The Cornflower Witch

Chapter 59: White Stone Chess Pieces

Early morning, Sylutia stood in the small garden, dressed in plain white clothes, holding a watering can as she watered the flowers and plants beside her. Today was a rest day; she didn't need to go to Scholar Hyde's place and could leisurely stay at home.

Water droplets turned into mist, refracting a faint halo in the morning sunlight, hazy and beautiful.

This was her own private little garden, containing the Swan Orchids she had transplanted, Bubble Flowers, and the newly planted 'Fire Glow Orchids' and 'White Camellias'. These last two were seeds provided by Lady Franne.

After she learned the Branch Grooming Method, this lady went on another trip, asking Sylutia to help look after the flower fields. The free time after that was when she focused on her own little garden.

After observing the condition of the newly planted flowers and plants and confirming they were fine, Sylutia dispersed the emerald green tint from her eyes and stood up.

"Tia, breakfast is ready~" Talier trotted over to inform Sylutia.

Working at Lady Franne's residence, Talier's task was to share the workload from Lining, and recently she had started with the simplest task: making breakfast.

'It just so happens the lady is not home during this period. Even if what you make is terrible, it won't affect the lady, but it depends on whether Miss Tia is willing to endure it.'

That's what Lining had explained that day. Such words immediately ignited Talier's competitive spirit, and she vowed to make breakfast no worse than Lining's.

"Alright, I'm coming right now." Sylutia put down the watering can, took another look at the flowers and plants swaying in the morning breeze, and then left.Breakfast didn't take much time. Although not exactly delicious, Talier's improvement was also evident. Today's breakfast was at least edible and not too unpalatable.

"The eggs are overcooked." Lining on the side offered a cool critique. The underside of one of the fried eggs was already somewhat blackened.

"It's fine, Lining, don't be too harsh." The young girl comforted Talier.

"I'm being harsh because it concerns the lady's reputation." Lining turned her head away, but she indeed didn't criticize Talier further.

Compared to the nearly perfect maid Lining, Talier was indeed still too clumsy and inexperienced, no wonder Lining looked down on this awkward and careless girl.

"People always need time to grow. Please give her some time, Lining. At the very least, you can leave errand-related tasks to Talier from now on." The young girl soothed Lining.

In the morning, Sylutia walked through the flower fields, observing the growth of the sunflowers while practicing her newly learned 'Branch Grooming Method', familiarizing herself with this new ability.

After lunch, she moved a lounge chair to the backyard of the residence. This spot was shaded and cool, offering a distant view of vast flower fields. The air was refreshing, and one could see the bright blue sky, making it an excellent place for an afternoon nap or reading.

Taking off her shoes, the young girl curled her legs up on the lounge chair, then hugged her beloved gardening knowledge book and began flipping through it, occasionally pausing to look at the distant scenery.

Even though it was nearing December, the climate here remained warm. The autumn of the Rising Wind Season was exceptionally long.

Just as Sylutia thought today would pass by uneventfully like this, the sound of bells came from the distance, from the residence's main gate.

Had someone come? She slowly sat up.

...

Outside the main gate, a well-dressed elderly man paced back and forth. Behind him were several guards and young attendants.

Soon, Lining walked unhurriedly to the gate, and the old man approached as if seeing a savior.

Handing over a handwritten letter of recommendation, this group waited patiently outside the gate.

After briefly examining the letter of recommendation, Lining returned the letter and told them to wait a moment.

"Of course, please ask this young lady to inform Lady Franne." The old man placed one hand on his shoulder and bowed respectfully.

The chirping of insects in the trees continued, and the slanting sunlight made the group somewhat uncomfortable. Fortunately, this wait wasn't too long. That maid returned to the main gate after more than ten minutes, unlocked the iron lock, and let them in.

Walking respectfully through the residence's front courtyard, the group was guided by the maid to the living room to wait.

"The lady is not home today." Lining turned and told them. These words startled the old man.

"However, Miss Anluo'er is here. She is the lady's student and can currently fully represent the lady in handling some matters."

Letting out a soft sigh of relief, the old man nodded, indicating his understanding.

They waited in the living room a second time. About three minutes later, a silver-haired young girl wearing a bright yellow summer dress slowly descended the stairs. This girl, who looked about sixteen years old, immediately captivated the gazes of everyone present the moment she appeared, thanks to her astonishing appearance and bearing.

Fair skin, a well-proportioned and healthy figure, slender and delicate ankles and wrists, and that dreamlike beauty. When Sylutia changed into elaborate clothing and fully displayed her charm, it instantly made people succumb to her beauty.

It seemed as if their breathing slowed. When Lining guided this young girl from the staircase entrance, supporting her as she sat down on the sofa, the visiting group hurriedly bowed and greeted her.

"Please sit as well." The young girl gave a slight nod, then spoke. Her clear, moving voice gave them a second impact.

The leading old man cautiously sat down, while the others remained standing behind his sofa.

"Miss Anluo'er, please forgive our abrupt visit..." This old man began explaining the reason for their visit.

They came from the distant Mosswood Keep, which was Baron Beto's residence, surrounded by several villages and small towns.

"So it's a request for medicinal herbs?" The young girl responded softly.

It turned out that Baron Beto's wife had fallen seriously ill. After treatment by physicians, it was still difficult to eradicate the illness, only barely suppressing it. But the situation remained precarious, likely to worsen at any time. After discussion and consultation between the physicians and local scholars, they believed some 'Blazing Sun' Aspect herbs were needed to replenish vitality and dispel the malignant disease within the Baroness's body.

"We searched through the Apothecary Guilds in surrounding cities and finally learned that only Lady Franne here has herbs that meet the requirements."

The Blazing Sun Aspect, as one of the upper Aspects, has related herbs that are inherently scarce. Gardeners who cultivate and nurture them are even rarer. Not just in the southern region, but probably in the entire country of Regas, there aren't many people like Lady Franne who can cultivate 'Blazing Sun' Aspect plants on a large scale.

"Could you tell me the specific condition of your lady? Although I have 'Blazing Sun' Aspect raw materials here, I also need to consider whether they are suitable for the patient." The young girl thought for a moment and responded this way.

She didn't understand curing diseases, but she knew some symptoms caused by being eroded by 'Aspect power'.

When ordinary people practice various abilities, they guide and control Aspect power themselves, operating and absorbing it in an orderly manner, so there's usually no major issue. But if it's an ordinary person completely unaware of the relevant skills and knowledge who rashly comes into contact with 'Aspect power' from the outside world, various situations can occur.

The most common during the Rising Wind Season is, due to prolonged exposure to the sun, being infected by faint traces of the 'Blazing Sun' Aspect, leading to heatstroke, persistent fever, coma, shock, and in severe cases, death.

Secondly, occasionally, some people walking in mountain forests might also come into contact with some hidden supernatural entities or be attacked by supernatural beasts, contracting Aspect power that is difficult to dispel.

"This is the physician's handwritten medical report, with annotations from a scholar." The old man had the accompanying attendant retrieve the letter preserved inside a copper box.

He handed it to the maid Lining, who then spread out this letter in front of Sylutia for her to read.

After a few minutes, the young girl nodded slightly and had Lining put the letter away.

"I understand."

From the description in the letter, that lady was likely infected with a disease transmitted by some mosquitoes, insects, or birds in the forest. Such diseases often come on suddenly. If specialized treatment is lacking, one can only rely on strengthening oneself to tough it out.

"Lining, could you help me get two bottles of 'Sunflower Seed Oil'?" Sylutia looked at the maid beside her.

"Yes, miss." This maid bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Not long after, amidst the group's tense and curious waiting, this maid appeared carrying two glass bottles containing an amber liquid.

【Sunflower Seed Oil】(First Tier · Blazing Sun): Pure oil extracted from sunflower seeds, rich in 'Blazing Sun' Aspect power. Can be used for alchemy, medicine making, dispelling cold, and harming ghostly creatures.

One such bottle held about 300 milliliters. Its color was pure and golden, like liquid amber, stunning the people opposite.

"The bottle mouth uses a special process for sealing. If opened, the 'Blazing Sun' power within will slowly dissipate, so be careful when using it." Sylutia reminded them.

"We'll remember."

The old man respectfully and gratefully accepted these two bottles of Sunflower Seed Oil. Only then did he remember that this young girl before him hadn't mentioned anything about payment.

Whether out of respect for Lady Franne or gratitude for the assistance, he couldn't possibly just leave without offering anything. That would make Baron Beto a laughingstock among the nobility.

"We don't know how we can repay you and Lady Franne for your generosity. This is the monetary gift we prepared in advance. Please accept it, Miss Anluo'er." He had the accompanying attendant bring over a small box again, placing it on the coffee table and opening it.

Inside the velvet box, 20 gold coins were neatly arranged, stamped with the exquisite pattern of a Cold Feather Bird, reflecting a brilliant golden light.

Even though the 'Blazing Sun' Aspect is an upper Aspect, the price of a First Tier supernatural item does not exceed three times that of other Aspects, meaning at most 3 gold coins. Two bottles would be about 6 gold coins. The other party offering 20 gold coins at once showed they were quite sincere.

This was probably considering their sudden visit, without giving Lady Franne any prior notice, fearing that bringing too little would offend Lady Franne.

Should she accept it? The young girl pondered slightly.

Accepting it should be fine, but she also knew the market price of the items and felt somewhat uncomfortable with such a high premium.

It seems I'm not cut out for making money, the young girl thought to herself.

She didn't know how Lady Franne usually handled such situations. She shifted her gaze to the maid beside her. Lining seemed to understand Sylutia's current dilemma. She directly took half a step forward, bowed, and spoke.

"Thank you for the monetary gift, sir. Our young lady rarely receives external guests and is not very familiar with these procedures." She explained first.

"Yes, yes, it was my abruptness." The old man seemed to realize something and had someone quickly put the box away.

It was indeed somewhat too blunt, as if making Lady Franne and this young lady seem greedy. Even expressing gratitude shouldn't be done that way.

After thinking for a few seconds, this old butler took out another small box from his chest. This box was wrapped in red silk cloth. He placed it on the table, opened it, revealing a white chess piece placed inside. This piece somewhat resembled the pawn piece from international chess in Sylutia's past life memories.

【White Stone Chess Piece】(First Tier · Castle): A chess piece condensed by a noble with a title using their own status, possessing 'Castle' Aspect power. Can allow a person with carrying capacity to advance to 'First Tier · Castle'. (The granting of such chess pieces often represents an enfeoffment)

"This is a Castle chess piece bestowed by my master, Baron Beto. Because there was no suitable candidate within the territory for a while, it has been vacant. This time we came without bringing a suitable gift for Lady Franne. Please accept this, Miss Anluo'er."

At this moment, Sylutia saw Lining give her a slight nod, so she agreed.

"I only helped a little. Lord Beto is too generous."

Afterwards, both sides exchanged a few more polite pleasantries, and the old man asked to take his leave.

"As the lady of the house is still ill, please forgive me for not being able to stay long. After the lady recovers, we will visit Lady Franne again to express our gratitude."

At this point, Sylutia also stood up to see off this group of people.