Witch’s Night: Chapter 3 – Luo, Miss Luo Yan’s Other Side?
Honestly, Hua Qingling felt the need to salvage her image in Miss Luo Yan’s eyes.
Even if she wasn’t a proper “big sister,” she shouldn’t be a comedic relief character either.
And she had rested enough these past few days; attending a social event wouldn’t hurt.
Since Miss Luo Yan wanted to tag along to that stuffy noble’s banquet, there was no harm in bringing her. It wasn’t her problem if it inconvenienced Lannister.
On the contrary, a boring banquet might be more bearable with Miss Luo Yan’s company.
“Of course you can come. Get ready, we’ll leave soon.”
“…Shouldn’t we inform Lannister?”
“You think they don’t already know?”
“Right.” Luo Yan nodded. “I don’t have anything to pack, I’m ready.”
“Just… like that?”
Hua Qingling looked at Luo Yan in her simple white dress, gesturing with her finger and shaking her head.
“That won’t do~”
Even without dressing up, Miss Luo Yan was beautiful, so beautiful that Hua Qingling almost wanted to give her unflattering makeup to avoid attracting too much attention.
But a noble’s banquet was different; it was full of formalities. An ordinary dress wouldn’t be acceptable.
“You need formal attire, or you’ll be turned away,” Hua Qingling muttered, her eyes glinting with an idea. “Miss Luo Yan, you wouldn’t want to be denied entry, would you?”
“Isn’t this dress formal enough?”
Luo Yan tugged at her dress. She liked these simple dresses and had ordered several from Anna.
Although Anna had seemed reluctant to make them…
“Of course not, this is casual wear, for everyday use,” Hua Qingling explained.
“Is that maid outfit considered formal?” Luo Yan recalled the combat maid dress Hua Qingling had designed. “It seemed quite formal, but I didn’t bring it.”
She hadn’t had time to change; she had left in her ordinary dress.
“…That’s called cosplay.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t worry about it; you can’t wear that to a formal event either.” Hua Qingling pulled out her suitcase, rummaged through it, and took out a neatly folded dress. “Here, this is formal wear.”
Luo Yan unfolded the dress and her eyes widened in realization.
“So this is it…”
“Have you seen it before?”
Hua Qingling raised an eyebrow.
“The Witch of Envy wears something like this,” Luo Yan said seriously.
And she wasn’t joking.
Hua Qingling had taken out a black strapless evening gown, similar to the one the Witch of Envy wore, although the style and the… aura… were different.
Luo Yan thought for a moment, then added,
“And Mrs. Natalie also wore this kind of dress sometimes.”
…Those are some… interesting examples.
Hua Qingling facepalmed. Miss Luo Yan still had a long way to go…
She hadn’t seen Luo Yan right after she left Ghost Town; otherwise, she would realize how much progress she had made.
“Is this for me? It’s… a bit small… and why is the chest area so loose?”
Luo Yan fiddled with the dress, her brow furrowed.
“Because it’s mine,” Hua Qingling took the dress back. “But don’t worry, you’re still growing, unlike my little sister… ahem.”
“Hm?”
Luo Yan didn’t understand, and Hua Qingling continued quickly,
“Don’t worry, I’ve prepared formal wear for you as well. It might be a bit big… I’ll just adjust it a little.”
Hua Qingling rummaged through her suitcase.
“You prepared beforehand?” Luo Yan asked, surprised. “I only decided to come to the banquet at the last minute…”
“No, I made this for my little sister, but when I returned to Yan City, she was already 1.8 meters tall, it was too small… So I kept it, but it should fit you.”
Hua Qingling pulled out another outfit and clapped her hands. “Here it is! It’s been in my suitcase for years, brings back memories.”
“This… this one?” Luo Yan’s eyes widened. “Are you sure this is… for Hua Qiling?”
“Yes.”
Hua Qingling nodded matter-of-factly.
“But… if I’m not mistaken, this is… men’s clothing,” Luo Yan said, a bit amused. “The butler in Ghost Town had several similar outfits, I think they were called tailcoats…?”
“Oh, you know about those?”
Hua Qingling held up the black tailcoat and held it against Luo Yan, nodding in satisfaction.
“Good, when I made this for my little sister, she was only a little over 1.7 meters, not much taller than you. It should fit with some alterations.”
“…”
Luo Yan was speechless.
“What, you don’t like it?” Hua Qingling paused, putting down the tailcoat.
“My clothes probably wouldn’t fit you, and for someone like you, who hasn’t… developed much yet… a more mature dress would be too… early. That’s why I made this for my little sister.”
“It’s… not that I don’t like it, I just don’t know… if it suits me,” Luo Yan took the tailcoat and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. “Wouldn’t it be strange… for me to wear this?”
The Luo Yan who had just left Ghost Town, who had casually strolled around in a flamboyant maid outfit, was now hesitant about a tailcoat.
“Don’t worry, Miss Luo Yan, it’s hard to find clothes that don’t suit you,” Hua Qingling said with a mischievous smile. “But to complete the look, we might need… to make a few small changes…”
“Huh?”
Luo Yan turned around and saw a makeup kit in Hua Qingling’s hand, her smile making Luo Yan feel a sense of unease.
“Don’t worry, Miss Luo Yan… it will be quick.”
“That… makes me even more worried, Sister Qingling.”
…
Meanwhile, in Lannister’s core district.
The bustling crowds and towering skyscrapers were far more impressive than anything in Yan City.
The recent panic was just a minor blip; after the alarm was lifted, life returned to normal.
An inconspicuous dark figure moved through the city, unnoticed, finally landing on the roof of a tall building, slightly breathless.
“A rare failure?”
A mocking voice, distorted and almost unrecognizable, came from behind a small storage room on the rooftop.
But the amusement in its tone was clear.
The dark figure was silent for a moment, then replied in a similarly distorted voice,
“No.”
“Stubborn? I rarely see you so disheveled.” Another, slightly taller figure in the same dark blue nightclothes emerged from behind the storage room, its face completely masked. “Shadow sent us here… not for your personal amusement.”
“…She’s with her.”
“Of course I know that.”
“So… I was also monitoring her.”
“There’s no need for you to monitor her. Lady Illusion will be arriving in Lannister soon to take her away. Our mission is to maintain the status quo, Shadow Guard One Seven Five Six,” the taller figure said in a lecturing tone. “If you were exposed, you should have reported it immediately. I would have handled it.”
The other figure was silent for a moment, then said hesitantly,
“She… discovered me. Her aura is… strange, I couldn’t sense it.”
“‘Luo Yan’? She’s a special case. Shadow personally instructed us to avoid any involvement with her,” the taller figure crossed her arms. “You took a great risk, One Seven Five Six.”
“But, but… the thought of her… being with ‘Luo Yan’…”
The figure stammered, clearly agitated.
“Even so, One Seven Five Six, that’s no excuse for your unauthorized actions,” the taller figure’s voice was cold. “‘Luo Yan’ is a high-risk individual. Until further instructions from above, we must avoid direct contact.”
“I know.”
“Remember that, One Seven Five Six.”
“…Yes.”
“However,” the taller figure touched her chin. “You were discovered, but I have a feeling Lannister will be the one facing trouble… I need to talk to Norian.”
She glanced at One Seven Five Six. “You stay here, don’t do anything, at least not while ‘Luo Yan’ is still in Lannister.”
“Alright, Mother.”
“Hm?”
“Yes, Commander!”
“You must remember, when wearing this uniform, you are Shadow Guard One Seven Five Six, not my daughter,” the taller figure said sternly. “During missions, I am your superior officer, so you must address me as Commander. This is your final warning!”
“…Yes.”
One Seven Five Six nodded sullenly, seemingly upset.
Seeing this, the taller figure’s expression softened slightly.
“Isn’t there a noble’s banquet in Lannister tonight? You’re invited. Go and enjoy yourself.”
“I don’t really want to…”
“She’ll be there too.”
“I’ll go get ready!”
…
If Anna was talented in makeup, clothing design, and coordination, then Hua Qingling was simply on another level.
Although her shop had failed, it wasn’t due to a lack of skill…
…She was simply cursed when it came to money.
Within moments, Hua Qingling had finished Luo Yan’s makeup and adjusted the tailcoat to fit her perfectly.
A few strokes of the eyebrow pencil added a touch of sharpness to Luo Yan’s gentle features.
The light makeup accentuated her facial features, and paired with the sleek tailcoat and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, just like the butler’s…
But even so, it was still difficult to describe Luo Yan as “handsome.”
Her inherent gentleness and softness couldn’t be completely masked, even with these additions, creating an androgynous beauty.
However, the most troublesome part was Luo Yan’s long silver hair.
Although Luo Yan had suggested cutting it off, after breaking three of Hua Qingling’s scissors, they had given up.
So, she had compromised, tying it up in a neutral-style ponytail.
“I did my best…”
Hua Qingling looked at Luo Yan’s reflection in the mirror and sighed.
Even with all her efforts, she couldn’t completely erase Miss Luo Yan’s inherent beauty…
“Actually, there’s no need to go to so much trouble.” Luo Yan had seen through Hua Qingling’s intentions, but she seemed to be enjoying the process, so she hadn’t interrupted her. “I can use a life hack.”
“A… life hack?” Hua Qingling looked at her blankly. “Are you planning to fix the toilet with instant noodles?”
“What?” Luo Yan blinked. “I mean ‘Envy’.”
Her eyes flashed crimson, and a red strapless gown flickered around her, the terrifying crimson eyes on its skirt swirling.
But in the next moment, the vision vanished, before Hua Qingling could even react.
And now, standing before her, was a handsome young man with short black hair, the well-fitting tailcoat accentuating his elegance, a hint of a smile in his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses.
“L-Luo… Miss Luo Yan…?”
“Yes, this is one of the applications of ‘Envy,’ to influence others’ perceptions,” Luo Yan nodded. “After that battle, my control over ‘Envy’ seems to have improved. I can now… distort perceptions.”
Luo Yan herself hadn’t changed; there were no illusions. What changed was how others perceived her.
“So powerful? Even I, a ‘Peril’ level ability user, couldn’t detect it!” Hua Qingling exclaimed, then frowned. “But influencing others’ perceptions… isn’t that dangerous?”
“Dangerous? It shouldn’t be. I’ve used it many times in Yan City. It’s not directly interfering with their perceptions, just… adjusting what they see, and the adjustments are limited.”
The black-haired youth spoke with Luo Yan’s voice. Although his face still retained some of her features, Hua Qingling still felt it was strange.
“Where did you get this… look? It seems a bit… old-fashioned.”
“I based it on the butler from Natalie Manor.”
“…Good thing no one here knows him.”
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