Witch’s Night: Chapter 12 …An Illegitimate Daughter?
“This song is dedicated to the esteemed Chief Magistrate of the Lannister Council of Elders, Magistrate Norian. My mother asked me to send her regards.”
Chris lifted the hem of her skirt and elegantly curtsied to Norian.
It could be said that the reason she appeared at this banquet and offered her most precious healing song was entirely due to Norian’s considerable influence.
The other nobles here were merely basking in Norian’s reflected glory. Without Norian, even if Chris accepted the invitation to attend the banquet, she would absolutely not have used her ability in this way.
After all, Chris wasn’t just an ordinary idol; her background was more substantial than most of the nobles present. Being an idol was purely a personal hobby.
“Please send my regards to Ms. Tina and the Lequista family as well,” Norian said with a smile. “May the friendship between Lannister and the Lequista family last forever.”
The other nobles in the banquet hall also began their aristocratic greetings, and Chris responded to each one with a proper and elegant smile.
On the other side, Luo Yan and Tina were still making small talk.
“However, I’m more curious about how Miss Chris knows Sister Qingling,” Luo Yan asked. “Sister Qingling said that Miss Chris especially likes the clothes she designs, and that’s how they met, but I always felt something was strange.”
“Is there such a thing?” Tina replied subconsciously.
“Huh?”
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Tina looked puzzled. “What clothes, what designs… Chris never told me about these things.”
“Sister Qingling is a fashion designer.”
“…Ah?” Tina paused for a moment before continuing, “Isn’t Hua Qingling… a ranger?”
“She… sort of is?”
For a moment, the two stared at each other, wide-eyed, not knowing what the other was talking about.
“Chris always tells me about her ranger exploits, I’ve never heard of any designing or clothes…”
Tina exhaled and said, “But I don’t know the specifics. She’s my daughter, not me.”
“Oh, I see.”
Luo Yan nodded thoughtfully. This matter really wasn’t that simple; Hua Qingling and Chris definitely had something going on.
Meanwhile, Chris’s formal performance had ended, and many nobles quickly surrounded her, wanting to build a good relationship with the second daughter of the Lequista family from Noah.
Unfortunately, Chris had no interest in them. After a hurried response, her eyes quickly searched the banquet hall.
Soon, she saw Hua Qingling chatting with Norian, the two looking like they were having a pleasant conversation.
“Sister Qingling!”
Chris immediately lifted the hem of her skirt and ran over.
Her cheerful call once again drew everyone’s attention to Hua Qingling. They quickly recognized her as the young woman Norian had excused himself from the other nobles to meet earlier.
Hua Qingling was happily chatting with Norian about the details of the “Norian Reform” when she heard a familiar call from beside her. Turning her head, she saw Chris running towards her, completely disregarding her image.
“Oh, you know each other?”
Norian was a little surprised, because he knew Hua Qingling’s background, which was why he was surprised.
“Mm-hmm, hello Uncle Norian,” Chris didn’t have to address him as “Magistrate” in private and could be more natural. “Sister Qingling, what are you talking about? And…”
She looked around vigilantly, but didn’t see the strange black-haired young man again.
At this moment, Chris looked just like a small, alert bird, making Norian chuckle.
“Since you’re old friends, I, an old man, won’t disturb your rare reunion, little girls.”
Norian said cheerfully, then looked at Hua Qingling. “Qingling, I’ve taken note of your questions. I’ll explain them to you in detail when I have the opportunity next time.”
“Thank you, Magistrate Norian. Please take your time.”
Hua Qingling didn’t press the matter and nodded.
After Norian finished speaking, he hurriedly left. The banquet would continue for a while longer, and he still wanted to chat with a few more of Lannister’s outstanding young talents.
“Did… I interrupt your conversation with Uncle Norian?”
Looking at Norian’s back, Chris shrank her head. She just wanted to find Sister Qingling, but she didn’t expect Sister Qingling to be busy…
“It’s alright. Since I’ve already met with Magistrate Norian, this opportunity isn’t so important.” A proper smile appeared on Hua Qingling’s face. “Moreover, accompanying Miss Chris is just as important as talking with Magistrate Norian.”
“Eh, really? Hehe…”
Chris smiled, looking like a silly deer.
However, every time Hua Qingling saw Chris, she always liked to smile like this, so she was used to it.
But the nobles who occasionally glanced over were all shocked. In an instant, more gazes focused on Hua Qingling, secretly speculating about the identity of this petite woman.
Hua Qingling: “…”
Why did she feel a chill again?
“By the way, where is the gentleman beside Sister Qingling?” Chris’s small face tightened as she looked around. “Did he leave?”
“She… ah, he left temporarily, yes.”
A fleeting panic flashed across Hua Qingling’s face; she almost let it slip.
But it was almost the same… Miss Luo Yan didn’t seem to have any intention of concealing her identity from the beginning.
“Phew, Sister Qingling, what’s your relationship with him? You seem quite close.”
Chris sniffed, discerning a scent on Hua Qingling that didn’t belong to her.
But… it seemed quite fragrant?
A faint, refreshing fragrance.
Damn it, weren’t men all smelly?
“We’re very good friends,” Hua Qingling replied. “What’s wrong, Miss Chris?”
“No-, Nothing… just curious.”
Chris immediately put away her expression, slightly turning her face to hide the blush that appeared.
“There’s nothing to be curious about. Mainly, his situation is rather complicated, it’s not convenient to say more.” Hua Qingling said with a chuckle. “If you have the opportunity to meet him, you’ll also find him very pleasant to be around. He always gives people around him a sense of security.”
“Humph… no way.”
Chris pouted in displeasure. The more Hua Qingling praised that young man, the more annoyed she felt.
Moreover, these gloves of hers had held his hand… She had to remember to throw them away when she got back!
No, she had to burn them in the furnace until they were completely gone!
Chris thought fiercely, a look of resentment appearing on her face, making Hua Qingling a little confused.
“Did… he offend you?”
After several times, even if Hua Qingling were foolish, she could see that Chris disliked Luo Yan very much.
Hua Qingling thought that Miss Luo Yan didn’t seem to have appeared in that form before, let alone the fact that Miss Luo Yan didn’t know Chris at all before this. How could they have such ill fate?
—The ill fate stemmed from Hua Qingling.
“Um… Sister Qingling, let’s not talk about this anymore,” Chris also realized that her hostility was a bit too obvious and quickly changed the subject. “When will Sister Qingling have time to make me some more clothes? I want to wear new clothes again!”
“…I just made ten sets for you three months ago, right? Are you tired of them already?”
Hua Qingling was a little troubled. At that time, she had been extremely short of money, even more so than usual, so she had forced herself to find time to take Chris’s order.
Even for her, designing ten sets of clothes in different styles was quite exhausting, and it took her half a month to complete Chris’s order.
Although the reward afterwards was quite generous, and the meal Chris treated her to at the high-end restaurant was so expensive that she still trembled slightly when she thought about it.
Well, thinking about it carefully, it wasn’t bad, and her current financial situation wasn’t much better than it was back then…
“No, no, I’m not tired of them,” Chris opened her arms and patted her Lolita dress. “Look, I’m still wearing them. I just want to wear more clothes designed by Sister Qingling, so… another hundred sets!”
“…How about five sets?”
“More, Sister Qingling, I have money!” Chris patted her slightly puffed-out chest, although her money wasn’t kept there. “Not to mention the Lequista family, I myself am very rich!”
As a top idol, the second daughter of a super prominent family, and with the special healing effect of her mental singing, Chris’s appearance fees were high enough to make Hua Qingling faint at least ten times.
But even so, getting Chris to appear was a rare opportunity, requiring considerable influence.
So… Miss Chris, rich woman, food, hungry.jpg
“I know,” although Hua Qingling was inwardly groaning, her expression management was impeccable. She just said indifferently, “But I don’t have time.”
She had only heard of asking clients for more orders, not clients begging to place more orders…
Moreover, Hua Qingling wasn’t rich; she was desperately short of money.
Traveling the world sounded carefree, but food, clothing, shelter, and transportation all cost money; it was a bottomless pit.
Not to mention that Hua Qingling was unlucky and had never not been short of money.
However…
Earning money was one thing, but Hua Qingling had a mission more important than earning money.
“Five sets, no more, Miss Chris.” Hua Qingling’s heart was bleeding, crying for the money to come back, but she said calmly, “I have other things to do, please forgive me for being unable to help.”
“Okay, five sets is five sets,” Chris didn’t mind, anyway, she was just looking for an excuse to give Hua Qingling more money.
“After that, let’s do the same as before and find a place to eat, shall we? I remember there’s a very good thousand-year-old restaurant in the Lannister core district…”
“As Miss Chris wishes.”
Hua Qingling nodded reservedly, thinking how expensive it would be to eat at a thousand-year-old restaurant…
However, Hua Qingling was already used to it.
At first, out of politeness, she had wanted to refuse Chris, but Chris insisted, so she had no choice but to agree.
It had become a custom by now.
After settling this matter, Chris looked very happy.
However, unfortunately, she was, after all, invited to attend this noble banquet, and didn’t have much personal time.
Before they could chat for long, Chris’s butler hurried over and dragged her away.
Before leaving, the butler apologized to Hua Qingling. Chris still had to continue socializing. She represented the Lequista family’s image in public and absolutely couldn’t leave the impression of being arrogant and disrespectful to other nobles.
Hua Qingling watched the butler and Chris leave, sighing that it was good to be rich, and then turned to see a group of nobles staring at her intently.
“Esteemed Miss Hua Qingling, the Monte family sends their regards to you and your family. May the friendship between the Noah Holy Church and Lannister last forever.”
“…The Easton family…”
“…The Rockla family…”
Similar greetings echoed one after another. Although these nobles still maintained their aristocratic elegance and weren’t as noisy as a marketplace, it wasn’t much different.
“…What’s going on?”
But Hua Qingling listened with a bewildered expression. Apart from the names, the more she listened, the stranger it became.
She did have a family, but they had parted ways long ago.
And for the so-called prominent families of Yan City to come to Lannister… whether their noble status would be recognized or not, they would probably only be considered slightly well-off families here, not prominent enough to be called a “family.”
Let alone the Noah Holy Church mentioned later. Please, she hadn’t even been to Noah.
She wanted to go, but because it was too far, Hua Qingling didn’t have enough travel expenses…
However, Hua Qingling was completely unaware that, because of everything that had just happened, she had been given an identity that almost had nothing to do with her.
—The rumored illegitimate daughter of a certain Bishop in the Noah Holy Church.
This was a conclusion drawn from speculation and deductions based on Norian inexplicably designating Restricted Zone Seven and implementing the strictest management some time ago, along with some internal information revealing that it was to receive a mysterious girl.
This identity speculation, originally belonging to Luo Yan, had now, due to various coincidences, fallen upon Hua Qingling.
…Although it was a coincidence, it was ultimately Luo Yan who had implicated her, without either of them knowing.
“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you must have mistaken me for someone else…”
Hua Qingling could only reply truthfully, but unexpectedly, these nobles all showed an “I understand” expression, then repeatedly said that they had indeed mistaken her, but the greetings still continued from time to time.
Because the rumor was about an illegitimate daughter, an illegitimate daughter… These nobles understood very well; such a person couldn’t be publicly acknowledged.
But judging from Magistrate Norian and Miss Chris’s attitudes, this “illegitimate daughter” was definitely not simple, and it was always right to build a good relationship.
Thus, Hua Qingling could only continue to deal with these nobles with a bewildered expression, until Norian suddenly appeared in front of her and said with a serious expression,
“Something’s happened, Miss Hua Qingling.”
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