Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Lynch stood in the center of the hall and waved towards Wayne: "Wayne, come here for a second!"

All the guests' eyes followed the greeting and fell on Wayne.

Wayne slowly made his way through the crowd and stopped in front of Lynch: "Father."

Lynch reached out and patted his shoulder, then turned to lead him to the girl in the wheelchair, his tone laced with undisguised smugness: "This is the daughter of the Grand Duke of Winter, Miss Zoe Winter. Miss Zoe, this is the son of mine I mentioned to you before, Wayne."

Zoe looked up and nodded slightly in greeting.

"Hello, Mr. Wayne."

Wayne nodded politely in return: "Miss Zoe, welcome to Angus Estate. You must be tired from your journey."

The two exchanged a brief glance, and the surrounding gazes swept back and forth between them with varying degrees of scrutiny and speculation, filling the air with an unspoken atmosphere of matchmaking.

Lynch stood to the side, his gaze shifting between the two of them before naturally taking over the conversation: "Miss Zoe has traveled all the way from the North, and must be quite tired. Wayne, why don't you take Miss Zoe to the back lounge to rest? It's quiet there, and it'll be easier to talk. Tea and refreshments are also prepared in the backyard."

He spoke frankly, but the underlying meaning of "giving you some private space" was clear to everyone present.

Wayne didn't refuse. He walked to the back of the wheelchair and gripped the handles with both hands. "Miss Zoe, the lounge is on the east side of the backyard. Just walk through the corridor, it's quieter there. If you don't mind, I'll take you there."

Zoe looked at Wayne politely.

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

While Wayne was pushing the wheelchair.

The panel appeared.

【Zoe Winter - Character Information】

[Identity: Only daughter of the Grand Duke of Winter, first in line to inherit the Winter family throne.]

[Physical condition: Congenital nerve loss in the legs, resulting in complete loss of sensation below the knees, making it impossible to stand or walk. This condition has existed since birth, and the Winter Family has consulted numerous renowned doctors, but none have been able to cure it.]

[Note: She appears calm and composed on the surface, but deep down she harbors a profound inferiority complex. She is aware of her physical condition and her "disadvantage" in the marriage market. Her attendance at the appointment is purely out of obedience to her father. She has even already planned that if the marriage goes through, she will proactively arrange for her husband to take a concubine; she doesn't want to be a burden to him.]

Wayne pushed Zoe's wheelchair down the corridor to the lounge on the east side of the backyard. The backyard was indeed much quieter, with several osmanthus trees in bloom, filling the air with a faint, sweet fragrance.

Wayne pushed the wheelchair to the stone table and secured it, then sat down on the stone bench opposite Zoe.

After pouring Zoe a cup of tea, Wayne spoke first: "Miss Zoe, your leg doesn't look like it was injured later in life, does it?"

Zoe's gaze lingered on Wayne's face for a moment, clearly not expecting him to jump straight into this topic after his opening remarks.

She paused for a moment, then nodded gently: "Yes. I've had it since birth."

"Congenital?"

“You could say that,” Zoe continued to Wayne. “Before I was even born, I was corrupted by the Abyss Curse, resulting in congenital nerve defects in my legs. I completely lost sensation below the knees, making it impossible for me to stand or walk. The Winter Family searched far and wide for renowned doctors, but none could cure me.”

Following her lead, Wayne asked, "Miss Zoe, why don't you accept the alchemical transplant? With the Winter Family's strength and resources, shouldn't you be able to hire the best doctor in this field?"

Zoe shook her head slightly: "Alchemy transplants can indeed rebuild bone and muscle structures, but they cannot repair nerve circuits corrupted by the curse. I've tried it. When I was thirteen, my father brought in the best alchemist in the North to perform a complete leg reconstruction surgery on me. The bones recovered, and the muscles regrowed, but the nerves didn't respond at all. The curse was entrenched in the lower part of my spine, cutting off all signals to my legs."

Just then, the panel information popped up.

[Zoe Winter's Curse Details]

[Curse Type: Remnant of Abyssal Will - Uterine Contamination.]

[Note: During her pregnancy, her mother sought refuge in the ruins of an ancient city eroded by a deep abyss. The curse, through the mother's body, seeped into the fetus, creating an irreversible neural blockage at the lower end of the spine.]

[Note: This curse has an extremely rare characteristic: it is completely immune to Holy Light, but extremely fearful of Primordial Water. "Primordial Water" refers to the purest form of water, uncontaminated by any elemental impurities—the purest part of your water magic.]

Wayne withdrew his gaze: "Miss Zoe, I actually know a little about medicine. If you'd like, perhaps I can take a look at you."

Zoe looked up, a complex look in her eyes. She had seen too many people say similar things, then after a flurry of activity on her legs, end with an apologetic "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do," leaving her and her father to face dashed hopes once again.

Zoe paused slightly, looked down at her numb knees, then looked up and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Mr. Wayne."

Wayne didn't say anything more. He stood up, walked around to the side of the wheelchair, and knelt down on one knee, stopping at knee level with Zoe's: "I need to put my hand directly on your knee, is that alright?"

Zoe nodded.

Wayne gently placed his right hand on her knee.

He didn't immediately activate his magic, but instead closed his eyes, allowing his magic flow to slowly resonate with the magic fluctuations within Zoe's body.

A few breaths later, he opened his eyes.

Water magic seeped from his palms, silently seeping into Zoe's skin.

Zoe's breath hitched for a moment. She could feel a warm breath slowly spreading upwards along her legs, which had been numb for many years, like a riverbed that had been frozen for a long time beginning to thaw under the warm spring sun.

Wayne's healing techniques were gentle. While maintaining a steady output of water magic, he spoke casually, "Miss Zoe, you've come for a political marriage, haven't you?"

Zoe did not deny it: "Yes. Father said there is an ancestral marriage agreement between the Angus family and the Winter family, and he sent me to meet you."

"And what are your own thoughts?"

Zoe paused for a moment.

"I was just following my father's instructions."

Looking into her calm eyes, Wayne didn't press further, but instead changed the subject: "If I can heal your leg, may I make a request regarding the arranged marriage?"

Zoe's gaze visibly paused for a moment, then she looked up at En: "...What request?"

"Cancel our engagement."

Zoe's pupils contracted slightly. Her first reaction wasn't relief, but rather self-doubt.

Is an arranged marriage really that unbearable for me? Or am I simply so unattractive to him that he would rather heal my leg than cancel the marriage?