Page 23 of The Tea Witch’s Secret

A knock came from the door, and Max came in before either of us could say something. He was holding his nose and looked frazzled.

"Max, are you all right?" Eva asked, standing up and going towards her twin with concern on her face. "You're bleeding from your nose."

He quickly closed the door. "I walked into a tree. It's nothing. I was distracted."

"Sit down, I'll take care of it," I instructed, already reaching for the pot of tea. This was what my purpose was. What I was needed for. Max was hurt, and I should fix that, not think about distracting cooks with sweet lips and even sweeter words.

"I'm fine. It's just a nosebleed. It'll be over soon."

"Just let me heal it." I gulped down the tea, letting it replenish my magical core. I had already used a fair bit of magic today on Eva, but that didn't matter. Max needed healing now, and taking him to the infirmary would take too long.

Max took Eva's seat at the vanity, and I offered him some cloth to soak up the blood while I channelled the magic to my hands. It was making my arms tingle as if I had been sleeping on them, but I ignored the unpleasant sensation. It was just the price I had to pay for using tea magic.

"What were you distracted by?" Eva asked curiously as she took a seat on the bed.

"Not a what," Max muttered, looking sheepish. "A who."

She laughed. "Don't tell me you walked into a tree because of Hugo Inker again?"

"He's just so handsome and broad, I can't help it. He flusters me." Max made a high-pitched sound. "He winked at me."

Not that long ago, I would've thought Max was exaggerating, but I could see myself running into a tree if Pepper was the one winking or smiling at me, so I really couldn't blame him. Besides, even if I wasn't into men, even I could admit that Hugo Inker was handsome and broad. That man had shoulders for days. They didn't do anything for me, but I could see how Max was getting distracted by them.

"I'm going to heal you now," I said once my magic felt like it was thrumming through my veins. I hummed my song and directed the magic to Max's face to stop the bleeding. It wasn't a big injury, so it shouldn't be too strenuous to heal. It didn't matter if it made me a little dizzy, I just needed to drink more tea to revitalise myself. It was really as simple as that.

Max was a good patient, sitting still until I was done.

"All right, you should be all healed," I said, stepping back so that I could pick up my teacup, taking tiny sips so that I could soothe the ringing in my ears and make myself less drained.

Eva came over to examine Max's nose, seeming satisfied with the job that I'd done. "If you've lost blood, we should ask Pepper to make you something rich in iron."

The cup slipped from my hands, smashing on the ground and shattering into pieces. I stared at it, but it didn't fully register what happened until Eva was right in front of me.

"Lian? What happened? Are you all right?" she asked, guiding me away from the broken cup. "You're shaking."

"I am?" I asked, looking down at our hands. Mine were trembling even though Eva was holding them.

"Go sit down," she said, guiding me to her bed.

"The shards," I said, trying to get back up.

"I'll take care of it."

"But it's my job."

She gave me a stern look that she learned from my mother. "Lian Ju Feng, sit down and don't move a muscle. I'll clear it up."

An overwhelming pressure landed on my chest, and tears sprang up in my eyes even if I fought to hold them back. Sometimes it just wasn't possible to keep my emotions under control. "I'm sorry."

Eva left the shards where they were to sit on the bed with me. She wrapped one arm around me. "Don't cry, it's just a cup."

"But I should be the one cleaning it up. It's my job to look after you two, not to make more messes," I cried, horrified by how loud I was sobbing. "I'm just a useless tea witch, so the least I can do is look after you."

"What? You're not a useless tea witch. Why would you say that?" Eva asked in a sharp tone. She looked up at her brother. "Max?"

He came over and knelt in front of me. "Cousin? Why are you saying such awful things about yourself?" There was genuine concern in his voice, I could tell as much even through my emotions.

The tears just kept coming. "Because it's true. I can't become a leech like my useless father. That's what mother says. I must work hard always and serve you two, or you won't want me around."