Tea Time of Trickery and Treachery

"It's been a while since we've used the teapot here so often. Maybe we should get some tea cups as well."

"What's wrong with the mugs?"

"Nothing, but it's a bit crude to be drinking tea with them, don't you think?"

"I don't really feel one way or the other about them."

"Is that so? Though, considering where you grew up, I suppose you didn't have much leeway when it comes to these luxuries."

Seated across one another at the kitchen table, Theodore and Fiana each had a mug in hand, taking small sips from them as they chatted.

At first glance, all seemed to be peaceful, with the two chatting about a whole bunch of nothings. However, even as they spoke leisurely with one another, their eyes let not a single gesture, no matter how slight, escape their notice.

It was as if they were waiting for the other to make their move, to make a mistake, to reveal an opening.

As for the tea, something was most definitely added to them. Theodore had confirmed it discreetly just as he took the first sip. With threads of Aether extending from his tongue, he probed the liquid discreetly. He had no doubts that something was added to the tea, a tiny drop of an oily substance within the hot water that could only be noticed by the most observant of mages.

"It has a nice scent, don't you think? I brought other kinds of leaves as well. Rather than drinking Aetherglow tea, you really ought to change it up a little. I told you this before, but Aether crystallization can be quite painful. Even if we could fix it with healing magic, if it happened inside an organ, it's going to be quite troublesome to fix."

Of course, Fiana was talking about the regular intake of Aetherglow tea, not the ones with the powdered roots of the Aetherglow herbs added to them, which would naturally cause a far worse iteration of Aether crystallization. Theodore would know, as he had intentionally invoked it so that he might harvest crystals from his own body.

"It's not as if I like drinking it..."

"It's because you want to increase your Aether density, right? Even so, there's no need to rush. Though my father isn't the one doing the teaching, you are still officially the apprentice of an elder. There would be plenty of opportunities for you to grow in the future. There's no need to rush. Be it ten years, twenty years, or even fifty years aren't considered much to a mage. Especially since you're so adept at healing magic, surely even a hundred years and beyond wouldn't be a problem for you."

"Maybe that's not long for any old mage, but for me, that's way too long."

Fiana was briefly taken aback. For a moment there, Theodore almost sounded defiant. To see him in such a manner, this was a first for Fiana.

"Why the rush? If you don't mind me asking."

"I made a promise. I promised that I'll return home. You need to have special permission to leave, right? But I heard that apprentices almost never get the permission, so I need to become a journeyman as soon as possible. While everyone is still waiting for me back home. I have to."

Theodore knew it was too unrealistic a goal. For one thing, it was difficult for a mage to become a journeyman within the span of ten years if they even become one at all. And as someone in his position, someone under the suspicion of being the Demon Lord, his chances were slimmer than anyone else's. That's why, what he told Fiana was but a lie, a cover story he prepared just in case she asked.

That being said, Fiana felt her chest tighten when she heard Theodore's story. In that moment, she felt sorry for him. Even after suspecting him, she still couldn't help but see him as a child, one that merely wished to return home.

Meanwhile, the said child, Theodore, was planning his next moves. Within his stomach, he had weaved a 'pouch' out of his Aethereal threads to contain the tea he drank, isolating it from the rest of his systems. Due to the Demon Lord's lack of interest in keeping up with the advances in alchemy, Theodore lacked the expertise to identify the substance added to the drink. That being said, he could hazard a few guesses that to what it could be.

Most likely, in consideration of Fiana's character, as he knew her, she would attempt to ascertain the truth of the matter before taking further action. If that was the case, then the substance must be a drug used in interrogations, one to weaken the interrogatee's mind and loosen their lips.

Soon, Theodore began to put on the appearance of being drowsy, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he made his next move. From this point on, he expected three things to happen. Either Fiana would allow him to go straight to bed, take this opportunity to question him, or inform him that he has been poisoned and begins to threaten him while dangling the promise of a cure in exchange for a confession in some form.

If the first scenario occurred, then it would likely be because Fiana had decided that it was better to simply kill him with poison without question to avoid further trouble. Theodore would have to pretend to die in his sleep and play dead the next morning. With his skills in manipulating the flesh, he was confident in acting like a corpse. Perhaps he'll be able to find a chance to slip away once everybody thought that he was dead, so long as he does so before his body reaches the dissection table.

If the second scenario happened, then Fiana must have used an interrogation drug, in which case, Theodore planned to depend on his acting skills, answering the question while appearing to be under the influence of the drug, making Fiana believe that he truly had nothing to do with the mouse.

The third scenario would be the trickiest, as it would put Theodore in direct confrontation with Fiana. Depending on where the conversation flows, he would have to react accordingly. Perhaps, in pretending to be poisoned, he could let Fiana think that she has the advantage and be able to exploit an opening or two should she slip up. As for how it's going to play out, Theodore has no way to accurately predict it, which is what makes this the trickiest of the three and the one he wished the least to occur.

(Now then, what will it be?)

Theodore had already made all the preparations he could with his limited capabilities, all that remained was to simply wait for the pieces to fall into place.

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End of Chapter 65

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