She Is Not a Witch

That evening, while Loranhil was entertaining the Agdelin family, the Tisphone family was embroiled in an argument.

“Why not let that alchemist attack directly and wipe out Carithes’ fleet?”

The Anemis Merchant Association headquarters had been heavily bombarded, resulting in numerous casualties. Fortunately, Fenrai had been evacuated beforehand; the consequences would have been unthinkable had she remained at home.

But Noys was still dissatisfied. The Tisphone family clearly had this trump card, so why didn’t they act immediately and resolve the issue that night? Why let things drag on?

“Lord Noys, please calm down. There were reasons for not acting immediately that night,” Vic explained from the side.

“Although the organization arranged for this master to assist us, Master Snape has his own principles of action. Currently, Ruluna can’t openly interfere with Vegar. Firstly, the timing isn’t ripe, and secondly, there are still many experts from the Snow Flower Alliance in the city. Acting rashly would provoke their resentment and resistance, as it would violate the alliance treaty maintained for hundreds of years.”

“But since the organization has come this far, breaking the old treaty is inevitable,” Noys scoffed.

“We will eventually establish a new order.”

“The former alliance leader, the Western Wind Kingdom, is currently struggling to fend for itself, extremely weak. The organization is taking this opportunity to expand its power, using lightning-fast methods to unify the countries and forge an alliance as strong as steel to confront and suppress the Verdant Empire.” Noys didn’t approve of the current course of action.

“I know Lord Noys has a grand vision and wise foresight, but others aren’t as rational and wise as you. It will take some time for the general public to accept this reality and change,” Edmond spoke up.

“However, you needn’t be too anxious. The organization has sent word that in two days, an envoy will arrive with official documents. Moreover, we’ve recently received some unexpected good news.”

At this point, a playful smile appeared at the corner of Edmond’s mouth.

“Perhaps by then, we can take over both families without shedding blood.”

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After seeing off the Agdelin family, Loranhil sat in her study, writing letters.

Occasional faint insect sounds came from outside the window, though much less than in summer. On a candlestick with three candles, semi-transparent wax overflowed and ran down, congealing along the candle body in tear-like shapes.

The candle burned quietly, and sometimes the night breeze stirred the curtains, making the orange candlelight flicker, casting the girl’s silhouette long against the bookshelf behind her.

Her hair, draped over her shoulders, was still slightly damp, emitting a faint floral scent. Occasionally, a drop or two of water slid down her hair, falling onto her dress and the desk.

Loranhil was writing to Ceres in the Southern Islands, informing him of recent events and some tasks for him to handle. After finishing, she thought for a moment, then also included one of Angus’s posthumous letters in the envelope.

She then rolled up the envelope and placed it in a bamboo tube. After closing the tube’s lid, she picked up a silver spoon and took a few purple sealing wax blocks from a box, placing them in the spoon.

Holding the spoon with the wax over the candle flame, she slowly heated it until the sealing wax began to melt, giving off a faint pine scent.

Loranhil poured the melted wax onto the bamboo tube’s lid, letting it fill the surface and edges, sealing the gap between the lid and the tube. She then took the metal seal used exclusively by the association’s head and pressed it into the wax, applying slight pressure. After letting it cool for a moment, she removed it.

Finally, a beautiful night flower seal formed on the closure, colored like a violet. She handed this bamboo tube to the feathered hawk waiting on the windowsill. The bird had grown stronger, now at Sequence 2 strength, and was used specifically for sending important and distant letters.

After tying on the bamboo tube and feeding the greedy creature a low-grade gemstone as payment, it called out happily a few times before flying off into the distant sky under the moonlight.

Putting aside her previous worries, Loranhil prepared to go to sleep. Just then, she heard a commotion coming from the association’s entrance.

She stomped her foot slightly, annoyed at why her hearing had to be so good, making it impossible to lazily go to sleep.

Hearing the occasional pleading sounds from outside, Loranhil sighed and decided to go downstairs to check.

Outside the heavily guarded main gate of the association, there were about seven or eight people constantly kneeling and begging for help.

“Please, save us.”

“Those Nisos family thugs are searching for us all over the streets.”

“They want to take out their anger on us…”

“Kind and merciful Young Miss Lacey, please save us poor souls.”

These people were injured and covered in dust and grime, seemingly having fled here after hiding in various places.

The Carithes family guards at the gate seemed somewhat impatient. Although these people were pitiful, their origins were unknown, and in this tense, critical moment, the guards wouldn’t soften their hearts to let them in.

Moreover, did they think they could just see Young Miss Lacey whenever they wanted? Miss Lacey was now Carithes’ only pillar of support. He wouldn’t dare disturb the young miss’s rest for such a trivial matter.

“You’d better leave. Although we’re now opposed to the Nisos family, we still won’t let you in, unless…”

“Unless I allow it, right?”

Loranhil’s figure appeared at the gate, her ethereal voice ringing out in the night.

“Young Miss, we… we’re sorry for disturbing you,” the nearby guards hurriedly bowed, answering somewhat nervously.

“It’s nothing… I’ll question these people myself.”

Loranhil looked over these individuals, then waved her pure white sleeve, instructing the guards to temporarily open the iron gate to let these people in to talk.

The group seeking help followed the young woman to a well-lit area, finally getting a clear look at the Carithes family’s young miss.

Her pure white dress, though beautiful, seemed thin for an autumn night. Her golden hair shimmered in the firelight, and beneath it, her face was as described in rumors – ethereally beautiful and dreamlike. Her light blue eyes were as transparent as crystal and as clear as the sky.

“Now, can you tell me about your experiences?”

Several guards brought chairs for these people to sit and recount their stories, while Loranhil sat behind a small round table where maids had just placed a freshly heated teapot and cups.

“We are some of the leaders who protested against the Nisos family recently…” one of them began introducing themselves.

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“But after that night, Gretet disappeared, and we were hunted by the Nisos family. Several of our companions were tortured by Nisos family’s thugs.”

“But later, it was said that one of Nisos family’s important thugs and his underlings were all killed, and several others who had taken money from Nisos family and betrayed us also disappeared.”

“Fernelton felt this was a deliberate challenge to Nisos family’s dignity, so he started sending people to hunt us down again, those who had participated before.”

“He’s convinced we did it because we had the strongest motive.”

“Although we didn’t do it, I still have to say, those beasts deserved to die!” One of them said with some excitement in his voice.

“But now the three merchant associations have sealed the city gates, and we have nowhere to escape. We can only seek help from you or the Helis family.”

After finishing their account, they began to plead with Lacey for help.

“But what benefit would saving you bring to Carithes? And who can guarantee that what you’re saying is true, and that you’re not infiltrating assassins?”

Before Loranhil could speak, the head maid’s cold voice came from behind.