Chapter 71: Frozen Tea
The Triad director confidently walked up the short wooden stairs, his polished leather shoes clicking loudly. He was just about to step onto the pristine tatami mats inside when—
"Hold it right there," Kira's sharp voice cracked through the room like a whip. Her tone was completely calm, yet laced with such crushing, undeniable authority that Chris froze instantly, his foot hovering awkwardly in mid-air.
Kira glanced downward. His shoes.
He followed her gaze. A brief realization crossed his face. "Oh."
"Take them off." Kira commanded sternly.
"Of course," He gave a nervous laugh, quickly slipping his shoes off and leaving them at the threshold. "My apologies, Lady Kira."
Kira nodded. "You may come in," she said softly.
He entered and bowed respectfully to her. "Elder Kira."
Kira gave him a small nod. "Hello, Chris," she said. "I see you remain incapable of remembering where your shoes belong."
Chris laughed nervously. "Forgive me, Elder Kira. It's an old habit." He then turned toward Felicity. "My lady," he greeted.
Felicity didn't acknowledge him. She simply picked up her cup and took another sip.
Chris's smile twitched. But he knew better than to take it personal. He already knew this wasn't going to be an enjoyable visit with Felicity around.
Still, he sat down.
He carefully poured himself a cup of tea and held it between his hands.
"So, what brings the Director of Triad to my humble abode?" Kira asked, her voice calm yet demanding. "You don't visit very often."
Chris cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I was in the area for a meeting and thought I should pay you a visit," he said smoothly.
Felicity glanced at him. Her expression made it clear she wasn't buying his words. But she still didn't say a word. She simply watched him over the rim of her cup.
Chris noticed. But he kept his smile up. "But I didn't know I would run into Lady Myers here," he continued, turning to face Felicity. "I was actually hoping to speak with you."
"Of course you were," Felicity spoke finally. She slowly lowered her teacup to the table. The ceramic made a sharp clack. "Let's cut to the chase, then," she said coldly, her eyes boring into him. "I assume you're here because of Henry."
Chris chuckled nervously, a bead of sweat threatening to form at his temple. But he didn't deny it. There was no point in doing so. "Indeed. I heard about what happened to the young master." He said carefully. "And I was relieved to hear that he returned safely. Given the circumstances, it was an unfortunate situation, and I'm certain it was quite traumatic for everyone involved."
Felicity stared at him silently, not uttering a single word.
Chris maintained his smile. "And then, of course, there was the rather remarkable development that followed." He added, placing his cup down after sipping a bit.
Felicity's eyes narrowed. "His awakening." She deduced.
"Yes." Chris nodded. "That was certainly... unexpected." He looked genuinely impressed. "To awaken an ability after being considered powerless for so many years is quite spectacular, and extremely rare."
Felicity's expression remained indifferent as ever. She was just waiting for a moment to strike.
"That being said..." Chris continued. "I would like to offer my congratulations."
"Save it." Felicity said flatly.
Chris's smile faltered for the briefest moment. But he kept his cool. "Okay. I understand." He picked up his cup again. "Still, such a development requires some attention."
Felicity raised an eyebrow. "What kind of attention?"
Chris took a small sip before answering. "I'm sure you understand that a late awakening is an extraordinarily rare phenomenon." He gestured lightly with his cup. "Triad has recorded only a handful of cases in history. Henry's situation is a similar case. And it can't simply be ignored."
Felicity leaned back slightly. "Yeah. It can't," she agreed. "But as you know, Henry's awakening was unusual."
"Indeed it was." Chris agreed, taking another sip from his cup. "And naturally, such a development means his records need to be updated."
Felicity's expression hardened instantly. "His records?"
"Yes." Chris nodded. "Has Henry undergone the mana cell assessment yet?"
"He has." Felicity answered without hesitation.
Chris's eyebrow rose. "Really?"
Felicity frowned. "Yes, really," she said calmly, but her voice was laced with a sharp undertone. "How else would we have confirmed the nature of his ability?"
"I see." Chris said, staring into his tea for a moment. Then he looked back at her. "Then I'm afraid there is a small discrepancy."
Felicity's eyes narrowed. "What discrepancy?" she asked sharply, her patience barely holding together.
Chris gave a small, apologetic smile. "If he underwent the assessment, his results should have already been uploaded to our global database." He said politely. "But they haven't."
Felicity stared at him.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then her expression changed completely.
"Are you monitoring my son?" she asked calmly. But the malice in her voice was so dense, so absolutely freezing, that a literal chill swept through the room.
The temperature inside the tea house dropped instantly.
Chris's fingers tightened slightly around his cup.
The peaceful atmosphere that had filled the tea house moments earlier vanished.
Frost began spreading across the wooden floor.
Felicity's eyes were fixed on Chris. Her gaze was unreadable. But there was something dangerous underneath it.
Chris immediately raised a hand. His smile had become noticeably weaker. "No, Lady Myers. Of course not!" He quickly defended, trying to deescalate the situation.
But Felicity didn't seem to care much for what he had to say. Without breaking eye contact, Felicity tapped a single finger against the table. Instantly, the steaming tea inside Chris's cup froze solid. Then, the terrifying frost crawled rapidly up the ceramic, freezing the cup completely and spreading directly onto Chris's hands, locking his fingers to the cup.
Chris gasped, his eyes widening in pure terror, but he didn't dare move. "Lady Felicity, please. I assure you, I have no bad intentions toward your son." He pleaded quickly, before the frost could spread any further and freeze him completely.
Felicity's gaze sharpened. "Then why are you keeping track of whether or not his records have appeared?" She demanded.
Chris swallowed, the ice reaching his wrist now. "Because Henry is an important public figure. He's your son. That makes him every bit as significant as your average celebrity. And, as you know, individuals of significant status are required to have their records properly maintained and protected." He gestured carefully. "Just as your own records are protected. Just as Elder Kira's and every other world leader and their families are."
Kira raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She hadn't said anything the entire time, and she didn't plan to. She simply drank her tea and ate sweets casually, having no intention of interfering.
"This was agreed upon during the global world leader conference," Chris continued. "All major figures and individuals of exceptional importance are entitled to special protection concerning sensitive information. You know this."
Felicity indeed knew that. In fact, she had been there.
Still, she stared at him fiercely.
Something about his explanation bothered her. So, she decided to do a little digging.
She stared deeply into his eyes, seamlessly slipping into his mind to verify his words. She found no trace of deception, but something about his mental architecture felt strange. She furrowed her brows in mild surprise but kept her deductions to herself.
She slowly leaned back. "Fine."
Chris released a quiet breath. But the ice didn't stop spreading.
"But understand something, Christopher." Felicity continued, her voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "If I discover that Triad is conducting unauthorized surveillance on my son..."
The frost reached Chris's forearm, seeping into his skin. He let out a shuddering breath, the cold gripping hold of his entire nervous system immediately.
"...Or if anyone under your command lays a finger on him..." Felicity added, her expression completely devoid of emotion. "...I will burn you and your organization to the ground. Believe me, Chris. I have been looking for a reason to do so for years."
Chris swallowed. "Understood." His entire forearm had frozen now, but he still managed to remain composed. "I assure you, Lady Myers, you have nothing to worry about. No harm will come to your son. I swear it."
Felicity stared at him deeply, as if assessing his words. She didn't stop the spread of the ice, and from the look in her eyes, she didn't plan on doing so anytime soon.
"Jade," Kira finally spoke.
Felicity glanced at her.
"That's enough," Kira said softly with a calm smile. "It's not worth it. Let the poor man go."
Felicity held Chris's gaze for a while, letting the agonizing freeze spread for three long seconds before exhaling sharply and calling back the ice.
The frost immediately began to retreat. The ice rapidly retracted, moving backward from Chris's forearm, over his wrist, across his fingers, and melting back into the cup. The frozen tea instantly became liquid again. Steam slowly rose from the cup as though nothing had happened.