Tia was startled.
Kill Celastia?
What did that mean?
Had she provoked Grey Cat somehow?
‘Could it be… is she the owner of that basement?’
That would be too disgusting.
Although Tia aspired to be Witch Scum, she still found things like human experimentation unacceptable.
If Grey Cat was capable of such things, Tia would certainly look down on her.
To confirm, Tia replied:
“She provoked you?”
“That’s right. She needs to pay for what she’s done.”
Judging by her tone, that was likely the case.
Since that was how it was, Tia decided to help her out for the sake of the favor of the introduction.
“For the sake of your kindness to me, I advise you to give up. That young lady is protected by the Earl and even has some connections with the Inquisition. It will be very difficult to kill her.”
To prevent Grey Cat from straying down the wrong path, she chose to persuade her to abandon the idea of killing Tia.
After all, once she insisted on doing so, it meant they would become enemies.
Striking at Grey Cat would be ungrateful!
Grey Cat: “Difficult to kill? You just don’t want to help, do you? I heard she rarely takes guards with her when she goes out. How could she be hard to kill?”
Tia: “It’s precisely because she doesn’t bring guards yet hasn’t had any trouble so far that it’s strange, isn’t it?”
Grey Cat: “Two Magic Crystals.”
Tia froze.
Two Magic Crystals to kill Tia?
What did she take her for? A mercenary Witch?!
Thinking it over, she lowered her head and silently deleted the words ‘I need more money’ and replied: “It’s not a matter of Magic Crystals…”
“I only have these two Magic Crystals on me. I can give them to you in advance. If you still don’t want to help, I’ll find someone else.”
“Sigh…”
Seeing this, Tia knew that Grey Cat was beyond saving.
She had tried. She had made an effort.
But if Grey Cat’s heart was set on killing her, she could only reluctantly agree to help her, allowing her to take a giant step forward on the road to reincarnation.
Tia: “Since you insist, I will help you. However, let’s get this straight — if you want her dead, you’ll have to do it yourself. I can only help you investigate information and devise a plan.”
Grey Cat: “Fine. I can’t wait to kill her with my own hands.”
Grey Cat: “Also, Nightingale, I don’t know what to say to you. Sometimes being too cautious only makes you miss opportunities. That won’t do if you want to climb higher within the Witch Council.”
Looking at the message from Grey Cat, Tia shook her head.
Not cautious?
She didn’t dare be anything else!
Because of one moment of carelessness before, her Witch Gem had been snatched away by Mephia and had yet to be recovered.
If she were careless again, she might lose more than just a Witch Gem…
Tia: “Wait until I get information on the Daughter of a Count. I’ll contact you after I’ve made a plan.”
Grey Cat: “Good. I’ll wait for your news.”
‘You refused the path to heaven and barged into the gates of hell.’
‘Rest assured, Grey Cat. When you die, it won’t be very painful.’
‘I will remember your sacrifice forever!’
After sighing inwardly, Tia put away the communication crystal.
***
In the dead of night at the Earl Harris Manor, the rustle of wind blowing through the treetops occasionally drifted in from outside.
Moonlight filtered through the high windows of the corridor, casting a cold glow on the floor.
Viola carried a small night lamp, performing the final patrol of the night.
Her footsteps were light, and her alert gaze swept over every shadowed corner.
However, just as she was about to reach the corner outside the Young Lady’s bedroom…
*Whoosh!*
A shadow that almost blended into the darkness flashed by.
That was definitely not a speed a maid or a guard should have!
Viola’s breath caught instantly, and her heart plummeted.
“Assas — “
Before the word “assassin” could fully leave her mouth, a sharp sound of glass shattering exploded from the direction of Tia’s bedroom, followed by the dull thud of something hard nailing deep into wood.
Her heart tightened, and Viola’s blood nearly froze.
She dropped the night lamp instantly and rushed toward the closed bedroom door regardless of the consequences, pushing it open with force!
“Miss!”
The cold moonlight mixed with the light from the corridor to illuminate the room.
One of the window panes had a large hole broken in it, and the night wind was howling inside.
At the head of the ornate bed, a pitch-black arrow was buried deep into the wood.
The arrow was aimed exactly at the head of the person who should have been sleeping there.
However, the bed was empty.
‘Thank goodness, the Miss isn’t here.’
Exhaling heavily, Viola regained her composure.
“What’s wrong?”
A slightly confused, soft voice came from the corridor.
Viola whipped her head around and saw Lady Tia standing by the door of the secondary study, draped in a silk nightgown and barefoot.
She was rubbing her sleepy eyes with one hand.
Her pale blue hair was draped over her shoulders in a slightly messy fashion.
She held a heavy tome in her arms, looking as if she had accidentally fallen asleep while reading late into the night.
“You’re all right, Miss. It’s good that you’re all right.”
Viola patted her chest, her hanging heart finally settling back into place.
Tia seemed completely unaware of what had happened.
She blinked and looked at her frantic maid, asking in confusion, “I’m fine. What’s the matter, Viola? You look… so pale.”
“Just now, there was an assassin!”
Viola pointed at the broken window and the shocking arrow, her voice hurried.
“An arrow! An arrow shot right into your bed! If you had been sleeping there just now…”
Tia’s gaze followed Viola’s finger and landed on the arrow.
The sleepiness on her face slowly dissipated, replaced by a quiet contemplation.
She gently placed the book on a wooden cabinet nearby and walked to the bedside, her bare feet stepping on the soft carpet.
Approaching the edge of the arrow, she frowned and pulled it out under Viola’s worried gaze.
The arrow felt heavy and cold in her hand.
With the help of the moonlight and the dim light in the room, she carefully examined the shaft and found a bizarre Agave Mark carved into it.
Agave, the common mark used by the Witch Council.
Her eyes flashed, and the corner of Tia’s mouth curved slightly, but her expression remained unremarkable.
Only when she looked up at Viola did a hint of gravity appear in her gaze.
“Miss, should we report this to the Earl?”
Viola asked urgently.
The thought of the master’s fury and the inevitable search that would follow gave her a sense of relief.
As the Young Lady’s personal maid, she did not want her lady to come to any harm.
However, Tia slowly shook her head.
“No, don’t make a scene.”
“Why?”
Viola was puzzled.
Tia’s fingers gently brushed against the cold Agave Mark on the arrow’s shaft as she whispered, “The identity of this assassin is not simple. Even if my father knew, he would only be infuriated and send out a large force to search the city, which would only alert the enemy.”
“But the things hiding in the shadows won’t disappear because of that. They will only hide deeper. Aside from adding to his troubles and anxiety and causing panic throughout the manor, it won’t solve the root of the problem.”
She placed the arrow gently on the nightstand and turned to look at the endless night outside the window.
Her profile appeared calm and determined in the moonlight.
After a long while, as if she had made a decision, she sighed softly.
“In this situation, the only one who can truly help me, perhaps, is her.”