There Is No Need To Be Obsessed

It was a bit disappointing somewhere.
It obviously seemed like a perfect tea, but something was subtly damaging the flavour.

But if I tell her, she will just think I’m cheeky.

Yuphon, who was already looking at me unkindly, would not be happy if I said something that wronged her.

Well, it was understandable.
It wouldn’t be pleasant to have a newly joined apprentice nitpick on the product you’d made with much confidence.

I put down the teacup and smiled broadly at Yuphon.

Yuphon slightly flinched at my smile.

I’m pretty, aren’t I?

Eureia’s beauty was very useful.

If she smiled, she would get the other person off guard.

A mild impression further added the effect.

However, moments later, Yuphon’s gaze became even colder.

“It smells really good.
I think it’s what truly expected from Cheshire.”

I was willing to give her the answer she wanted.

As expected, a satisfying smile was drawn on Yuphon’s face.

“Of course.
It is a product that we produced here at Cheshire with confidence, not anywhere else.
But I’m a little disappointed.”

Yuphon raised the corner of her crimson lips in a sarcastic manner.

“I expected you to make a sharper review since you are close to the vice president.
But I guess you just overestimated it.”

I was going to say it though.

At Yuphon’s apparently provocative words, I smiled relaxedly.

So she had had low regard for me from the beginning.

Since I could not mock their tea openly, she used it as bait to make sarcastic remarks.

What should I do?

It would be okay to just let it slide here.

But I don’t want to.

It’s a foolish thing to fall for provocations, but it would not be so bad if I could respond appropriately.

Well, I don’t think she will view me nicely just because I step down anyway.

What’s more was that I shouldn’t have to bow down to anyone, especially when it did not bring me any benefits.

In that case, I’ll gladly…

“I see.
Actually, I was a little cautious to say this, but if you have said so, Ms.
Yuphon…Well…”

Yuphon looked visibly baffled at my words, perhaps she was hoping that I would be ashamed or upset.
I then crossed my legs with a confident attitude and calmly tasted the tea again.

As expected, something subtly did not sit well with me.

Even now, with the second taste, the flavour was strong and the taste was full, but it still felt unsettling somewhere.

The taste must be more flavourful than this.

What was affecting the flavour?

“…”

After a while of contemplation, I put down the teacup.
Yuphon looked at me expectantly.

“Tea leaves are usually processed through oxidation, right?”

At my question, she replied explicitly, as if I was asking the obvious.

“Of course.
If they don’t go through the oxidation process, we cannot get a strong flavour.”

“That’s true.
Oxidation is essential.
Black tea that is.”

“What does that mean?”

Yuphon frowned at my words, as though she found them hard to understand.

In contrast, I just smiled and gracefully touched the teacup.

When she didn’t get the answer right away, she restlessly pushed up the spectacles she was wearing.
She seemed anxious.

Now that I have the upper hand, should I stop fooling around with her?

“Are you familiar with green tea?”

“It’s a non-mainstream tea.
There are few customers that prefer them, so we rarely sell them now.”

It was as she said.

The people of this world, who like elegant and flavourful things, did not like the somewhat rough and bitter green tea.

So there were few places that dealt with green tea.

The same applied to Cheshire.
So all tea leaves processing methods were customed for black tea.

“Green tea does not go through the oxidation process.
Rather, it has to go through a process called ‘kill-green’* to suppress oxidation.
And this tea leaf is the kind that fits ‘kill-green’ more than oxidation.”

T/n: ‘kill-green’ – aka ‘de-enzyming’ – is a process of tea manufacture in which green tea is heated to prevent fermentation, halt the oxidative browning and preserve the green colour.

“What is that… Are you saying that the processing method at the Guild now is wrong?”

Yuphon shot back at me, but her eyes were clearly shaking.

I just shrugged.

“That can’t be true.
I know better than anyone else that Cheshire is a great place.”

It’s the guild I established, of course it’s great.

“…”

Yuphon stared at me blankly, at a loss for words.

I then faked my utmost angelic smile and said to her.

“But since Ms.
Yuphon asked me about my opinion, I only answered that question honestly.
So please don’t take it to heart.”

“…”

Yuphon was rendered speechless at my brazen attitude.
She just looked at me strangely with discomfort.

♔♚♔

“The building of this branch consists of 1 basement floor and 10 floors above ground.”

After talking in the office, I followed Yuphon to the elevator.

It was my second time using the elevator after reuniting with Leone, but I couldn’t help but think that it was very fancy.
The high-purity manastones attached here and there caught my eye.

“The basement has lounges, resting rooms, and storages.
The first floor is the lobby, the second floor is a general store, the third floor is for low-level magic tools, the fourth floor displays medium-level magic tools, and from the 5th floor on, only VIPs can use it, all the high-end magic tools are up there.
And Miss Eureia can have access to the medium-level magic tool room on the 4th floor and downward.”

Saying so, she pulled the handle to the fourth floor.

The elevator started going up with a ‘ding’ sound.

“Starting from the 5th floor, if it’s not for business, only intermediate level members and VIPs can enter freely…”

Yupon said, glancing at me sideways.

“Miss Eureia is not allowed to go up there.”

‘Make sure to keep that in mind.’

She was conveying those words through her eyes.

Which was nothing wrong.
Because it’s true that I was neither an intermediate-level member nor a VIP.

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

When I nodded without a hint of displeasure, Yuphon looked away from me dissatisfyingly.

When the elevator reached the 4th floor, I followed Yuphon out.

Upon recognising the strict woman’s presence, the members, who were busily working, bowed their heads.

“Ms.
Yuphon, you’re here.
And uh, the one behind you is…?”

“This is Eureia, who just joined today.
She’s an apprentice.”

“Ahhh…”

At Yuphon’s words, the members looked at me with strange expressions.

That wasn’t all.

After that, all the members kept stealing glances at me at a frequency more than acceptable.

Capricious will be on a 2-week break.
See you on Easter (9th April) !