The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 142

“Is Avena inside? Could you call her for me?”

A slender middle-aged man in a double-breasted gray coat stood at the door of Avena’s room. Looking at the armored knight standing by the door, he raised his hand and adjusted his hat. He said, “I won’t be attending the banquet. I’ll leave after I’ve said what I need to.”

“I apologize, Your Excellency, please wait a moment. The Young Mistress is currently entertaining a friend.”

Nia, standing by the door like a statue, blocked the man’s path. After answering, she stood still, seemingly unconcerned about the man’s status.

Hearing this, the man reached into the inner pocket of his coat and took out an exquisite pocket watch. He opened it, glanced at the time, then paced back and forth in front of Nia with a little anxiety, and sighed.

He seemed to be in a hurry.

“Which friend? Perhaps I know them.”

The man continued to ask.

In the man’s impression, Avena’s friends could be counted on two fingers, and her social circle was also very small. Perhaps he did know them.

“I apologize, you probably do not know them.”

Nia shook her head and said, “It might take… 30 minutes?”

“Phew…”

The man let out a long breath, regretting only that he hadn’t said what he needed to earlier… But Avena’s excuse to attend to guests was actually just her way of keeping him waiting.

Soon, reaching into his coat pocket, he took out a shorthand notebook, his dip pen, and portable ink. After dipping the pen in ink, he wrote a brief message on the paper.

Rip—

He tore off the slip of paper, folded it, and handed it to Nia. He knew that Nia was absolutely trustworthy.

“Please give this to Avena, and also tell her that she can return anytime if she wishes. Sister… her mother will absolutely no longer ask her to do anything she is unwilling to do.”

“I will give the slip of paper to Lady Avena.”

Nia took the slip of paper. She said nothing further, not even confirming whether she would convey the latter part of the man’s message.

“Sigh…”

The man sighed again. This feeling of being caught in the middle was very uncomfortable for him. It seemed to deepen the wrinkles on his face.

“Thank you. I will take my leave now. I was just passing by and wanted to give you some information. My train is waiting.”

The man adjusted his gray bowler hat, turned, and walked towards the stairs.

He wasn’t leaving that quickly. His arrival had to be known to more people, to let others know that Avena still had support behind her. They shouldn’t harbor ill intentions towards her.

The man did not take the back exit. Instead, he went down the stairs from the third floor directly to the first floor.

“Cough, cough…”

When he reached the second floor, he coughed slightly and cleared his throat. The feeling of weariness slowly faded. The sharp eyes on his hooked nose narrowed slightly, emanating an imposing aura.

Arriving at the main hall, scattered nobles and wealthy merchants were already gathered in twos and threes, smoking cigars and chatting. More people were still in the garden outside—tables and desserts had been set up there, and jazz musicians were performing diligently, a scene of peace and friendliness.

“Hey… look, isn’t that…”

A noble holding a champagne glass and a cigar, upon seeing the tall, thin man walking directly towards the exit, lightly pointed in his direction and said to the person in front of him.

“Who?”

When the stout man holding a cigar looked up, he only saw a back view. But the noble who had been standing opposite him moments ago had already quickly followed the tall, thin man. He no longer cared who the back view belonged to and also quickly followed.

Many nobles chatting in the main hall noticed the commotion here and also followed out of curiosity. By the time the tall, thin man reached the exit, seven or eight people were already following behind him.

This sight caught the attention of many noblewomen and wealthy merchants who were still chatting and socializing in the garden. The joyful exclamation of one noblewoman completely drew everyone’s attention.

“Minister of the Interior, William?!”

This image was familiar to the noblewomen. Although they lived in a small town, they never missed an issue of the famous Ansu Morning Post, Canal News, and Anchester Guardian newspapers. The contents of these newspapers were their daily conversation topics.

Among these, William, who often appeared on the front page, naturally became the object of everyone’s attention. Even those who didn’t know him had seen his engravings and hand-drawn photographs published in the newspapers.

“Minister, do you still remember me? During the immigration management issue before, my mine helped receive some…”

“Your Excellency William, allow me to introduce myself, I am…”

“I heard you are being transferred to serve as Minister of the Navy? Under your leadership, our Royal Fleet will definitely become an invincible fleet defending our overseas interests…”

William was surrounded by the crowd, smiling and greeting others. He took off his gloves and shook hands with a few nobles he had met before.

At a cake table some distance away, Amy held a piece of cake in her hand. After spearing a piece with her fork and taking a bite, she asked with a little curiosity, “Father, who is that? Why are so many people gathered around him…”

“That is the Minister of the Interior, William Winston. He is from the Winston family. His sister, Margaret Winston, is Avena’s mother. Their family was originally a declining noble family. William rose through the ranks to become a government minister in Bliss through his personal abilities.”

Baron Hastings recalled for a moment and continued, “After his sister married into the Roswell family, William, with his personal abilities and the help of the Roswell family, rose all the way to become the Minister of the Interior. His connections and abilities are exceptionally outstanding.”

“That impressive?”

Amy’s mouth slightly opened. She seemed a little surprised by the man’s resume, but after only a moment of exclamation, she quickly dismissed the matter from her mind. Her eyes began searching everywhere.

Why haven’t Avena and Ciel come out yet? Where did they go?