Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Ugh! Millie was taken aback.

It was just a casual remark; how could she know where she was lacking in professionalism?

Sure, she had crammed the night before, but it was a last-minute effort, and none of that information had really stuck in her brain.

Her eyes darted around as she tried to change the subject: "Right now, I'm the one asking you if you have a tea sommelier certification. Don't try to deflect."

"I'm here as your instructor, eager to listen to student feedback and clear up any confusion. Is there a problem? What do you mean by deflecting? If you're going to challenge my abilities, fine, but you need to back it up. I won't accept baseless accusations!" Faced with such a strong stance from Roseanne Cole, Millie felt a bit out of her depth.

As the surprised and suspicious glances of the others began to turn her way, she pursed her lips and instinctively straightened her back: "What you just mentioned wasn't entirely incorrect, but who among us doesn't know the basics of wine tasting?" "Even if we didn't, a quick Google search would make anyone sound like an expert."

"Tea sommeliers have different levels of certification, and obviously, the depth of their lectures varies. Did we really come here just to hear you talk about the basics?"

Some of the ladies were swayed by her argument and nodded in agreement-

"She's not wrong. Without a certification, how do we know where you're really from? What if you're just a poser trying to bluff your way through?"

"Exactly, there are so many scammers out there. Just show us your certificate to put us at ease. If you truly have one, it shouldn't be difficult, right?" Nola's expression had soured considerably.

Roseanne was her invitee, and questioning her was akin to questioning Nola herself.

While Nola was tense and angry, Silver was the picture of relaxation, leisurely sipping her wine, enjoying the drama unfolding.

This was proving to be an entertaining visit.

Despite not knowing Roseanne wellThis belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

and not really taking to her because of her looks, and manner-she

seemed aloof and

non-confrontational, which Silver just saw as pretentious. Like Nola, Roseanne rubbed Silver the wrong way.

She even felt a bit of schadenfreude, thinking if Roseanne couldn't produce that certificate, she'd be in a tight spot.

Roseanne, however, took the

crowd's reaction in stride, not

showi

g any sign of panic. In net

fact,

she even managed to shoot Nola a

reassuring look.

"If I present my tea sommelier certification, how do you plan to apologize for your baseless accusations and rudeness?"

Millie scoffed. "If you can actually show it, I'll apologize any way you want. How about that?"

"Deal," said Roseanne, ready for this challenge.

She signaled to a young girl t

door, dressed in a tailored outfit reminiscent of a vintage winery uniform, who quickly approached with small, measured steps.

Roseanne had given her bag and some other personal items for safekeeping upon arrival.

The girl smartly handed over the bag.

"Thank you," Roseanne said with a smile.

The girl blushed, murmuring a shy "You're welcome."

Anticipating a situation like this, Roseanne had placed her certification in a compartment of her bag beforehand.

The certifications, distinguishable by their color coding, were about to be revealed as she slowly unzipped her bag...