https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1700-A-War-Without-Victors-One-Hundred-and-Fifty-/12628259/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1702-A-War-Without-Victors-Part-152-/12938240/
Chapter 1701: A War Without a Victor (Part 151)
Chapter 1701: A War Without a Victor (Part 151)
"This..."
Hermione wasn't sure if the house-elf Shimmer would be willing to work for Albert, but in her opinion, it was undoubtedly the best option.
After all, apart from Albert, she doubted any other wizard would be willing to pay a salary to employ a house-elf.
After a thorough discussion, the two bid farewell to Sana and headed to Hogwarts, leaving Shimmer behind to discuss the employment matter with the other house-elves in the castle.
When Albert smiled and extended his hand to the house-elf, Hermione was certain he would succeed in convincing Shimmer to accept the job.
However, the outcome was a bit unexpected for both of them.
Shimmer suddenly burst into loud sobs, leaving Hermione at a loss for a moment.
Albert merely patted her head comfortingly and, before leaving, assured her that she was always welcome in Avalon.
"She's much better than when she was first driven away, and she no longer drinks like she used to. It's just that she hasn't fully recovered from the shadows of her past." Hermione looked back at the house-elves seeing them off.
"I'll have Dobby talk to her another day. I believe Shimmer will surely be able to pick herself up." Albert felt that it shouldn't be too difficult to convince Shimmer with a little more effort.
"I thought your charm would be enough to persuade Shimmer." Hermione was a bit disappointed.
"I'm a man, not a wish-granting machine. By the way, it's been a while since you last visited the kitchen."
"They don't welcome me there." Hermione didn't want to dwell on this and changed the topic, "By the way, you'll be spending Christmas in Avalon this year, right? Everyone is looking forward to celebrating the first Christmas in Avalon with you."
"Yes."
Albert decided to go back and discuss this matter with Isabella.
...
"So, you want me to go to Avalon with you for Christmas this year?"
Isabella wasn't surprised to hear Albert bring up the topic. She was well aware that she would eventually need to appear as Albert's wife to facilitate her integration into his social circle.
"It mainly depends on your personal wishes." Albert said with a playful laugh as he held their daughter high above his head.
"I don't mind, but some people might not be happy about it." Isabella put down the towel she was knitting and looked at the father and daughter with gentle eyes.
"There's nothing we can do about Katrina. After all, it's not easy for her to be around others..." Albert's words were cut off halfway by Isabella.
"I'm not talking about Katrina. I'm referring to Katherine, Valeria, and Louise. They seem to be planning to come to Britain for Christmas." Isabella seemed to have remembered something and continued, "This time, they even sought out Miss Janila and intend to present that vampire-blooded songstress as your Christmas gift."
"Didn't you stop them?"
Albert's face twitched, suspecting that Isabella wanted to see him squirm.
When women get involved, it becomes a troublesome matter.
Human emotions and energy are limited, and when spread too thin, they fade, sometimes to the point of non-existence.
"Do you think it would be effective? Besides, I recall that songstress seemed to like you quite a bit."
Isabella found the situation amusing and didn't give Albert a chance to refute. She took a piece of parchment from the table and handed it to Albert while taking their daughter from him.
On the parchment were the names of friends and acquaintances who had been in contact with Albert via letters.
Maintaining relationships through letters is essential.
Due to the recent Voldemort incident, communication was disrupted, and it's now necessary to re-establish connections through letters, or else most of his relationships will be severed once Albert starts his world travels.
Thankfully, Isabella is handling these matters, ensuring Albert doesn't have to expend too much energy on them. By the way, this year, except for a few elderly folks, everyone will receive Albert's self-authored Guide to Defense Against the Dark Arts as a Christmas gift.
To show his sincerity, Albert will leave his personal blessings and autograph on the first page of each book.
Well, similar situations will be quite common in the future.
It's normal for an author to give away their books as gifts, right?
There are many benefits to this approach.
For one, Albert won't have to worry about gift-giving anymore. Moreover, the gifts are affordable, and as the author, he can easily obtain a batch of books at cost price to give away.
The content of the letters is also straightforward, mentioning the events that occurred this year and the family's plan to travel the world.
"I suddenly feel like traveling the world indefinitely isn't a bad idea. It'll free me from all these bothersome matters," Albert put down his quill and placed the sealed envelope and gift together, planning to have the house-elf deliver them to the Owl Post Office when they have time.
"That will have to wait for a long, long time," Isabella leaned in and kissed Albert's forehead.
"I think I can announce my retirement next summer," Albert mumbled.
"Remember to bring Hermione to the Manor Gathering this year."
Katrina, who was helping to stack the Christmas presents, suddenly spoke up, "The girls specifically asked for this. They seem to think they should meet your other lovers, but I feel like Valeria's intention behind this isn't good."
Well, not only does Valeria dislike Hermione, but the other girls don't like her much either; they just don't show it openly.
The main reason is jealousy.
If Hermione doesn't dress up carefully, she would undoubtedly be at the bottom among Albert's lovers, yet she enjoys better treatment than the other girls.
Naturally, this makes the girls quite dissatisfied.
"She might not be willing to come," Albert shook his head.
"She will," Isabella said meaningfully, "Women are like that; they don't give up easily, especially when it comes to competing for a man."
"Your words..."
"You'll probably need to intensify your physical training soon, or you won't be able to satisfy the demands of so many women," Katrina smiled as she sized up Albert, deciding to satisfy herself before those annoying women arrived.
"I always feel like you've tricked me!"
Albert reached out and pulled Isabella into his embrace, inhaling her familiar scent, and murmured, "That was indeed a foolish decision."
He felt that Isabella's scheme had a high probability of success. Now, Albert genuinely didn't have any special feelings for the other women; no matter how beautiful they were, they didn't seem as appealing to Albert anymore.
"Aren't you enjoying it too?"
Isabella and Katrina exchanged glances and smiled, each kissing Albert's cheek from either side.
"It's time to rest; otherwise, it'll be another sleepless night."
Undoubtedly, staying up late is not good for one's health.
As a result, Albert has developed the habit of going to bed early.
(End of Chapter)
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