Cornflower Witch

Chapter 215 The White Knight in the Mountains
Jiaoshicheng, the residence of Madame Fran.

Dressed in maid uniforms, Taliel and Linin were packing up various items in the room, placing them in boxes and sealing them away.

"Madam, are you taking the furniture from the second floor as well?" Talil carried the dressing case down the stairs, placed it aside, and prepared to pack it later.

“We don’t need the furniture on the second floor,” Mrs. Fran replied after a moment’s thought, sitting on the wooden sofa.

"Those things are too heavy, so let's leave them here. Also, seal up Tia's things in her room, as she might come back to live here in the future."

“Okay.” Taliel nodded, recalling the silver-haired figure.

It's been two years since Tia went to the woods. I wonder how she is now, whether she has regained her memory, and whether she is doing well there. I heard that the woods are very dangerous.

In early winter, Jiaoshi City was not too cold. The fireplace in the mansion's hall was burning, emitting a faint warmth.

Madame Fran, dressed in a long goose-gold dress embroidered with gold thread, sat gracefully by the fireplace, sipping her tea from a cup in one hand, her gaze fixed on the distance, lost in thought.

She had been in Jiaoshi City for four years, and it was time for her to leave. Even though she had gotten used to this life of constantly moving around after living for several years, she still missed and thought of some past events whenever she left the place she was used to living.

In recent years, besides exchanging ideas with local horticulturists, attending gatherings and tea parties, and studying local plants—things she always does—her biggest gain and change has been taking on a special 'apprentice,' Siltia.

Although she was her student, in Mrs. Fran's eyes, this girl was quite mysterious. She was very talented and had an exceptionally good personality, so good that Mrs. Fran was quite curious about her.

Generally speaking, a person's personality is related to their upbringing, but Mrs. Fran could not imagine what kind of environment this girl had grown up in.

If the other person comes from a very wealthy family, they will have a kind of confidence and pride that radiates from within, which is also what many people see as 'noble'. However, in Mrs. Fran's opinion, Hilti's personality has a bit of a cautious and delicate side, which is probably a habit that she developed spontaneously when she faced an unstable environment in her childhood.

However, it would be incorrect to say that Hilti came from a poor family. She did not have a strong desire for money or profit, nor did she care much about fame, fortune, or the adulation of others. She seemed to possess an innate wisdom and tranquility, qualities that could only be cultivated by a good family background, a good upbringing, and the influence of knowledge and education.

She possesses both the shyness and purity of a young girl, as well as foresight and intelligence far beyond her years, making her exceptionally easy to teach.

Although she couldn't fathom how the other person's personality and temperament had developed, it didn't diminish Mrs. Fran's fondness for this student. She hadn't actually considered taking him on as a student before, since she wasn't someone who would be easily bound by emotions.

This time, however, she did feel a sense of nostalgia for this student that she had never felt before. She missed the time when Silti lived here, the familiar environment, the slight naivety in learning things, the quick-witted talent, and the occasional cute expressions and actions.

My departure is a foregone conclusion, so let her have this place. When she returns to Jiaoshi City, she can have a little home of her own.

Madame Fran stood up, went into the courtyard, and gave Linin some instructions to lock all the gates of the mansion and then close them.

"Is the convoy ready?" she asked.

“Ready, it’s the Oak Barrel Merchants’ convoy, they’ll be here tomorrow morning,” Lining replied, bending down.

“Very good.” Mrs. Fran nodded, then handed a golden key to Lining.

"Send the key to the nearest 'Four Seasons Alliance' branch and entrust them with its safekeeping. When Hilti returns, you can then hand it over to her."

“Okay.” Lining took the keys and then left the mansion first.

The next day, at dawn, carriages drove out of the mansion, carrying Madame Fran's valuables and treasures, heading towards the outskirts of Jiaoshi City. Madame Fran stood in front of the mansion gate, took one last look, boarded a carriage, and followed the caravan away.

The guards of the Kingdom of Antioch, though somewhat greedy at the sight of the wagons, tolerated it due to orders from their superiors and allowed them to pass.

A month later, the group left the territory controlled by the Kingdom of Antioch and headed further north. They would travel through several countries until they reached a small country in the central part of the continent, near the north, the homeland of Lady Fran, a field where bellflowers bloom.

……

Deep winter, at the snow-covered mansion where Viscount Feng was under house arrest.

There were still a small number of guards belonging to Viscount Xuefeng, as well as two knights under his command, but the soldiers of the Kingdom of Antioch watching them from outside the walls were always a sword hanging over their heads, making Viscount Xuefeng uneasy.

Fortunately, Hailey and Ford had left White Cliff before it fell and were now by his side.

Hayley and Fred are Viscount Schefeng's daughter and son. They were originally studying in White Cliff City, but Viscount Schefeng had a premonition that something was wrong and sent them back early, thus avoiding being caught in the war in White Cliff City.

Unfortunately, even he cannot preserve the family's honor now. He can only gather the important people around him in order to get through this period of upheaval safely.

He could forget about a noble title in the future. If he could have a quiet mansion in a foreign land to spend the rest of his life, that would be a good ending. He stood by the window gazing at the night sky, thinking silently to himself. Unfortunately, the current situation made it difficult for him to settle down.

These garrison soldiers would come to him every few days, complaining that things in the castle were incomplete, or nitpicking and questioning him with all sorts of strange questions. Although Viscount Xuefeng was not the kind of nobleman who was good at socializing, he could tell that these knights and soldiers from the Kingdom of Antioch were trying to get something out of him.

Although he has some savings, if he is extorted like this every day, sooner or later he will be unable to pay. He doesn't know what kind of face the other party will show then.

Thinking of this, his mood became gloomy again.

He didn't know when this situation would end, or what price he would have to pay to leave Jiaoshi City with his family and guards and go somewhere else.

Just as Viscount Xue Feng was looking sad and worried, a series of footsteps quickly walked upstairs.

"Sir," a familiar guard reported to him.

"What's wrong?" Viscount Xue Feng took a deep breath, calming himself down, and turned to ask.

"The soldiers from the Kingdom of Antioch are here again. They say a thief stole something from them and might be hiding in our residence. They demand to come in and search."

Upon hearing this, Viscount Xue Feng was filled with rage, but also felt powerless. If he resisted now, the many Anti Kingdom troops stationed in the city would have a good reason to attack.

So he could only suppress his anger, grab his clothes, and go downstairs.

"I understand, I'll go take a look."

A few minutes later, he arrived at the gate of the mansion, where a large crowd had already gathered. One side consisted of Viscount Xuefeng's personal guards, while the other side was a group of soldiers from the Kingdom of Antioch, who reeked of alcohol.

The leader was a second-tier captain. When he saw Viscount Xue Feng appear, he stepped forward and said in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, Lord Xue Feng is asleep so early?"

"Indeed, you are a high-ranking nobleman, while we are just poor people who grew up in the mud. Of course, we cannot compare with your nobility."

"However, you went to bed early with your beautiful wife without considering that the city's security is not good. Some thieves are causing trouble everywhere and stealing everyone's money. Since you used to be the lord here, you must know a lot about the local thieves."

"We've searched the whole city, but we can't find any clues. Now we can only come here to see if we can find any."

"I hope that Viscount Xuefeng will not hinder our operation to punish criminals." After saying that, he waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him surged in through the gate.

"Stop!" Viscount Xue Feng ordered the group to halt, then stared intently at the captain before him.

As if he had made a great decision, he slowly spoke.

“I know that the Anti Kingdom’s army is very disciplined and would not have any malicious intent, but this is my private residence after all, and there are many female family members inside. It is not convenient for me to see too many outsiders.”

"I will check myself afterwards to see if any thieves have sneaked in and are hiding. Please understand." After saying this, he whispered something to the servant beside him.

Then, the men carried out a heavy iron box and placed it in front of the soldiers. Even without opening it, everyone could guess that it contained glittering gold coins.

Seeing this, the captain hesitated for a moment. If he could go in and loot, he would definitely gain more benefits. But judging from Viscount Xue Feng's reaction, if he continued to push him, a fight might break out. Even if Viscount Xue Feng's body was destroyed afterward, he was only a second-level cultivator, and it was hard to guarantee that nothing would happen to him under the siege.

With that in mind, the captain nodded.

"Alright, since Lord Xue Feng is so sincere, we shouldn't disturb him." After saying that, he had his companion carry the iron box and walked out the door with great enthusiasm.

With this money, they could live a carefree life for a while longer, and perhaps even accumulate some wealth so they could marry and have children in the territories occupied by Regas, becoming new noble lords in the area.

This was the greatest pursuit of many ordinary soldiers when they went to war with the army. It was by virtue of this kind of benefit that the Kingdom of Antioch was able to launch several major wars in just a few years and recruit enough soldiers as cannon fodder.

Since the Kingdom of Antioch occupied Regas, the original Regas nobles have suffered a sharp decline in their fortunes. Even though many of them transferred some of their assets, their wealth has been greatly diminished.

Just as Viscount Xuefeng was worrying about his future safety, a knight in white armor galloped through the mountain roads and wilderness towards Jiaoshi City.

Alone, yet with an imposing presence and striking aura, his holy armor and feathers revealed that he was no ordinary soldier or mortal, but a formal knight who had stepped into the third rank, and a 'White Knight' who had completed the trial and possessed powerful core abilities.

(End of this chapter)