Chapter 417: A Deal Over Tea

A Deal Over Tea

Felberta smiled gently.

"So now that we are all calm, let’s continue our talk."

There was no hostility in her voice.

Not even a trace of anger.

She sounded almost as though nothing had happened.

"Don’t worry, Ms. Brinda."

Felberta reached for her teacup again.

"This deal will benefit us both greatly."

She lifted the cup and took another calm sip.

Then she placed it back on the saucer.

Click.

The faint sound of porcelain touching porcelain seemed strangely loud in the quiet room.

Too ordinary.

Too peaceful.

Only moments ago, Oliver had moved with such terrifying speed that Brinda had barely understood what was happening before the blade was already against her throat.

Now, that same woman sat across from her with a peaceful smile.

She was drinking tea.

She looked completely relaxed.

As if the threat had never happened.

That bothered Brinda more than the blade itself.

She slowly settled back into her chair.

Her breathing remained steady, though her body was still tense beneath the calm expression she wore.

Her long purple hair slipped over one shoulder.

She didn’t bother moving it.

Her purple eyes remained fixed on Felberta.

There was no reason to show fear.

Fear was useful only when the person standing opposite you didn’t already know you were afraid.

Felberta clearly knew.

Brinda had no intention of giving her anything more.

Several steps behind Felberta stood Oliver.

The old butler looked completely composed.

His back was straight.

His hands rested behind him.

His face was unreadable.

He might as well have been standing there during an ordinary afternoon tea.

But Brinda couldn’t forget what had just happened.

She hadn’t seen him move.

Not even a glimpse.

One moment, she had been sitting comfortably.

The next, cold steel had been resting against her throat.

That single memory was enough to keep every instinct in her body screaming at her to stay alert.

Brinda had survived enough dangerous situations to recognize overwhelming strength when she encountered it.

She was Lord Victor’s subordinate.

Eon was as well.

Neither of them had reached their current positions by being careless.

They had fought powerful enemies before.

They had walked into situations where one wrong decision could mean death.

But Oliver was different.

He had displayed his strength so casually that Brinda couldn’t even estimate how deep his abilities truly went.

She lowered her gaze for a moment.

Her fingers slowly closed around her teacup.

The porcelain was warm against her skin.

Normally, the warmth would have been comforting.

Right now, it did nothing.

Her mind was already working through every possibility.

Felberta knew her true identity.

More importantly, she knew the name Brinda had abandoned a long time ago.

That was not something she could overlook.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

There was no way it could be.

Yet Felberta was sitting across from her as if the two of them were nothing more than business partners discussing a profitable arrangement.

No threats.

No accusations.

No questions about the past.

Just tea.

And that smile.

Brinda didn’t trust it.

Not for a second.

She lifted the cup and took a small sip.

The tea was faintly bitter.

She almost laughed.

Of all things, that seemed strangely appropriate.

Her eyes returned to Felberta.

Why had she revealed that name?

Why had she allowed Brinda to live?

Why had Oliver stopped?

If Felberta had wanted her dead, she already had the perfect opportunity.

There would have been no struggle.

No warning.

No chance to fight back.

But Brinda was still alive.

She was still sitting in the same chair.

And Felberta was still talking about a deal.

That meant there was a reason.

Brinda simply didn’t know what it was yet.

She lowered the teacup slowly.

Her expression remained calm.

Inside, however, her thoughts were moving faster than ever.

Felberta hadn’t attacked her to kill her.

She had attacked to remind her of the difference between them.

A warning.

A demonstration.

Or perhaps something even more deliberate.

Brinda couldn’t tell.

And that uncertainty was dangerous.

She leaned back slightly and crossed one leg over the other.

There was no point allowing her unease to control her.

Lord Victor had taught her better than that.

If the woman across from her wanted to play a game, then Brinda would play along.

At least until she understood the rules.

Felberta’s smile widened just a little.

"So?"

Her voice was soft.

"Shall we continue?"

Brinda looked directly into her eyes.

For a moment, neither woman spoke.

Then Brinda gave a small, polite smile of her own.

"Of course."

Her voice was steady.

"Let’s continue."

Felberta’s words echoed again in her mind.

There was something unnervingly confident about her.

Not arrogance.

Confidence.

The kind possessed by someone who had already considered every possible outcome and found none of them particularly frightening.

Brinda glanced toward Oliver.

He remained motionless.

A butler.

That was all his appearance suggested.

But appearances were often the most dangerous lies in the world.

Brinda quietly reminded herself of something else.

She was not alone.

If Felberta and Oliver killed her here, they would have to deal with the consequences.

Lord Victor had left behind more than enough strength to make that a terrible decision.

Eon was still in the city.

The Redcliffes remained connected to the administration.

Videl and Lane were not people ordinary enemies could casually ignore.

And the citizens of New Fantom would certainly notice if something happened to Victor’s trusted secretary.

Brinda’s shoulders relaxed by the smallest amount.

She had options.

Perhaps not good ones.

But options nonetheless.

Felberta seemed to notice the subtle change in her expression.

The woman’s smile didn’t disappear.

If anything, it became slightly more amused.

Brinda wondered whether she had seen through her thoughts.

Probably.

That was another problem.

Still, Brinda refused to back down.

She placed her teacup on the table.

"So what kind of deal, do you want to make?"

Her voice was composed.

At the same time, she subtly began gathering mana.

There was no obvious movement.

No grand gesture.

No visible spell circle.

Brinda had learned long ago that the best spell was often the one the enemy didn’t realize was being prepared.

She began constructing several delayed spells within her mana channels.

Slowly.

Carefully.

One layer at a time.

If things went wrong, she would need something ready.

Not an attack.

Not yet.

Something defensive.

Something that could buy her a few seconds.

A few seconds could mean everything when facing someone like Oliver.

Felberta didn’t seem to notice.

Or perhaps she noticed and simply didn’t care.

She lifted her cup and took another leisurely drink.

"It’s not something that big or anything."

The words were almost casual.

Felberta crossed one leg over the other beneath the table and leaned back slightly.

"I just want to start a little business here."