This wasn’t easy to answer. We could definitely serve everyone their favorite kind of tea, but the whole idea behind today’s party was different than a usual afternoon at the Sky Salon. It was Lady Sakura’s first day as an official member. It would be best to serve something fit for the occasion.
“Indeed. Would you mind if I take a glance at the list?”
“Go right ahead.”
Sara took the inventory check sheet from Kirara and gave it a once-over before nodding. “I see. You’re thinking of serving this to everyone, aren’t you?”
She pointed to the variety of tea leaves Kirara had written at the very bottom of the inventory list. It was a second flush Darjeeling that had just recently arrived. Darjeeling was Lady Kagura’s favorite kind of black tea.
Kirara raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”
“First and foremost, you’re the one who ordered it, and the delivery date was only a few days ago. Compared to previous purchases, the volume was rather large. I can deduce that you were preparing in advance for the possibility of my mistress joining the salon—and a party like this being thrown.”
“Right. Uhm, I guess I’ll give you credit for your attention to detail. Still, we can’t decide based on that alone, right? Lady Sakura might want to drink something else.”
“No, I think it’s fine. As of today, she’s not a guest, but a member of the salon. Her first cup of tea here should be the same as everyone else’s so she can feel like part of a community. That particular variety is a favorite of Lady Kagura’s, I assume. If everyone partakes of it, it emphasizes who the leader is while fostering a sense of belonging. Also, serving everyone the same drink will drastically reduce the time it takes to prepare it. It’s important to serve the tea as efficiently as possible and to serve everyone at the same time. A table with nothing on it feels frightfully desolate, and any individuals who receive their drink late might feel uncomfortable, putting a damper on what’s supposed to be an enjoyable event.”
Sara continued, “If an individual does have a strong preference, it’s perfectly fine for them to receive that as their second drink. A similar approach can be applied to the sweets. For today, we should aim to serve large plates with enough for everyone to share. The ladies’ individual Seraphs can do the work of taking the portions and putting them onto smaller plates. This also aids in ensuring everyone has a sense of common ground and—”
Before Sara could even finish, Kirara growled in frustration and said, “Fine. Yes, you got basically everything right. I bet you think that’s cute.”
An innocent smile spread across Sara’s face. “I’m relieved. I actually wasn’t entirely confident. After all, harmony isn’t emphasized as strongly in Britain as it is in Japan. Everyone being served the same thing is more of a Japanese custom, I believe.”
“Pretty much. Don’t you dare think the plan was just to force everyone to follow Lady Kagura’s preferences, though. I took Lady Sakura’s taste into account as well.”
“I can see what you mean. My mistress is rather fond of Darjeeling, and she’s said that she finds all kinds of Japanese sweets delicious. I think what you’ve chosen should definitely satisfy her.”
“Of course it will. That’s the power of research!” She added a self-satisfied chuckle.
“Most impressive. I wouldn’t have expected you to get such a firm handle on Lady Sakura’s tastes in such a short period of time.”
Kirara fell silent for a moment; getting such frank praise from Sara left her with a slightly sour expression.
“I’m not stupid, you know. I listened to every word you told us about her and committed the details to memory. Obviously, that let me figure out some of her likes and dislikes.”
“Indeed!” Sara replied with a nod. “Though even if it was based on my remarks, remembering it all and putting it into action is still most impressive. I must say that on a personal level, I’m thoroughly overjoyed that you, Lady Kagura, and all the other members have been so welcoming toward my mistress. Thank you.”
Sara’s smile made her look so carefree. Talking about Lady Sakura seemed to give her a kind of childlike openness.
All of this seemed to have caught Kirara off guard. Her voice sounded a little shrill as she replied, “No need to say thank you. What else were you expecting? Now, we’d better not leave the ladies waiting.”
“How shall we organize ourselves?”
“Good question. How about this: I’ll arrange the tea set while you boil the water and warm the teapots. You can also bring the leaves over. Misaki, you focus on the sweets.”
“Jolly good.”
“Will do!”
After enthusiastically agreeing, the three of us set about getting everything ready.
It felt slightly odd for us all to be here. When I’d first met Kirara at the entrance ceremony, she’d been pretty antagonistic toward me. Then we’d become friends, but she’d developed a rivalry with Sara—who was now here with us too. Who’d have expected it to end up like this?
Personally, I was overjoyed. I couldn’t help chuckling quietly to myself as I watched Kirara and Sara working side by side.
“What are you laughing at, Misaki?” Kirara asked, bearing down on me. “Are you finished with your job?”
“Quite,” Sara agreed, doing the same. “If you shirk your duties, it will only lower your own standing.”