Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1442 Desire
Christina's ultimate goal in sneaking out of her house and embarking on a day of adventure was to receive the wish granted by the "genie."

But when it came time to make a wish, she hesitated.

Because she had made one wish in advance when she was kidnapped in the liberated port of the Southern Continent and when the Giants' Court was shrouded in the shadow of betrayal, saving herself and her sister Dorothy from a deadly predicament, the Genie is now waiting for her third wish.

Anne Gustave, the powerful ghost ship incarnation, once said that the "Wishing Lamp" has caused the tragic deaths of countless owners throughout history, and the biggest reason for their misfortunes was that they made a third wish.

Although this sealed artifact is said to be able to grant its holder a total of ten wishes, only the first two can have their negative effects avoided through various methods. Once the third wish is granted, it will be granted in a distorted way.

Even if the genie inside temporarily chooses to cooperate because of his pursuit of freedom, how can we guarantee that he will truly keep his promise now that he has been released?
Thinking of this, Tina asked cautiously:

"Are you sure I can safely make a third wish and have it granted?"

The humanoid figure, enveloped in flowing golden light, twisted in the air, glanced at the surrounding gray mist, and then nodded, saying:

"Of course, now that I am free, many of the previous constraints no longer exist. The power to grant wishes is provided by the 'Wishing Lamp' itself, which is the extraordinary characteristic of the 'Miracle Master.' After my enhancement and distortion, it has reached a level stronger than Sequence 2... Simply put, after I left this sealed object, it was as if it had a new master, and the side effects of 'wishes' would be recalculated."

"But you're no different from before, still that humanoid silhouette with your face obscured. Are you sure there won't be any danger the moment you make a wish?"

Dorothy, standing to the side, looked the genie in the air up and down.

"That's because I didn't reveal my true mythical form. Otherwise, the entire Trier, including both above-ground and underground parts, would have been instantly destroyed and then reappeared in an order that I approve of, and you would probably be in danger as well!"

The genie muttered something under his breath, and Tina and Dorothy even detected a hint of grievance in it.

That must be an illusion!

Putting aside her speculations about the genie's thoughts, Tina continued to ask:
"So, I still have three wishes?"

“No, actually there are only two left. The restriction that the third wish would cause fatal danger still exists,” the genie shook his head. “And the two wishes you made before haven’t actually been fulfilled yet, because the two angels who rescued you came ‘uninvited’.”

So that's how it is... No wonder the genie agreed so readily, and almost instantly, Ariana and Lady Chariot arrived... Tina pondered for a moment, then uttered her first wish, which she had already prepared:
"My wish is simple: please make my family, that is, the family consisting of me, my sister Dorothy, my father and mother, rich without harming the interests of others."

"Specifically, I want to live in the western part of Backlund, in a luxurious villa with a garden. Well, I need to have enough savings, at least 1 gold pounds... Then I need some shares in the factories in the eastern part of the country, so that they can have enough income without having to go to work every day. Finally, I need a manor in the suburbs. I've heard that summer in Backlund is the social season, and I need to invite friends to the manor for vacation..."

Upon hearing her wish, Dorothy, who was somewhat prepared, couldn't help but gape.

"You're so vulgar!"

She whispered to her younger sister.

Shouldn't we be praying for world peace, an end to famine and disaster, or at least for a high-sequence potion at a time like this?

"Hmph, then you can stay at your home in Tingen instead of living in Backlund," Tina said, hands on her hips, glaring at her sister. "Mom and Dad are so busy every day, leaving early and coming home late, and they don't earn much money. Shouldn't I let them live a little easier?"

Overwhelmed by her imposing manner, Dorothy, unusually, did not continue the argument.

The genie chuckled softly and tentatively asked in return:

"Is your wish really that simple? You really don't need to directly become a high-sequence extraordinary being, or have a husband who loves you in the future?"

“No need,” Tina refused decisively. “After learning that those angels have to fight against the divinity within their extraordinary characteristics, I don’t think that directly gaining power is necessarily a good thing. Besides, I’m only 13 years old. It’s enough for my family to be a little wealthy. My parents won’t have to work so hard, my sister can choose the best school in Backlund, and we can go to Uncle Benson’s house to play on weekends.”

Dorothy raised her eyebrows in surprise upon hearing her sister's answer.

She then realized that the other party's idea was not impulsive, but rather something they had thought about deeply beforehand.

The figure in the golden light in the air also gave Tina a deep look, nodded after a moment, and snapped his fingers with his right hand.

Snapped--

"Your wish has been fulfilled, perhaps with some deviations, but all in a good way."

He announced it in a grand and majestic tone.

Really? But I don't feel like anything has changed... Tina subconsciously looked around.

How can I confirm this?

She asked back, puzzled.

"Everything will change when you return home," the genie answered confidently. "Alright, now there's one more wish. What do you need?"

My second wish… but everything I need is already in my previous wish… After a series of thoughts flashing through her mind, including “extraordinary characteristics” and “powerful sealed artifacts,” Tina shook her head and looked at her sister:

"Dorothy, you can have this wish."

She felt that her sister, who had accompanied her throughout the journey and even contributed her pocket money for travel expenses, should also share in her wishes today.

But the girl simply pursed her lips and replied:

“I don’t have anything I want to achieve. If it’s supernatural power or some sealed artifacts that can help me, I think I can obtain them myself after fully understanding the world of mysticism, rather than through the form of ‘wishes’.”

Dorothy still harbored some reservations about the "genie." She could accept the material possessions and property, but the desire to directly become an extraordinary being was too dangerous for her.

Besides, if my guess is correct, Mom and Dad probably wouldn't want us to make such a wish... she thought to herself.

Seeing the two girls staring at each other, the genie laughed exaggeratedly twice, and the features of his face, which had been previously indistinct, began to vaguely appear:
"Since you have no other wishes, I will take this opportunity to send you home."

Having said that, without waiting for Tina and Dorothy's agreement, He snapped his fingers.

In an instant, the "wishing lamp" below and the two girls who brought it here disappeared without a trace. In the empty underground hall, only a simple stone altar, a pervasive gray mist, the outline of the city in the distance, and the "lamp god" still in human form, shrouded in golden and blue light, remained.

"Ha, ha, ha ha," the genie laughed loudly, his arrogant and unrestrained emotions spreading. "Finally, I am free!"

Amidst the laughter, two figures materialized from the gray mist and approached.

The genie's laughter abruptly ceased. He gazed at the figure gradually becoming clearer in the mist, his expression shifting first to confusion, then surprise, then fear, and finally, somewhat...

...Flattery. "Gentlemen, how was my performance?"

He rubbed his hands together and asked in a somewhat ingratiating manner.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Without any dizziness or darkness, the genie and gray mist in front of Tina instantly transformed into a completely different scene.

There were rows of electric lights, a fairly lively street, and two-story houses on both sides. Stars dotted the night sky, and moonlight shone on the earth.

She and Dorothy had returned to Tingen City under the cover of night, back to their home on Narcissus Street.

With a whoosh, Tina's crossbody bag, which she had been carrying on her shoulder, suddenly felt heavy, as if something had been stuffed inside. She reached out and found that the "wishing lamp" had returned to her bag.

Of course, no matter how she called out, the "genie" no longer responded. Although the sealing artifact still had the ability to grant other people's wishes, its other function, namely sealing a powerful being, was no longer effective.

It's finally over. We're all safely home, and even the sealed artifacts we stole from the basement weren't lost... Tina looked around, just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she was immediately filled with confusion.

"Shouldn't I be a Backlund now, living a rich man's life in a big villa in the West End?"

Why did you return to Tingen and stand in front of a two-story townhouse?

She muttered to herself, her gaze sweeping across both sides of the street before finally settling on Dorothy.

"Didn't the genie say that it would only work if we went home? We should hurry back before Mom and Dad get home."

Dorothy pointed to No. 6 Narcissus Street, which looked odd among the row of lit houses.

Oh right, we came out without telling Mom and Dad... Tina didn't have time to feel sentimental. She quickly returned home with her sister and, according to their previous plan, turned on the lights in the living room and study, messed up the sofa and table, and spread some extracurricular reading materials on the desk to create the illusion that she and her sister had stayed at home all day.

Then, she carefully stepped into the dimly lit basement and put the golden lamp, which no longer had the function of summoning the genie, back in its original place.

After doing all this, she returned to the living room, looking somewhat awkwardly at the tightly closed bedroom door, unsure whether she was anticipating or resisting her parents' return.

Firstly, she worried that what happened today couldn't be hidden from her intelligent father, and secondly, although her mother rarely suspected her two daughters, she could always discover many problems through intuition.

Secondly, she was unsure in what form her "wish" would be fulfilled.

And what secrets are Mom and Dad hiding...? Just as she fell into deep thought, she heard regular footsteps outside the door. A moment later, the key was inserted into the lock, the door opened, and Klein Moretti, wearing a black trench coat, a top hat, and carrying a small wooden box, walked in.

Behind him, Angel Granger, equally travel-worn, closed the door behind him.

"Dad, Mom!"

Dorothy, who was lying on the sofa pretending to read a book, cheered, threw down the book "The Great Adventurer," and pounced into Klein's arms, rubbing against his shirt that was showing under his trench coat while giving Tina a wink.

The latter then realized what was happening and rushed forward, throwing Angel into a tight embrace.

"Alright, alright, we've only been gone for a day, why are you being so clingy?"

Angel smiled indulgently, stroking Tina's head and ruffling her soft blonde hair.

"But it feels like a long time has passed..."

Tina murmured in her mother's broad embrace.

She absolutely meant it!

……

After the commotion, Angel, hearing that Tina and Dorothy were still hungry, decided to cook dinner for the whole family himself. Klein, on the other hand, sat on the sofa in the living room, his gaze lingering on his two daughters from time to time, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Finally, as if he had made a decision, he said:
"Dorothy, Tina, your mother and I discussed this while we were on a business trip today, and there are some things we need to tell you."

coming!

Tina immediately perked up. She glanced at her sister, whose expression had also changed and whose posture had straightened, then looked at her mother's back as she busied herself in the kitchen. She took a deep breath and listened to her father's next words.

Klein, sitting on the sofa, also seemed somewhat uneasy. He crossed his hands on his knees and tapped his knees repeatedly with his fingers.

"Actually, your mother and I have another identity..."

"Unlike Benson, who took the civil service exam for the first time and entered the government system, Melissa, who pursued a degree and became a researcher, and Lily, who became a freelance writer, we did some dangerous business in Backlund, Bayam, and even the South Continent in our early years, and we also saved up a lot of money. In layman's terms, we were all rich."

"Before you were born, we had purchased properties in the West, Hillston and North districts of Backlund, and invested in some canneries and beverage factories... Angel also bought a suburban winery from a baron, with a main house larger than Harold's department store building, fine vineyards and wineries, and large woodlands for hunting."

"Of course, we have a lot of savings, actually six figures... but we suddenly suffered a significant loss this year, and before the year-end investment dividends, we only have £1 left..."

"But no matter what, what I want to say is that you are actually children from wealthy families. You have lived in Tingen for so many years in such an environment because we were worried that you would develop a mindset of getting something for nothing if you grew up in such a luxurious environment, so we kept it from you all this time."

“Now, Angel and I both believe that you have grown up, grown up to the point where you can understand these truths and make decisions about the rest of your lives.”

Hearing Klein's sincere words tinged with apology, Tina and Dorothy inevitably became stunned.

Especially Tina, when she made her wish, she never imagined that those villas, factories and estates would come to her in this way.

Moreover, even the parents' savings matched their wishes!

Wait a minute, he used to have six-figure sums in gold pounds, but this year, due to strange losses, he only has £1 left? Could this be the work of a "genie"?

Thinking of this, Tina's cup slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.

P.S.: There's a fan title event in the book club... Also, the long side story is almost over, probably in the next few days.

(End of this chapter)