Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Zoe lowered her gaze, her voice a few decibels lower than before: "Does Mr. Wayne think I'm not good enough?"

Wayne paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"Miss Zoe, please don't misunderstand. This has nothing to do with you personally. It's a transaction, nothing more. I will heal your leg, and in exchange, we will annul our engagement. This marriage was arranged by my father from beginning to end; I knew nothing about it. I didn't even know you existed before you arrived at the Marquis's mansion."

Zoe's gaze lingered on Wayne's face for a moment; she could tell that Wayne was serious.

There was a hint of relief in her tone.

"I see... I thought Mr. Wayne thought there was something wrong with me."

"Miss Zoe has no problem at all. On the contrary, the courage and responsibility you showed by traveling alone from the North to the capital to attend a matchmaking event you were unwilling to attend already surpasses that of many others."

Zoe responded with a smile.

Just then, the panel unfolded in front of Wayne.

[Zoe Winter - Current Status]

[Status: Much more at ease.]

[Note: In fact, her cautious demeanor just now wasn't entirely due to her worry about leaving a bad impression on you. She was more concerned about leaving a bad impression on Alice, because she had been deeply attracted by Alice's appearance and temperament the moment she entered.]

[Note 2: Alice's figure and demeanor were extremely dignified in her eyes. Zoe knew very well that the person who truly captivated her at this matchmaking event wasn't her brother sitting opposite her treating her leg, but rather her sister standing at the back of the crowd, scrutinizing her with wary eyes.]

[Note 3: Her "inferiority complex" is real, but the way she presents this inferiority complex to you and Alice is completely different.]

Wayne was speechless.

He's taken a liking to his own sister!

He then sighed silently to himself.

What is this? His cheapskate father went to great lengths to arrange a blind date, even managing to get that so-called ancestral marriage contract, only to find out that the girl had her eye on his own sister.

She really is someone destined by fate!

Wayne remained silent for a few seconds, his expression unchanged, before refocusing his attention on the healing. His water magic output remained stable, and he could feel the nerve endings in Zoe's legs, dormant for many years, gradually recovering under the influence of his water magic.

When a certain critical point is reached.

Zoe's breathing quickened.

She felt a warm current she had never experienced before, slowly spreading downwards along her nerve bundles. That warm current awakened, inch by inch, those areas she thought she would never be able to feel again in her life.

Having lived for over a decade, the impact of her gradually regaining intuition was far more intense than she had anticipated.

She couldn't help but let out a sigh.

Wayne paused slightly.

"Miss Zoe, are you alright?"

Zoe didn't answer immediately, and after a long while, she slowly raised her head: "...I felt it."

Her voice trembled slightly.

"I can feel my legs...it's spreading from my knees all the way down to my ankles...I can feel the warmth of your hands on my knees."

It all happened so suddenly, so suddenly that she was completely unprepared. She had already accepted the fact that she would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life and was prepared to live with this disabled body for the rest of her life.

Wayne didn't stop his water magic, but his gaze held a knowing gentleness.

"Ms. Zoe, don't be nervous. This is the first time we've tried to activate nerves that have been dormant for many years, so it's normal for your body to have a strong reaction. Also, you may experience some unusually strong sensations during the treatment. Just relax and don't try to suppress them."

Zoe nodded.

"Yes. Thank you, Mr. Wayne."

Not long after, Wayne's treatment came to a temporary end, and he withdrew his hand from Zoe's knee.

Zoe felt her lower body and said.

"Mr. Wayne, I agree to your terms. I will personally write to my father about the engagement, explaining that we are not a good match and asking him to cancel it."

Wayne nodded readily.

"Thank you for your understanding, Miss Zoe."

Zoe then changed the subject.

"However... can I stay here a few more days? This is the first time in over a decade that I've felt my legs. If I leave now, I can't guarantee that this recovery won't stop once I return to the North."

"Of course. It will take some time for your lower body to recover. I will arrange for you to stay in the west wing, which is quiet and has plenty of space."

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door of the lounge, and then it was pushed open a crack from the outside.

Alice peeked halfway in, her gaze sweeping around the room to make sure both men's expressions were calm before stepping in. "Brother, are you finished talking? Father asked me to come and see if you'd like some more tea and snacks."

Wayne looked at her feigned nonchalance and didn't call her out: "We just finished talking."

He stepped aside and introduced the two women: "Miss Zoe, this is my sister, Alice. Alice, this is the daughter of Grand Duke Winter, Miss Zoe Winter."

The moment Zoe's gaze fell on Alice, her ears involuntarily flushed a light pink.

She nodded slightly: "Hello, Miss Alice."

Alice's gaze lingered on Zoe's face for a moment before she politely replied, "Hello, Miss Zoe. Welcome to Angus Estate."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Alice eagerly turned her gaze back to Wayne: "Brother, you said yes?"

Wayne was slightly taken aback: "Agree to what?"

"A marriage alliance!"

Wayne shook his head slightly: "No."

Alice's shoulders visibly slumped.

"That's good."

Zoe, seated in her wheelchair, glanced back and forth between the brother and sister. She keenly sensed that Alice was acting strangely towards her brother, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

She took the initiative to bring up the matter of a marriage alliance.

"Miss Alice, Mr. Wayne and I have made a deal. We have agreed that the engagement is off. I will stay at your residence for a few days, and once my leg has recovered and stabilized, I will set off back to the North."

Alice smiled when she heard this.

"Then Miss Zoe, please feel free to stay here. If you need anything, just have someone come to me or my brother anytime."

"Thank you, Miss Alice."

Zoe appeared polite and normal on the surface, but her inner thoughts were quite different.

Wow, so cute! How can someone be so cute?

Upon closer inspection, she is quite beautiful.

Zoe sighed inwardly.

She'd seen all sorts of beautiful girls in the North, so why did she have to stumble at Angus's manor?

I really want to kidnap her and take her back to Winterfell.

There shouldn't be any problem with this, right?