Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Wayne turned around.

His gaze fell on the young woman.

She was dressed in a sharply tailored deep red riding outfit, with a thin silver chain belt around her waist and knee-high black leather boots. Standing there, she exuded an aura that said, "I've never been rejected by anyone since I was a child."

The woman was visibly taken aback when she saw Wayne.

Alice stood beside Wayne, keenly noticing the change in the woman's gaze. She instinctively took a half-step closer to Wayne, her arm lightly brushing against his sleeve.

Ashley's gaze remained fixed on Wayne's face for several breaths before she seemed to snap out of her daze.

She looked at Alice and smiled.

"Are you siblings?"

Alice nodded.

"Yes. This is my brother."

Ashley's smile deepened, and she took half a step forward, extending her right hand toward Wayne.

"Ashley of the Victoria family. May I ask your name?"

Wayne shook her hand politely: "Wayne Angus."

Ashley's gaze lingered on Wayne's face for a moment, then he smiled slightly: "Wayne... a good name."

The panel popped up at this point.

Ashley Victoria - Profile

[Identity: Granddaughter of the Archduke of Victoria.]

[Background: She received a rigorous aristocratic education from a young age, gaining exposure to etiquette, horsemanship, swordsmanship, music, and magical theory. However, due to the overly strict family rules, she lived a life of constant repression. The moment she saw you, she was captivated by your appearance. She secretly resolved to learn more about you.]

[Note 2: Aristocratic families, due to their strict etiquette and discipline, are generally characterized by a strong sense of repression. Ashley is no exception. That's why she wants to be your dog, your cat. She wants you to discipline her rigorously.]

Wayne withdrew his gaze without changing his expression and nodded slightly to Ashley: "Miss Ashley, you flatter me. It's just a name; there's no good or bad in it."

Ashley showed no intention of stopping there. She took a half-step forward: "Mr. Wayne, you've just returned to the capital, haven't you? I don't think I've seen you at social events in the capital before."

"Yes, I just got back recently. I was previously working in a parish on the northern border, and I was only recently transferred back to the capital."

Ashley nodded, then, as if suddenly remembering something, her tone carried a hint of realization: "The bishop of Frosttown, the one who won the goddess's judgment, that's you, isn't it?"

"it's me."

Wayne took the paper bag from the clerk, handed it to Alice, and then looked back at Ashley.

"Miss Ashley has excellent taste; this dress truly suits her. However, since it was bought for my sister, as her older brother, I naturally cannot give it to someone else."

His tone was gentle, but his stance remained unchanged.

The shop assistant, overhearing this, twitched and slowed down his packing. He'd rarely encountered someone who dared to compete with the granddaughter of the Grand Duke of Victoria for something.

Just when the shop assistant thought the situation was about to escalate, Ashley suddenly smiled, her tone showing no sign of resentment: "Since it was bought by Mr. Wayne for my sister, it would be wrong of me to force him to take it."

Wayne responded politely, "Miss Ashley has an extraordinary air about her; she truly lives up to her status as a member of the Victoria family."

Ashley was quite pleased with the spot-on compliment, and the smile in his eyes deepened noticeably: "Mr. Wayne, with that mouth of yours, you must have charmed quite a few people at the border, haven't you?"

Wayne didn't respond to her comment, but simply smiled and gestured towards Alice, saying, "I have to accompany my sister shopping today, so I won't bother Miss Ashley any longer. Let's talk again another time."

Ashley nodded. "Alright, I won't take up any more of your time." She paused, then added, "However, now that Mr. Wayne has returned to the capital, there will always be opportunities to meet again in the future."

Wayne didn't respond, but simply nodded politely, then turned and walked out of the store with Alice.

Alice followed beside him, and after a few steps, she turned back to steal a glance into the store. Ashley was still standing there, his gaze still fixed on Wayne's back.

She looked away and muttered to herself, "Brother, that woman's gaze towards you is a bit strange."

Wayne didn't turn around: "What kind of look is that?"

"The way they looked at me, like I'd set my sights on some precious treasure."

"...You're overthinking it."

"I wasn't overthinking it!"

Alice quickly caught up with him and stood beside him, her voice tinged with tension and displeasure: "Brother! You need to be careful of that woman!"

Wayne took a few steps, waited for Alice to catch up, then glanced at her. Seeing her wary expression, he couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, alright, I'll be wary of her, okay?"

Alice was slightly satisfied, snorted, and quickened her pace, carrying the bag of clothes, walking ahead of Wayne.

On the way back, Alice was clearly in a good mood. She sat in the carriage with the bags of clothes in her arms, looking at them over and over again, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.

She looked up at Wayne across from her: "Brother, thank you, I'm very happy today."

Wayne leaned against the carriage wall, his gaze fixed on the rapidly receding street scene outside the window, and casually replied, "Whatever makes you happy."

The carriage was quiet for a while.

Then Alice's voice rang out again, a little softer than before, with a hint of tentative hesitation: "Brother, can I ask you a question?"

Wayne looked away and turned to her: "You speak."

"I have a friend... a very, very good friend. She told me that she recently encountered something and doesn't know what to do."

Wayne didn't interrupt her and waited quietly.

"She said... she suddenly realized she's fallen for her brother. Not the kind of love a sister has for her brother, but a different kind. She asked me what to do, and I didn't know how to answer her, so I came to ask you, brother, can you give her some advice?"

Wayne did not answer immediately.

He leaned against the carriage wall, looking at Alice's feigned composure, and remained silent for two or three seconds.

He sighed inwardly.

Could your friend be yourself?

He thought for a moment, then instead of answering the question directly, he changed the subject: "What's your friend's family background like?"

Alice was taken aback by his question and paused for a moment before replying, "...Our family background is average; we're not rich, but we're not too poor either."

What about your parents' relationship?

"It's just average. My father isn't very responsible, and the family often runs into financial difficulties. She's the one who takes care of the housework most of the time."

Wayne nodded and didn't press the matter further about "falling in love with his brother".

He changed his perspective, saying, "Has your friend ever considered that her affection for her brother might be because she has so few people around her? She spends most of her time taking care of her family and handling household chores, limiting her contact with peers. Her brother is the only person she can rely on in that environment. This dependence and gratitude can sometimes be misinterpreted as other feelings."

Meanwhile, Alice's mind was racing; she felt she had an epiphany, yet something felt off.

Could it be that my feelings for my brother are just dependence?