About the macbook keyboard issue and damage

I spilled lemon tea on my MacBook on November 9, 2023, and went to the store to have the system and hardware checked on November 10, 2023 (it turned out to be running fine). However, when I got home I noticed that some of the keys were hard to press and seemed to need repair, so I went to the shop again on November 11, 2023 to have the keyboard checked. After they opened and cleaned my keyboard, the keys were still hard to press and looked like it needed repair. My question is can this problem be fixed in the store? Or can I use my AppleCare in London? Do I need to pay if I use AppleCare to repair my keyboard? Thanks. (Note: I bought the MacBook Air M2 two months ago, but not in the UK.)