Page 10 of The Tea Witch’s Secret

Lian looked confused. "I don't need payment. I'm not selling it. I'm not a merchant."

"I know how expensive cinnamon is. I can't just take it," I protested, holding off on accepting the cinnamon until we had come to an agreement. I couldn't take this from her, not when I knew how expensive it was from buying my own.

"You should, you're cooking for Eva and Max after all," Lian said as if that was a good enough reason why she was gifting me something so valuable.

"It's my job to look after them," I pointed out. I loved my job, but that didn't mean that it wasn't part of my job.

"Looking after people is my job," Lian returned stubbornly. "Take it."

I wanted to point out that looking after me was not part of her job, but I had a feeling that we would keep going round and round. There was something about the way she was speaking and holding out the cinnamon that made it clear she meant to give this to me.

I accepted the cinnamon stick, holding it carefully so I didn't accidentally drop it. "Thank you. Seriously. You're making a small boy very happy."

Lian frowned. "You're not a small boy, though?"

"No, I meant my little brother. His eighth birthday is coming up, and I always bake him cinnamon rolls. It's a family tradition, and he's been looking forward to it. He'll be thrilled."

"Oh, that's nice."

I nodded, very glad that I would be able to keep my promise to him. I put the cinnamon in an empty tin so I didn't lose it in the chaos. "Thank you, Lian. Really. Are you sure I can't give you anything for it?"

She held up her hands. "I'm sure. It's a gift."

She sounded so resolute, it would be rude to keep arguing and offer her money. Luckily, there were other ways to show my gratitude, and I knew just what to do.

Chapter 7

Lian

A delicious smell hung in the hallway and I was glad that I was heading to the kitchens anyway because it was making my stomach rumble. Trying new foods could be tricky for me but the cuisine in Purple Oak was agreeing with me, even the cottage pie which I hadn't been sure that I would like. It had been satisfyingly savoury though, and the sweet but sharp goat cheese had cut through the saltier meat so well. I didn't want it all the time, but it was nice. Things like that were making eating a lot less stressful than I sometimes found it. Or maybe that was because of Pepper, who was very open to feedback and making adjustments to everyone's preferences, including mine.

It had been a while since anyone cared about ensuring my meals were satisfactory too. It was a strange feeling, and one that I didn't want to examine too closely for fear of what I might find.

I knocked before entering the kitchen and found Pepper standing by the stove with a focused expression on her face as she tended to a large pot that was creating a lot of steam and delicious smells.

"Ah, Lian. Just the person I wanted to see," she said when she saw me, smiling widely. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," I replied, still eyeing up her large pot. "What are you making?"

Pepper's eyes and smile got a bit wider. "It's a surprise."

Nerves sparked in my stomach. I wasn't a big fan of surprises, especially not surprise food, but I knew not to point that out. People could get really upset when I didn't react well to their surprise gestures.

Pepper had never done anything that made me suspicious of the food she served, so maybe it was worth trusting her.

Instead of prompting her more, I waited and found some reassurance in the fact that whatever she was making smelled really tasty, meaty and savoury. While Eva had a sweet tooth, the opposite was true for me. And this did smell delicious. Of course, smells could be deceptive when the food itself was unpleasant to chew.

Pepper lifted the lid from her pot, releasing even more steam. She nodded to herself and carefully pulled out a rack. It took me a moment to recognise what she had within because they looked a little different than what I was used to, but they were unmistakably steamed buns.

"Tadaa," Pepper said, presenting me with one on a plate. "They're probably very different from what you're used to, but this is my way of saying thank you for the cinnamon. My little brother was very happy with his rolls." She beamed in a way that left no doubt over what she was saying.

"Oh, that wasn't necessary, but thank you," I said, a little taken aback by the gesture and the pleated bun in front of me. The steamed dough looked smooth and puffed up. They weren't exactly like I'd make myself, but they looked right. "What's in it?"

"A pork belly and mushroom filling, since you said mushrooms are your favourite," she responded, grabbing a bun for herself. "I hope it's tasty. I tried the filling after I was finished making it and it tasted good then."

"Where did you learn to make them?" I asked curiously.

"I asked Hana Steeper if her family had a recipe," she responded. "They're not from your country, but they've done a lot of travelling in that part of the world, as well as having roots in one of the neighbouring ones, so I figured it was worth asking. Once I knew what I was supposed to do with the dough and the steaming, I was able to think up a filling for them."