The tea restaurant soon introduced a dessert set themed around elves: frosty maple sugar, citrus maple flower tea, green vine cookies, refreshing fruit drinks, and blue hawk egg tarts.
Aside from the green vine cookies, for which Ina slightly modified the recipe by adding half the amount of flour for a finer texture and a bit of sugar to cater to human taste, and the entirely original blue hawk egg tarts, the rest were daily elf foods. The set, priced at 5 gold coins — over ten times the price of similar sets — was quickly snapped up by nobles and merchants.
Knowing that Ina's green vine cookies would be sold to humans in the big city, Atelika took the initiative to solve the issue of what random elven-themed gift to give to customers.
She caught Ina's hand and a thin vine climbed up Ina's arm, wrapping around her wrist to form a bracelet. The vine was a light green with bell-shaped flowers so white they were almost transparent, their stamens a pure gold, adding a touch of elegance to the simple vine bracelet.
Ina toyed with the tiny flowers. Surprisingly, the almost transparent and seemingly delicate petals were unexpectedly resilient, and the slender flower stalk firmly secured the bloom to the vine. The vine didn't feel prickly to the touch, but rather like cotton thread.
This might indeed serve as a suitable gift. However, Ina still asked Atelika for clarification, "How long can this vine bracelet maintain its state?"
Atelika revealed a row of small, white teeth, "That depends on how much magic I use when I make it. Each one is different. I like it when things are different!"
In the end, the vine bracelets became one of the random gifts, worn by customers who visited Dragon Flame Restaurant or Dragon Flame Tea Restaurant in the White Silver Empire.
---
John hurried into the tax office carrying a food box. The box was simply marked with a flame emblem. If there had been anyone in the office who had visited Dragon Flame Tea Restaurant, they would have instantly recognized the take-out box.
but, no one gave him a second glance; his two colleagues were engrossed in their documents. It was tea time at the tax office, and employees could enjoy tea and pastries but were not permitted to leave their seats for a long period, for instance, to dine at Dragon Flame Tea Restaurant located just around the corner. But John had placed his order at the Dragon Flame Tea Restaurant that morning, and a mechanized bee had just delivered his favorite grape oolong fruit tea and matcha bicolored squares right on time.
John had tirelessly tried to introduce his two colleagues to the Dragon Flame Tea Restaurant's afternoon tea, to no avail. Until today, when John, eyes fixed on his coworker's arm, spotted something on the wrist of their usually stern and statue-like colleague, Oriel.
A translucent vine bracelet with flowers woven from golden threads!
"Oriel, you must have been to the Dragon Flame Tea Restaurant," John said.
Oriel shook his head, "I haven't."
Pointing at the bracelet on his wrist, John said, "This type of bracelet is given out only with the purchase of the Elven-themed set from the Dragon Flame Tea Restaurant. Don't tell me you found it on the street."
The vine bracelet had become a trending accessory among the upper-class nobility. It appeared delicate and elegant, yet though a plant, it maintained a flawless state, like metal. It wouldn't lose a petal due to friction or collision, but it could suddenly shatter and dissipate at an unforeseen moment, like bubbles under the sun.
These characteristics of the vine bracelet catered to humans' fascination with elves. Many noblewomen believed that wearing such a bracelet for an extended period would make them elegant and otherworldly like elves, influenced by its magic.
"I have indeed never visited Dragon Flame Tea Restaurant, but my wife is a frequent patron. She ordered me to wear this bracelet," Oriel calmly explained, adjusting the glasses on his nose.
This left John even more puzzled, "What use does wearing it serve you?" Could it be that his methodical colleague also yearned for elven traits, believed in those widely circulated rumors, and thought he could absorb elven magic from the vine bracelet?
"Perhaps, my wife decided she would be happier seeing me become more like an elf than changing herself," Oriel suggested.
In reality, ever since Oriel started wearing the Vine bracelet, he felt he had indeed been influenced. Not in terms of appearance or temperament, but in his dreams each night.
Through the morning mist, Oriel saw seeds breaking through the soil, sprouting tender leaves. Trees swayed in the breeze, leaves shifting from light to dark. The aroma of fresh vegetation filled the air, imbued with vibrant life. Breathing alone made him feel relaxed, as though he was about to become a cloud in the wind.
Sometimes, he would dream of a river flowing through the day and night. Drawing close to the babbling stream, crystal-clear droplets sprang up, glittering gold under the sunlight filtering through the trees. Along the riverbank, vibrant wildflowers bloomed in great swathes, standing guard over the gushing river alongside low shrubs and tangled grass. In the distance, mountains stood silent, their outlines blurred.
These dreamscapes salvaged Oriel's precarious sleep, providing temporary respite from the persistent dark circles under his eyes. Yet, Oriel had no direct evidence that the vine bracelet could improve sleep. Being a meticulous person, he hadn't shared this with anyone, except his wife. However, his wife frequented Dragon Flame Tea Restaurant even more in hopes of obtaining another bracelet before this bracelet fade away.
Oriel didn't believe he was the only one who had discovered this secret about the vine bracelet, yet he heard nothing. Everyone seemed to tacitly guard this secret, preventing potential competitors from finding out.
John's other colleague, Owen, hailed from an ancient noble family and retained the unchanging habits of traditional nobility. He never consumed desserts or teas from outside shops. Every day at this time, his servant would deliver afternoon tea made by the family chef.
John quietly asked Oriel, "Has Owen's chef quit?"
"Why would you say that?" Oriel asked, confused. Owen's afternoon tea had arrived on time today as usual.
John lowered his voice, "Even though the food box is the one Owen usually uses, it contains vine biscuits and a refreshing fruit drink. I can't be mistaken. Even if someone mimicked the vine biscuits, they couldn't replicate the refreshing fruit drink."
The refreshing taste, like a blend of pudding and fruit juice, with the natural flavor of the fruit, was impossible for others to imitate.
Owen, overhearing their conversation, paused slightly. Damn it, he had specifically asked for ordinary-looking pastries!
----
That day was a Friday, and Ina was planning to return to the Silver capital City. Looking worriedly at Atelika, she suggested, "Should I ask someone to come and keep you company?"
Atelika shook her head, "I can manage on my own. I'm used to it."
"You're not asking me to take you along?" Ina knew how curious Atelika was about the outside world, but she had never made such a request.
"Wouldn't that put you in a difficult position?" Atelika responded thoughtfully, making one's heart ache for her.
Ina could only say, "If it wasn't for Alfred, I could really take you out to have fun for a few days."
The way she spoke of Alfred was quite familiar, leaving Atelika somewhat puzzled. "You seem to know Alfred, and you seem to know a lot about elves and tree lords."
Ina winked slyly, "Didn't you see me in the memories of other tree lords? I used to live in the Silver Leaf Forest for a long time."
"You were one of those humans?!"
Ina left Atelika with this bombshell, allowing her to ponder alone on how a human could change into a black dragon. And regretting not asking Ina where those humans she had been with had gone. Could they all have turned into giant dragons?