Chapter 797
Stella's Request
Chapter 797 Stella's Request
“Wow——!!!”
Vader suddenly broke free from the meditation basin, like a drowning person surfacing. His body staggered due to the violent movement, and his hands instinctively braced themselves on the edge of the sink before quickly letting go.
He was breathing heavily, his forehead soaked with cold sweat, and his face in the mirror was unusually pale and bloodless.
Vader's gaze fell on the seemingly ordinary Pensieve.
The silver memory has vanished as if evaporated. The stone basin is empty, its rustic edges devoid of any superfluous decoration, and its shape is not even very round, as if it were carved out of stone by primitive people.
But seeing the magical power flowing within, Vader instinctively took a half step back, his fingertips curling slightly, and for a moment he dared not reach out and touch the seemingly harmless container.
After a brief moment of disorientation and shock, Wade took a deep breath, forced himself to look away, then blinked rapidly, wiped his damp hair, and shook off the chaotic speculations that were still buzzing in his mind.
He still remembered where he was and what the purpose of his trip was.
Wade closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then looked up at himself in the mirror again, his gaze sharp and focused once more.
He drew his wand, and the glass bottle that had previously contained his memories was turned to dust by the touch of the wand, falling into the toilet.
He reached out and pressed the flush button, pausing slightly as the tip of his cane pointed back at the Pensieve.
He instinctively resisted touching the thing, and didn't even want his wand to touch it.
Then, Vader tapped the edge of the stone basin with his wand, and the pure white and smooth color instantly spread out. In the blink of an eye, the washbasin returned to the way Vader had seen it before, as if nothing had ever happened.
After checking it again and comparing it with the sink in his memory to confirm that it was exactly the same, Wade turned on the tap and splashed the cold water on his face.
Where is this place? The afterlife? Are you the Grim Reaper?
As the wet hand brushed against his ear, Wade seemed to hear that voice again.
His body stiffened slightly, then he continued washing his face and hands, before lifting his head and drying them with a towel.
The washroom reflected in the mirror was clean and tidy, so white it seemed to reflect light, but there was no thin-faced young soldier standing behind him smiling.
But the voice in my mind remained perfectly clear—
Those evildoers will surely be punished, won't they?
Wade blinked, straightened his robe and his facial expression, and only after making sure there was nothing amiss did he turn and leave the washroom.
The moment the door was opened, the maid who had been waiting quietly outside immediately looked up with a well-trained, polite smile on her face.
But when she saw Wade, she couldn't help but glance into the bathroom, her face showing a hint of surprise and sympathy.
—You've been in the restroom for so long, and your face is pale as if you're exhausted... You must be constipated.
Such a young age and already has intestinal problems... It seems even the most talented alchemist has it tough...
The maid's mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts as she led Wade back to the study. Before they even got close, they noticed that the two wizards who had been acting as bodyguards at the door had returned to their posts, their faces showing a hint of boredom.
Upon entering the study, Wade found that the previous chaos had subsided, and the butler and guards were all standing silently in their original positions, as if they had never left.
Vader wanted to ask about the Pensieve, but seeing the situation, he could only keep his questions to himself and nod in greeting.
Stella was sitting on a sofa, holding a white swallowtail dog tightly in her arms, with a complicated expression that was both angry and pitying.
The swallowtail's big, wet eyes seemed to be filled with grievance, its ears were drooping, and its tail hung listlessly by its side, occasionally trembling slightly.
Its front paws were still stained with blood and dust. Stella wiped them with a towel while angrily scolding:
"What an idiot! Aren't you supposed to be smart? Don't you know what you should and shouldn't do? If you dare bully me like before again, I'll get you sterilized! Don't blame me then!"
"Whoa, whoa..."
The swallowtail dog instantly tucked its tail between its legs, its bark becoming a bit sharper. It licked its owner's hand appeasingly, its tail wagging rapidly. "Hmm, it's good that it knows its mistake and can correct it!" Stella raised an eyebrow, looking at Wade who had entered, and said meaningfully, "Unlike some people, you can't even hear an apology from them!"
“Stella!” Mrs. Piqueli’s voice rang out. “Mind your manners!” she said sternly.
Stella pouted in resentment, but still lowered her head dejectedly.
Ms. Piqueli turned to Wade, her face bearing just the right amount of apology:
"Please forgive Stella's rudeness, Mr. Gray, she was somewhat frightened today."
“It’s alright,” Wade said. “Miss Stella is straightforward, and I can feel her sincerity.”
The butler glanced at Wade, his lips twitching slightly:
...Did you sense that she genuinely dislikes you? You're quite the smooth talker...
Ms. Piqueli smiled and nodded, saying, “I’m sorry, our conversation has to end here. Mr. Elijah Watkins of the Magical Congress will be arriving soon to conduct the necessary inquiries and record the details of that…unexpected escape of the magical creature.”
“You don’t need to apologize for that, ma’am,” Wade said politely. “I have benefited greatly from today’s conversation. Thank you for your hospitality and valuable insights. I look forward to having the opportunity to learn from you again next time.”
“Of course,” Ms. Picqueli smiled slightly. “We will definitely meet again.”
Someday, we'll meet again, won't we? Haha!
Laughter echoed in his ears, but Wade remained unfazed, politely nodding in farewell.
Ms. Piqueli instructed her still pouting niece, "Stella, see Mr. Gray out for me."
"Me? Me?"
Stella looked up, her face full of reluctance, but under Mrs. Picqueli's unquestionable gaze, she could only reluctantly stand up, roll her eyes at Wade, lift her skirt, and quickly walk in front of him.
"Come with me, Mr. Gray...please!"
Under the watchful eye of Mrs. Picqueli behind her, Stella gritted her teeth and added a "please," her expression growing increasingly stifled.
Wade calmly followed.
The girl, angry, walked quickly and nearly bumped into a maid carrying coffee down the corridor. She immediately flew into a rage:
"Be careful! Can't you even do this little thing right? Your aunt is paying you well enough! If you can't do it, find someone else!"
The maid hurriedly bent down and lowered her head, only raising her head after the young lady had strode across the corridor.
Stella had quite a temper and a loud voice, so the bodyguards and servants around her slowed down and even turned slightly to keep their distance, afraid that they might become the target of her anger.
Stella urged Wade again, "Hurry up! Stop dawdling!"
Wade quickened his pace, walked to her side, and heard the girl ask in a very low, trembling voice:
"Have you... seen it all? Everything in there?"
Wade nodded quickly and silently.
In an instant, Stella's eyes turned red, quickly filling with moisture, and a hint of tears appeared.
She lowered her head, blinked rapidly a few times, and said quickly and clearly in a voice with a heavy nasal tone:
“As you’ve seen, Aunt Serafina… there’s not much she can do. The current president of the Magic Congress restricts her at every turn… even policies that Aunt Serafina supports, even if they are correct, he will openly or covertly oppose them… so Aunt can only remain silent…”
She sniffed, suppressing the urge to complain and ask questions that filled her mouth. Seeing the front door almost in front of her, she said softly:
"All the truth...all the hope...is in Headmaster Dumbledore. I can only beg you...please...you must get justice for them!"
(End of this chapter)