The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 70: Summer Breeze, Horizon, Promise

“The newly launched ice cream is selling pretty well.” Fox Family’s young lady, Hu Tao, was hosting Sylutia and the others at home today.

Hu Tao, Sylutia, Lovier, and Aurora were now sitting in the circular pavilion of the Fox Family’s manor, sipping afternoon tea and enjoying pastries.

The exams were over, and in a little while, the three of them—Sylutia, Lovier, and Aurora—would go their separate ways to the academies they had each chosen.

“I envy you guys, with such great grades.” Hu Tao thought for a moment, then talked about her own situation.

“Actually, with our family’s connections, getting into any advanced academy wouldn’t be hard, especially since the Feast Ritual School has a good relationship with us and we’ve been collaborating for a while.”

“But my father thinks I’m still not steady enough. He wants me to stay here another year to solidify my foundation before I go.” As she spoke, she ran her fingers through her light red hair at her chest, slowly playing with it.

“That’s not bad either. I remember you never really liked studying anyway.” Aurora, holding her teacup, said slowly from the side. The two of them had known each other before, though their relationship wasn’t very close.

“Aurora’s still as sharp-tongued as ever.” Hu Tao didn’t mind much at the moment, since there were no outsiders here anyway.

“What about you? You’re not going to the Opera School. Your family isn’t worried?”

“They wanted to be, but I won the argument, and in the end they had to compromise.” Aurora recalled the events before she came to Asra District, when she’d had a big fight with her family.“That takes courage.” Hu Tao propped her chin on her hand, gazing at the flower-covered lawn beyond the pavilion, her thoughts drifting in the summer breeze.

On the other side, Lovier finished her tea, took Sylutia’s hand, and the two of them strolled through the flower sea on the lawn. She tried weaving the flowers she’d picked into a circlet.

Sitting on the grass among the flowers, her skirt spread out, she clumsily threaded the flower stems together with both hands, struggling to recall the way Sylutia had held her hands and taught her during their spring outing.

Watching Lovier’s movements quietly, Sylutia didn’t rush to interrupt or interfere. She just stayed by her side, watching Lovier’s somewhat clumsy motions as she gradually found the traces in her memory and finished weaving a simple flower crown.

“Hmm, finally done.” Lifting the circlet made of pale yellow, red, and light white flowers, Lovier’s voice rang out especially cheerful in the wind.

“Hedra, I’ll put it on you, okay?”

“Mm.” The young girl lowered her head slightly, and then Lovier carefully placed the flower crown on her head, adjusting it a bit.

Then the young girl lifted her head, standing half-immersed in the sea of flowers. Her smooth, flowing hair gently lifted in the breeze, and the petals trembled lightly in the wind behind her, set against the clear blue sky—like a timeless masterpiece.

“How wonderful.” Lovier lightly clasped her hands in front of her, watching the scene.

Afterward, the two held hands again and strolled through the flower sea. Lovier occasionally bent down to touch the beautiful, delicate petals.

She was still radiating her bright, lively energy today, but beneath that cheerful expression, there was a faint sadness—different from usual.

The golden-haired Lovier lifted her wide skirt and ran briskly ahead, then turned back to smile at Sylutia.

“Hedra, are you going to chase me? I run really fast, you know.” With that, she lightly leaped over the grass again, her light-colored shoes occasionally peeking out from beneath her fluttering skirt.

Sylutia walked over unhurriedly. But after running just a little, Lovier crouched down on the ground, holding her ankle.

“Does it hurt?”

Sylutia walked over, crouched beside her, brushed aside her skirt, and helped examine her foot.

The pretty shoe with a slight heel was removed, revealing the shy, slightly embarrassed ankle. Today, Lovier was wearing white stockings, and her toes and ankle formed a pleasing curve.

“It should be fine, really.” But even as she said it was fine, when Sylutia pressed on her ankle, Lovier let out a pained cry.

“Oh, you…” The young girl shook her head slightly, blinking as she continued checking on Lovier.

Probably because Lovier was in decent physical shape and not very heavy, the injury wasn’t deep—just some bruising. It would likely heal after a day or two of rest.

Using her fingers to gently rub Lovier’s ankle and work out the blood stagnation, Sylutia talked to her to keep her mind off it, then helped her put the shoe back on.

Since it wasn’t convenient to move around now, Lovier and Sylutia sat back down on the grass. Then Lovier leaned gently against Sylutia’s knees, her golden hair slipping through the young girl’s fingers like flowing strands of gold.

“Hedra, do you ever think I’m too clumsy?” she mumbled quietly, nestled against the young girl, looking at the distant sky.

“No, Lovier isn’t clumsy.” In Sylutia’s eyes, although Lovier was a bit naive and simple, she was actually quite smart—it was obvious from her usual coursework.

“Really? But I feel like I always struggle to learn things.” She leaned into Sylutia’s arms, nuzzling her head to find a more comfortable position, just like her big cat at home.

“Even though my family all love me and spoil me, sometimes I still feel too dumb, like I can’t live up to everyone’s expectations.” Staring at the blue sky and clouds in the distance, Lovier spoke about some past memories.

“Remember, Hedra, that spring outing when you taught me to weave a bracelet out of reeds?”

“After I finished it, I stared blankly for a long time and almost cried.” Lovier mentioned that small incident.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? Such a small thing, and I almost burst into tears.”

“It’s not strange at all. After all, what might be a tiny thing to someone else could be an important moment you’ve personally experienced.” Sylutia comforted her.

“Hedra is so nice~” Lovier said in a slightly coquettish tone, lifting her pale wrist and spreading her fingers, letting the wind pass through them.

“I was really timid when I was little, you know. If no one slept with me at night, I’d be scared out of my wits. I was most afraid of the dark.” Closing her eyes, Lovier confessed her weakness.

“That’s why I chose Scorching Sun back then—because I’m afraid of the dark. If I could make a bright little sun myself, I’d feel much safer.”

“I love soft, warm things. I’ve been spoiled by my family since I was little. If I’m unhappy, the whole house is unhappy.”

“Honestly, why does everyone care about me so much? Sometimes I can’t even cry when I want to.” Lovier talked about her little troubles.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never really suffered growing up. When I got a bit older, I realized not all kids my age were like me.”

“Because my family treats me so well, sometimes I get the urge to do something meaningful. That’s why I study seriously.” Lovier used her fingers to form a triangle against the sky.

“My grades and talent aren’t bad either, but compared to my family background and all the care and pampering I’ve received, it’s still not enough. But my personality just can’t push any harder—I always want to go play.”

“My family doesn’t care about my grades at all. They just want me to be happy. But I feel like they’re spoiling me rotten.”

“I’m only telling you this. If I told anyone else, they’d probably laugh at me for being too fortunate to have such worries.” Lying in Sylutia’s arms, Lovier’s calves lifted and dropped behind her.

“The first time I felt truly sad was when my great-grandmother passed away. She was very old, almost blind, but she still adored me. She loved holding me and telling me stories.”

“When I was little, she taught me how to weave things too. But I was too young to learn back then. By the time I remembered later, she was already gone.”

“People die, Hedra.”

“Death is a separation where you’ll never see each other again.” Lovier lifted her head, felt for Sylutia’s wrist, and then grasped her fingers.

“When you go to Tetis College, don’t forget me. You’re the first friend I ever made on my own outside. I mean, Aurora’s not bad, but I still prefer being with you.”

“I won’t forget.” Sylutia looked down at the golden-haired figure before her, nodded slightly, and then pulled her into an embrace.

In the distance, Aurora sat in the pavilion watching the scene, holding her teacup as she remarked.

“Lovier must be acting spoiled again.” In her eyes, this young lady of a prominent family was still like a child who hadn’t grown up. But she really was adorable and innocent, after all.

A week later, the three of them began packing up their belongings, preparing for their respective academies.

“Members of the advanced academy all have their own private rooms, and they’re quite spacious.” Aurora introduced to the other two.

“You can bring all your stuff, and even prepare some extra furniture if you want.”

“Really? Then I’m definitely moving my bed and cabinet from home~” Lovier thought of the furniture she’d been longing for. She’d always missed the things she’d used since childhood.

“Dye-Dye, from now on you can live in a big cat house just like before, with your favorite full-room climbing frame~” As she spoke, Lovier picked up her big golden-shaded cat. The cat seemed a bit suffocated in her arms, its hind legs kicking.

“Alright, no more bullying you.” With that, she let it go. The cat hopped back onto the bed, shook its body to fluff its fur, then raised its tail and rubbed against Lovier’s back. It did like Lovier, but it just wasn’t used to being forcefully hugged.

Standing up, Lovier seemed to remember something.

“Are you two going to prepare extra furniture? I can have my family make it and send it over.”

“Seriously… have you thought about how much trouble it would be to send it from the Harp Flower Union?” Aurora couldn’t help but shake her head and rub her forehead.

“It won’t be much trouble. Our family has special airships that occasionally come for trade. I’ll just have them bring it along.” Lovier nodded carelessly.

“Airships, huh…” Aurora seemed to recall something.

“I guess I was being presumptuous. Your family wouldn’t happen to be one of the founding families of the Harp Flower Union, would it?” She remembered that the Mage Alliance had only sold a handful of airships to outsiders, and it was easy to check who owned them.

“Aurora never pays any attention to me, and here you are guessing about my family background.” Lovier let out a little huff.

“That’s because I see too many wealthy young ladies on a daily basis. I’m used to it by now.” Aurora herself came from a wealthy family, so she wasn’t particularly sensitive to that sort of thing.

“As for me, I don’t need any extra. I’ll just have the set I used at my family’s place moved over. But for Hedra, you can prepare some things for her. I’m sure you won’t shortchange her.” She knew perfectly well that Lovier adored Hedra the most. Sometimes the two of them even wore matching outfits, just in different colors.

As for the impending separation, Aurora wasn’t too sad about it. She was already familiar with several core districts of the Mage Alliance, and spending a year in Asra District felt more or less like a year-long vacation.

“We’ll meet up again after this year’s Silver Bell Festival. You can come to the Greater Airo District then, and I’ll host you properly at home. I’ll take you to enjoy all sorts of local opera performances, festive activities, and delicious food.” Aurora extended an invitation in advance.

“Sounds good. We’ll meet again half a year from now, at the Silver Bell Festival~” The three of them stacked their hands together and clapped to seal the promise.

The next day, Sylutia went to Agate Street and met many familiar faces there.

She gave everyone their instructions one by one, and finally said her goodbyes to Anari alone.

“I’m going to Tetis College now. The road ahead is yours to walk alone.” She looked at the frail, horned girl before her and spoke slowly.

“Mm, I’ll take care of myself, Lady Hedra.” Anari clutched the notebook Sylutia had given her and nodded solemnly.

“Study hard. I’ve recorded a lot of insights in the notes I gave you; they should help you.” Sylutia patted the other girl’s head.

“Even though you’re a beastman, I believe there’s no difference in intelligence from humans. You can learn all kinds of Secret History Knowledge and become a powerful Transcendent.”

“Have you thought about what profession you want to pursue? In another year or two, you’ll need to consider which academy to apply for.” Sylutia asked.

“Probably a profession that can grant me great strength.” Anari answered softly.

“My body isn’t as strong as other beastmen. I’m often taken care of by Lady Hedra and the others. Professions like warrior don’t suit me.” She shared her thoughts.

“Great strength, huh…” Sylutia thought back to the various schools of the Mage Alliance.

Although many schools were powerful, that power was mostly reflected in their products and the secret arts brought about by their research, not necessarily in the combat strength of their mages.

“If we’re talking purely about strength, the one that fits that image best would probably be the ‘Fire Essence School,’ ranked ninth. They’re famous for their fire-element spells and creating explosives.”

“But that school might not be right for you.” Sylutia imagined Anari manipulating flames and throwing explosives and couldn’t help but shake her head.

“Maybe you should choose a gentler school for now. There’s no hurry; you still have two years to think and prepare.” She suggested to Anari.

“When you have time later, you can go learn from Fire Pig or Four Fingers about their methods of managing organizations.”

“The two of them are experienced, but they’re too influenced by past habits and experience. Actually, I have a lot of brand-new ideas just waiting for someone to put them into practice.”

“So that’s what Lady Hedra expects of me? I understand. I’ll do my best.” Hearing this, Anari suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

This was probably the first time someone had entrusted her with expectations. She desperately wanted to repay and respond to that sentiment.

Not just for herself, but for everyone on Agate Street, and for the beastman companions who had died.

Lady Hedra was destined for higher places. She was the brilliant Morning Star rising once more. As for herself, she would take on this great lady’s mission in the darkness and help her realize her ideals.

Without Sylutia knowing it, Anari had already set her own goals and mission for the future.