...
Nanawa climbed out of bed, letting out a big yawn.
She glanced at the whitening sky outside the window, still the same unchanging snow scene.
The little girl reluctantly crawled out of her warm blankets, put on her thick winter clothes, and slowly walked out of her bedroom, only to see Aunt Aida cleaning the living room.
"Good morning," she mumbled.
"Ah, Little Princess, you're awake." Aida smiled at her. "Would you like breakfast? It's already warmed up."
"Mhm." Nanawa sat down at the dining table, scanning the room for her father. "Where's my papa?"
"Lord Paine went out early this morning," Aida's voice came from the kitchen, "carrying his silver-white lièqiang."
Sure enough, she pouted. She guessed he was off to the city walls to practice shooting again—ever since he used firearms to fight against the demonic beasts, he had become obsessed with these booming weapons. He spent his days polishing the barrel and ran to the city walls whenever he had free time. He even used his medical ability as a bargaining chip to wheedle a custom-made firearm from Prince Roland.
It's all because His Highness said long-barreled lièqiang were standard equipment for hunters, Nanawa thought. If her mother were still alive, he wouldn't be running off like this all day, right?
"Breakfast is ready," Aida placed two steaming plates in front of Nanawa. "Fried eggs and white bread. Eat it while it's hot."
"Thank you."
Breakfast must have been made before her father left. To keep it from getting cold, it was specially kept warm in hot water. Only thoughtful Aunt Aida would do that. If her father took care of her, she would definitely be eating rock-hard, ice-cold eggs.
Nanawa couldn't help but sigh.
How wonderful it would be if she could marry her father.
However, the little girl knew that this hope was unlikely to be realized. Aida was a servant in the house, while her father was now a noble of Border Town—according to what she knew, it was difficult for nobles and commoners to be together.
Nanawa quickly finished the bread and eggs, wiped her mouth, and called out, "I'm going to the medical center."
"Okay," Aida put down her broom, escorted her to the door, and crouched down to tie her scarf. "Be careful on the way, Paine xiaojie."
"Mhm!"
Nanawa went out into the light snow.
This was her daily routine: leave home in the morning and head to the medical center. If there were any injured, she would treat them. If not, she would use animals to practice her abilities. She would return to the castle at noon to have lunch with Prince Roland, and continue to stay in the medical center in the afternoon until she returned home in the evening—she was also the only witch who did not live in the castle.
Although the time spent waiting in the medical center was a bit boring, she persevered so that the injured could receive treatment as soon as possible. Another thing that supported her was the smiles and enthusiasm of the townspeople.
"Good morning, Lord Nanawa!"
"Angel xiaojie, are you going to the medical center again?
"The weather isn't very good today. Take care of yourself."
"Have you had breakfast, Paine xiaojie? I just cooked some hot oatmeal. Have a bowl!"
As she walked, such greetings came one after another. Compared to the situation a year ago, it was a completely different world—the sisters all said that she was now the most popular witch in Border Town, even more so than Anna. Nanawa didn't care who was more popular. She simply liked the current atmosphere. Every townsperson she had treated would greet her kindly, which filled her with a sense of accomplishment.
Sister Anna was right, Nanawa thought. Only by bravely facing prejudice can you make a change.
When she arrived at the medical center, the First Army soldier guarding the door respectfully saluted her. "Nanawa xiaojie, good morning."
"Good morning. Have any injured been brought in?"
"Not yet," the soldier replied. "But your friends are here."
Friends? She was slightly
stunned. Could it be that Anna had come to see her? Thinking of this, Nanawa took off running to the second floor. She pushed open the door, only to see Mystery Moon, Hummingbird, and Lily listlessly sprawled on the table. Seeing her appear, the three immediately got up and surrounded her.
"You..."
"Haha, are you surprised? We came all the way to play with you!" Mystery Moon raised her hand and shouted.
"Because Mystery Moon said it's boring anyway in the castle, might as well come out for a walk," Hummingbird added.
"You guys are definitely bored, but I'm not bored at all. There are so many small insect samples that need to be observed," Lily, who was walking at the end, complained. "And Nanawa xiaojie should be very busy. Do you think she's the same as you?"
"Is that so? Yesterday I saw you nodding off in front of the microscope. You were obviously very impatient," Mystery Moon shrugged.
"N-no way!"
So it wasn't Anna. Nanawa felt a slight disappointment in her heart, but she quickly recovered. Sister Anna was now the busiest person by His Highness's side, so it was impossible for her to accompany her as often as before. There was nothing she could do about it.
"No, I'm also very free," she laughed. "Thank you."
"Ahem... Since you've said so, then I'll stay here and keep you company," Lily turned her head away. "It's okay to observe the little bugs tomorrow."
"What should we play?" Hummingbird asked.
"Do you even need to ask?" Mystery Moon pulled out a deck of cards from her bosom. "Of course, this!"
"Eh, Fight the Landlord is quite fun, but it can only be played by three people."
"No, it's not Fight the Landlord," she mysteriously shook her head. "It's a new game. It can be played by four people. It's about who can play their cards faster. I just learned it from Andrea yesterday!"
"Sleeping Island Card Trio?" Lily rubbed her forehead. "Why learn from them of all people... If you used this energy to learn His Highness's new knowledge, you wouldn't be so clueless even now."
"These were also spread by Prince Roland," Mystery Moon protested. "Why doesn't it count as learning His Highness's new knowledge?"
"Besides you, probably no one else in the Witch Union thinks that way," Lily glared at her.
"I also want to learn..." Hummingbird muttered in a low voice.
Nanawa watched all of this and couldn't help but laugh. She felt like she had returned to Karl's academy, living a carefree life. "Add me in... Since it's three against one, then it's decided. Deal the cards quickly!"
...
With the company of the three, the originally dull morning passed in the blink of an eye. After returning to the castle for lunch together, Nanawa returned to the medical center alone.
As soon as she walked into the hall, she saw an unexpected person.
Karl Vanbert.
"Mr. Karl!" Nanawa said in surprise. "What brings you here?"
"Just came to see you," Karl smiled and sized her up, saying with satisfaction, "You... have grown up."
"Is that so?" Nanawa lowered her head a little embarrassedly. "But I'm still far from Sister Anna."
"Everyone is different. You have your own advantages," he laughed. "Witnessing your and Anna's growth, as well as the changes in the entire town, I haven't seen cracks recently."
"Cracks?" Nanawa was stunned.
"It's nothing... Just take it as me talking nonsense," Karl shook his head. "I once thought that the gods had abandoned this world, but now it seems that it is still watching us."
"It's not the gods," Nanawa corrected. "His Highness said that these are all the results of people's own efforts. Weren't those residential areas built by you?"
"But without a source, none of this would have happened. At that time, I thought Anna had died, and you just happened to awaken as a witch. When I was flustered and didn't know what to do, maybe a god heard my prayer and responded to my call," Karl said softly. "It gave
us Prince Roland."