She Is Not a Witch

A young woman in a blue gown slowly entered the great hall. The guests automatically parted to make way for her, as she was too beautiful to be defiled by their gaze.

Unlike the women with powdered faces, the ladies adorned with gold and silver jewelry, or the haughty and sharp-tongued noble girls, this young woman’s blue gown perfectly accentuated her figure. The light-colored collar and pure white gloves with lace patterns served as the perfect complement, like leaves highlighting a flower.

Her eyes didn’t focus on anything in particular, but her clear gaze held a hint of curiosity as it swept across the banquet hall. Her small steps seemed to tread into everyone’s hearts, resonating with each beat. This natural beauty, like an exquisite work of art from any angle, attracted greedy and admiring glances from throughout the hall.

A massive chandelier hung from the domed ceiling, with dozens of large candles burning. Surrounding it was a ring of smaller chandeliers, all made of finely crafted brass. The flickering candlelight illuminated the frescoes on the ceiling, which depicted various legends and myths, adding a touch of grandeur to the hall.

As Loranhil entered, music began to play. Eight violinists and one pianist started performing on the stage. The soft, lively music accompanied the guests’ congratulatory voices as the banquet officially began.

First, elegantly dressed gentlemen and ladies came to greet Loranhil. Although the young woman didn’t recognize any of them, with Chelsea’s prompting beside her, she politely responded to each one.

The looks in these people’s eyes ranged from envy to desire, from pleading to passionate love. Love at first sight was never a rare occurrence in any world.

After the young woman had responded to several greetings, a middle-aged man in a black suit approached. His suit was embroidered with small olive and shell patterns in emerald green thread, indicating he was from the Agdelin family.

“Greetings, Miss Lacy. I am Jelinc, the current head of the Agdelin family. Welcome to our gathering.”

“Uncle Jelinc, I’ve heard my father mention you many times. I apologize for the sudden visit and any inconvenience it may have caused.”

“No need to worry. Your father and I were close friends. I was deeply saddened to hear of his passing. If there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you for your kindness. I’ll certainly let you know if I need anything.” Loranhil curtsied slightly.

After a brief conversation, a young woman in a bright yellow dress approached. She had long blue hair with spiral ends that rested on her chest, and she wore a small, delicate gold necklace with a blue crystal pendant.

“Father,” she curtsied to Jelinc before turning to face Loranhil, her golden eyes full of curiosity.

“Ah, Rachel, you’re here. Let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Rachel. You two are about the same age and should have more in common to talk about. I’ll leave you to it.”

With that, Jelinc walked away to mingle with others.

The young woman in the yellow dress greeted Loranhil first. “Hello, I’m Rachel.”

“Hello, I’m Lacy. I apologize, as this is my first time in Vegar, I’m not familiar with some of the etiquette. Please let me know if I do anything inappropriate.”

“There’s no need for that, Lacy. I think you’re carrying yourself better than anyone here. You’re like a natural-born princess,” Rachel said with a smile.

“Let’s go sit over there for a while.”

Rachel led Loranhil to a small table near the dance floor. Soon, two servants came over to place a candelabra on the white tablecloth and brought two glasses of juice.

“I won’t come of age until the second half of the year, and Father doesn’t allow me to drink alcohol. I’m not sure if you’re used to juice. I’ve heard that people from the Western Wind Kingdom prefer alcohol.”

“It’s fine, I like juice too. I rarely drink alcohol.”

Loranhil shook her head. She wasn’t sure of her age in this world, so she couldn’t speak to whether she was of age or not. In her previous life, she rarely drank hard liquor, at most having some low-alcohol drinks with friends.

The juice in the glass was light green, and when swirled, small bits of green pulp could be seen. It tasted slightly sour at first, followed by a sweet flavor. There were also a few ice cubes in the glass, making it refreshing and delicious on a summer day.

“Do you like it?”

“Mm-hmm.” Loranhil sipped the cool juice, its refreshing taste dispelling some of the summer heat.

“Hehe, I invented this. The juice is pressed from emerald berries, but they’re quite sour, so I tried adding some honey to balance the flavor. Then I add ice cubes when serving to make it more exciting,” Rachel explained proudly.

“Ice cubes?”

“Yes! We have a Primal Sequence 3 Ice Light Mixologist at home who’s very skilled in this area. She’s also been leading the development of several perfumes for our family in recent years. I’ll introduce her to you sometime.”

“How do you like it? Can you describe the feeling? My brothers look down on juice and only like to drink alcohol. Whenever I ask them, they just brush me off.”

“Well, it’s like dipping your hand into a cool mountain spring on a stuffy afternoon. The gurgling sound of the water makes you feel refreshed and awake.”

Loranhil tried to describe the sensation with words, and Rachel was delighted, as if she had found a kindred spirit.

“Lacy, you must be very well-educated. When my brothers and father try to describe something they like, they just say it’s ‘good’ or ‘not bad’.”

“Every time they come and go, it’s always the same few words. It’s so boring to talk to them.”

Rachel began to complain that the people around her lacked literary appreciation and were only interested in accounting and making money.

Then Rachel started discussing various works of literature, novels, and plays. Although Loranhil hadn’t heard of most of them and could only nod and agree occasionally, Rachel was still very happy. It was clear that she was a young woman who loved romantic stories and had been longing for someone to talk to about them for a long time.

“You know, Lacy, my favorite is the legendary Lightning Cavalry. Their leader, Aeor, is just so cool.”

The Lightning Cavalry was a legend from the Third Era. Their leader, Aeor, was a close friend of the founding monarch of the Western Wind Kingdom. The two families had intermarried several times, and now the Lightning Cavalry was directly under the royal family of the Western Wind Kingdom as the Royal Cavalry, leaving behind many glorious battle achievements and legends in history.

The story of Commander Aeor was also quite fascinating. After continuous embellishment by later generations and performances in operas, he became a household name across the continent. Although he lived hundreds of years ago, he was still regarded as a hero by countless young people and the perfect partner in the hearts of many young women.

Happy times always pass quickly, and the banquet was gradually coming to an end. At this time, a young butler approached.

“Miss Lacy, hello. I am Orwin, the butler of the Agdelin family. I apologize for the interruption. Our master, Lord Jelinc, invites you to his study for a brief meeting. He would like to discuss some matters regarding your father, Lord Angus.”

“Thank you, I’ll be there shortly.” Loranhil stood up, signaling to the butler and head maid in the distance, then followed the young butler out of the hall and into the adjacent corridor.

Watching her new friend of similar age being invited away by her father, Rachel was puzzled.

“Since when did Father become so serious?”

As the young woman left the hall, faint footsteps could be heard from various hidden corners of the Agdelin household, occasionally accompanied by the sound of armor clinking.