behind the door. Jade hummed curiously as he studied the leaves again, "It's no use... I can't tell where he comes from or the legitimacy of his words. However, adoption..."

Surprised, Azul looked to him curiously, "Even you are stumped, huh? There are a lot of students with Night Raven College with different background, but Lotus's background doesn't seem normal at all. He can read between the lines better than the other students I've contracted and knows how to play his cards. Even without magic, he can be just as bad as those with magic. However, his background is a complete mystery. What about his benefactor?"

"I looked around..." Floyd yawned, "But, I didn't come across anything..."

Jade frowned, "We are still looking into that. However, it doesn't look like the teachers know much of his background either."

Azul sighed, "Even the teachers..."

As if recalling something, Floyd spoke up with a wide smile, "Ah! Then, why not ask the headmaster, instead!"

Azul shook his head, "Even if none of us can get the information out of him or the staff, let's end our search here. What's more important isn't the back ground of one student, so let's focus on the current plan. However..."

Azul raised a brow in bewilderment, "You seem to be having a nice conversation with him over a cup of tea... After the plan is over, I'll have to check out some orphanages and find out."

Jade raised a brow, "Oh? So, it seems there's finally someone else who has caught your interest..."

"Now, that you mention it..." Floyd looked to Azul curiously as well. After all, how often was it that Azul is genuinely curious about someone that he has little intention to benefit from?

Azul furrowed his brow with a sigh, "Someone was able to overcome the hurdle they've placed and earned third place in the top 50 ranks. No more, no less. Just as he said. Moreover, he retook the exam and still received the same score. After what happened, the Savanaclaw students who have accused her of cheating even got detention as a warning and mentally subdued our anemone staff just by aura alone. If he was placed into Octavinelle from the start, I'd let him become the next dorm leader after we leave. What a shame..."

Jade nodded in understanding, "Even Mister Crewel was very pleased with the results."

"So, you say..."

Floyd sighed in disappointment, "While we had to face Mister Trein's terrible temper for the rest of the class."

Jade nodded with a smirk, "Of course, Mister Trein is wise and knows the meaning behind his scores."

Azul frowned as he leaned against the wall with his arms folded over his chest and his hand held tightly on his black cane with the purple jewel, "It means his mistakes on the exam was intentional. Every step he made was done so with reason and, if given the chance, there's little doubt that he could've achieved the first place with a little more effort."

Saying this Azul sighed, "With such a calculative character, I'm surprised he doesn't have magic. He would've become a talented magician otherwise and a character worthy for connections as well. Octavinelle would welcome him with open arms, just like that other certain individual..."