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Thank you for buying this book, I hope you enjoy your reading.
NS Raveneir
Chapter 1
The once-quiet town of Aston used to be known for its grey and gloomy appearance, with old buildings lining its streets and reflecting the slow pace of life in a small town. However, an antique café at the corner of the street brought about a change, revitalizing the nearly doomed town and bringing new life to its streets. Lucy's Magic Café was always busy, even during the weekdays, as people flocked to the establishment and formed a never-ending line outside its doors. This had a significant impact on the town's economy, as visitors provided a steady stream of income for its residents and made the once-dreary town a thriving hub of activity and a well-known destination.
The café's popularity was due in part to what it offered—rumors spread that the café offered special service—and also to its limitations, as not everyone who visited was able to enjoy a meal or drink inside. Yet, the charm of the town still managed to captivate those who were unable to secure a spot inside Lucy's café, drawing them to explore the town and spend their time and money within its borders. Lucy's establishment made a great impact on the economic life of Aston, and the town thrived as a result.
On this day, just like any other, Lucy was apologizing to the customers who were unable to get inside her café. Despite her unlimited magical power, she was too lazy to use it and instead simply offered a sweet, apologetic smile to those who were turned away. Her youthful appearance and enchanting aura captivated everyone, and they could not protest as they left the café empty-handed.
Lucy was aware of the temporary nature of her newfound charm and intended to make the most of it while it lasted. She was a materialistic witch who valued the smell of money more than any perfume and even slept on a pile of it, despite the aches it caused her. Her cashier machine was always full, and she treated it like a proud mother, admiring the contents of the drawer with a wide smile. The profit from today's sales was as satisfactory as always, and she quickly collected the money from the cashier machine and brought it upstairs to savor her newfound wealth.
As Lucy tended to her finances, Rhine and the rest of the café staff were left to clean up the mess. The towering pile of dirty dishes was assigned to Emi, but only because her friends refused to do it. Emi longed for the magic stone that had been taken from her, as it would have made the task effortless. Without it, however, she would have to wash the dishes manually. If she insisted on using her magic power, it would drain her energy and leave her bedridden for days. Bo and Ervin were busy straightening up the tables and chairs, while two creatures in the corner of the café were engaged in a heated debate. This time, it seemed that Hannah had purposely provoked Leo, leading to another trivial argument.
"Can you just let it be?" Hannah pointed at the small flower pot next to the entrance door.
Leo picked up the flower pot and put it against the wall, saying, "It won’t block the way in this position."
Hannah pulled the flower pot to its first location. "No, it is much better if the pot is located here."
"Are you seriously doing it?" Once again, Leo put the pot against the wall: "A customer had tripped over his foot this afternoon."
"But it was just one person," Hannah stood up for her argument, "no one could see the beauty of the flowers if you put them in that place."
"It is much safer here for the flowers." Leo kept his opinion; he did not want to lose to Hannah.
"How can you know it?" Hannah was curious: "Is the plant telling you that?"
"Of course, I'm a Faeln, a woods guardian," Leo explained to Hannah, touching a flower bud with his finger.
Hannah was mesmerized when she saw a glimmer of light showing up from the tip of Leo’s finger. As if she watched real-time magic before her eyes, the flower bud bloomed in an instant.
"You have such a great magic trick," Hannah tried to compliment Leo.
"It's not a magic trick," Leo lamented.
"Are you going to waste your power?" Ervin chimed in, "Are you trying to impress that plain human girl?"
Hannah felt insulted by Ervin’s words. Ervin was ignoring Hannah, but he recognized Leo's actions as an attempt to persuade a human of his power. "You should not waste your power." Ervin emphasized his words; he put his hand on Leo’s shoulder and said, "You are the one who could support Rhine when she is in trouble."
Leo nodded. He realized that he had made a mistake. He should not have shown his power to Hannah. It was such a waste. Leo stepped back and moved away from Hannah, followed by Ervin. Being ignored, Hannah was upset; she then kicked the flower pot and hurt her left foot. Holding back the pain, she went to the back to change her uniform. It was already dark outside, and the café had been cleaned up. There was nothing to do. Rhine and the others went upstairs. Hannah had finished changing, and she was left alone. Then she saw the flower pot once again, and she squatted next to it. She wanted to apologize,
"I’m sorry, I don’t mean to hurt you." Hannah reached out to one of the flowers and said, "I don’t know why I behaved like that."
Hannah stood up. She was ready to go home when someone suddenly rang the bell outside the café. She wondered who came to visit when the café was already closed. Hannah opened up the door; a well-dressed man in a black suit was standing by the door. His firm expression intimidated Hannah.
Nervously, Hannah greeted the man. "Good evening, sir, is there anything that I can help you with?"
"I want to meet the owner of this café," the strange man said.
Hannah knew she could not call Lucy downstairs because Lucy had said she did not want to be bothered after the café closed.
"I’m sorry, sir, I can't do so." Hannah tried her best to refuse the strange man’s demand. "You can see her tomorrow."
The man persisted: "I must see her; Lady Holloway asked me to do so."
Hannah was shocked; the strange man must be one of Lady Holloway’s servants. She remembered that Lady Holloway also visited the café after the opening ceremony ended. Hannah quite knew about Lady Holloway’s behavior; she was quite the talk of the town. When Lady Holloway demanded something, no one could refuse her. It seemed that Lucy had met her match. However, it was not a good thing for Hannah; she did not want Lucy to scold her, and on the other hand, it was also a bad choice to refuse Lady Holloway’s demand. Hannah could not decide, but luckily Leo was coming downstairs.
"What are you doing, Hannah?" Leo asked curiously, "You shouldn't be here."
Leo stopped talking when he saw Hannah's face. He wanted to scold her at first for not going home soon, but when he saw the man, he understood that the man had troubled Hannah. Hannah stepped back and stood next to Leo. She clung to Leo’s arm and lowered her head. Leo wondered what kind of thing made Hannah frightened.
The servant interrupted, "Could you let me see the owner of this café?" He said again to Leo, "Lady Holloway invited the café owner to her mansion."
"This young girl beside me might have told you that the owner could not be bothered." Leo tried to handle the situation: "I will tell the owner about this invitation, but it will be her decision if she wants to come or not."
The servant was aware that he could not push any further, so he excused himself and left the café. Leo closed the door, yet Hannah had not let go of his arm. She was still frightened.
Chapter 2
Lucy's Magic Café was having another hectic day, with everyone being drained from the ceaseless influx of customers. Yet Hannah was atypically tranquil today, with her usually vivacious nature being replaced by an unusual silence. Her mind seemed to be elsewhere, and as a result, she made an abundance of mistakes during her work. Leo, being observant of Hannah's strange demeanor, kept a watchful eye on her throughout the day until the café closed for the night. Lucy, however, lacked Leo's patience and confronted Hannah after the cleaning was done and everyone else had gone upstairs. Hannah feared that Lucy might dismiss her due to the multitude of mistakes she had made during her time at the café. The reason behind her distracted mind was her previous day's encounter with Lady Holloway's servant, which left her in a state of worry and turmoil.
Lucy entered her office on the second floor of the café building, and Hannah was hesitant to enter the office. She just stood there in front of the door. Lucy was impatient with Hannah, so she shouted at her,
"What are you doing there?" Lucy’s voice was loud and strict.
Hannah, who stood in front of the door, had no choice. She stepped into the office with her head bowed down. Hannah’s little body was shaken as the door behind her suddenly slammed with a loud bang. Lucy, with her fierce stare, was judging Hannah.
"For how long will you keep silent?" Lucy asked Hannah.
"I’m so sorry," Hannah stuttered.
She seemed lost for words. Anyone who looked at Hannah could see that she was frightened. Her naturally pink lips became pale and almost whitish. Her sweat was dripping from her forehead, and Hannah was not comfortable with the situation she had to face.
"Do you still want to work here?" Lucy's words were blunt; she directly made a point that cornered Hannah.
"Y-yes," Hannah still stuttered, "I'll work carefully."
"What’s wrong with you today?" Lucy stared at Hannah’s figure, wondering, "Is it because of Lady Holloway’s servant?"
Hannah did not answer, but suddenly, her legs were trembling, and she was not able to support her balance. Hannah fell helplessly on the floor. She did not have the guts to face Lucy; she kept staring at the floor in her defenseless stance. Hannah nodded weakly. There was a pause in the conversation, and Hannah wondered what kind of expression Lucy had. Moreover, she had not been able to control her fear yet. Lucy got up from her chair, walked toward Hannah, and then she picked Hannah up off the floor. Lucy held her and gently patted her hair.
"Please ignore that woman," Hannah begged Lucy.
"I could not," Lucy sighed; she then continued to speak: "You are special, Hannah; you could sense that there was something wrong with Lady Holloway."
Lucy then led Hannah to sit on the chair against her work table. Hannah was much calmer than before. However, the fear in her eyes had not disappeared.
"I've not only sensed it, but I have witnessed it myself." Hannah started to speak. "There was a rumor about her among the town folks."
Lucy was attentive, eager to gain knowledge about the mysterious Lady Holloway. Hannah initiated her narrative by relating a tale she had heard from the town's inhabitants. Lady Holloway was not a typical woman, for she was once known as Bethany Lynch, the daughter of wealthy merchant Thomas Lynch. Her beauty was renowned, attracting suitors from wealthy, upper-class families from far and wide. However, against her father's wishes, Bethany's heart was captured by a seemingly plain salaryman, and she married him; the two fled town to escape Thomas's anger. After several years away from the town, word reached the inhabitants that Bethany had returned, divorced from her husband. After she became a widow, speculation ran rampant that her father had not allowed her a peaceful life with her spouse. Bethany was said to have taken refuge within her father's grand mansion until news of her marriage to a wealthy suitor emerged. A luxurious wedding celebration was held for three days, with Bethany appearing joyful with her new husband by her side. However, a week after the celebration's end, both Bethany and her spouse disappeared once more, with Thomas informing the town's folk that both of them had gone abroad. The whereabouts of Lady Holloway remained unknown, leaving the town to ponder the puzzling enigma of Bethany's life.
Misfortune once more visited Bethany as she was compelled to return to Aston a few years after her departure. The news of Thomas Lynch's death due to illness reached her, and she returned for his funeral, alone and for a longer duration than anticipated. During her stay, the mansion that once belonged to her late father was never devoid of visitors, but their visit was not to pay their
Impressum
Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Texte: NS Raveneir
Cover: XN
Lektorat: NS Raveneir
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 31.12.2021
ISBN: 978-3-7554-0412-5
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