On a clear afternoon, I sat at a table in the backyard, having been summoned by Nebula and Illness-san. Apparently, they were set to unveil their latest creation today.
They had made something new once again. I wondered what it could be this time. Glassware? Or perhaps it was related to the fact that several unfamiliar trees had appeared in the backyard recently.
"Master, thank you for waiting!" Nebula chirped.
"Don't worry about it. So, about this new project..."
"Yes. Here it is," Illness-san said.
"...Um, is this... milk tea?"
Illness-san set a teacup before me, filled with a liquid that certainly looked like milk tea. A sweet, gentle aroma wafted from it. I didn't drink milk tea very often, but the scent alone was enough to convince me that this was undoubtedly delicious.
"It is Royal Milk Tea," she explained.
"I see... Sorry, I’m a bit ignorant about this. What's the difference between standard milk tea and Royal Milk Tea?"
I had a vague impression that the "Royal" version was more high-class, but I didn't know the specific details.
Nebula gave a small nod and offered an explanation.
"Standard milk tea consists of milk mixed into Black Tea that has been extracted with hot water. In contrast, Royal Milk Tea is made by first letting the tea leaves open with a small amount of hot water, then extracting the flavor using milk."
"I see..."
So, to put it very simply, milk tea was tea with milk added, while Royal Milk Tea was milk-based tea.
I decided to take a sip before it grew cold. The rich flavor of the milk blended perfectly with the notes of the Black Tea. It was an incredibly gentle, soothing taste that nearly made me let out a content sigh.
"...It's delicious. I haven't had much Royal Milk Tea before, but I didn't realize it could be this good."
"Kuhihi, that is also largely due to the influence of the Tea Leaves Specialized for Royal Milk Tea that Nebula created."
"Exactly! These new tea leaves I made achieve their peak flavor when extracted with milk suited for Royal Milk Tea. Usually, one must use hot water to open the leaves before milk extraction, but these leaves can be extracted using only milk, even at low temperatures. If one wished, they could even make cold Royal Milk Tea with them!"
"That sounds like quite the impressive tea. You really are amazing, Nebula."
"Well, I am the Absolute One, after all!"
I lightly patted Nebula's head as she puffed out her chest, then went back to my drink. So, they were Tea Leaves Specialized for Royal Milk Tea. Furthermore, it seemed they could be extracted under conditions that would normally be difficult.
The tea sounded incredible just from her description, but Nebula was a Spirit, so I assumed she was capable of things like plant breeding and modification. Given how talented she was, it wouldn't be strange for her to create an entirely new variety of tea.
"These really are interesting tea leaves. Since they are specialized for Royal Milk Tea, if you try to extract them with water instead, they actually end up with a strange taste. They truly are Tea Leaves Specialized for Royal Milk Tea. Milady also enjoys the drink, so I intend to have her sample some later."
"...I see. But if the tea is this good, won't Ein-san and the others want some too?"
"I've already accounted for that. I made a large supply in advance, so I can accommodate anyone who wants some. I'll give Master a few cans as well, so please feel free to give them to anyone interested."
"I understand. Thank you, Nebula."
I suspected Ein-san would be delighted, and Jutia-san, who loved her tea, would likely want some as well. For now, I decided I would personally deliver some to those two.
Serious-senpai: "I have a feeling these are tea leaves that simply didn't exist before... well, Nebula is amazing, so she probably did some selective breeding or something... Sigh, look at this Doting Parent Mode. His judgment is always lax whenever Nebula makes something."
???: "I hope this Royal Milk Tea doesn't end up burning a hole in Lilia-san's stomach."