She was led to a backyard where chairs and tables with cups and other utensils sat waiting for them. Some women were already seated, seemingly anticipating their arrival, with a maid standing at each table, each holding a jug.
Lilith nearly rolled her eyes at the princess-like setting but held back, not wanting to draw attention to herself and risk ruining her chances of escape. She might be bad at reading people, but one thing was clear: none of them liked her. They were pretending, likely for Zayd's sake. And it seemed they hadn't bought into the introduction he gave them.
"I hope you don't mind tea? We women usually set ourselves aside to bask in our own company," said the lady who had led Lilith in, prompting her to force a smile and turn to face her.
"It is alright," Lilith replied, though inwardly, she couldn't wait to leave their circle. This was the 2000s for goodness's sake, who still drank tea at events in this era? She couldn't understand the way wealthy people thought, they truly lived in a world of their own.
"Here, have your seat." Gesturing toward a chair, the woman encouraged, and Lilith took her place.
"I just had these tea plants imported recently. I hope you all don't mind sharing them with me," the older woman from earlier said, earning polite smiles from everyone. Lilith noted the respect they all seemed to have for her despite her age. She had no idea what role the woman held in the family, but it was obvious she was important. Her smile was the brightest of them all, yet something told Lilith to be wary. People like that always had something hiding behind their charm.
"Why would we ever refuse such tea plants from you? You care so much for us," one of the women said, and they all broke into laughter that left Lilith confused. What was so funny about that?
Placing a hand over her chest, the older woman replied, "You flatter me." Then she added, "We will all be served different teas and share our thoughts on them," prompting the maids to step forward and pour tea from the jugs they carried.
Lilith scrunched her nose as the bitter aroma hit her. She could already tell from the smell that it would be unbearable.
"Now please, drink," the older woman instructed, and everyone raised their cups. Hesitating, Lilith stared into hers, debating whether to secretly discard it or endure the bitter taste. Glancing at the others, she saw they had all sipped from their cups, so with a deep, frustrated sigh, she picked up hers. The moment the liquid touched her lips, she clenched her fists and widened her eyes, barely managing to keep from spitting it out.
How could tea taste so bitter? She could never serve such tea to her enemy, it was torturous.
"Let's all share our reviews now. How does it taste?" The older woman asked, and the women began offering their opinions. While they did, Lilith tore her gaze away from the gathering and scanned her surroundings, resuming her silent mission to escape. There were only two exits, the left, which led back to the hall they came from and the right. Where could that lead?
There was a chance it led further into the mansion or luckily outside. But if she took the risk and got caught, she might be accused of trying to steal, if not outright attempting to escape, which would only make things worse. Zayd would never forgive her for humiliating him. Escaping this place was turning out to be harder than she had imagined.
Unbeknownst to her, several eyes were fixed on her, waiting for her review.
"Hmm!" Lilith snapped out of her thoughts at the third tap from the maid.
Redirecting her gaze back to the gathering, she swallowed hard when she saw their intense stares and quickly forced a smile.
"You are the only one left. Your review?" The maid said, and she muttered, "Ahh!" Then cleared her throat and continued, "It's quite smooth and has this bitter… I mean, healthy taste to it." The room fell awkwardly silent. Their stares lingered, making her wonder if she had said something wrong.
"Alright. Now that we have tried it without a sweetener, let us taste it with one and see the difference," the older woman finally spoke, breaking the silence and drawing a quiet sigh of relief from Lilith.
'That was so weird,' she thought to herself.
"No, I am allergic to honey, sugar is fine," Rose said, drawing Lilith's attention. It was her first time hearing of someone allergic to honey, but then again, Rose's life was bitter enough. Lilith shuddered at the memory from two days ago and if Zayd hadn't intervened in time, Rose would have beaten her to death. Just thinking about that day gave her chills. She needed to leave the pack house before she was six feets deep into the ground.
"Sugar or honey?" Lilith's maid asked.
"Anyone is fine," she replied with a smile, then turned her gaze back toward the exits, not even bothering to check what was added to her tea.
"Lady Lilith," the older woman called, but this time Lilith wasn't too lost in thought. She quickly picked up her cup and drank. Thankfully, it was sweet now, making it easier to sip.
"It's so refreshing and has a soothing taste. Feels like something I would drink during a rainy season," she said, and the room burst into laughter, this time seemingly amused by her remark.
"I am glad you love it," the older woman said, and Lilith sighed again in relief. So that's all it took to please them? It wasn't so hard after all but still, this lifestyle wasn't one she was drawn to.
"Hey, can I taste your tea?" Rose, now standing in front of her, asked. Lilith found the request suspicious but didn't question it and gave a small nod.
"Thank you," Rose said warmly, then picked up Lilith's cup which caught her off guard. She had expected Rose to pour herself a fresh cup, not drink directly from hers.
Suddenly, Rose screamed and collapsed, sending the entire group into a frenzy. Lilith froze, her eyes widening as she watched Rose's face begin to swell rapidly.
"I have been poisoned! What did you do to me, Lilith?!" Rose shouted, and gasps echoed around the yard as every gaze snapped toward Lilith.