Chapter 793
The Spoiled Miss
Chapter 793 The Spoiled Miss
Wade's gaze lowered slightly, his fingertips gently tracing the rim of the cup. A smile flickered in his eyes as he imagined that scene:
"He would probably say... 'The children chose the path of courage themselves,' right?"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Ms. Picqueli burst out laughing: "Yes, yes, that's exactly what he would say! Wade, you really know him!"
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the study door, and the butler quickly walked to the door.
Just then, Wade noticed that Ms. Picqueli's brow furrowed slightly, and she seemed somewhat displeased.
Wade looked toward the door and saw a maid standing there holding several delicate pastries. The butler took them, and just as he turned around, a corner of a black robe appeared at the edge of the doorway, with very distinctive silver buttons.
That style and pattern...
Wade frowned as well.
He recalled the two men who had been hovering around Ms. Picqueli during the alchemy competition.
Vader looked at Ms. Picqueli with a questioning look in his eyes. Ms. Picqueli shook her head slightly, indicating that he should not ask any more questions.
As the butler put down the refreshments, Ms. Picqueli patted the book in her hand and said, "About your book... oh yes, I should say the study methods you taught your students, I also have a few questions to ask..."
Seeing Wade's expression, she smiled and changed her words, then turned to a page with a bookmark and said:
"For example, the concept of emotional anchors... is very clever. It's like using the concept of equivalent exchange in alchemy to explain transmutation. It's very enlightening for students who are just starting out with magic and can help them get into the zone more quickly."
"But if the anchor point itself is destroyed, or the connection is distorted, will it in turn affect the caster? You know, many dark wizards are not inherently evil; they simply stray from the right path by placing their emotions on the wrong targets..."
Wade, of course, had considered similar questions, and he calmly said:
"So, if no emotional anchor is established, will dark wizards not be born? On the contrary, people often get lost because they forget the way they came from."
"Therefore, it is actually more advantageous to establish this anchor point in youth, because young people's thoughts are purer and simpler..."
The two discussed the contents of the book, with Ms. Piqueli guiding Wade step by step to elaborate and organize his own theory, and to fill in the gaps in it;
Vader, on the other hand, quickly immersed himself in the task, focusing intently on each question and carefully revising his past casual remarks, combining the methods of learning spells with the fundamental nature of magic.
In the intense learning atmosphere, the two became increasingly engrossed in their conversation, and the topics they discussed became more and more profound.
The butler, standing to the side, listened to their conversation, his once sharp eyes gradually filled with a clear, foolish bewilderment; while the two guards outside the door seemed to hear a lullaby, unable to help but yawn again and again, then wiped away the tears that involuntarily welled up in the corners of their eyes with the backs of their hands.
“Ahhhh——!!!”
Suddenly, a shrill scream shattered the atmosphere in the room. The people inside and outside the door seemed to be awakened from their sleep, while Ms. Picqueli's face changed drastically.
She jumped to her feet, almost forgetting she possessed magic, and staggered toward the door.
"Stella! Stella! What's wrong?!"
Immediately afterwards, a dark-haired girl burst through the door and rushed in, throwing herself into Mrs. Piqueli's arms. Her right hand was still tightly gripping her left arm, and bright red blood was oozing from between her fingers, dripping a string of blood onto the carpet.
"Bad dog! Amy is a bad dog!" she screamed, her voice trembling with tears. "That heartless beast! It tore open the cage and scratched me! Aunt Serafina, you must avenge me!"
--aunt?
Wade glanced at the dark-haired girl with some surprise, somewhat astonished by the significant age difference between her father and Ms. Picqueli… or perhaps it was simply that the girl herself was much older than her father…
Upon hearing that it was just a dog scratch, Ms. Picqueli breathed a sigh of relief, held her arm and examined it carefully, then frowned again.
"The wound is too deep, it's easy for it to leave a scar. You need to remember to apply scar removal cream for the next few weeks."
She drew her wand and pointed it at the wound on the girl's arm, whispering a healing spell. The long wound healed at a visible speed, but a bright red, hideous scar could still be seen on the skin.
Stella, the dark-haired girl, sobbed, feeling both pain and anger, her body still trembling slightly.
Seeing that the housekeeper and the others were all watching them without making any further moves, she immediately pointed at them and shouted:
"What are you all standing there for?! Go find her! Send everyone out and bring Amy back to me right now! If you don't find Amy, none of you are coming back! I'm going to have Uncle Ezra kick you all out!"
Her finger almost touched the butler's nose, and her arrogant and rude manner made the others frown slightly.
However, faced with the young girl who seemed to have lost her composure after being injured, the group could only secretly lament their bad luck.
They exchanged glances, then looked at Ms. Piqueli, who was focused on the treatment, before quickly dispersing under Stella's fierce gaze and urging, and beginning their search of the mansion.
An aggressive magical creature breaking free of control is indeed an emergency that requires immediate attention.
The butler, who hadn't moved an inch, tried to be as rational as possible: "But Miss Stella, swallowtail dogs are extremely loyal and have a strong protective instinct towards their owners. Generally speaking, they won't..."
"What do you mean?!"
Stella jumped up and down, shouting, "Are you saying I lied to my aunt? That I cut my own arm? Or that I abused my dog? What are you implying?"
She looked furious; if it weren't for Mrs. Picqueli holding her arm firmly, she would have jumped up and given the butler a beating.
"I...I certainly didn't mean that," the butler said, forcing a smile. "I just wanted to know what happened."
He turned to Ms. Picqueli for help.
This lady was a very elegant and cultured person. Even though she was dissatisfied with the bodyguards around her who seemed to be watching her, she understood the difficulties these men faced in carrying out their orders. She never treated them harshly, nor did she allow her niece to treat the servants rudely.
With the last bit of blood no longer gushing from the wound, Ms. Picqueli seemed to finally have time to deal with other things.
She didn't criticize Stella's outburst, nor did she scold the butler for disobeying orders; she simply frowned slightly and said:
"Let's find Amy as soon as possible... If that child runs out and scratches a Muggle, or if its intelligence attracts unwanted attention, it might cause us trouble."
"Even if you find Amy, you mustn't hurt her! Bring her back safely!" Stella said fiercely, wiping away her tears. "I'm going to... I'm going to starve her for three days, and I won't give her any lamb bone biscuits for a whole month!"
The butler looked speechless—what kind of punishment is this? A dog that hurt someone should be disposed of immediately!
Of course, he didn't say what was on his mind. He just looked at Wade, who was standing silently to the side, and hesitated before asking, "Is Mr. Gray's visit over for today?"
"of course not."
Before Wade could speak, Madam Picqueli said, "I'd like to talk to Wade about Voldemort and the Hogwarts League! Or... do you think Wade Gray will suddenly assassinate me? And I'm too old to do anything without bodyguards?"
She said this with a smile, but her tone and unreasonable expression were exactly like Stella's. Stella snorted heavily, raised her chin, and looked at the butler defiantly.
"Of course not," the butler said with a wry smile, bowing slightly. "We'll go and find Miss Stella's pet right away."
Before turning to leave, he quickly glanced at Wade, noticing the boy's somewhat restrained and embarrassed expression due to the sudden turn of events, and then felt relieved.
—He's just a teenager.
Besides, alchemists! Even if their spells are very powerful, they're all bookworms who can't do anything useful.
Thinking about the dizzying discussion between the two of them just now, the butler quickened his pace as he walked out the door.
But once he stepped outside and was hit by a gust of wind, his mind cleared up a bit, and he looked back suspiciously at the door, which was not yet fully closed.
Miss Stella, is she usually this arrogant and rude?
—No, this girl has a very good upbringing. She is considerate and lively, and she would never speak coldly to a homeless person.
Why would a swallowtail dog, a pet known for its loyalty, attack its owner?
The butler moved closer to the door silently, straining his ears and listening intently.
In the basement directly below the study, a house-elf wearing a pink pillowcase wagged its finger.
Meanwhile, a fruit plate appeared on the coffee table in the study, piled high with bright red cherries.
Ms. Piqueli smiled slightly as she looked at the cherries, picked one up casually, and handed it to Wade: "Try it... it comes from a magical farm that has been growing cherries for 150 years."
"Auntie, please listen to me..."
Stella grabbed her arm and forcefully drew Ms. Picqueli's attention back to herself.
The butler then heard Miss Stella muttering complaints inside.
She complained about her pets, about her disobedient subordinates, about the hot weather and the boring live broadcast of the alchemy competition, and even seemed to be subtly mocking Wade Gray.
Upon hearing this, the butler suddenly realized why Miss Stella had been so angry today.
—She was indeed using this as an excuse to vent her anger, but the target wasn't her subordinates; it was Vader Grey, who had humiliated her at the magic school league.
Thinking back to that live broadcast, poor Stella, who was pampered by her family, was first struck by a coma spell and carried away by the puppets like a corpse.
Later, I faced a ghoul explosion with a group of people and got splattered with putrid liquid and flesh. The stench lingered for weeks.
In the end, she couldn't even resent or blame Wade Gray for being too harsh because of her elimination. Instead, she thanked him... thanked him for saving them from the tragic fate of facing Voldemort and being killed or imprisoned by the Death Eaters.
Just imagining this experience made even the butler, as an observer, feel indignant and frustrated.
Having witnessed all of this firsthand, Miss Stella's only form of revenge was... disrupting the meeting between Wade Gray and Ms. Picqueri, in which she even injured herself...
She's really... really too kind...
It's even a bit stupid...
The butler was touched that Miss Stella was indeed not the spoiled brat type, but he was also deeply worried about the girl's intelligence.
He shook his head and sighed. Hearing footsteps approaching the door, the butler quickened his pace, crossed the corridor, and saw a maid wiping the railings.
The butler thought for a moment, then beckoned her over and instructed, "Miss Stella is injured. Go find a bottle of scar removal cream and take it to the study... If you see anything unusual... notify me immediately."
The maid nodded quietly, and the two walked away side by side.
……
Just as the butler left the door, a plate of orange-yellow tangerines suddenly appeared on the study table.
Ms. Picqueli looked at the newly appeared fruit, her gaze softening slightly. She silently stroked her niece's long hair and turned to Wade, saying:
"The surveillance has been temporarily lifted, but not for much longer. Mr. Gray, let's get straight to the point."
“Yes!” Wade replied solemnly.
Stella sat up straight and said, "Aunt Serafina, I'll go cast a soundproofing spell and a privacy spell on the door!"
"No, leave it as it is, don't change anything."
Ms. Piqueli pulled her niece back to her side and looked at Viede, speaking very quickly:
“Mr. Gray, the reason I cannot pass intelligence to Dumbledore through conventional means is that intelligence itself is not information that can be easily repeated or recorded.”
"It is a fragmented memory that has been preserved with utmost care. It can no longer withstand any more magic; it can only be displayed once at most before these memories vanish completely and can never be restored."
"Therefore... it cannot be copied, cannot be stored, and any unsafe means of transportation will cause irreversible damage to it. The only way to bring it back and hand it over to Dumbledore—"
She paused, then said in an extremely heavy tone, "It is you—Wade Gray—who will see this memory with your own eyes, and then use your own brain to bring it back!"
She took out a cracked glass bottle and gently placed it in Wade's hand.
"You can see the washroom and sink right here."
Ms. Picqueli said with a wry smile, "Believe me, you can't take anything out of this house that hasn't been inspected."
Stella pressed her lips together, still leaning against Ms. Piqueli. But her expression was now silent and calm, somewhat downcast and gloomy, making her seem like a completely different person compared to her previous spoiled self.
Wade gripped the glass bottle, hiding it in his palm.
Another plate of cherries appeared on the table.
Hearing soft footsteps approaching the study, Wade stood up and calmly said, "Excuse me, ma'am... could you tell me which side the restroom is?"
(End of this chapter)