Chapter 609: Secret Messages
Chapter 609: Secret Messages
This was undoubtedly the most depressing Christmas holiday Katrina had ever experienced.
After Isabelle and Albert left the country for their vacation, Katrina's mother tried her best to spend time with her, but she was still very busy and rarely home. Katrina often found herself alone, quietly preparing meals, but her cooking skills were mediocre at best, making for a rather disappointing holiday.
Perhaps she shouldn't have come home for the Christmas break.
Katrina had thought that even if Isabelle and Albert went on vacation, she could spend Christmas at Uncle Mog's estate. But it seemed that Uncle Mog had... forgotten about her?
Katrina sat at her desk, her gaze drifting from the parchment in front of her to the falling snow outside the window. She felt a strange sense of loneliness and heartache.
Given Isabelle and Albert's relationship, they would likely end up together.
Her mother had basically given her consent and had a good impression of Albert. Moreover, whenever she had free time, she would chat with Katrina, and Katrina understood her mother's implication: Albert would be her brother-in-law.
As for Albert, the fact that he had invited Isabelle on the trip indicated that he had also agreed to the match.
Katrina gazed at the photo of herself and Isabelle on her desk and sighed softly, "You really have it all, don't you?"
Days turned into weeks, and Isabelle still hadn't returned.
Katrina finished her holiday homework in just a few days.
To keep her mind off strange thoughts, she spent most of her time reading by the fireplace, determined to surpass Isabelle in the Ordinary Wizarding Levels exam the following year and prove that she was no less capable.
Why couldn't it be Albert? Katrina had long given up on the idea of surpassing him; that was an even more distant goal.
Time flew by when each day was spent in a similar routine, and before she knew it, the Christmas break was coming to an end, yet Isabelle still hadn't returned.
Finally, just a few days before the holidays ended, footsteps approached the door. On a day with a light snowfall, Isabelle returned. Far from looking tired from her travels, she seemed full of energy, and Katrina was so surprised by her appearance that she couldn't help but stare. Isabelle seemed even more beautiful than before.
Even though she was her sister, Katrina couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
There wasn't a woman in the world who didn't want to be beautiful.
"What's wrong?" Isabelle asked, puzzled, as she set down her suitcase and closed the door, seeing Katrina standing there in a daze.
"You seem even more beautiful than before," Katrina said, scrutinizing Isabelle from head to toe. "How did you do it?"
"More beautiful?" Isabelle paused, then smiled. "I think I know why."
"Why?"
At that moment, Katrina noticed that Isabelle's cheeks were slightly flushed, whether from the cold or the reflection of the fire in the fireplace.
"Albert said that happy women are the most beautiful," Isabelle replied, hanging her cloak on a rack by the fireplace and turning to face her sister. "I thought he was just flattering me, but it turns out he was telling the truth."
Katrina was at a loss for words and felt that she had asked a rather silly question.
Changing the subject, she asked, "How was your trip abroad?"
"The Muggle world is fascinating," Isabelle replied, turning to face her sister. "They may not have magic, but they've created countless amazing electrical devices."
"How was your holiday?" Isabelle asked.
"Not great," Katrina mumbled. "You know my cooking is just passable, so the food I made was barely edible."
"Don't worry, I brought a cookbook," Isabelle said, reaching into her suitcase and handing Katrina a book, causing the latter's expression to freeze.
"Don't underestimate these cookbooks," Isabelle continued. "While they can't teach you to cook with magic, they'll help you prepare delicious meals with your own two hands." With that, she picked up her suitcase and headed upstairs.
However, what bothered Katrina the most wasn't the cookbook but the fact that it was written in a language she couldn't understand.
"What language is this?" Katrina asked bluntly.
"Italian," Isabelle explained casually. "Albert bought this book, and he can read Italian."
"You can read it too?" Katrina asked, incredulous. She couldn't believe that her sister had mastered another language in less than a month.
Isabelle didn't intend to use the book for cooking; instead, she wanted to study Italian and improve her understanding of the language. She didn't want Albert to leave her too far behind.
"You're amazing," Katrina said dejectedly. She had thought that the gap between her and Isabelle wasn't so wide that she couldn't even see her sister's back, but now she felt she had overestimated herself.
Those two were truly monsters! Noticing her sister's dejected demeanor, Isabelle took out a gift she had bought in Sicily and handed it to Katrina—a bottle of perfume.
It was certainly not as expensive as Daisy's, but it had a pleasant fragrance.
"I thought you were going to the Muggle world for your vacation," Katrina said, intrigued by the scent. "How did you buy this without Muggle money?"
"Albert bought it," Isabelle replied.
"He gave you perfume too?" Katrina raised an eyebrow.
"No, his family gave me a bottle," Isabelle explained, choosing not to mention the price. After all, they wouldn't know.
That evening, Mrs. McDougall returned home earlier than usual.
Listening to her daughter's stories and looking at the photos she had taken in the Muggle world, they chatted late into the night. Mrs. McDougall was very supportive of Isabelle's idea to write a book about her experiences.
"Sicily was warm, and it didn't snow at all, which didn't feel like winter at all," Isabelle said, not noticing the complex expression in her sister's eyes. "By the way, I brought you a gift."
It was also a bottle of perfume.
Mrs. McDougall didn't pay much attention to the perfume but casually inquired about Albert's age.
Their conversation seemed bizarre to Katrina, as her mother kept reminding Isabelle about age-related issues, Albert's graduation, and the timing of his coming of age.
Katrina felt that they were hinting at something, but she couldn't quite understand what they meant.
However, Isabelle understood perfectly, and her cheeks flushed slightly as she felt a bit embarrassed. She hadn't expected her mother to see through her so easily and remind her to be mindful of the timing.
Something was definitely amiss! Katrina could tell from Isabelle's reaction that their earlier conversation had been rather unusual.
What were they hinting at?
When Katrina asked Isabelle about it, she simply talked about marriage. Her implication was that Mrs. McDougall was reminding her that she would have to wait until Albert graduated from school before they could get married.
Katrina felt that there was more to it than that, but before she could figure it out, two days had passed, and Mrs. McDougall took half a day off to escort them to King's Cross Station to catch the train back to school.
(End of Chapter)
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