Startled, Serena quickly looked up and replied, "Uh? No... nothing!"
Grandpa Bryan gave a soft chuckle and gestured to the delicate porcelain cup in front of her. "Go on, have a sip before it cools. With such fine tea from Mr. Kim's collection, it'd be a shame to let it go to waste."
"Right!" Serena nodded and carefully lifted the cup, taking a small sip.
The tea was complex-slightly sharp at first, but soon mellowed into a smooth, lingering finish with subtle floral notes beneath the surface.
She clicked her tongue in appreciation and gave a soft sigh. "Mr. Kim, this is wonderful. Clean aroma, smooth body, and the aftertaste... it really lingers. Is this a first flush Darjeeling? Or maybe a rare Ceylon blend?"
Mr. Kim's face lit up.
He set his own cup down with an eager smile. "Miss Knowles, you know your tea?"
Serena gave a modest shrug. "My father's a bit of a tea connoisseur. I grew up around it-picked up a few things along the way."
"No wonder!" Mr. Kim looked at her with genuine admiration. "Just a few words, and it's clear you really know your tea!"
"Oh, not at all-I only know a little," Serena replied, slightly flustered. "You're being too kind."
"I'm not flattering you, Miss Knowles. You're just far too modest."
He then turned to Grandpa Bryan with a curious look. "Grandpa Bryan, did you recognise the tea as an antique blend?"
Grandpa Bryan studied the warm amber hue in his cup. "I'll admit, I knew it had some age to it-but I assumed it was from the mid-20th century at most. I never imagined it dated back to the 1800s."
Mr. Kim nodded and turned back to Serena. "Even Grandpa Bryan, who's well-known for his refined palate, didn't pinpoint it-but you did, without hesitation. That says something."
Serena's cheeks flushed slightly.
She had recognised the flavour almost immediately-something about it reminded her of a rare Victorian-era Darjeeling her father once brought out for a special occasion.
She hadn't thought too hard about it-just blurted it out instinctively.
To be right was a surprise. To be praised for it even more so.
In truth, she felt a bit unworthy of the attention.
But no matter how much she tried to deflect the compliments, Mr. Kim had already made up his mind-Serena was a rare gem herself, with an exceptional nose for both fine tea and fine stones.
Eventually, she gave up trying to explain and accepted the praise with a polite smile.
The three of them chatted leisurely, drifting from Darjeeling to Earl Grey, from smoky Lapsang to delicate white teas. Serena occasionally chimed in with things she'd picked up from her father over the years-just enough to keep Mr. Kim thoroughly impressed.
More than ten minutes had passed when a sudden commotion broke the peaceful atmosphere.
Mr. Kim was the first to rise, his expression sharpening as raised voices echoed from outside.
He strode toward the corridor. "What on earth is going on out there? Can't you see I have guests?"
A young man in a white shirt jogged over, slightly out of breath, bowing his head in apology. "Mr. Kim, someone's trying to force their way in through the front gate."
Mr. Kim's eyes narrowed. "What?"
From the threshold, he could already see a small crowd gathered-mostly staff from the Kim household trying to hold the situation down. Through a narrow gap in the group, he caught a flash of pink.
"Incredible," he muttered, irritated. "Barging in like this-do they have any idea where they are?"
The young man lowered his voice. "Honestly, sir, I think she might be a little unstable. She won't say who she is. But the strange part is-she's clearly a woman in a pink dress, and she keeps insisting she's here to find her wife."
"A woman?" Mr. Kim echoed, arching an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir. Keeps repeating it."
Mr. Kim paused for a long beat, his expression unreadable. Then he said firmly, "Don't hurt her. Just make sure she doesn't get in. I'll go speak with her myself in a moment."
"Yes, sir. I'll make sure everyone stands down."
With that, the young man turned and ran toward the gate.
Back in the room, Serena and Grandpa Bryan waited a little while, but Mr. Kim didn't return.
They exchanged glances, then silently stood and walked out of the sitting room.
At the main hall's entrance, Mr. Kim had just turned around, about to return.
They met him at the door and asked, "Mr. Kim, what's going on?"
"Nothing serious. Just a minor situation-no need to worry. Come, let's continue our tea."
The moment the noise had erupted outside, Serena had already felt a sense of foreboding.
She stood at the main hall entrance, constantly glancing toward the noisy gate. "Could something have happened? Should I go take a look?"
Without waiting for Mr. Kim to stop her, she stepped anxiously through the doorway.
"Miss Knowles!" Mr. Kim hurried to catch up. "It's chaotic over there-please don't go! What if you get hurt?"
But Serena didn't listen.
She was afraid it really was Xavier.
If that young master lost his temper, not even the gods could stop him. If the servants provoked him and things got physical, he'd be outnumbered and surely suffer for it.
With that thought, she quickened her pace.
Despite wearing cloth shoes and jogging, Mr. Kim still couldn't catch up to Serena in her low heels.
Seeing this, Grandpa Bryan followed behind as well, his expression grave as he headed toward the gate.
From a distance, they could see a tall figure in a pink dress at the center of the crowd. Serena let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Make way!" Mr. Kim shouted from afar, worried she might get caught in the scuffle.
Upon hearing his voice, the servants stopped pushing and began stepping aside.
Serena, however, was still blocked behind the crowd.
The figure in the pink dress stood with her back to them, shouting furiously at the servants, "You little punks! How dare you block my way?! If I miss finding my wife because of you, I'll beat you so bad your own mothers won't recognize you!"
***