Mooslah Tea House was a quaint little corner shop located at the corner of Main Street and Talkin Way. Its grand design featured many pleasant window views, allowing passersby to catch glimpses of the cozy interior. The exterior was built of pristine white stone that glowed softly in the light of the afternoon sun. Rich, dark wood accents added warmth and depth to the structure, and soft glowing lights set into the walls cast a magical ambiance inside. Above the doorway, a stained-glass window depicted a scene of a wise old owl sipping tea from a delicate china cup.

“This is…” Ravina began, allowing the word ‘gaudy’ to die as a whisper in her mind.

“Cute, right? I saw it when I arrived and decided to bring you with me!” Elysia declared as she strutted inside.

“Nobles.” Aurelia scoffed quietly as she followed. Ravina’s guard took the door from Elysia and held it open for the young raven.

“Thank you.” Oblivious to the new knight’s words, the two women walked into the tea house, while the guard quickly following behind.

Inside, the tea house was dimly lit by soft glowing lights on the wall, further adding to the ambiance and alluding to the expensive nature of the shop as magical tools like Glowing Lights were quite costly to own and maintain. Even the manor didn't have these magical tools.

These lights cast a warm and inviting glow over the wooden tables and plush velvet chairs, which blended smoothly into the beige-colored walls. The scent of brewing teas wafted through the air, mingling with the sweet aroma of freshly baked pastries and cakes, and the air was filled with chatter and cheer. The tea house was filled with people, each of them enjoying themselves in the wonderful atmosphere and delicious food and drink.

“Welcome!” a joyful-looking girl greeted them. She couldn't have been much older than Seit and was dressed in a grey-and-red style uniform, more modest than the elegant maids' dresses worn at the count's manor. She smiled at them with green eyes and asked them a question with a friendly smile on her face. “May I have your name for the reservation?”

Aurelia narrowed her eyes at Elysia as the latter answered for them. “Ah, we don't have a reservation, but this young lady is the daughter of Count Ravenshield. We've heard about this new tea house and were hoping to enjoy your hospitality.”

“I… see,” her smile faded for a moment, “let me just check something really quick.”

“Of course.”

With that, the young girl disappeared into the store.

“Reservations?” Aurelia asked.

“Only for the peasantry,” Elysia joked. She winked at Ravina as she laughed softly.

Ravina smiled back weakly, well aware that just a few months ago, she was part of that peasantry. However, that didn't hold her back from using her newfound authority now, for however long it lasted.

"Ah, ladies," a man's voice called, capturing their attention. They looked over to find a rather handsome man with short and well-maintained strawberry-blond hair. His sharp, olive-yellow eyes moved between the trio as he examined them, pausing momentarily on Elysia with a hint of hesitation. "My name is Jackson Farrell," he introduced himself with a bow, smooth enough not to wrinkle his ocean blue, casual dress suit. "I am the proprietor of this store. It's my understanding that we are graced with the presence of the young daughter of Ravenshield."

"That's correct," Ravina responded. She gave a practiced curtsy. Despite executing it perfectly, she made a mental note to expedite her lessons in etiquette. "I am Ravina Rosewell Ravenshield, the first and only daughter of Count Ravenshield." She looked up at the man with a stern but noble expression, attempting to appear regal.

"Pleased to meet you," he replied, bowing again. "I'm sorry to ask, but your existence is quite recent. Do you have proof of identity? I would be very disappointed to extend courtesies to an imposter," he added quickly as Elysia glared at him.

"Proof of identity?" Ravina was taken aback. It was obvious one would need such a thing, yet she never carried anything. Stunned into silence, she could only stare at the floor, unsure of what to do. Her hesitation, however, could be seen as a part of growing up. As she struggled, an adult intervened.

"Here," Aurelia offered, handing him the crest of her order. "I am Aurelia," she began, her expression betraying her impatience with formal introductions. "Personal guard of... her." She caught herself, abandoning the attempt to adhere to formality. "I trust this will suffice." She was too cool in Ravina’s eyes at that moment, though Aurelia was merely aware she possessed an identification badge that denoted her as a knight. She wasn't overly concerned with the specifics, finding such details uninteresting.

Jackson Farrell examined the crest now in his possession. He hummed with displeasure but nodded as he returned it. "Yes, this will suffice. I doubt a noble knight would dare lie about such matters." Elysia's smile tightened.

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"Of course not," she retorted sharply. "Nor would the daughter of Ravenshield."

"Quite," the man replied, bowing deeply. "My apologies, my lady."

"Ah, it's okay," Ravina responded, slightly flustered by the man's gesture. "As you mentioned, it's quite recent. I doubt many people are aware of... me..." Her voice trailed off as she thought of Evelyn's favorite bard. "At least, my face," she felt compelled to clarify.

"Well, of course," he replied, maintaining composure despite any confusion her words may have caused. "Right this way, ladies. The first floor is fully occupied, a common occurrence since our opening. However, we do have a few standing areas available upstairs, if you wouldn't mind." He signaled to the attendant, the young girl they had initially spoken with, who then positioned herself at the door following his gesture.

The group ascended the stairs, finding solace in the quieter atmosphere. The noise from the main shop dwindled as they reached a large hallway adorned with four doors. Jackson Farrell led them to one in particular. "This room offers the best view," he claimed. The room resembled a private seating area, akin to the blue room back at the manor. "I'll arrange for a menu to be brought up, along with some complimentary starter tea," he announced before leaving the women to enjoy the space, gently closing the door behind him.

o o o o o

“So, what’s this about a demon?” No sooner did the door close behind them that Ravina asked the question on the forefront of her mind.

“Wow,” Elysia responded with a bright smile, “curious about the myths, are you?” Leaning back in her seat, her smile faded as she continued, “Well, sorry to disappoint, but demons are nothing like what the scriptures would describe them. Most are just twisted creations from wizards and mad necromancers—though, if you ask me, all necromancers are quite mad.” She chuckled cheerfully at her own joke as the store's staff entered, carrying a tray of tea and menus.

“Outstanding!” Elysia exclaimed, delightedly taking the menu, causing Aurelia to shake her head in disapproval.

“Demons are just monsters born from mana, stitched together by madmen,” Aurelia explained further. “They are powerful, but nowhere near the legends that inspired the name 'demon'—the tormentors.”

“But aren’t demons powerful creatures akin to angels?” Ravina’s question raised Aurelia's eyebrow and elicited a chuckle from Elysia.

“Just bring out everything for now, my dear, thank you,” Elysia said, concluding her order. She returned the menu and refocused on the conversation. “My dear, the old writings of the temple were penned by old men fearful of their own shadows. That’s why many revisions have been made since then. Demons are creatures that can be killed by man, and an angel is a servant of the divine. As such, it is, in itself, a god when compared to man.”

“I see…” Ravina whispered thoughtfully, “still, such a creature would elicit such caution, it must be truly terrible, no?”

Elysia shrugged. “Yes and no. The knights have standard tactics for fighting a demon. To others, it might be a tough fight, but to the order, it's just another monster—oh, not that I meant anything by that, Lady Aurelia—I'm sure you know what I mean, however, when fighting a creature no one is prepared for.”

“Quite right,” Aurelia agreed. “Still, not everyone can prepare for the worst. Yet, there is merit in your words. Even so, Ravina, if you should ever encounter one, run as fast as you can. There is nothing to be gained in the attempt.”

“Why would she do anything of the sort?” Oblivious to the pairs almost daily outings, Elysia scoffed at the idea of the young raven testing her strength against a demon. After all, what noble woman would dare to face such a creature? “Her guards are well-versed enough to fend off such fiends, and the order keeps the city more than safe for the precious daughter of the county.”

“Ill-preparation marks the end of even the most experienced,” Aurelia countered.

“Then ensure no one grows lax. In this country, it would lead to far worse than death.”

With the air heavy from the conversation, Elysia returned to the original topic. “I wouldn't worry about it anyway. Demons haven't been seen in decades, and the only reason we looked far and wide for them was because of the writings of the old tower master. Actually, you might be interested to know…” she paused, hesitating for a moment.

“Yes?” Ravina encouraged.

“Well… I'm only telling you this now because I would want to know if it were me. That is to say, you didn't hear it from me, but the reason they were going to kill you is that they wanted you to become a sacrifice for said demon.”

“Wh…” Ravina blinked, shock unsettling her balance. “Sacrificed to a demon?”

Apparently, you have the magical constitution to attract the demon's attention to... something or another." In the woman's defense, briefings were often too long for their purpose. A simple instruction to look in the forest for a demon would suffice, yet it took over two hours to cover everything, and she wasn't the only one who lost interest. Elysia shook her head, dismissing the tedious memory. "The essence of it was they wanted you to summon something. Sick bastards," Elysia whispered before taking a sip of tea, her expression souring as the thought spoiled the pleasant taste.

"Magic," Ravina muttered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Here," Aurelia offered, pushing Ravina's tea cup toward the young girl.

"Right!" Elysia nodded. "It's all in the past now, as I mentioned. I only told you because I would want to know if I were in your shoes!"

Ravina nodded as both women tried to uplift her spirits. She picked up the warm cup of tea, the perfect temperature to be enjoyed immediately without concern for the heat. She held it for a moment before savoring the tea, which was rich and quite sweet, offering warmth beyond just the temperature of the water.

"I'm fine," she admitted after another sip. "It's just..." Magic... she was inherently imbued with it. Indeed, it was a fascinating concept. She would have relished the opportunity to explore such an extraordinary ability, but now the mere thought of it made her scar throb. Though the physical mark had healed and disappeared from her body, its memory was indelibly etched in her mind.

"Don't worry about a thing," Elysia tried to reassure her. "The only issue was that ridiculous village kept reporting the lake was full of water—as if that's something to panic about," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I need sugar!" she suddenly declared. "It makes the world go round!"

As if answering her call, the door opened, and three women entered, carrying trays full of desserts.