She Is Not a Witch

Night, Carithes family residence.

Figures moved about in the mansion built of purple tiles and white stone bricks. Previously dim candles were replaced with new, brighter ones by a succession of servants.

“Head Maid Chelsea, where is the young miss? We have urgent matters to report,” a middle-aged administrator asked anxiously. The brightly lit hall was filled with people—administrators from the association’s headquarters, workshop owners, guard captains, and numerous others who had come to relay information.

The large merchant associations had extensive business networks, making it easy to receive various news and notifications. Although Carithes had been established for a shorter time than the other families, they had still managed to gather a group of loyal supporters through profit-sharing in recent years.

After noticing the unusual activities of the other three families, these small merchant associations and individuals who frequently dealt with Carithes all sent messages.

No one had anticipated that on this joyful night full of festive atmosphere, the opposition would suddenly make their move, and at night no less. This truly disturbed many people’s peace of mind.

Now, the Carithes Merchant Association headquarters was already mobilized. Those who had gone home after work or were resting in bed were all called back to assemble in the courtyard. The association’s main gate was closed, and no one was allowed to enter or leave freely.

However, with the family head absent and no other apparent family members besides Angus and Lacey, the assembled association members were at a loss for who should make decisions on how to respond.

“I’m sorry, the young miss said earlier that she was going out to see the night market. She’s not at home,” Chelsea replied.

“Are there any guards accompanying the young miss?” another administrator asked worriedly.

“No,” the head maid answered concisely.

“What are we to do? We can’t contact the young miss now. If something happens to her, what will become of Carithes…”

Several administrators paced back and forth anxiously, sighing from time to time.

Although the crowd in the hall was restless and sighing, the head maid stood quietly in the middle, like a bridge pillar in a rushing river—motionless and composed, seemingly unconcerned about Lacey’s safety.

The demeanor of this senior association member also somewhat calmed the others in the hall, providing some psychological comfort. Sometimes, no news could be considered not bad news.

Chelsea’s own strength was around Sequence 3, and although she had little room for improvement, she made up for it with rich experience.

She wasn’t actually clear about her young miss’s true strength, but she was certain that Lacey was more formidable than herself. This came from careful observation in daily life.

Lacey’s breathing rate was extremely stable. Although the young miss didn’t do heavy work, even when inspecting the association’s workshops and walking all day, she never seemed out of breath. Her daily walking was also very light-footed, never showing signs of instability or mistakes. While it’s easy to maintain this for a day or two, to go several months without a single mistake was extraordinary.

As long as the young miss had the ability to protect herself and was observant, she would surely return once she noticed the abnormality in the city. Chelsea had great confidence in this.

“Report to all the lords, an envoy from the Helis family has arrived. He has an officially sealed document, which should be genuine.”

A servant quickly walked into the hall and announced this news.

The five major merchant associations had infiltrated each other, and in such a critical moment, it was difficult to trust a mere verbal message from one person. Hearing that there was an official document, those present finally took it seriously.

“Please invite the envoy in.”

Just as everyone in the hall was speculating about the message, a gentle, ethereal voice sounded from the stairs. Loranhil, wearing a red dress, slowly descended the steps and gave the order.

“Yes, young miss!” The servant quickly left the hall to bring in the envoy. Loranhil’s return immediately gave the association a sense of direction, and everyone’s anxiety eased.

Red carpets had been laid out in the spacious hall, and servants brought in an elegant chair to the center.

Under the huge floral painting of a black-petaled purple-stamened night flower on the central golden wall was a white throne. The soft, velvet chair back was lined with purple flower-shaped rivets, and the armrests were made of purple sandalwood, exuding luxury.

This throne had been specially commissioned by Angus years ago to showcase the Carithes family’s status and prestige, and was only used on important occasions.

Loranhil sat gracefully on the white and purple throne, her hands resting on the armrests. Two rows of Carithes’ high-level members, about forty people, stood before her.

The previous scene of chaos and anxiety had completely vanished. The association’s leaders stood in orderly rows, calmly waiting for the envoy’s arrival and Loranhil’s orders. Chelsea stood to Loranhil’s left, while the right side, once Ceres’ position, remained empty.

A group wearing bronze-colored armor dismounted in the courtyard. After being thoroughly checked, their leader was allowed to enter the hall.

The envoy, initially anxious and uneasy, fell silent upon entering the hall and witnessing the scene before him.

The magnificent hall was adorned with elaborate reliefs and small paintings. Intricately designed chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Two rows of guards stood closely along the walls, well-equipped and wearing purple capes with black night flower patterns on the back. Their steel masks were already lowered, one hand on their swords, poised and exuding a murderous aura.

In the middle of the hall, the association’s high-level members stood in two rows. Each wore a black-petaled purple-stamened badge on their left chest, symbolizing their status and honor. They now appeared composed, like Chelsea earlier, emanating an aura of confidence and strength.

And in the center of the hall, on the white and purple throne, sat the young woman who seemed to have stepped out of a mythical story. Her dreamlike figure and face, with eyes as clear and blue as the sky, gazed at the envoy who had entered the hall. Her gentle gaze felt almost tangible, pressing down on him so that he dared not breathe, only able to advance carefully with lowered head. The short ten meters or so felt like crossing a century.

“Respected Lady Lacey, I am an envoy from the Helis family, representing our current family head to report urgent news.”

“Did Melu send you with this message?” came the ethereal, pleasant voice from the front.

“Yes, Lady Melu specifically instructed me to deliver it personally to Lady Lacey.”

“Is there an official document?”

“Yes, please see here.” The envoy handed the letter to a nearby servant, who presented it to Chelsea. After Chelsea opened and examined it, she then showed it to Loranhil.

Loranhil had already grasped the general situation on her way back, but this letter more explicitly indicated the severity of the matter.

The other three families had been prepared for some time; this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. They must have considerable confidence to take action.

Moreover, with such a commotion, it would be impossible to contain the news or face questioning from the industry guild within the alliance afterwards. This indicated they were fully confident in avoiding blame.

But the industry guild was formed by dozens of large merchant associations. It would be impossible to bribe most members without any news leaking, and the cost of such bribery would be beyond what they could afford.

Therefore, it was highly likely that the Vegar Commercial Alliance was undergoing a major change, and hoping for rescue from merchant associations in other cities might be in vain.

Finally, the end of the letter stated that the Helis family was willing to stand with Carithes, as they had years ago, to overcome this crisis together.

The letter was signed by Melu, the current head of the Helis family, with a bright red camellia seal.