Assassin Teapot

The girl kept groaning, her trembling fingers pointed at Elysia. “You... you poisoned us!” she screamed hoarsely.

The condition of her three companions was no different. They writhed on the floor, clutching their throats, their faces pale with pain.

Celina and Irine began to panic.

“E-Ely! What did you do to them?!” Irine gripped Elysia’s arm tightly, worry clear upon her face. “E-Ely... you didn’t really poison them, did you?”

“Calm down. Sister Mira would never make a potion that endangers life. Besides, they were the ones who served us poisoned tea first.”

“Poisoned tea?!”

Elysia nodded, then explained how Mireya had given her the potion and what it was for.

Irine still tried to deny it, saying it might have been accidental. Perhaps the tea was expired or something similar.

Elysia sighed. “Irine... listen. If it was accidental, their tea would have been poisoned too, and the potion would have neutralized it. Besides, why were only the three of us served the poisoned tea?”

Irine fell silent. Celina seemed about to speak, but Elysia placed a finger on her lips first.

“Trust me.”

“F-fine.”

Moments later, the four girls began to vomit. The once beautiful marble floor lost its shine, now dirtied by half-digested food scattered everywhere.

Celina and Irine covered their mouths, holding back nausea.

After a few moments, the four girls’ breathing gradually steadied. Still crouched on the floor, Arabella raised her head and glared at Elysia like a wild beast full of rage.

“You... why did you do this to us!”

“Hm? Weren’t you the ones who tried to poison us first?”

Arabella stood using the last of her strength. Her fingers seized Elysia’s collar roughly. Her jaw clenched tight, veins bulging at her temples.

There was no dignity, no pride—only fury, like a beast that had lost its reason. Yet that was exactly what made Elysia smile in satisfaction. What stood before her was the true face of someone who called herself a “noble.”

She pushed her gently, and the girl collapsed back onto the floor. Her arms and legs were still weak after emptying her stomach.

Elysia walked to the other side of the table, lifted the teapot, and caressed every inch of its surface with her slender fingers. Her gaze settled on two small holes inside the handle. A faint smile curved on her lips.

This teapot... I never thought I would see something like this again after reincarnation.

Elysia turned back to Arabella, who still could not stand on her own. “If I can uncover its trick, this teapot alone should be proof of your crime, shouldn’t it?”

Celina and Irine tilted their heads. Arabella, on the other hand, had gone pale. She turned away as if hiding the truth written upon her face.

That reaction was enough to make Elysia’s lips lift slightly.

“Let’s see what this thing can do.”

Assassin’s teapot... that was what it had been called in her former world. The object had been discovered in China during the Ming Dynasty by archaeologists. It worked through air pressure and fluid, the basic principles of physics.

Elysia then took three cups and placed them on the table. She covered one of the small holes on the teapot’s handle and poured.

Warm green steam drifted into the cup, its gentle fragrance filling the air.

“This... this has the same scent as what they drank earlier,” said Irine.

“Wait, did our tea smell different?” Celina raised an eyebrow.

Irine nodded. “A little different,” she said, touching her nose lightly. “A beastman’s sense of smell is very sharp, far superior to other races. We can tell scents apart in a single breath.”

“Ah, that reminds me of how Ely easily identified the wrong leaf in that room, while I couldn’t tell the difference at all.”

Before the two chatterboxes could drift too far from the point, Elysia interrupted with a question aimed at Irine.

“You’re right. Now, how about this one, Irine?”

Elysia covered the other hole. This time the liquid that came out was dull green, with a stench so strong that Irine covered her nose.

“Ugh...”

Seeing her sister’s reaction, Elysia smiled coldly. “I suppose I don’t need to ask how it smells. Lastly, how about this?”

This time, Elysia left both holes open. The liquid that poured out was identical to the warm tea that had been served to them.

“This... smells exactly like the tea we were served.”

“H-how can one teapot pour out different liquids? What kind of magic is that?” Celina asked, scratching her head.

Elysia shook her head slightly, smiling faintly. “It’s not magic,” she murmured, showing them a few details.

“Look closely. This teapot has two hidden chambers connected to two small holes in its handle. The liquid that comes out depends on which hole I cover, because trapped air prevents the other liquid from flowing out.”

She held the teapot up for them to see more clearly. They only nodded, seemingly trying to hide their confusion.

She let out a long sigh. “Sometimes things can be explained without involving magic. Learn to recognize the workings of nature. It may help you one day.”

Both frowned, still confused.

Elysia simply smiled. Their reaction was natural—this world had no place for science. “I’ll teach you more clearly later.”

Elysia turned and glanced at those still kneeling weakly on the floor. “Now it’s clear, isn’t it? You were the ones who tried to poison us.”

“Nonsense! A-a noble like us would never–”

Without another word, Elysia offered her the third cup, the mixture of tea and poison. “Prove it. Drink every drop.”

“T-that...”

“Go on. Drink.” Elysia urged, pushing the cup closer.

Arabella’s trembling hand reached out, but just as her fingers were about to touch it, she struck it away violently. The cup hit the wall and shattered into pieces.

“Damn! Damn! Damn!” Her jaw clenched, her eyes sharp with fury. Arabella forced herself up on her legs.

Elysia glanced behind her, twirling a finger to signal Celina and Irine to leave. They immediately exited the room without a word.

“I... I’m talented too. I’m beautiful. I’m wealthy. A noble. So why does no one see me?! What am I lacking?! Why does someone always steal the spotlight before I can even take the stage?!”

By the time the door closed, Arabella was already standing before her, hand raised. Elysia could feel mana swirling around her palm.

“Using magic against another student is forbidden, you know.”

Elysia tried to warn her, but the blonde-haired girl didn’t seem to listen. “Talented people who steal the spotlight like you... I despise them!”

Her three companions also stood, their lips moving faintly, mana clearly visible to Elysia’s eyes.

“So you refuse to listen?” Elysia smiled thinly, lifting her shoulders slightly. “Fine. That makes it easier for me.”

“Don’t underestimate–”

Before she could finish her words, before her magic circle could form, Elysia tapped the floor twice with the tip of her shoe.

Wush!

Thin ice spread. Before they could even blink, the entire room was covered in frost, freezing even the clothes they wore.

“W-what’s happening?!”

“S-so cold!”

“S-stop it! You’ll freeze us!”

Their teeth chattered violently. Their arms wrapped around their bodies as they begged for mercy, their legs already encased in ice. But Elysia did not move. Only warm vapor escaped her breath.

“I’ve been holding back until now. You were the ones who forced me to act. Using magic against another student is strictly forbidden, especially...”

Elysia reached into her pocket and drew out the chest emblem she had always kept hidden, weary of the cautious stares people gave her just for wearing it.

Everyone’s eyes widened.

Arabella swallowed hard. “That emblem... the three major donors.” She looked back at her, trembling. “W-who are you really?! H-how is that possible?”

“You’ve never heard of the Kingdom of Lunestre? Hm... that figures. Someone who looks down on others like you would never care about anyone’s life but your own.”

Elysia leaned close to Arabella’s ear. “You were already blind before you even opened your eyes.”

Her voice was soft but sharp enough to leave the girl speechless. Elysia snapped her fingers, and slowly, the frost that covered them began to melt.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything. But I hope you remember one thing.”

A shard of ice shot from Elysia’s hand, stopping just before Arabella’s eye.

The shard brushed her porcelain skin, making her wince in pain. Slowly, Elysia lowered it to her neck, drawing a thin line that let a drop of blood trickle down her gown.

“Don’t ever touch those close to me,” she said, her eyes gleaming. Her voice was low, cold, and filled with real menace.

It was as if Elysia was telling her that she wouldn’t hesitate to pierce her throat whenever she wished. So she had better not interfere—neither with her nor with anyone dear to her.

After that, Elysia withdrew the icy blade, turned around, and walked away. Before closing the door, she looked back one last time, her gaze scornful.

“By the way, that tea you were so proud of was nothing more than an annual souvenir for the maids working in my palace.”

When the door closed, it was not only the room that froze, but their pride as well, buried beneath Elysia’s final gaze.