Omniscius [Genshin Impact]

Part Ten

19: Checkmate Is Not Where The Game Ends

Little Ayaka was like a camellia bud blooming at the beginning of the year: Cool as the spring waters and fresh like the morning dew. It was for this reason the Estate was garbed in ornaments of light blue shade.

Glass camellias hung from the paper lanterns along with the chimes. The porcelain tea set on the furnished table was also polished with light blue camellia prints. Each flower was rimmed with golden ink.

The Estate was particularly vacant on that day, with only three people occupying the table. Before her two guests, Ayaka, at the age of nine, had been preparing to demonstrate her skills in tea ceremony.

It was only practice and not an actual event. Though she was dressed in plain robes, Ayaka still presented herself in such a regal poise that would slap royalty in its face.

With delicate poise, she held the tea with one hand and whisked the foaming tea within with her other hand. There was nothing but perfection in her demeanor.

Her hands did not shake. She did not pause for a second. She whisked the thick matcha so gentle yet so fine, the mixture was blended nicely in a way that it was hard to find residue. Not a single droplet escaped or whisked out.

Ayaka, though young, practiced endlessly to perfect this ceremonial procedure. However, feeling both the azure and golden gaze of her guests made her want to present herself in her best.

With the ladle in one hand, she placed the preparation into a tea bowl. When it was time to serve, Ayaka presented the bowl to her guests, smiling amiably as she held her hands together on her lap.

Ayato was the first to take the bowl. He, too, treated this practice as seriously as Ayaka. He picked the bowl with his right and placed it on his left hand. With a bow to Ayaka, he raised the bowl towards her and rotated the bowl in a clockwise way that the bowl's 'front' was facing Ayaka.

With this ceremony finished, he took a soundless sip. When he finished, he nodded and smiled at Ayaka. "You've blended it expertly as always, my lady," he said, to which Ayaka smiled and bowed her head.

"Thank you. It is my pleasure to continue to improve my bearings and etiquette," she said. "That has always been a fond quality of yours," Ayato laughed lightly, "Well done."

He wiped the spot he drinked from with a silk cloth and returned it to Ayaka, both of which bowing at each other.

Ayaka presented the tea bowl next to Soleil. With her own refined elegance, she flicked her kimono sleeves aside with gentility before taking the tea bowl, going through the same ceremonial steps as Ayato.

She sipped from the bowl. The smell of freshly-mowned grass and heavy texture of pure tea hit her nose and tongue. She placed it down and smiled at Ayaka.

"The tea has fine taste and texture. The whisking was done as flawlessly and cleanly possible. I see you've outdone yourself once again, Lady Ayaka," she praised Ayaka, whose eyes sparkled.

Still, she tempered her happiness and bowed her head. "It is my pleasure to present the best tea I could blend, Miss Soleil," she said.

Wiping the spot she drank, Soleil returned the bowl. Ayaka's lips trembled from hiding her childish grin, but she forced herself to act just like Soleil: Demure and polite, refined and poised.

Oh, it was so obvious to Ayato and Soleil that Ayaka looked up to them so much. For this reason, they shared knowing looks and faint smiles.

Ayaka was outdoing herself and it shows with her complete mastery of tea ceremony and etiquette. This fact was seen simply by the way she whisked the tea and placed it into the tea pot.