The Cornflower Witch

After the banquet ended, Sylutia asked about the gardeners in Collin City. Unfortunately, none of the ones living here were Lady Franne, and she couldn't see any connection between them either. Their inherited schools of technique and skills were different from the Lady Franne she remembered.

With that in mind, she would still have to visit that Duran Manor and see what the situation with Lady Edeline was.

After inquiring about the exact location, Sylutia hired a coachman as a guide to lead the way, and then the group continued their journey.

The carriage passed through the fields of spring plowing, traveled along the low hills of the grasslands, and after half a day's journey, they arrived at the location of Duran Manor.

"Milady, this is the place," the coachman reported respectfully.

"Very well." Sylutia and Brielle stepped down from the carriage, standing on the dry gravel road as they gazed at the manor before them.

A low stone wall surrounded the estate, and standing on the hillside, one could overlook the vast fields within the manor, where fruit trees and green wheat were planted, and further inside lay a sea of flowers.

Blue wind chime flowers bloomed in clusters, gently swaying in the afternoon breeze, their petals exceptionally vivid in the sunlight, tinged with a hint of purple.

It was clear that Lady Edeline had cultivated these wind chime flowers exceptionally well, with their quality all surpassing First Tier. She must have invested a great deal of effort and heart into them.

Putting on the Sun Hat gifted by Lady Franne, Sylutia followed the hillside path downward, heading toward the manor gate.

......

"Hello, I am a mage from the central region of the Alliance, and I would like to visit Lady Edeline. Here is a letter of recommendation from the Collin City Guild." Sylutia produced an envelope and handed it to the guard at the side entrance.

The guard wore an old breastplate, appeared to be around seventy years old, and beneath the breastplate still bore the badge of the former Collin family. He should be an old retainer of Count Collin's household.

"You are?" The guard took the exquisite letter of recommendation, looking at the envelope pinched between his calloused fingers, somewhat hesitant to open it casually.

"My name is Edeline." Sylutia pressed her hand lightly against her collar, introducing herself once more.

"Ah, I see. I'll go ask the lady." Not daring to make decisions lightly, he carried the letter into the manor.

Seeing him retreat, Sylutia waited patiently. Although it was difficult for ordinary people to get the Mishil District's Mage Guild leader to write a letter of recommendation, for her, it was merely a casual mention at the banquet. That stationed mage had his attendant fetch paper and pen on the spot and wrote one for Sylutia.

Inside the manor, an old woman in a white long dress sat in a recliner on the open-air balcony, her gaze fixed blankly on the sea of flowers. When a maidservant approached and handed her a letter, the old woman slowly came back to her senses.

"Didn't I say I wasn't accepting any invitations?" Seeing the exquisite envelope, she guessed it was another invitation from some noble family's descendant.

"No, my lady. This was delivered by a young lady who came specifically to visit you. She said she's from the central region of the Alliance, and this is a letter of recommendation from the stationed mage of Mishil District."

Hearing the words "mage," "Alliance," and other terms, Lady Edeline's brow furrowed slightly, but she said nothing more. She simply sat up slowly and took the letter.

"I'm just an old woman about to die. What's left that those important people could care about?" She murmured while breaking the wax seal and removing the letter paper from within.

The letter used brief, forceful wording, emphasizing that the young lady bearing it was of noble status and that residents near Mishil District must provide full assistance; if they could be of help, the Mage Guild would offer generous rewards and compensation later.

"What an arrogant tone. Those mages are still the same as ever." Lady Edeline handed the read letter back to the maidservant, then pushed herself up from the armrest with some effort. The maidservant quickly stored away the envelope and supported the old woman.

"I'm fine. Go prepare tea and refreshments. She's a guest of no small status, and we can't let the Collin family lose face."

"Yes, my lady."

A dozen or so minutes later, two maidservants walked out of the manor to receive Sylutia.

The young lady glanced at the group behind her and, thinking that entertaining them all would be troublesome for Lady Edeline, asked them to wait outside. They could move freely and take a stroll in the meantime, while she would enter alone.

"Yes, Lady Hedra." No one objected, nor did anyone worry about Sylutia's safety.

Though she looked young, when it came to true strength, all of them combined probably couldn't match this young lady.

Passing through the manor's pathways and corridors, Sylutia arrived at a side hall with a nostalgic style, furnished with exquisite white porcelain tea tables, gilded enamel tea sets, and sofas, tablecloths, and curtains made of high-end fabric.

Lady Edeline stood in a black dress, her hair adorned with lace mesh—a standard widow's attire. The silver-gray strands visible beneath the mesh and the wrinkles on her face revealed that she was far from young anymore.

"Hello, Miss Hedra. I am Edeline, the current mistress of the Duran family." She introduced herself gracefully and politely.

"Hello, Lady Edeline." Sylutia lifted her skirt in a curtsy, her gaze slightly curious as she observed the woman.

Seeing the curiosity and surprise flickering in the young lady's eyes, Lady Edeline didn't pay it much mind. She simply followed convention, receiving her guest for a seat and preparing to exchange some courteous pleasantries before sending her off.

After sitting down, a maidservant served tea to Sylutia. Sylutia expressed her thanks, then her gaze returned to Lady Edeline once more.

She rarely stared at a stranger for so long, but Lady Edeline truly reminded her of someone. After a dozen or so seconds of observation, Sylutia had already confirmed that Lady Edeline must be blood-related to her instructor, Lady Franne, because the two bore a certain resemblance in their features—especially the brow bone and nose.

However, when it came to temperament, the difference between the two was vast, which was also why Sylutia had needed a dozen seconds of scrutiny to be certain.

Lady Edeline was on the thinner side, exuding a certain dry, cold air. Though her eyes appeared weary from age, one could still see the strong and stern demeanor of her younger years.

Lady Franne was completely different. She had a slightly fuller figure, was exceedingly warm and generous in disposition, and was almost doting toward Sylutia, rarely demanding anything of her.

Sylutia took a small sip from her teacup and stated her purpose.

"I come from Mishil District in the eastern part of the Alliance. I'm hoping to find a suitable gardener around here to help manage things. You may have already heard the news recently—the next Sinking Fog season will be especially long."

After hearing the young lady's words, the other woman nodded slightly, then declined gracefully.

"I see. Unfortunately, as I've grown old, I rarely engage in gardening matters these days. I'm afraid I can't help you, Miss Hedra. You could inquire with other local gardeners." Afterward, she introduced several gardeners who were currently stationed in Collin City.

"Thank you for the recommendations. I will visit them afterward." The young lady nodded, then shifted the topic.

"On my way here, I saw a large field of wind chime flowers in the manor. Their petals are soft and connected, truly beautiful. I've also heard of some poetic tales from the Wind Chime Grass Plains in the past, and I've always yearned to see them. Might you be willing to share some techniques for cultivating wind chime flowers?"

Sylutia's compliments and praise brought a hint of moisture to the old woman's eyes. Perhaps because she saw that Sylutia had an excellent attitude, her bearing elegant and gentle, just like the ideal daughter she had always imagined, Lady Edeline did not refuse. She briefly shared some flower-raising tips that even an outsider could understand.

"Why don't I take you for a walk in the garden?" It was the first time in over a decade that she had brought an outsider to admire the wind chime flowers she had cultivated.

"Thank you."

The two then rose. Lady Edeline, accompanied by her maidservant, led Sylutia through the manor's side doors and walkways to the inner garden. Neat gravel paths divided clusters of wind chime flowers from one another. Compared to the wild, disorderly wind chime flowers in the open fields, the species blooming here clearly had larger petals, were far more complete, with richer tones, and their stems and leaves were verdant and intact, untouched by insects or withering.

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