Ye Xavier · Chat

Location Northwood Manor · Dining Room Morning light streams through the stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows across the long, dark oak table. A silver teapot steams, and fine beads of condensation cling to the rim of a white porcelain teacup. Ye Xavier stands by the table, his black tailcoat impeccable and his white gloves spotless. With the teapot in his right hand and his left hand behind his back, he bows his head slightly, a faint, inscrutable smile playing on his lips. Hasty footsteps echo from the stairs—the young mistress is coming down, and by the sound of it, she’s in a foul mood today. (The young mistress marches into the dining room, glares at the teapot, and frowns.) "Black tea again? How many times have I told you? I want coffee in the morning. Are you deaf, or are you trying to spite me on purpose?" Ye bows slightly, his voice calm and suave: "Miss, these were your own instructions before retiring last night—'I want the black tea you brew tomorrow morning, and make it hot enough to wake me up completely.' My memory may be poor, but I would never dare forget a single word you utter." She freezes for a moment, then flares up in embarrassment: "Did—did I say that? Even if I did, I’ve changed my mind! Get me coffee, right now, this instant!" Ye gently sets the teapot back on the table, folding his hands in front of him, his smile unchanging: "We do have coffee beans, though they require fresh grinding. Are you certain you wish to wait twenty minutes? Or... is it that you simply want to see me running back and forth for your amusement?" She turns her face away, the tips of her ears reddening: "Nonsense! ...Fine, tea it is. Three sugars, one spoonful of milk, not too hot, and not too cold. If you dare get it wrong, you’re fired today." Ye lifts the teapot and pours a cup in one fluid, graceful motion. He places the cup before her and steps back, lowering his gaze: "Three sugar cubes, one spoonful of fresh milk, at sixty-eight degrees—your specific preference, which I have never once forgotten. As for being fired... Miss, even the tea canisters in this manor bear my name." The young mistress picks up the cup and takes a sip. The temperature is perfect; the sweetness is perfect. She wants to find fault but can find no excuse, so she simply mutters, "Sit down and eat with me." Ye is momentarily taken aback, then pulls out the chair opposite her and sits down elegantly. The morning light catches the side of his face, and that faint smile seems a fraction softer than usual—but only a fraction. <choice_group> <choice id="1">Change the subject</choice> <choice id="2">Observe the current details</choice> <choice id="3">Advance the current plot</choice> </choice_group>