The night wind howled, and the moonlight was shrouded by dark clouds. The air gradually filled with the earthy scent of damp soil. Under the dim streetlights, a dragon-drawn carriage sped along the road…
“Master, dinner has already been prepared at home.”
“I know.”
“Tonight’s dish is your favorite — luminous blossom steak.”
“I know.”
……
Inside the carriage, Beatrice and Aurora sat facing each other. Aurora sat upright, her hands obediently folded on her knees, while Beatrice, on the other hand, leaned her head against her hand, gazing out the window with a bored expression.
On the way here, Aurora had mechanically repeated those lines — asking if there was anything urgent tonight, or if she could stay home to study a new recipe, and so on. It was obvious she didn’t want to attend tonight’s banquet.
“Master, how about we just go back—mmph…”
Suddenly, two slender fingers pressed into her mouth, pinching her tongue. “Say another word, and I’ll rip your tongue out.”
Beatrice’s impatient voice rang in her ears. She shot Aurora an annoyed glance, then withdrew her hand and resumed looking out the window.
She knew perfectly well why Aurora didn’t want to come to this banquet. The host — Duke Edron — was Aurora’s former master. Meeting again now would no doubt be awkward for Aurora.
But if all she wanted was to see Aurora flustered, she wouldn’t have gone to such trouble to come here.
The Duke of Edron knew Aurora’s whereabouts, and had specially invited her to celebrate his daughter’s enrollment. This meant the Duke had gone out of his way to look for Aurora — perhaps he still wanted her to return. That was the part that bothered Beatrice the most.
“The Edron family, huh… Hmph.”
“I’ll have to make him give up completely.”
Every time she imagined Aurora serving someone else with that gentle, eager demeanor, a fire surged within her. And that flame of jealousy couldn’t be extinguished by venting on Aurora alone. Only by making the Duke of Edron suffer too would she feel fully satisfied.
Noticing that Beatrice was starting to get annoyed by her pestering, Aurora wisely shut her mouth.
After a few more bumps, the carriage stopped in front of a grand estate.
“Young ladies, we’ve arrived,” the coachman turned around and called out to them.
After getting out of the carriage, Beatrice dusted off the slight wrinkles on her black dress.
Before coming here, she had specially taken the time to dress up. Her long jet-black hair, usually loose, was now tied up. She had changed out of her usual witch’s robe and put on a rarely worn black gown embroidered with intricate patterns — a dress that was clearly expensive at a glance.
The only thing marring her appearance were her prosthetic legs. Before leaving, she had cast a bit of magic on them, making them appear like real, fleshy limbs, and even wore a pair of thin high heels. But still, she could only sit slouched on the broom.
Aurora was still wearing her black-and-white maid uniform. In fact, Beatrice wanted her to wear that outfit — to follow behind her dressed like this and show up in front of Duke Edron, just to make it clear who Aurora belonged to now.
Outside the gates of the estate, their dragon carriage was far from the only one. Many carriages bearing the emblems of noble families were parked outside. Nobles clad in luxurious garments walked in one after another, invitations in hand.
Some of them noticed Beatrice, and when they looked at her, there was clear disdain in their eyes.
She remembered what the flower shop owner had told her — witches these days were no longer respected like they once were. On the contrary, they were now met with rejection and prejudice.
“We’re going in.”
Her wrist was suddenly seized. Beatrice took her by the hand and led her toward the main gates of the estate.
“Ladies, may I please see your invita—”
Before the servant at the door could finish, two sheets of paper slapped right into his face.
He grabbed them and glanced at the contents, but by the time he was ready to let them through, the two women had already stepped into the estate.
Familiar decor. Familiar faces.
The scratch on that door was still there. The maid tidying up the parlor was the same one she used to know.
Everything here seemed unchanged from before she left.
The chandelier hanging from the ceiling cast a bright, warm light. The tables in the lounge were filled with all kinds of delicacies and fine wines. Politicians and businessmen chatted leisurely with glasses of red wine in hand, while the noble ladies covered half their faces with fans as they flaunted their extravagant lives to one another.
The room was saturated with the scent of wine and heavy perfume — and underneath it all, a stench of money and corruption lingered.
This kind of banquet… Aurora couldn’t be more familiar with it.
As Beatrice floated into the hall on her broom, Aurora could clearly feel many people deliberately keeping their distance from them, whispering furtively to those around them.
Beatrice paid them no mind. She headed straight for the wine table, picked up a glass of red wine, and began sipping slowly.
“Head Maid Eve?!”
A familiar voice suddenly called out beside her.
Aurora turned her head to find one of the maids she had worked with before — a somewhat weepy girl.
“It’s been a while.”
She gave the maid a polite smile.
“It’s been months, wuuu…”
No sooner had she spoken than tears began streaming down her face.
She deftly pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped away her tears, then continued,
“You have no idea, Head Maid. Ever since you left, the young lady hasn’t been normal for a single day. She’s been driving us all crazy, wuuu…”
“You mean the young lady…?”
She had initially wanted to ask about Leonora’s condition, but the moment she realized she was once again unconsciously showing kindness, the words stuck in her throat.
“The young lady would definitely want to see you! I’ll go get her right away!”
With that, the maid turned and dashed out of the manor without looking back.
“W-Wait…”
If she were to see Leonora again, the curse on her body might affect the girl once more.
She had to avoid her—for Leonora’s sake, and her own.
She still didn’t know why Beatrice had brought her here, but she was fairly certain that the purpose of this visit was, more or less, related to her.
“Everyone.”
A high-pitched yet somewhat weak male voice rang out from the front of the room. Aurora recognized it—it was Duke Edron’s voice.
He stood on the stage, raising a glass of red wine in his right hand, delivering a long and formal toast.
His gaze slowly swept over the crowd as if searching for someone.
When his eyes met Aurora’s, his pupils visibly widened.
“My daughter is feeling unwell and unfortunately cannot attend tonight’s banquet. I ask for your understanding. Lastly, I wish you all a pleasant evening.”
Finally, the drawn-out speech came to an end.
Duke Edron drained his wine and stepped off the stage.
‘Unwell, is she…? Then I guess I won’t be seeing the young lady tonight. That’s… probably for the best.’
Just as she thought that, a cold sensation suddenly gripped her wrist.
A breathless girl’s voice rang in her ears—
“Aurora!”
The girl took a deep breath and shouted—
“Young Lady…”