Chapter 2

Before long, three tea samples, coded and unmarked, were brought in.

I didn't rush to taste. Instead, I turned to Laura. "To ensure fairness, let's each write down our notes. No talking, so we don't throw each other off. Deal?"

A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but she smoothed it over with a gentle smile. "I'll do as you say, Jules."

I picked up my pen and started with the first sample.

The liquid hit my palate, and I knew at once this was Mistveil Tea, an extremely rare rock tea that grew on shaded cliff faces, seldom seeing direct sun.

Its profile was unmistakable—a cool, mineral spring clarity and a distinct mossy note, like damp stone after rain.

I jotted down my impressions quickly, but deliberately left out the most telling note, the moss aroma. Then, I moved on to the second sample, then the third.

For each one, I wrote 70% of the profile, keeping the remaining most crucial points to myself. Once I was done, I folded the paper and handed it to Dad.

Almost at the same time, Laura finished as well. She wore a confident smile.

Dad unfolded my notes first and read them aloud. "Tea No. 1, prominent orchid fragrance, strong rocky flavor… Not bad. It's quite detailed."

He nodded, then picked up Laura's. "Tea No. 1, orchid aroma, solid rock charm, and… a distinctive mossy note. This is Mistveil Tea."

The moment those words landed, the whole room stirred.

Dad shot to his feet, excitement rising. "Laura, you actually identified Mistveil Tea! That's a rare cultivar that even I can't pick out easily!"

Liam threw me a smug look, his eyes practically spelling out, "You lost."

I didn't react.

So, it appeared it wasn't what I wrote on the paper that Laura was copying. What was it, then? My expressions? My minor movements?

For my second experiment, I changed the setup.

"This time, we taste in a separate room, back to back," I suggested. "We send our notes straight to Dad's phone."

It was an odd request, but Dad, eager to prove how fair he was, readily agreed.

Laura and I were led into two adjacent tasting rooms. This time, the tea placed before me was a rare aged dark tea.

I composed my tasting notes in my head, then typed them out on my phone. This time, I held nothing back, sending every layer and detail of the palate to Dad.

However, just a second before I hit send, I deleted the part about the medicinal note melting into camphor. At this level of detail, unless one had actually tasted it, there was no way to land on it by guesswork alone.

At least that was what I was betting on.

The results were then announced. My notes were rated "Excellent", while Laura's were rated "Perfect".

The reason was that in her description, there was the exact line I deleted about the medicinal and camphor notes weaving together. She even added one more sentence.

"It's like catching the scent of time itself, settling deep inside an old wooden chest."

That line was exactly what I had written in my private notes back in my previous life, the first time I tasted this tea. In that instant, the killing intent in me nearly consumed me.

Could Laura read my memories? My thoughts?

This experiment had failed too.

And with every failure, Liam's accusations grew more blatant and cutting.

"Have you had enough, Juliana? You challenged Laura time after time just to humiliate yourself! Maybe you don't care about losing face, but the Whites and Fords do!"

Mom and Dad's gazes shifted from that initial flicker of expectation to complete disappointment.

"Just stop, Juliana," Dad said, weariness seeping into his voice. "Don't make another scene. Why can't you act like a generous elder sister for once and take pride in your sister's gift?"

Mom's eyes even reddened.

Laura tugged timidly at my sleeve, tears shimmering in her eyes, her voice soft and trembling. "Jules, do you hate me? If my being here makes you unhappy, I can leave the family. I don't need anything else…"

Liam stepped in at once, soothing her, throwing me a vicious glance from the side. "Oh, don't cry, Laura. You're not the one who should leave!"

The more Laura put on that act, the more Liam's and my parents' hearts ached for her, and the more unbearable I became in their eyes.

"Enough!" Dad barked, tapping his cane against the floor. "This family tea-tasting event ends here."

He turned to Laura, his expression and tone softening at once. "Get some rest, Laura. Focus on preparing for the upcoming Crimson Wyrm Tasting."

As Laura left, Mom and Liam followed without a second thought.

I was particularly disappointed in Mom because she seemed to see me, the daughter she had carried for nine months, as no more than a stranger. She didn't spare me even a word of concern.

A bitter smile curled at my lips. I looked up at Dad and spoke first. "I know what to do, Dad."

After a long pause, he sighed. "Go on, then."