The porcelain cup was still warm in his hand.
Noel set it back down on the saucer with deliberate calm, his expression unreadable, even as the aftershock of the Ashen Sigil's activation lingered in the back of his mind.
Six seconds ago, he had taken a sip.
Now, the cup was untouched.
Across the desk, Professor Lereus continued as if nothing had happened.
"Someone with your profile could benefit greatly from this arrangement," he said smoothly. "And I imagine you wouldn't mind a little early access to restricted material from the upper years."
Noel leaned back slightly in his chair, body relaxed, hands resting loosely on his lap.
Inside, he was anything but calm. He was cataloguing everything.
Lereus's tone.
The temperature of the tea.
The fact that his eyes hadn't drifted even once toward the cup since offering it.
'Whatever was in that tea… it wasn't meant to help me. But it was disguised to look like it would.'
Noel allowed himself a faint smile.
