She Is Not a Witch

“Edley!”

Fenrai immediately splashed the clear wine from her glass onto his face. The aroma of the wine spread in the air. He opened his eyes, the smile on his face not disappearing, as if he was used to this. He reached back, and an attendant immediately handed him a clean towel. After drying his face, he pulled out a chair and sat down casually.

“I was just joking. Why are you so angry, Fenrai? Or are you jealous? It seems I need to marry you soon.”

“Hah, keep dreaming. I’d marry anyone but you,” Fenrai said with contempt. She disliked playboys like Edley the most.

Melu watched the two with an amused expression. Although Fenrai despised Edley, their families might actually arrange a marriage between them. The head of the Anemis family thought highly of Edley, and both sets of parents intended to match them. Who knew, the feelings between men and women could change unexpectedly.

Lacey remained silent for now, as this was her first time meeting Edley and she wasn’t familiar with him. She also wasn’t good at socializing proactively. Moreover, due to the recent attack, the Tisphone family was likely responsible for Angus’s death, which made her cautious.

This young man from the Tisphone family was already at Sequence 4, making him the most talented among his peers that Lacey had seen. She blinked, and Edley’s information appeared in her mind.

Name: Edley Tisphone

Race: Human (Adaptation Rate: 96%)

Identity: Eldest son and heir of the Tisphone family

Status: Healthy (No abnormalities)

Sequence: War Sequence 4 · Blade of Pain (Rating: Rare Silver Grade)

Talents:

[Precise Control] (Rare Grade): Can acutely control every part of the body, easily achieving millimeter-level precision with weapons. Can quickly and accurately strike weak points when facing enemies, and precisely cut down arrows with blades.

Abilities:

[Weakness Perception] (Outstanding Grade): Can sense and perceive the weak points in an enemy’s defense, enabling fatal strikes.

[Rapid Speed] (Rare Grade): Enhances physical constitution and coordination, greatly increasing movement speed. (Precise Control +3, originally only Outstanding Grade.)

[Pain Blade] (Rare Grade): Imbues weapons with medium-strength soul damage. When struck, enemies experience mental tremors, and in severe cases, can even cause permanent mental disorders.

Skills:

[Vengeful Assassination Technique] (Rare Grade): A special skill passed down in the Tisphone family, a refined and cold-blooded art.

Looking at the information in her mind, Lacey became more certain that the Tisphone family played the role of the murderer. But the question was whether it was Tisphone’s own will or if someone else was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Although the Carithes family hadn’t risen for long, they were a major merchant association on par with the Tisphone family. If such a matter were exposed, it would lead to relentless revenge and opposition. Even if Carithes fell, Tisphone wouldn’t gain much benefit.

As Lacey was pondering, Edley finished his banter with Fenrai and turned to her, beginning his self-introduction.

“Greetings, Lady Lacey. I am Edley, the eldest son of the Tisphone family.”

“Hello, I’m Lacey of Carithes,” the girl responded impassively.

“Lord Angus was a respectable man, known for his integrity and principles. Our two merchant associations cooperated on many projects during his lifetime. I even learned from him for a period. When I heard the news of his sudden passing, I felt deeply saddened.”

“Lord Angus was like an uncle to me. If you ever face any difficulties, Lacey, please don’t hesitate to come to me. I’ll help if I can, and even if I can’t, I can at least help you think of other solutions.”

Edley spoke these words very sincerely. Although Fenrai was somewhat disdainful, she didn’t interrupt, silently acknowledging his words. Melu lowered her head, drinking her juice, her expression hidden.

“How impressive,” the girl thought. If she didn’t have supernatural abilities, didn’t have the system, and was just an ordinary person like in her previous life, she might have fallen for him like the other girls in the hall. Even if not immediately moved, she would probably have been left with a good impression, considering him a friend worth knowing.

“Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Edley. If I encounter any difficulties in the future, I’ll remember your offer.”

Lacey bowed slightly, lowering her head in gratitude, briefly hiding her expression before showing a simple smile. She wasn’t good at acting, so she simply maintained a neutral expression.

Edley raised his glass in a distant toast to Lacey, then drank it down heartily to show his generosity. Lacey smiled, looked at the small glass of fruit wine in her hand, then drank it all at once. Her face showed a slight blush, her beauty enhanced by the alcohol, leaving those present stunned once again.

The atmosphere among the four immediately became more lively. They began to discuss recent current events. News of the northern battlefield in Western Wind hadn’t spread widely yet. The main topics of discussion in Hopland were still the cooperation with Ruluna and the recent “Lake Light Shield” company.

After chatting for a while, Finnerton brought out his little daughter for a round, showing her to everyone. She was a healthy child. After his wife took the child back, he walked over to Lacey’s table.

“Hello, young ladies and gentlemen. I hope everyone is satisfied with our wines and desserts?” Finnerton greeted with a smile, then had an attendant bring another chair for him to sit down.

“Brother Finnerton, you’re too modest. Your banquets are always so lavish, leaving nothing to criticize,” Melu complimented from the side, with others echoing her sentiments.

Finnerton laughed heartily, then had attendants bring over several beautifully packaged boxes.

“Everyone can open and take a look. This is a new wine we’ve developed, called ‘Soma’. However, this wine is quite special and more suitable for drinking alone at home.” Finnerton revealed a mysterious smile, piquing everyone’s curiosity.

Lacey, like the others, opened the lid. Inside was a small glass bottle containing a light red liquid that swirled gently.

“Then I must savor it carefully,” Edley said, opening the bottle immediately. He sniffed it delicately, then poured a little into his glass.

Seeing that he didn’t pour much, Finnerton didn’t stop him. Edley drank it, savoring it slowly, then praised its excellent taste, noting that the alcohol content wasn’t high, making it suitable even for girls to drink.

Fenrai looked tempted but, constrained by a girl’s modesty, didn’t open hers. Instead, she mocked Edley.

“Edley, you’re not a shill hired by Brother Finnerton, are you? Your expression looks so fake.”

Edley wasn’t annoyed and just smiled, suggesting Fenrai try it when she got home.

As the music at the banquet started, many young men and women paired up and began dancing and twirling on the dance floor. Edley also invited the three young ladies to dance. Lacey, of course, remained motionless, refusing to budge, appearing very shy. Fenrai muttered a few more taunts at Edley, then danced with another of her close friends. Melu, not wanting Edley to feel too awkward, danced a simple number with him.

Finally, as the sky darkened, the banquet slowly came to an end amidst joyful music.