Cornflower Witch

Chapter 59 White Stone Chess Pieces
In the early morning, Hilti, dressed in a plain white dress, stood in her small garden, carrying a watering can, watering the flowers and plants beside her. Today was her day off, and she didn't have to go to Maester Hyde's place, so she stayed at home leisurely.

Water droplets turn into mist, reflecting a faint halo in the morning sunlight, creating a beautiful and enchanting scene.

This is her own little garden, where she has transplanted swan orchids, bubble flowers, and newly planted 'Fire Orchid' and 'White Camellia', both of which were provided by Mrs. Fran.

After she learned how to prune the branches, the lady went out again, asking Siltia to help take care of the flower field. After that, she had free time to focus on her little garden.

After observing the newly planted flowers and plants and confirming that they were all fine, Hiltiya dispersed the emerald green color from her eyes and stood up.

"Tia, breakfast is ready~" Taliel jogged over to inform Hilti.

Working at Madame Fran's mansion, Thalys's job is to share Linin's responsibilities, and recently she has started by making the simplest breakfasts.

"It just so happens that Madam is not home at the moment, so even if your cooking is terrible, it won't affect her. It just depends on whether Miss Tia is willing to put up with it."

That's what Lining had told her that day, and those words immediately ignited Talil's competitive spirit, making her vow to make a breakfast that was just as good as Lining's.

"Okay, I'm coming right now." Hiltiya put down the kettle, glanced at the flowers and plants swaying in the morning breeze, and then left.

Breakfast didn't take much time. Although it wasn't exactly delicious, Taliel's progress was obvious. Today's breakfast was edible and not too bad.

"The eggs are burnt too much," Lining said coldly, noting that the back of one of the fried eggs was already turning black.

"It's alright, Lining, don't be so harsh," the girl comforted Talil.

“I’m being harsh because it concerns the lady’s reputation.” Lining turned her head away, but she did not criticize Talil further.

Compared to the near-perfect maid Linin, Taliel was indeed too inexperienced and green, which explains why Linin didn't like this clumsy and reckless girl.

“People always need time to grow, so please give her some time, Lining. At least from now on, you can leave the errand-running stuff to Taliel.” The girl comforted Lining.

In the morning, Hiltiya walked through the flower field, observing the growth of the sunflowers while practicing her newly learned 'pruning method' and familiarizing herself with this new skill.

After lunch, she moved a deck chair to the backyard of the mansion. It was a shady spot with a view of a vast sea of ​​flowers, fresh air, and a bright blue sky, making it a perfect place for a nap or reading.

Taking off her shoes, the girl bent her legs and placed them on the recliner. Then she picked up her favorite gardening book and flipped through it, occasionally pausing to look at the scenery in the distance.

Even though it's almost December, the climate here remains warm, and the autumnal season with its gentle breezes is exceptionally long.

Just when Hilti thought the day would pass uneventfully, a bell rang from afar, coming from the gate of the manor.

"Has someone come?" she asked, slowly sitting up.

……

Outside the gate, a well-dressed elderly man paced back and forth, followed by several guards and young attendants.

Soon, Lining walked slowly to the door, and the old man rushed forward as if he had seen a savior.

They handed out a handwritten letter of recommendation and waited patiently outside the door.

After glancing at the recommendation letter briefly, Lining returned it and then told them to wait a moment.

“It’s alright, please ask Mrs. Fran.” The old man placed a hand on his shoulder and bowed.

The insects continued chirping in the trees, and the slanting sunlight made the group somewhat impatient. Fortunately, the wait wasn't too long. About ten minutes later, the maid returned to the gate, unlocked the iron lock, and let them in.

They respectfully passed through the front yard of the mansion, and were led by a maid to the living room to wait.

"Madam isn't home today," Lining told them, surprising the old man.

"However, Miss Anluo'er is here. She is the lady's student and can currently handle some matters on her behalf."

The old man breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, indicating his understanding.

They waited a second time in the living room. About three minutes later, a silver-haired girl in a bright yellow summer dress slowly walked down the stairs. This girl, who looked to be sixteen years old, immediately attracted the attention of everyone present with her stunning appearance and temperament.

With her fair skin, well-proportioned and healthy figure, slender ankles and wrists, and dreamlike face, when Hilti Ya puts on her elaborate dress and fully displays her charm, everyone is immediately captivated by her beauty.

As if their breathing slowed down, the visitors hurriedly bowed and greeted the young girl as Lining led her from the stairwell to the sofa and helped her sit down.

"Please sit down too." The girl nodded slightly and then spoke, her clear and captivating voice giving them a second shock.

The elderly man at the head of the group carefully sat down, while the others remained standing behind his sofa.

"Miss Anluoer, please forgive our unannounced visit..." the old man said, explaining the reason for his visit.

They came from the more distant Château de Linte, the residence of Baron Berto, surrounded by several villages and towns.

"So you were asking for herbs?" the girl replied softly.

It turned out that Baron Beto's wife had fallen seriously ill. Despite the doctor's treatment, the illness could not be cured and could only be suppressed. However, the condition was still precarious and could worsen at any time. After discussions and consultations between the doctor and the local scholars, they believed that some herbs with the "blazing sun" element were needed to replenish her vitality and dispel the disease from the baroness's body.

"We searched all the apothecaries' guilds in the surrounding cities and finally learned that only Lady Fran had the herbs that met the requirements." As one of the superior attributes, the Fiery Sun attribute has rare herbs, and gardeners who can cultivate them are even rarer. Not only in the southern region, but probably in the entire Kingdom of Regas, there are few people like Lady Fran who can cultivate Fiery Sun attribute plants on a large scale.

"Could you tell me the specifics of your wife's condition? Although I have ingredients with the 'Blazing Sun' element, I also need to consider whether they are suitable for the patient," the young woman replied after a moment's thought.

She didn't know how to cure diseases, but she was aware of some of the symptoms caused by being eroded by the 'power of sexuality'.

When ordinary people cultivate various abilities, they guide and control the power of their sexuality and form, operating and absorbing it in an orderly manner, so there are not many problems. However, if an ordinary person who is completely unaware of the relevant skills and knowledge comes into contact with the 'power of sexuality and form' in the outside world, various situations will occur.

The most common problem during the hottest part of summer is heatstroke, caused by exposure to the sun and the subtle effects of its intense heat. Symptoms include persistent fever, coma, shock, and in severe cases, death.

Secondly, occasionally, when people walk in the mountains and forests, they may come into contact with some hidden supernatural things, or be attacked by supernatural beasts, and become tainted with a sexual energy that is difficult to dispel.

"This is a doctor's handwritten medical record, with scholar's annotations on it." The old man instructed his attendant to retrieve the letters stored in the copper box.

The letter was given to the maid Linin, who then spread it out in front of Siltiah to read.

A few minutes later, the girl nodded slightly, indicating that Lining should put the letter away.

"I understand."

According to the description in the letter, the lady was likely infected by some mosquitoes or birds in the forest. Such diseases often come on suddenly, and without specific treatment, one can only rely on strengthening oneself to tough it out.

"Lining, could you go and get me two bottles of 'sun seed oil'?" Hiltiya looked at the maid beside her.

"Yes, Miss." The maid bowed and withdrew.

Not long after, amidst everyone's tense and curious wait, the maid appeared carrying two glass bottles filled with amber liquid.

【Sun Seed Oil】(Tier 1 - Blazing Sun): A pure oil extracted from sunflower seeds, rich in the power of the 'Blazing Sun' element. It can be used for alchemy, medicine making, dispelling cold, and killing ghost creatures.

This bottle, about 300 ml in size, was pure and golden in color, like liquid amber, leaving the people opposite in awe.

"The bottle opening is sealed using a special process. If you open it, the 'blazing sun' power inside will slowly dissipate, so be careful when using it," Hiltiya warned.

"We took note of it."

The old man accepted the two bottles of sun seed oil with respect and gratitude. Only then did he realize that the young woman in front of him had not mentioned any payment.

Whether out of respect for Madame Fran or gratitude for her help, he couldn't just leave without a reason; otherwise, Baron Berto would become a laughingstock in aristocratic circles.

“We don’t know how we can thank you and Mrs. Fran for your generosity. This is a gift we prepared in advance. Please accept it, Miss Anlor.” He had his attendant bring over another small box, placed it on the coffee table, and opened it.

Inside the velvet box were 20 gold coins neatly arranged, each adorned with an exquisite pattern of a cold-feathered bird, reflecting a shimmering gold hue.

Even though the 'Blazing Sun' attribute is a superior attribute, a first-tier extraordinary item, its price is no more than three times that of other attributes, which is at most 3 gold coins. Two bottles would cost about 6 gold coins, but the other party offered 20 gold coins at once, which can be said to be very sincere.

This was probably because they were worried that bringing too little would offend Madame Fran, given that the visit was sudden and they hadn't informed her in advance.

Should I accept it? The girl pondered for a moment.

She should have no problem accepting it, but she was also aware of the market price of the item and was somewhat unaccustomed to such a high premium.

"Looks like I'm not cut out for making money," the girl thought to herself.

Not knowing how Lady Fran usually dealt with this, she shifted her gaze to the maid beside her. Lining seemed to understand Hilti's current predicament, so she stepped forward, bowed, and spoke.

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

"Yes, yes, I was being presumptuous." The old man seemed to realize something and had someone quickly put the box away.

It was indeed a bit too direct, making it seem as if Madame Fran and the young lady were greedy. Even as a token of gratitude, it shouldn't have been done this way.

After pondering for a few seconds, the old steward took out a small box from his pocket again. The box was wrapped in red silk. He placed it on the table and opened it to reveal a white chess piece inside. The shape of the chess piece was somewhat similar to the pawn piece in chess in Xilutiya's previous life memories.

[White Stone Chess Piece] (Tier 1 - Castle): A chess piece formed by a noble with a title, possessing the power of a 'castle' attribute, which can advance a person with the capacity to become a 'Tier 1 - Castle'. (The bestowal of this chess piece often represents a title of nobility.)

"This is a castle chess piece bestowed upon me by my master, Baron Beto. It has been vacant because there is no suitable candidate in the territory at the moment. I did not bring a suitable gift for Lady Fran this time, so please accept it, Miss Anor."

At this moment, when Hilti saw Linin nod slightly to her, she responded.

"I only helped with a small matter, Lord Beto is too generous."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the old man took his leave.

"Please forgive me for not being able to stay long, as my wife is still ill. I will come to visit Mrs. Fran again later to express my gratitude once she recovers."

At this moment, Hilti also stood up to see them off.

(End of this chapter)