Let us now turn back time a bit, to before Azik activated the tea party invitation, and to when the first guest arrived.
Many might think the first person to arrive at the tea party would be someone with the closest relationship to Lynn, like the True Creator. However, when the host Lynn set up his easel, made tea for himself, and waited alone in this otherworldly space for his guests, the first person to appear at the end of the hallway was someone very familiar to Lynn—the Evernight Goddess, Amanises.
Unlike their last meeting, Amanises no longer had wolf ears on her head and her arms were just like any other human's, clearly in pure human form. However, she had also shrunk to the size of a seven or eight-year-old child.
In her child form, Amanises was about 1.2 meters tall(3'11 inch), not too tall but not too short either, dressed in a black dress and draped in a cloak, with a serious expression. Such a serious look on an adult would make her seem dignified, but on a child, it created a rather subtle feeling.
"Good morning, Amanises. Would you like some pastries?" Lynn's mood was evidently good. He waved at Amanises naturally, his attitude as casual as if it wasn't a cross-temporal meeting, nor a gathering about to include numerous gods and angels, but rather like inviting a good friend to a tea party.
Amanises was clearly taken aback. Before officially meeting Lynn, she had considered many possibilities in her mind and pondered what kind of person this individual who changed history and got involved in their fate would be, and what his intentions were in hosting this tea party.
But at this moment, Amanises suddenly felt that the simplest purpose of this tea party might indeed just be to invite a group of friends to gather.
Compared to Adam, the insidious conspirator, the Lynn before her seemed more like a child.
Thus, Amanises didn't know why she smiled. She quickened her pace to stand beside Lynn, and because of her small stature, her actions looked like a sped-up video.
"Good morning, Lynn. Or should I call you Libert?" Amanises said, glancing at the easel beside Lynn without asking much, then picked up a piece of pastry from the table in front of Lynn, examining it for a moment before uncertainly saying, "This seems to be... some kind of pastry?"
"My current name is indeed Libert Abraham," Lynn nodded, picking up a piece of pastry and popping it into his mouth, "That's right, it's peach blossom pastry. You can try it. My cooking skills are pretty good, and... now, besides me, there are probably few who can make peach blossom pastry anymore."
Lynn wasn't particularly fond of cooking, but thanks to his talent, his cooking was excellent.
Amanises clearly didn't think Lynn would tamper with the pastries, and she finished the small treat in a few bites, nodding seriously afterward, "The taste is indeed good, but it would be better if it were a bit sweeter."
"Heretic!" Lynn glanced at Amanises upon hearing this, then moved the plate of pastries away from her, clearly not planning to let the "heretic" enjoy any more.
Seeing this, Amanises was momentarily stunned before feeling amused. She then remarked, "I thought our first meeting would be more formal."
"Isn't this formal enough? In my meticulously crafted otherworldly space, at the beginning of a grand feast, you eat pastries that have long been lost to history and drink tea brewed by the host himself, discussing topics about time and fate with me. This scene could be written into the scriptures of any church..."
As Lynn spoke, he poured a cup of tea for Amanises. Then he drank his own cup in one gulp—not out of ceremony, but simply because he had eaten too many pastries and was feeling thirsty.
"Indeed, especially since the person speaking to me, the host of this tea party, is a very special existence who can ignore time."
Amanises seemed to agree with Lynn, sipping her tea lightly before saying, "Good tea, and it can't be found anywhere else."
Amanises could tell the pastries were real, but the tea was a historical projection or something similar.
"Can't help it. The atmosphere demanded it. Not serving Dragon Well tea would have been odd. Or do you prefer another type of tea?" Lynn said, looking at Amanises as if he hadn't understood her earlier hint.
"No need," Amanises shook her head. She then seemed to remember something and looked around at the surrounding buildings, admiring them as she said, "Honestly, when I first arrived here, I was startled, thinking I had returned to that era."
"Next time, I'll switch to a Western European style. That might give you a better sense of immersion," Lynn replied, pouring himself another cup of tea.
Amanises didn't respond, instead admiring the scenery for a while longer before turning to Lynn, "You seem to miss that era?"
The question seemed like a simple inquiry, but it also carried a hint of probing.
"Don't you miss it? Even though you are doing well now, having become one of the few Sequence 0s above all beings, and might even contend for the position of an Great Old One in the future, aren't you nostalgic?" Lynn looked at Amanises, his gaze not particularly sharp, but it gave a sense of being seen through.
Amanises avoided Lynn's eyes and then heard Lynn's somewhat youthful, slightly immature voice, "But we can't go back. Or rather, none of us can change the past. We can only accept the present and the future."
Amanises pursed her lips. She knew Lynn was answering the hidden question in her earlier words—if you miss that era so much, can you make it return? Can you change the past?
Lynn's answer was clearly negative.
At that moment, Amanises didn't know how to feel, whether it was relief or disappointment, or a mixture of both.
Just as she couldn't tell if she missed the past era because she liked it better, or if she was more attached to who she is now.
(End of Chapter)
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