Chapter 836: My Sister's Friends
Chapter 836: My Sister's Friends
The youngest recipient of the "Pioneering Contribution Gold Award" at the Cairo International Alchemy Conference has been born! Katrina sat in the dining room, perusing the headline of the day's issue of the Prophet. Once again, she found herself witnessing a familiar scene in the newspaper.
Not long ago, the Prophet had similarly featured Albert Anderson's achievement of winning the "Barnabus Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Award" as its headline news.
"That guy is truly remarkable," Katrina muttered to herself.
She carefully read through the article, comparing it to what she had heard from others, and soon lost interest. At least seventy percent of the content was fabricated.
She recalled Isabelle mentioning how Albert's self-introduction after winning the award was so impressive that it left the wizards who had doubted him due to his age completely stunned.
"Should I give up the Christmas Ball?" Katrina wondered, guessing Albert's intention behind inviting her to the ball this year. She felt conflicted and even a bit angry. However, Isabelle had already made it clear that she didn't plan to attend the ball and had offered to lend Katrina her dress.
Katrina truly adored Isabelle's ball gown, and it just so happened to match Albert's outfit. Perhaps she should let Isabelle have this opportunity.
Setting down the Prophet, Katrina lifted her head toward the kitchen. Ever since Isabelle had invited her two girlfriends over, Katrina had noticed a surprising addition to their household—a house-elf that diligently prepared meals and tended to the housework.
She had questioned Isabelle about the house-elf.
"I borrowed it from someone. It'll go back soon," Isabelle had replied nonchalantly.
Borrow a house-elf? Who would lend their house-elf to others for a few days? Was she trying to deceive me? Do I look that foolish? Katrina thought. Of course, she had her suspicions. Perhaps the house-elf belonged to the servants of Isabelle's two female friends, as they didn't seem like they could take care of themselves.
But Katrina later dismissed this idea, as the beautiful girl named Valeria had seemed surprised to see a house-elf in their home. Moreover, Katrina felt she recognized the house-elf from somewhere, though she had only ever seen a handful of house-elves in her life—a countable number even on one hand.
Could Isabelle have borrowed that house-elf from Uncle Mog's estate? And more surprisingly, had Uncle Mog agreed to it?
"Miss Katrina, breakfast is ready," the house-elf, Bitte, said with a slight bow, rousing Katrina from her thoughts.
"Wait, I'll go call them," Katrina replied, getting up and heading upstairs. She knocked on Isabelle's door, and upon receiving no response, she pushed it open.
Isabelle's room was empty, but there was a wooden door on the floor in front of the bed. Katrina opened it and murmured, "Sister, how many secrets are you keeping from me?"
Beyond the door was a downward staircase that led to a corridor. Katrina walked to a door and knocked gently. "Isabelle, it's time for breakfast," she called out.
The door didn't open, but the one next to it did, and out stepped Valeria, clad in a thin strappy sleepwear, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She offered Katrina a smile and a wave. "Good morning, Katrina."
"Good morning, Valeria. Breakfast is ready," Katrina replied, her eyes involuntarily drifting downward to Valeria's alluring collarbones and the fullness beneath, a contrast to her own slender frame. Undeniably, Valeria possessed the kind of allure that many boys would find attractive. Having spent the last few days with these three beautiful women, Katrina felt her self-confidence wavering, even questioning her own appeal.
"Good morning," came a voice from the room next door as its door opened. Isabelle stepped out, still looking a bit drowsy.
She was already dressed in her usual beige dress, exuding a blend of innocence and intellect.
"Did you stay up late last night?" Katrina asked, noticing the hint of fatigue on Isabelle's face.
Lack of sleep was every girl's enemy, and Isabelle had always been meticulous about her beauty regimen. Why would she risk staying up late?
"We were experimenting with rose hip berries to create a beauty potion," Isabelle explained, yawning and covering her mouth. "I didn't want to stay up late, but Valeria and Katherine were so excited that they dragged me along."
"How did it go?" Katrina asked curiously. She had been keeping an eye on this project, as she herself had benefited from such beauty potions.
"Not ideal." Isabelle shook her head.
"Don't listen to your sister's nonsense. The effects of Beauty Potion 17 are actually quite good." Katherine emerged from her room, already changed into her usual summery attire. "It's just that it didn't meet Isabelle's expectations."
"Adding lemon slices, rose petals, and honey to rose hip tea is also good for the skin," Valeria chimed in with a smile. "And it tastes delightful; it gives you a feeling of being in love."
"Stop joking around. How would you know what being in love feels like when you've never been in love yourself?" Katherine said, patting Valeria's shoulder gently to urge her back into the room to change.
"A crush is still love," Valeria retorted, turning and heading back inside.
"What kind of beauty effects are you hoping for?" Katrina asked, curious. She knew that Isabelle had been researching beauty potions and had collected a vast array of formulas for reference, improvement, and experimentation, achieving remarkable results.
Rumor had it that Katherine and Valeria owned a thriving beauty shop.
Yet, none of the results seemed to satisfy the stunning women before her.
"Delaying aging," Katherine replied without hesitation. "To keep our youthful appearances and eternal beauty."
"Do you think such a thing is truly possible?" Katrina felt that their pursuit of beauty was bordering on obsession.
"If there's a Philosopher's Stone for immortality, why not a potion for eternal youth?" Valeria's voice drifted out from the room, tinged with a hint of longing.
"Perhaps you should seek Albert's help. He's an expert in this field, and his teacher is Mr. Nicolas Flamel. Maybe he can offer some useful assistance," Katrina suggested. Though she didn't know the reason, she had a feeling that if anyone could invent such a magical potion, it would be Albert.
"Nicolas Flamel? The Nicolas Flamel?" Valeria asked, her eyes sparkling as she turned to Isabelle.
"Yes. But the Flamels don't have much expertise in beauty potions," Isabelle said, glancing at her sister and changing the subject. "Anyway, let's not stand here chatting. Breakfast is ready."
Isabelle dared not reveal to Valeria and Katherine that Albert had already made strides in developing a prototype potion to slow aging. Especially with the uncertainty of the potion's production rate, letting them know would be a disaster. To maintain their youth, these two in front of her might do anything.
At the very least, Isabelle knew better than to overestimate Valeria's scruples.
"The witness you mentioned, is it Mr. Flamel by any chance? But I heard the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed," Katherine said, beginning to understand one of the reasons behind Isabelle's earlier hesitation.
Without the Philosopher's Stone, Mr. Flamel's remaining time was likely limited. If they wanted him to be their witness, they couldn't afford to delay.
"Yes, the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed," Isabelle confirmed, not denying it but also not wanting to dwell on the topic. She steered the conversation in another direction by asking, "When do you plan to go watch the Quidditch World Cup?"
"The American team has been a bit lackluster in recent years, but they finally made it to the top sixteen. I plan to go and cheer them on. I know someone on the team," Katherine shared. "We're thinking of booking a camping spot for tomorrow. What about you guys?"
"We'll probably go for the final few matches. Albert doesn't particularly support any specific team," Isabelle said, though she herself didn't have a strong preference either.
"Then you can stay with us in our tent; no need to find another camping spot. It'll be more convenient for discussing beauty potions, too," Valeria suggested with a grin. "Right, Katherine? We'll even have a house-elf to prepare our meals."
"We'll see. I don't know what Albert has planned. He mentioned taking his sister to the matches," Isabelle said, with no intention of sharing a tent with them. With four of them already, it would be too cramped.
Katrina, who had been quietly eating, suddenly felt like she had overheard something unbelievable.
From Valeria's tone, it seemed that the house-elf would be joining them at the Quidditch World Cup. How was it that this house-elf apparently belonged to Albert?
But wasn't Albert a Muggle-born wizard?
There had to be some secret she wasn't aware of.
A woman's intuition told Katrina that Valeria and Katherine seemed to have other intentions regarding Albert.
Was this inviting the wolf into the fold, or had there been something ambiguous between them all along?
She discreetly studied the three chatting women, wondering if she should find an opportunity to talk to Isabelle privately. Katrina felt that her sister, as shrewd as she was, must have noticed something amiss.
(End of Chapter)
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