The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch

Chapter 59: Familiar Warmth (Fourth Update)

The sky was overcast, and the sun was gradually setting. Aivana stepped down from the carriage and looked towards the manor’s main gate.

For some reason, she felt more eager to return home today than usual, despite having lived here for almost three years.

Without a butler or maids to greet her, Aivana pushed open the door herself. As soon as she entered, she caught a strong aroma wafting through the air. She turned her head to the right and saw the drawing room, where the scent was coming from.

What’s going on?

Did the cook come back early?

Holding two bags in her hands, Aivana walked towards the drawing room with confusion, taking in the scene inside.

Xia’er was arranging utensils at the table. Several plates emitting steam were placed on the table, and a pot was sitting in the middle.

Aivana carefully stepped around the debris and her footsteps drew Xia’er’s attention. Xia’er turned and looked at Aivana, “Back already?”

“Mm.” Aivana nodded, feeling an indescribable sensation. She pointed at the dishes in front of her and asked, “Did you make these?”

“I usually cook at home too,” Xia’er said nonchalantly. Having one more person meant using one more set of cutlery, but cooking for one person or three didn’t really make it harder. As long as she didn’t have to wash the dishes, cooking was actually quite relaxing for Xia’er.

Aivana cautiously walked around the table and noticed the dishes divided into three portions, presumably for Nia. However, Nia didn’t need to eat.

“Where’s Nia? Does she need to eat?” Xia’er asked after setting the utensils and sitting down.

“Um… she won’t be back so soon. We can save these for her and put them in the kitchen later,” Aivana replied expressionlessly, telling a small lie.

Aivana didn’t want Xia’er to feel like her efforts were wasted. As for the extra meals, she would eat them secretly later.

“What’s this?” After sitting across from Xia’er, Aivana pointed at the dish in front of her and couldn’t help asking.

“Fried eggs with tomatoes,” Xia’er pointed at the other dishes and introduced them one by one, “This one is stir-fried spinach with chili, this one is ginger and scallion stir-fried chicken, and that pot is carrot beef stew.”

At this point, Xia’er shook her head with a hint of helplessness, “There weren’t many ingredients, so I could only make these.”

Aside from the stew, she hadn’t heard of any other dishes, and the staple food was bread.

Aivana couldn’t help asking, “Is this… a specialty dish from Clock Tower Lane District?”

After saying that, Xia’er no longer paid attention to Aivana and started eating, leaving Aivana alone, lost in thought.

Tonight’s dinner was very different from the dishes prepared by the chef in the past, but the plain-looking dishes without fancy plating gave Aivana a peculiar sense of warmth.

She picked up a piece of chicken with her fork and looked at Xia’er, saying weakly, “The chicken isn’t deboned… Xia’er.”

Seeing that Xia’er didn’t respond, Aivana put down the chicken and took a bite of the egg instead.

Sour and sweet… unexpectedly delicious…

The chicken was also tasty, but a bit salty, so she needed to take a bite of bread to balance it out…

Spinach stir-fried with chili was surprisingly good too… she had always thought it could only be used in salads or soups.

Before she knew it, Aivana had finished all the dishes in front of her. She didn’t know when she last felt this full sensation.

She sighed.

Looking at Xia’er, who was sipping the stew in front of her, Aivana found herself somewhat dazed. Only when Xia’er looked up and met her gaze did Aivana discreetly divert her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Xia’er asked, noticing Aivana hadn’t moved. “Is it not tasty?”

“It is.” Aivana nodded, then asked curiously, “Xia’er, you’re not from An Su, right?”

“I am from An Su,” Xia’er said, puzzled.

“No, I’m complimenting you,” Aivana smiled slightly. “In An Su City, the highest praise for a chef is to doubt if they are truly from An Su.”

“An Su’s chefs can only make stews, fried potato sticks, salads, and awful fish stews. We usually hire chefs from neighboring countries.”

“Indeed,” Xia’er nodded, fully agreeing. “Li Qi’s barrier took me to a restaurant twice, and after those visits, we never went back.”

“Wise choice,” Aivana echoed, not realizing she was smiling as she spoke.

Once Xia’er finished the soup, Aivana took out two bags and handed them to Xia’er.

“The black bag contains a potion from the Church, an advancement in the ‘Avenger’ path, second-tier ‘Judge.’ The yellow bag is a specially made mask from the Redemption Society, which prevents the spread of germs when worn.”

“But the Church has rules against reselling potions. If you plan to give it to your organization, remind them not to distribute it either. Each potion has a special mark. If it leaks and gets traced back, they’ll know who leaked it, and they might cause trouble for me.”

“Got it, thank you,” Xia’er accepted the potion and the bag containing the mask, asking, “With this mask, I won’t have to worry about spreading germs to others?”

The potion was originally intended for herself, so Xia’er had no intention of selling it.

“Yes,” Aivana nodded.

Xia’er took a deep breath and looked at Aivana, asking, “Where is my sister now?”

After getting the specific address, Xia’er put down the potion, put on the mask, and said, “I’ll be back later,” before rushing out.

Once Xia’er’s figure completely vanished, Aivana looked at the empty utensils before her, feeling a sense of loss.

Will there be another chance to taste Xia’er’s cooking in the future? She would eventually have to go to An Su.

An Su…

Aivana pulled out the necklace around her neck, stroking the family crest on it, her expression gradually becoming indifferent.

…

In the Jewelry District, outside the “Crystal” Jewelry Shop.

Xia’er stopped at the door, panting heavily.

Her face was covered by a hard black mask, concealing her nose and mouth. It had numerous air holes sealed with custom silk and red inscriptions. From afar, it looked like she was wearing a black version of Jason’s mask, which was quite frightening.

Seemingly due to rumors and hearsay, the usually bustling Jewelry District was nearly deserted. Xia’er saw through the delicate glass window a blonde woman standing inside, her face adorned with an elaborate mask embedded with ornate feathers.

Xia’er pushed open the door and rushed into the shop, startling the woman. Before she could see anything clearly, she felt a familiar figure collide into her.

“Little Xia’er?”

Li Qi reached out, ruffling Xia’er’s hair, then tightly embraced the girl in front of her.