Cornflower Witch

Chapter 347 The Banquet at the Sea Cliff Villa

After the sexual essence was solidified, Hiltiia caused a small ripple in Griffin's house.

"How did she do that? She must have used something external," Ariel said indignantly, sitting in her room talking to her brother.

“Sister, don’t be so narrow-minded. Hedra is still our family, and according to Mother’s investigation, she might even be our sister.”

"She's the eldest sister?" Ariel raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased.

“But Father only referred to her as his niece, so as long as we don’t bring it up, her background won’t change any further,” Ecol comforted his sister.

After the condensation phase, Alanford specifically instructed his family to hold a small dinner party to celebrate, and considering Hedra's special status, no outsiders were invited.

Taking advantage of Silti's advancement, Alanford improved her treatment, instructing the butler to give the girl an extra two gold coins each month as pocket money.

Although Lady Haye was somewhat jealous, she still offered a few words of congratulations to Hiltija on the surface.

The following day, the city lord's wife sent out another invitation, informing the city's dignitaries that a banquet would be held at her seaside villa the day after tomorrow.

After receiving the invitation, Mrs. Haye finally showed some happiness. She began to think about how to talk to Mrs. Sarah at the banquet, how to resolve the conflict, and how to make Ariel a socialite in the Quebec circle again.

“Ecole.” Mrs. Haye seemed to remember something.

"What is it, Mother?"

"Do you have someone you like?" She began to inquire about the other child's situation.

“Not at the moment,” Ecol paused for a moment, then answered.

"Okay, I'll help you keep an eye on things at the banquet later."

Ecol shook his head helplessly and then went to inform Hedra.

A few minutes later, under the shade of a tree in the backyard of the mansion, Hilti received a message from Ecol.

"The banquet the day after tomorrow night? I understand."

"Then I'll be going. Hedra, take good care of yourself."

Time flies, and before we knew it, the day of the banquet arrived.

On this day, Hilti returned from the lighthouse early, took a quick shower, and then changed into the dress that Mrs. Haye had helped her choose.

The dress is predominantly black, except for the red lining of the cuffs and the second layer of the skirt hem. The collar also features a red ribbon, and the hat is black and red. The overall style of the dress is conservative, with a gathered collar and folded floral cuffs that reveal only the fingers when they hang down.

After dressing up, Hilti looked at herself in the mirror and felt that her appearance was somewhat similar to that of a mischievous little devil who deliberately does bad things on Halloween. Especially when she took off her hat, her black hair was simply combed into quiet twin ponytails, with the two strands tied with hair ties, forming a garlic-shaped structure.

The fabric of her clothes was partly dark pure black and partly deep rose red, giving her a somewhat dark and aggressive aura.

After putting on black lace gloves, Hilti looked in the mirror, lightly placed her fingers on her chin to measure, then tied the scarf at her neckline and walked out of the room.

They boarded the Griffin family's carriage and headed towards the city lord's seaside villa.

Located on a sea cliff on the east side of the harbor, after arriving, you pass through an iron gate and there is a long, gentle slope leading to the brightly lit villa on the sea cliff.

Along the way, Hirutiya saw many local celebrities dressed in luxurious clothes. Some of them knew the Alanfords and greeted them and had a brief chat, while others were relatively unfamiliar with them, simply nodding and continuing on their way.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the villa on the sea cliff. The lobby on the first floor was bright and airy, with the floor decorated with ancient poems and scenes in marble of different materials, and soothing music playing in the background.

With her face hidden beneath the veil of her hat, Hilti and the Alanford family entered the hall unnoticed, and many people didn't even notice her.

Lady Sarah, the city lord's wife, was in the hall greeting the guests and giving them a brief welcome.

"Lina~ You're here! You look beautiful today too." Mrs. Sarah bent down to welcome a girl who looked to be about ten years old. The girl ran over and hugged her, and then a couple behind her followed, smiling and greeting Mrs. Sarah.

After they had been talking for a while, Lady Haye saw an opportunity and led Ariel and Hilti to step forward.

Lady Sarah simply smiled and nodded in agreement to Lady Haye, then turned her gaze to Siltiah behind her.

Who is this?

“She is my niece, her name is Hedra, the one you mentioned before.” Mrs. Haye turned around.

“Come here, Hedra, this is Lady Sarah, why don’t you greet her properly?” She gestured to the young girl with her eyes and words, afraid that she would be slow to follow the proper etiquette.

Hilti walked over, lifted her skirt slightly, and nodded. Lady Haye was clearly a little dissatisfied with such a brief greeting, but fortunately Lady Sara did not mind and smiled as she invited her over.

"Let me take a closer look." She gently grasped Silti's wrist, scrutinizing the black-haired girl as if trying to discern something different.

"After Rosalie came back that day, she told me a lot about you. She's been a bit bored at my house lately, so you can spend more time with her when you have time." Compared to the simple perfunctory tone when speaking to Lady Haye, the city lord's wife smiled much more when facing Siltia. She even led her to a table and had a servant fetch a delicious pastry for Siltia.

“Here, try this.” With that, she took the delicate cake from the servant beside her and placed it in Hilti’s palm.

【Water Dew Blueberry Cake】(Tier 1 - Excellent): Made with premium fruit and high-quality cream, this cake has a refreshing taste that can dispel the summer heat and restore energy.

The price of this small cake is probably only 1-2 gold coins, which is Hilti's allowance for a month. Seeing Lady Sara's preferential treatment, Eriel behind her was filled with jealousy and wished she was the one who received the cake.

Why? She always felt unbalanced and couldn't understand why the city lord's family cared so much about Hedra, even though she was just an illegitimate daughter who had just come to the city, with impure blood, humble origins, and hadn't received a proper upbringing.

Faced with Mrs. Sara's hospitality, Hiltiah couldn't refuse. After thanking her, she accepted the cake and began to savor it in small bites.

After watching her finish the cake, Lady Sara asked her if she liked it, and Hilti nodded in agreement. Lady Sara then instructed the servants to prepare more.

"Go pack a few portions, remember to be careful, store them in the freezer for now, and then deliver them to Griffin's house."

"Yes, madam." Several servants nodded and did as instructed.

After that, Lady Sarah asked the housekeeper to entertain the guests in her place, while she took Siltiya to sit on one side of the hall and talked to her about various things, such as her usual life preferences, childhood experiences, what she was passionate about, etc., with an exceptionally warm and accommodating attitude.

They talked like this for a long time, until Rosalie came to the hall, at which point she was finally invited over.

"Rosalie~" Mrs. Sarah waved to her. "Auntie." Rosalie came running over with cheerful steps and hugged Mrs. Sarah.

“You, you’re just like your mother.” Mrs. Sarah affectionately stroked Rosalie’s back.

“Was Mom as cute and charming as I was back then?” Rosalie looked up.

"Hehe, why don't you say that you're just as cute and charming as your mother was back then? It's clear that you only exist because of her." Mrs. Sarah smiled and pinched Rosalie's cheek.

After the two laughed for a while, Mrs. Sara pulled Rosalie over again to talk to Siltia.

"Rosalie, look who's here."

"Oh, Hedra, you're here today too, that's great~" Rosalie, the outgoing girl, seemed to be opening her arms, wanting to hug Hiltia just like she hugged Lady Sara.

Hiltia accepted this with a hint of reluctance and hugged the petite girl.

The two embraced briefly, and Rosalie asked Mrs. Sarah for some treats. Afterward, the lady had her servants prepare several special snacks.

“This is about half of what we’ve prepared for tonight. I still need to entertain the guests, so I can’t give you any more.” Mrs. Sarah affectionately patted Rosalie’s head, then turned to Hilti.

"Hedra, you can spend the evening with Rosalie. She's very familiar with this place. I have other things to do. Have a good time tonight."

"Not at all, thank you, Madam." Hiltiya nodded, seeing off the city lord's wife. Then, Rosalie pulled her through the hall to the platform behind the villa, where she could overlook the sea at night. The scenery was excellent, and Hiltiya could even see the lighthouse where Knox lived in the distance.

"The view here is pretty good, isn't it? Hehe." Rosalie was about 155 cm tall, a head shorter than Hilti. She stood by the railing, tiptoed, and looked out at the night view.

Compared to the bustling hall, the sea breeze here was pleasant, and there were no other guests, only a few servants standing not far away, watching over the two young ladies who came out.

“It is indeed very good.” After Lady Sara left, Hiltiya gradually relaxed.

"If you like it, you can come here every day, or even stay here permanently," Rosalie said, tilting her head as she thought for a moment.

"The second floor of the villa has several empty rooms, which are much more spacious than your bedroom at Griffin's house. I'll be staying here a few nights now."

“No, thank you. Uncle Alanford has been very kind to me.” Hilti shook her head.

"Hey, what's so great about it? Anyone with eyes can see that your aunt has always been cold and indifferent to you, hmph." Rosalie spoke up for Siltiia.

Hiltiya shook her head again.

“Auntie has to consider the family’s income and expenditure. After all, I’m not her biological daughter. She’s already very kind to buy me several sets of clothes and give me pocket money every month,” Hiltiya replied. She really didn’t have any resentment towards Mrs. Haye. After all, a normal wife would definitely find it difficult to treat her husband’s illegitimate daughter peacefully.

"You're too soft-hearted," Rosalie muttered.

"Forget it, I don't understand family matters. Anyway, as a niece, I feel just like I'm at my aunt's house."

"By the way, are you studying with Mr. Knox now?" Rosalie suddenly asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, that's right." After a brief hesitation, Hilti nodded in agreement. It wasn't something that needed to be kept secret, was it?

“I heard from my uncle that Mr. Knox used to be very powerful. It was from him that I learned your name. I was very curious, so I went to Ariel’s party that day to see you.” Rosalie did not hide the reason why she went to see Hilti that day.

"So that's how it is." Hiltiya finally understood why Rosalie had come to the Griffin's house so suddenly.

"What are your thoughts after seeing it?" Hilti asked with a smile.

“Of course I was curious. You must be very smart to be able to learn from Mr. Knox. Besides, you’re new here from somewhere else, similar to me, so I felt a connection. That’s why I came to find you.” Rosalie’s thinking was incredibly simple.

"When I met you, I felt that you always spoke in a calm and understated way, unlike other people who were so shallow? Anyway, you just seemed different." Rosalie recalled, resting her chin on her hand.

"I always felt like you had a lot of stories to tell, but there were too many people that day, so I didn't feel comfortable asking you directly."

"Do you also worry about having a lot of people around?" Hiltiya covered her mouth and chuckled.

“Of course… I’m not stupid.” Rosalie retorted, hands on her hips.

Afterwards, the two stood in the open space outside the villa, chatting in the sea breeze. Rosalie told her that she often lived on Kelan Island, a large island in the eastern part of Meteor Lake, where Mrs. Sara also lived before she got married.

Rosalie recounts her childhood life on an island and her various experiences in the port city, speaking lightly as she shares her feelings and emotions with Hilti.

And so, the two of them remained there until the banquet ended, and only when Madame Sarah waved to them did they slowly return.

That night, Hilti learned that the city lord was also an extraordinary being from the Woodland Alliance. After achieving success, he succeeded Quebec as the leader, during which time he married the daughter of a prominent family in the Merchant Capital, namely Lady Sara, and then settled here for more than twenty years.

It turns out that those former members of the Woodland Alliance, after leaving the Shadow World, returned to the Surface World and each had their own careers and achievements.

Although Hilti has not yet reached that stage, she has seen a certain future she anticipates by observing Lord Brennan's experience.

If it weren't for the interruption of going to the Mage Alliance, she would most likely have returned to the surface world many years later, settled in Regas, helped Musa with some things, and then lived a leisurely and quiet life.

As for returning to the First Continent, she probably won't consider it until she reaches the sixth rank. The route across the floating continent is not safe and peaceful, and long-distance travel will also face various unexpected events. If one's strength is insufficient, it will never be safe.

She sorted through the information in her mind and went to the front hall of the villa. There were not many guests left, but the Alanford family was still sitting in a corner waiting.

She quickened her pace slightly and came to the table, where Alainford stood up and smiled tolerantly.

"It's getting late, Hedra, let's go back."

“Yes, Uncle Alanford, we’ve kept you waiting.” Mrs. Haye, who was standing to the side, stood up somewhat sullenly and walked out of the hall with the others.

As the group prepared to board the carriage and leave, a servant hurried over carrying an exquisitely decorated box.

"Please wait a moment, Madam has something to give to Miss Hedra."

Under the envious gazes of Ariel and Lady Haye, the exquisite gift box was placed in Hilti's hands, and then she took it to the carriage.

At this moment, with the crack of the whip, their carriage finally returned, stepping into the cool night.

(End of this chapter)