novelraw Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Chapter 53: The Person in the Dream
Lina had never understood before how faint killing intent and dense deathly intent could appear on the same person at the same time.
Anyway, for one brief moment, she felt like whatever she was about to do would earn her at least twenty years in prison.
“Could you let me take a look at this book?” Lina asked while trying hard to control her expression.
“Uh... this book only has an outline at the moment... Have you read the first volume?” Euphemia shrank her neck a little, her tone somewhat hesitant.
“Give me the first volume.” Lina revealed a gentle smile.
Euphemia quickly found ‘The Star Witch’s Ninety-Nine Sleepless Nights’ in her storage ring and handed it to Lina.
Annie’s eyes lit up. “Wow, so you were the one who wrote this book!”
Lina irritably smacked Annie on the head. “You little brats, hurry up and eat! Also, children shouldn’t read this kind of thing!”
“O~” Annie lowered her head and continued trying to battle her food with a fork.
Lina gathered her courage and opened the forbidden first page.
At that moment, she realized she was actually a little excited......
However, the contents were somewhat different from what she had imagined.
It told the story of a powerful witch called the “Star Witch” joining forces to fight against a world crisis.
In the story, there was a fictional world-level boss. After enduring countless hardships, the ten witches finally arrived before the boss’s gate...
And then it ended with “To be continued.”
Not gonna lie, this was actually pretty well written!
The logic was clear, the writing flowed smoothly, and the plot rose and fell dramatically. It surpassed at least ninety percent of similar works on the market.
There was no boys’ love, no girls’ love, no underage romance, and no dark or negative messaging. It emphasized positivity, brightness, and optimism.
Moreover, aside from the ‘Star Witch’ and the ‘Twilight Witch’, the other witches all used parts of their real names, which further confirmed Lina’s suspicion—the person who commissioned Euphemia to write the book was one of the Nine Great Witches!
“Ah, forget it, forget it. Let’s eat.” Lina handed the book back to the trembling Euphemia and waved toward the waiter bringing over dishes. “Two bowls of duck blood vermicelli soup, no spice.”
Not long after, steaming hot dishes were brought to the table one after another.
Crystal-clear soup dumplings rested inside bamboo steamers, while the jade-colored shrimp dumplings revealed an enticing pink hue through their translucent wrappers.
And the two bowls of duck blood vermicelli soup specially ordered for the vampire girls smelled especially fragrant. Chopped green onions and cilantro floated atop the clear broth, while the dark red duck blood had been cut into neat little cubes that quivered slightly amid the rising steam.
Euphemia sniffed lightly with her little nose. Her crimson eyes stared fixedly at the bowl of soup, her throat bobbing slightly, but the two bamboo sticks in her hands—or rather, chopsticks—had become the greatest chasm standing between her and the delicious food.
She clenched both fists, planting them stiffly on the table like she was holding two daggers, trying to use magic power to make the two sticks obediently listen to her.
“Pfft.” Annie couldn’t help laughing when she saw the vampire girl’s clumsy appearance.
“You can tell this really is pretty difficult for you.” Lina helplessly shook her head, picked up her own chopsticks, and lightly tapped Euphemia’s hand. “Relax your hand. You’re not gripping a sword to chop people. Watch carefully. The upper chopstick is controlled with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger. The lower one stays fixed against the web of your thumb and your ring finger...”
As Lina spoke, she skillfully opened and closed the chopsticks, easily picking up a shrimp dumpling and feeding it into Annie’s mouth. Her movements flowed like water, completely smooth and effortless.
“Like this? Ow!” Euphemia tried to imitate her, but the chopsticks instantly crossed into an “X” shape in her hands. The duck blood she had just picked up fell back into the bowl with a plop, splashing a few drops of soup onto her exquisite dress.
“Uu...” The vampire girl pouted aggrievedly and looked up at Lina. A faint layer of mist appeared in her ruby-like eyes. “Lina, this is harder than fighting an A-rank magical beast...”
Seriel at the side wasn’t doing much better. The capable maid was currently sweating profusely, her movements so stiff it looked like she was dismantling a bomb.
Lina noticed that Euphemia’s dominant hand seemed to be her left hand, but fortunately, using chopsticks with her left hand wasn’t difficult for Lina either.
“Ah, honestly, there’s really nothing I can do with you.” Lina sighed, leaning over the table and using her left hand to hold Euphemia’s small hand as she patiently adjusted her finger positions. “Here, brace it... put strength into your ring finger... right, don’t be too stiff.”
Wrapped within Lina’s warm palm, Euphemia’s cheeks faintly reddened, and her body unconsciously tensed up.
“Alright, now try picking up that duck blood. Be gentler. Duck blood is very soft—if you use too much force, it’ll break apart.” Lina released her hand and encouraged her.
Euphemia held her breath and carefully controlled the two wooden sticks that originally refused to obey her. This time, although the chopsticks still trembled slightly, they finally managed to firmly pick up a piece of duck blood. She immediately lowered her head and bit into it in one gulp like a hunting kitten.
The smooth texture melted in her mouth the instant it entered, accompanied by the delicious broth exploding across her palate.
The terrifying spiciness from the previous Mao Xuewang was gone, replaced instead by a mellow yet rich savory flavor.
“Mmm! Delicious!” Euphemia’s eyes instantly lit up, narrowing happily into crescents as her little feet swung cheerfully beneath the table. “Although it’s not fresh blood, this coagulated texture... is unexpectedly amazing!”
“Right? Duck blood vermicelli soup is one of Jinling’s specialties.” Lina smiled as she picked up a soup dumpling for herself and placed it into a spoon. She gently bit a small opening into it and blew away the steam. “Be careful when eating this. There’s scalding soup inside, so you open a window first, then drink the soup.”
After several failed attempts, Seriel finally learned how to use chopsticks to pick up shrimp dumplings with Sibyl’s help; meanwhile, Annie split half of her fried rice with Euphemia in exchange for one of the other girl’s tea cakes.
Dinner time was brief yet warm, and Sibyl quickly became familiar with the two vampire girls as well.
During the meal, Annie repeatedly tried to get Euphemia to spoil the plot of the next book, but all her attempts ended in failure.
After dinner ended, the three satisfied girls bid farewell to Euphemia, who was still struggling with chopsticks, and rose to return to the “Autumn Moon Pavilion” on the top floor.
However, after only taking a few steps out of the restaurant, Annie suddenly stopped walking and shook her left hand with a troubled expression. The ancient-looking storage ring flashed twice with faint red light before completely dimming, turning into an ordinary dull gray ring.
“Ah... I’m out of magic power again.” Annie puffed up her cheeks and looked at Lina somewhat embarrassedly. “Big Sister Lina, my ring’s energy is exhausted. I’ll probably have to carry the stuff inside it upstairs myself.”
Lina sighed helplessly. Annie’s storage ring was different from other people’s. Apparently, its magical power couldn’t be replenished by its owner and instead could only slowly recover by absorbing surrounding magic power, so it frequently “shut down.”
However, this ring seemed to hold some special significance for Annie, and she had always been unwilling to replace it.
“There’s really nothing I can do with you.” Lina looked at the pile of bags on the floor and resigned herself as she bent down. “Looks like we’ll have to carry everything manually. Sibyl, give us a hand too.”
Just as the three girls were worrying over the pile of luggage, a somewhat hunched figure wearing a gray uniform hurried over.
“Oh! Honored guests, how could rough work like this possibly require you ladies to do it yourselves!”
The newcomer was Old Hans, the doorman of Qingqiu Pavilion.
Although it was already late at night, he didn’t look sleepy in the slightest. In fact, he seemed absurdly energetic.
“I’ll do it! Just leave it to me!”
As he spoke, Old Hans deftly took the bags from Lina and Sibyl’s hands.
The heavy bundles bent his back, yet he wore an enthusiastic smile as though he were carrying priceless treasures.
“Thanks for the hard work, Uncle.”
The group entered the magitech elevator. Seeing the sweat beads appearing on Old Hans’s forehead, Lina casually took out a Silver Lion coin as a tip and handed it over.
Old Hans accepted the silver coin, gratitude flashing through his eyes. He leaned closer to Lina and lowered his voice mysteriously.
“Lady Witch, you’re far too generous! Hehe... Since you’ve only just arrived, perhaps you don’t know this yet, but Gaul City is covered in gold right now!”
“Oh?” Lina raised an eyebrow as she looked at the flushed old man. “How so?”
“I heard it from an old buddy living in the eastern district. The mayor is heavily supporting magitech mining! Once the World Expo opens, housing prices in Gaul City are going to double again!”
“I invested all the money I saved over my whole life into a stock called ‘Skyland Group’! The newspapers already reported it—they just acquired a new high-energy mineral vein. Oh, and there’s also Loniat Shipping! Supposedly, they’re going to transport Skyland’s minerals to Yunque, so they’re definitely going to make a huge profit! ...A clever fellow told me that as long as it rises again... even just another fifty percent! I’ll sell all my stocks then!”
Old Hans swallowed hard. His cracked lips trembled as he revealed a dazed smile.
“When that time comes, I’ll be able to send my little granddaughter to a magic academy! She has a bit of magical talent. As long as we can afford the tuition, she’ll be able to become a respected witch like you three someday!”
“When that time comes, she won’t have to spend her whole life carrying luggage for others like me anymore...”
“Ding—”
The elevator arrived at the top floor.
Carrying the large pile of bags, Old Hans stepped out first, his footsteps so light they resembled those of a young man.
Lina stood inside the elevator, watching the old man’s back. In the end, the words of warning that had reached her lips still never came out.
Before that dazzling dream built from bubbles, any sober warning seemed so pale and out of place.
“Sir, if your granddaughter wants to study magic, she can come find me in Osselro Town in the future.” Lina took out a note, wrote down her name, and handed it to the old man.
Old Hans’s eyes lit up as he gratefully accepted Lina’s note.
“...I just hope his dream can last a little longer.”
Lina let out a soft sigh as she walked out of the elevator, only feeling that the warm air maintained within the luxurious hotel corridor carried a faint chill against her skin.
While Sibyl and Annie were washing up, Lina took out Hepburn’s invitation letter.
Inside the guest room, warm yellow magic lamps emitted a soft glow.
Outside the window, the nightscape of Gaul City resembled a flowing river of stars.
She sat before the desk, her fingers lightly rubbing the edges of the letter paper.
“‘Sensing it before the storm arrives,’ huh...” Lina softly repeated the sentence from the letter, a complicated bitter smile curling at the corners of her lips.
Miss Hepburn had clearly mistaken her for some unfathomable economics master, but only Lina herself knew that all those discussions about the “bubble economy” were merely “prophecies” made while standing on the shoulders of giants.
She hoped even more that her “prophecies” would not come true. Once an economic crisis erupted, ordinary people like Old Hans would be the first to suffer.
“Still, since I’m going to attend the invitation, this outfit won’t do.”
Lina lowered her head and examined the black mage robe she was wearing.
Although, in the eyes of the designer named Isabella, this was supposedly some kind of “story-filled randomness” and “damaged aesthetics,” wearing this outfit to meet Hepburn would still be far too embarrassing.
She might even get mistaken for a female hooligan...
At that thought, Lina pulled out the gilded business card from her pocket.
【Isabella Studio - 17 Fontainebleau Avenue】
“100 Gold Dragons...” Lina’s fingertips paused briefly over that number, her gaze becoming resolute.
After all, she had worked herself to death hunting a single Plant evil creature just to earn seventy Gold Dragons, and that was after deducting potion and equipment losses.
Yet this designer was willing to pay such an enormous sum merely to have her model, while even giving her two tailored outfits for free.
In this world, sometimes relying on looks really did make money faster than grinding monsters.
“Alright then. Before the World Expo preview exhibition begins, tomorrow I’ll take Annie and Sibyl to this studio.”
After making up her mind, Lina spread out the letter paper and picked up a feather pen. She pondered briefly before deciding to maintain the persona of a “wise young girl with unique insight,” while also displaying sufficient politeness.
The pen tip produced soft rustling sounds against the paper:
Dear Miss Hepburn:
I hope this letter finds you well.
I am deeply honored to learn that you have already relayed our conversation from that day to your father. As you said, a storm begins with the slightest stirring of the wind. If my humble opinions can provide even the slightest warning for the undercurrents hidden beneath this flourishing age, then that alone is enough.
My companions and I arrived in Gaul City today. As you described, the autumn nights of this city are indeed serene and picturesque. Even the lights on the street corners seem to carry a touch more romantic poetry than elsewhere.
Regarding your invitation to the World Expo preview exhibition, I am deeply honored and gladly accept. It has been quite some time since we last met, and I am also very much looking forward to speaking with you again.
Since you are already residing here temporarily, then I shall graciously accept your hospitality. Once I have made some slight preparations and handled a few trivial matters, I will certainly come pay you a visit.
Respectfully yours,
Lina
After finishing, Lina gently blew dry the ink, neatly folded the letter, and slipped it into an envelope.
“Phew...” She stretched lazily and placed the envelope at the most conspicuous corner of the desk.
Tomorrow, she would first go to Fontainebleau Avenue to “restock” from Miss Isabella, tidy herself up into something more glamorous, and then head to 36 Sycamore Street to visit Hepburn.
A perfect plan.
At that moment, the sound of running water from the bathroom stopped. Sibyl walked out while wiping her damp long hair, while Annie followed behind in oversized pajamas, her face still carrying the rosy flush from her bath.
“Big Sister Lina, are you writing a letter?” Annie curiously leaned over.
“Mhm, just letting Miss Hepburn know we arrived safely.” Lina turned around and smiled at her two refreshed companions. “Go to bed early. Tomorrow we’re going somewhere nice.”
“Somewhere nice?” Annie’s eyes lit up. “Will there be delicious food?”
“Something even more important than delicious food.” Lina mysteriously waved the business card in her hand. “Tomorrow, I’m going to experience it too... the happiness of rich people!”