The Iudex's day off

Chapter 24 - Tea

 Wriothesely's POV

 Unlike what I had expected, it took me well over two hours to get back to my office.

 I hope Neuvillette doesn't mind. 

 When I got up the stairs I realized...

 He probably didn't even notice.

 He was still in the exact same position as when I left, and had it not been for the considerably smaller stack of papers to his left, I would have thought he had fallen asleep.

 "Was everything alright?" He asked suddenly without lifting his head.

 "Mostly. Why? Did something happen?"

 "You were quite a bit later than you had anticipated." He pointed out.

 Okay. So maybe I didn't get away with it.

 "Just some small problems here and there, nothing too serious. Anything here?"

 I was expecting a no, or for him to just shake his head, but instead he pointed to my desk.

 There lay a rather high stack of papers and a small beautifully decorated box.

 The stack of papers was, as predicted, paperwork I had missed, as for the box...

 Tea?

 It smelled rather peculiar too.

 When I opened the box I saw movement from the corner of my vision.

 Neuvillette had lifted his head and was now staring intently at the box in my hands.

 "Fancy some tea?"

 "I'm not sure. There is just something... No, never mind." He shook his head.

 Is he conflicted because he suddenly wants tea?

 I barely held back a laugh as I asked:

 "Who brought this?"

 Instead of answering, he skillfully pulled out a single piece of paper from the middle of the pile without moving the rest by even an inch and handed it to me.

 The contents of that paper, however, weren't anything that I could have ever expected.

 It was an incredibly beautifully drawn portrait of one of my subordinates.

 "Timeo came by?"

 "Yes."

 "And he brought a portrait?"

 What even is the meaning of this?

 "No, he did not. I drew that."

 "What?"

 I couldn't believe my ears.

 "You drew this?"

 "Yes." He answered calmly.

 "Why in the archon's name would you suddenly draw a portrait of my subordinate?"

 How I would love to open your head and take a look at what's going on in there.

 "I believed this was the best way to inform you of who entered your office in your absence."

 "You could have just asked for his name."

 Why the portrait??

 "I did, but do I have to remind you that aside from Amalie, I've never met any of your close subordinates? Even if I did simply give you his name, the question of was that truly him would still remain." Neuvillette explained.