Princess Tiffany stared down at the pale green liquid in her cup. The color drained from her beautiful face. She looked like she was about to faint from sheer terror.
"What's wrong? Is the tea not to your liking?" Quinn asked, looking a bit confused and hurt.
He was actually quite proud of this tea. He had planted the bushes himself. He had harvested the leaves himself. He had even roasted them himself. The System had even awarded him the title "Grandmaster of Tea Arts" for his efforts.
Although this specific pot was brewed by the Smart Home's automated tea maker, the recipe was programmed by Quinn. The taste should be identical to his hand-brewed masterpiece.
"No! No, not at all!" Princess Tiffany shook her head frantically, terrified that she might offend this unpredictable expert.
Her hand, still holding the cup, trembled violently.
It wasn't that the tea was bad. It was that the cup didn't contain tea. It contained Pure Spirit Liquid.
When spiritual energy becomes dense enough, it condenses into liquid form. A single drop contains enough power to level a city block. And here she was, holding a full cup of the stuff.
Princess Tiffany couldn't imagine how much power was packed into this drink. She didn't dare to take a sip. If she drank this, her mortal body wouldn't just "break through." It would be unable to contain the massive surge of energy.
She would literally explode. Like a blood-filled balloon.
Next to her, Chloe saw her mistress hesitating and naturally didn't dare to move her own cup.
"Young Master... we... we actually aren't big tea drinkers," Princess Tiffany lied, forcing a strained smile.
"Is that so?" Quinn rubbed his chin, looking at their expensive clothes and then at the rejected tea.
Picky eaters, huh?
"Alright then. How about some fruit?"
Quinn didn't push it. He walked to the kitchen counter and returned with a bowl of purple grapes, placing it in front of the two women.
Phew. Princess Tiffany let out a long, silent sigh of relief.
Finally, something normal, she thought.
"Thank you, Young Master."
She reached out with her slender fingers, picked up a single grape, and popped it into her mouth with practiced elegance.
"Hmm?"
The moment she bit down, her eyes widened.
Splash.
Sweet, refreshing juice exploded in her mouth. The flavor was incredible! It was crisp, fragrant, and sweeter than honey.
Princess Tiffany had never tasted a grape this delicious in her entire life. Compared to this divine fruit, every grape she had ever eaten in the Royal Palace tasted like cardboard.
"This is amazing!" Tiffany couldn't help but scream.
Next to her, Chloe had completely surrendered to the flavor. Her hands were moving in a blur, popping grapes into her mouth one after another like a machine.
Seeing her maid's speed, Princess Tiffany abandoned all dignity. To hell with royal etiquette. She started double-fisting the grapes, terrified that Chloe would finish them all.
"Chloe! Slow down! Leave some for your Mistress!" Tiffany shouted, panic in her voice.
"Mmph... Miss... you definitely ate more than me!" Chloe retorted, her mouth full, purple juice dripping down her chin.
Quinn stood there, dumbfounded.
It's just a bowl of grapes. Is it really that serious? Does this world not have fruit? Or are they just starving refugees in disguise?
Under the fierce competition between mistress and maid, the bowl was polished off in record time. In the heat of battle, they didn't even spit out the skins or seeds. They swallowed everything.
Quinn stared speechlessly at the two women, whose faces were covered in sticky purple juice.
It was only then that Princess Tiffany snapped back to reality. She realized she had just eaten like a starving pig in front of the handsome expert. Her face flushed bright red, matching the juice on her lips. She wanted to crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment.
"I... I made a fool of myself," Tiffany stammered, lowering her head. "I'm sorry, Young Master. I've just... I've never tasted grapes this incredible before."
Quinn laughed awkwardly. "No worries, no worries. I'm glad you liked them."
Rich girls have weird hobbies, he thought.
"Miss..."
Suddenly, Chloe spoke up, her voice trembling. "My tummy feels hot."
Princess Tiffany turned to look at her maid and gasped. Chloe's face had turned the color of a boiled lobster. And even more alarming—white steam was literally rising from the top of her head, puffing out like a tea kettle.
"Chloe! What's wrong?" Tiffany grabbed her maid's shoulders, panic rising in her chest.
"I... I feel a heat rushing through my body! It's like energy is exploding inside me!" Chloe gasped, breathing heavily, her eyes wide with panic. "I can't hold it back!"
Whoosh.
Chloe jumped up and started sprinting around the room. She ran faster. And faster. And faster. Her feet were moving so fast they were practically a blur. She looked like a hamster on a wheel that had lost its brakes.
Princess Tiffany was shocked. "Did Chloe just... successfully awaken her Spirit? Did she become a cultivator?"
Quinn, on the other hand, was bewildered.
What is wrong with this girl? Did she take steroids? Or some ancient version of Adderall? Do I need to give her a urine test for doping?
Before Chloe could finish her laps, Princess Tiffany's body started reacting too.
Poof.
More white steam erupted from the top of the Princess's head. A wave of rich, powerful energy surged from deep within her core.
"This is..." Tiffany was stunned.
She had just broken through from the Mid-Stage to the Late-Stage of the Spirit Awakening Realm. But now? The momentum wasn't stopping. She felt herself charging straight toward the Peak Stage.
Finally, Chloe skidded to a halt. Waves of spiritual fluctuation rolled off the little maid's body.
Tiffany stared at her, jaw dropping. "Chloe... did you just enter the Spirit Awakening Realm?"
Chloe looked blankly at her hands. "I... I don't know, Miss."
Princess Tiffany grabbed Chloe's wrist to check her pulse. The result nearly gave the Princess a heart attack. It wasn't just the entry level. Chloe was already at Spirit Awakening Mid-Stage.
Tiffany felt dizzy. Chloe had zero talent for cultivation before this. And now she's a Mid-Stage cultivator in the blink of an eye?
Her gaze slowly turned toward the empty bowl on the table.
The Grapes.
It was the grapes. It had to be the grapes!
Princess Tiffany looked at Quinn with burning admiration. She immediately bowed deeply, a gesture of utmost submission.
"Thank you for this incredible gift, Exalted High One!"
Quinn scratched his head, looking around the empty room.
High One? Who? Me? I mean... I'm like 5'10" on a good day. I wouldn't exactly call myself "High" or "Tall." Average, maybe.
Seeing Quinn's confused reaction, Princess Tiffany's heart skipped a beat. She instantly remembered Big Fuzz's warning: Treat him like an ordinary person.
Crap! I almost blew his cover!
"I... I apologize! I misspoke!" Tiffany stammered.
Quinn, of course, didn't care. He just thought she was weird.
"I have imposed on you today, Young Master," Tiffany said softly. "I cannot repay your kindness with mere words, so please, accept this."
Princess Tiffany reached her hand deep into the front of her robe, right near her chest.
Quinn jumped back, waving his hands frantically. "Whoa, whoa! Lady! We just met! Keep your clothes on!"
But instead of lingerie, she pulled out a heavy, shining Golden Token.
Quinn's eyes instantly lit up. Like lightbulbs.
Gold? Solid gold?! Jackpot! This girl is absolutely loaded!
His internal radar pinged loudly: SUGAR. MOMMA.
However, Quinn forced himself to look humble. He waved his hands again.
"No, no, I couldn't possibly! This is way too valuable! You guys just ate a few grapes. It's not worth this much!"
"Young Master, you must accept it!" Tiffany insisted, pushing the token toward him.
Quinn sighed deeply, putting on an Oscar-worthy performance of reluctance. "Well... if you insist."
He took the gold token. Inside? He was doing the moonwalk.
"Tell you what," Quinn said, tucking the gold safely into his pocket. "Since you're so generous, feel free to come back for grapes anytime. Seriously, swing by whenever. I have tons of them. I can't eat them fast enough—they're practically rotting on the vine."
Princess Tiffany's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Rotting on the vine? Tons of them? These are Divine Spirit Fruits!
This represents a level of wealth I can't even comprehend, she thought, humbled. But then, a wave of joy washed over her.
Quinn's words were more valuable than the grapes themselves.
"Come back anytime."
That was an invitation! She had successfully established a connection with a god.