The Cornflower Witch Chapter 191

‘Forest Spring Orchard’ Outpost

Fluorescent small insects fluttered in the gloomy fruit forest, and not far away, a clear spring gently flowed, its “Glorious Moon”-purifying water slowly nourishing the soil, reducing distortion and contamination.

A golden-haired elf, dressed in a plain white gown, walked through the forest carrying a basket filled with ripe, enticing red fruits.

Arriving at the clearing outside the fruit forest, where tree-house-like structures were built against the mountain, many pointed-eared elves bustled about, occasionally accompanied by the melodious sound of songs.

“My Lady Florella~”

As the elf walked by, many elves greeted her and bowed, even though she was only a second-tier elf, her status seemed to be exceptionally different.

Upon reaching a tree-house on the second floor, she put down her basket, and two elf maids came forward, lifting the fruit-filled basket to put it away.

“My Lady Florella, you don’t need to pick the fruit yourself every time. You can just instruct us to do it,” one of the elf maids persuaded the elven girl.

“It’s alright, I rather enjoy picking fruit,” Florella said, sitting on a chair. Her light pink eyes flickered gently, exuding a natural charm, and she stretched her legs, giving a simple yawn.

“By the way, have there been any replies to the letters I sent home?” the beautiful elven girl asked the maid.

“According to the speed of the sky-scout birds, it will probably take another two months to make a round trip to the Fourth Continent,” one maid shook her head.

“The Second Continent where we live is too far from here. This speed is already the limit,” another maid explained.

“Is the princess feeling homesick?”

“A little, but it’s okay. When I go back, I’ll probably have to attend the Crown of Flowers Dance again, which will be very tiring,” Florella leaned lazily on the table, her light pink eyes examining the strands of hair between her fingers.

“I said then that I would train outside for twenty years before returning, and it’s only been three years.”

“Actually, I don’t really want to go back. Because once I do, I’ll probably inherit the throne, and that kind of life won’t be free.”

“No, Your Majesty the Queen also holds various activities regularly, inviting friends from the forest to participate. Didn’t your Highness often participate when you were young? Sometimes, greater fairyland spirits would even descend.”

“Fairies, huh…” Florella reminisced about her childhood experiences.

“Back then, they said if I inherited the throne, I would have to perform a ritual, temporarily ascend to the Heavenly Courtyard, and meet the Greater Fairy ‘Lochen Vella.’ Only with the approval of that esteemed being would I receive a blessing.”

“Because ‘Lochen Vella’ is subordinate to Her Grace ‘Funesini,’ the Hour Lord of Spring, her blessing will also be related to flowers.”

“All previous elven queens of the Fragrant Wind Forest have received the blessing of the ‘Pink Begonia,’ a flower under the patronage of ‘Lochen Vella.’ It’s a pity I prefer Ice Chalice Flowers,” Florella stretched her long arms across the table, her slender waist gradually straightening.

“There’s nothing we can do, Your Highness.” The two maids looked at each other helplessly, trying to offer comfort.

“It is said that only those who meet Her Grace ‘Funesini,’ the Hour Lord of Spring, can receive a blessing and freely choose their desired flower blessing. And in the mortal world, only one family has this honor.”

“It is said that members of their family, at the age of ten, can meet with the Hour Lords through a ritual and receive blessings according to ancient covenants.”

“Even so, only three members of each generation of their family are eligible for this, and each one is a strong contender for the next family head.” “That family…” Florella gently shook her golden, smooth hair and sat up.

“According to distant news carried by the wind, haven’t they already declined? Can they still uphold their ancient glory?”

“Although they have declined, they have certainly left behind many legends. Currently, all the bards and artists on the Seven Continents trace their origins to the ancestors of this family. Their names are truly etched in history.”

“Hmm, it would be nice to meet a descendant of their family. I’m actually quite interested in them too.” Florella turned her eyes to the two maids.

“Do you know a certain rumor? It is said that the origin of all maid professions also stems from a certain family head in their lineage. He personally authored the maid’s code of conduct and various tenets and rules.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of it. It’s said that in that generation, their family, due to its involvement in the chaos of dynastic change, lost a great deal of wealth and had to rely on the maids in the household for income. To promote his own maids, that family head wrote the maid’s code of conduct and rules, which later gained widespread recognition, allowing the family to revive again.”

“Even such a family has experienced three cycles of decline and rise. It seems everyone is used to their process of declining every few generations and then reviving.”

“The first ancestral family head was a poet who moved the Hour Lord of Spring with his songs.”

“The family head during the second period of prosperity, who was destitute in his youth, later gained the favor of the princess of the then-dynasty through his artistic skill. She married him, and the family was revived once more.”

“The family head during the third period of prosperity was the one who wrote the maid’s code of conduct. It is said that during their most impoverished time, the family only owned one abandoned castle and almost had to sell it.”

“They are a family full of twists and turns, and also a popular subject for bards, because there are so many stories about them.”

“It’s a very interesting family legacy. Although they are often in a state of decline, no one ever underestimates them. Occasionally, they can even maintain a semi-stable state through arranged marriages.”

“Before I left home, my mother even asked if I would be willing to marry into their family because their bloodline is noble enough, and they aren’t too powerful, so they would accept a son-in-law living with them,” Florella recalled while tidying her hair.

“Did Your Highness agree?” the two maids asked curiously.

“Of course not! One’s own happiness must be sought by oneself, right?”

“Moreover, their family hasn’t yet gone so far as to externalize their main heirs. Even in decline, they are still a prominent family on the First Continent, one of the powers influencing its affairs. I don’t want the Fragrant Wind Forest to get involved in the internal power shifts of the First Continent.”

“The Fragrant Wind Forest, the Emerald Rain Forest, and the Whitethorn Forest – our three elven branches will not easily get involved in the power shifts on the First Continent. It is the continent protected by the Corona Dragon, and currently the strongest among the Seven Continents.”

“Rashly getting involved would be too dangerous. If there’s civil unrest on the First Continent, multiple Hour Lords might intervene, directly breaking the Covenant of the Covenant Epoch.”

She tied her hair with a white ribbon, smoothed her dress, and stood up.

“Alright, I’m going back to class. Let’s chat again next time.” Florella picked up her book bag and headed for class.

“By the way, what was the name of that family again?”

“Mezans, the family favored by quill and flowers,” the two maids replied, their voices trailing as the elven girl walked away.