For the entire afternoon following lunch, Kate remained in the library copying from rare books, not emerging until just before dinner.
"It is basically finished, but I want to add a few annotations, so I'll be busy for a while longer tonight."
Hearing her exhausted yet excited voice, the old butler gently reminded her, "Although Christmas is very important, I believe your birthday is a bit more important."
Kate was startled, only then remembering that she was born in late December, amidst swirling snow, on the very day after Christmas.
She had been so busy preparing gifts that she had actually forgotten about this.
"That's right, I'll be thirteen soon," the old butler smiled and gestured with his hand. "I remember when you were just born, you were only this big."
She heard such words from the old butler once every year; perhaps people simply liked to recall the past as they aged.
Quietly listening to the old butler recount those events regarding her birth—stories he had already told once every year—she suddenly thought of something and asked aloud, "Grandpa, I heard that my mother suffered a fright when she was pregnant?"
The old butler's voice paused, and he asked her hesitantly, "Where did you learn that?"
"It was Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing who said that my natural intolerance to cold might have been caused by my mother being frightened during pregnancy," Kate answered without any concealment.
And the truth was, this body of hers was indeed quite weak in certain aspects.
After all, having stayed at home for so long without much exercise, her body type was more slender than her peers, and she wasn't very good at sports.
Rarely, she saw the old butler fall silent for a long time regarding her question before he finally sighed, "Little Master, I think it would be better to wait until you are older to ask about these things."
Sure enough, there was an inside story.
Kate nodded in understanding; she did not wish to make things difficult for the old butler who had been her sole companion for so many years.
If he didn't say it, he must have his own reasons.
"Then let's make an agreement on a time! One year... no, two years from now. I'll be fifteen then; surely you can tell me this secret by then?" she asked probingly.
The old butler remained silent for a moment. "Alright, then wait until Miss is fifteen. I will tell you everything in detail."
There, that was the way.
She understood the old butler's desire to protect her, so she discussed everything with him; this was good for everyone.
"By the way," the old butler's expression cleared slightly, and his tone deliberately became brisk, "You are about to turn thirteen, so you can also learn to use some simple alchemical items."
?
The fork in her hand accidentally dropped onto the table as Kate looked at him in surprise. "Alchemy... can I learn alchemy?"
The old butler shook his head. "According to my knowledge, the third daughter of the seventh Head of the Shafiq family was an alchemist."
"However, it is a pity that she only left behind some items she crafted during her lifetime, and no relevant manuscripts."
Oh, so she couldn't learn it.
Kate felt a hint of disappointment in her heart, but she quickly recovered her composure.
She couldn't even finish learning magic right now; where would she find the time to learn alchemy?
Moreover, the pinnacle of modern alchemy was Nicolas Flamel, who used the Philosopher's Stone to achieve immortality.
Although that old gentleman lived forever, to some extent, he didn't live as happily as an ordinary person.
If she were to acquire immortality but could only live as carefully as a glass figurine, that would be too boring.
"Then which alchemical items can I use?" she asked excitedly.
Even if she couldn't learn it, her family had collected so many mysterious items; surely she could use a few of them!
The old butler stood up. "I will go and fetch them for the Little Master. Please be patient, Little Master."
Kate watched him disappear using Apparition. Only then did she suppress her impatience, ate a few more bites of dinner, and then, having no appetite, let the house-elf clear it away.
Not long after, the old butler returned carrying a wooden box, which he opened with his wand.
Inside lay a silver bracelet. The chain was shaped like two intertwining vines, with a gem as bright red as blood embedded in the center.
Kate didn't dare touch it casually. Her small head circled the box once. "This is... a bracelet made by an ancestor?"
As expected, the aesthetic sense of the girls in the Shafiq family was hereditarily excellent. Even after hundreds of years of precipitation, it was still captivating.
"According to records, the younger sister of the seventh Head had poor health just like the Little Master, so the family's alchemist crafted this bracelet."
The Head's sister, and the Head's daughter.
A bracelet made by a niece for her aunt.
Kate instantly figured out the relationship between the two. "Then its function is..."
"To regulate body temperature. At the very least, it won't let the Little Master be so intolerant to cold anymore. Previously, because the Little Master was too young, I never brought it out."
What a fresh and refined effect. It was completely different from those world-destroying alchemical items in the novels she remembered.
However, just such a simple item was enough to allow Kate to be like a normal person in winter.
"Good, I like this bracelet very much!" She nodded with joy, and only after receiving the old butler's permission did she carefully put it on.
[Equipped Alchemical Item "Lover's Chain"]
[Lover's Chain: Crafted by Ariel Shafiq for her lover, carrying the alchemist's intense love.]
[When equipping this item, Host's Luck +5]
[Triggered Family Side Quest 2: Find other alchemical items that form a set with the Lover's Chain 0/5]
The joy of receiving a new toy was instantly complicated by the System's voice.
The smile on Kate's face gradually stiffened, and she looked at the bracelet on her wrist with a somewhat strange expression.
"What is it? Does it not fit well?" The old butler asked with concern, seeing the anomaly in her expression.
She hurriedly shook her head. "No! It's just that I suddenly felt the surroundings become warm; I just thought it was wonderful!"
Could it not be wonderful?
She had accidentally discovered the romantic gossip of her own ancestors again. Kate didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
If she hadn't heard wrong just now, this bracelet was clearly crafted by a biological niece for her biological aunt, right?
Biological! Blood-related!
How did they turn into lovers!
For the first time, she began to suspect the accuracy of the System.
"Cough! Grandpa, then I'll continue to the library to help prepare Hermione's gift."
She gave a light cough, called out Jingjing, placed a hand on the elf's shoulder, and Apparated to the library.
Kate took a deep breath and quickly pushed the door open to enter, asking in a whisper as she walked, "This Family Mission doesn't need to be completed immediately, right?"
[Family Mission is valid long-term.]
That was good.
The fact that the old butler didn't take her with him even when retrieving the Lover's Chain showed that the alchemical items deep in the collection room were still dangerous to her.
Even if she actively begged for the things inside, for the sake of her safety, the old butler would mostly likely not grant permission.
In that case, it would be even more dangerous for her to go in alone to look.
Although she looked forward to completing the new Family Mission and listening to the ancestors' gossip along the way.
But there was plenty of time in the future. As she grew older, there would be plenty of opportunities to enter; there was no need to take risks right now.
As for the alchemical items left by that Ancestor Ariel, let them sleep for the time being.
Just like that, Kate continued preparing gifts for her friends.
She bought a new Nimbus 2000 for Harry, considering it compensation for destroying his broom when she clashed with Quirrell in magical power.
For Ron, it was a brand-new set of Wizard Chess. It was said to be meticulously crafted by some artisan with a high price tag. Kate didn't know exactly how precious it was; she just bought it and sent it, and that was that.
As for Cho Chang, she originally wanted to send a broomstick, but it clashed with Harry's gift, so she changed it to a set of broomstick care products and a handwritten letter inviting her to visit the house during the summer vacation.
Aside from these, she also sent gifts suitable for each professor based on their subjects.
Except for Dumbledore. Heh, he only deserved a large bag of candy!
The above gifts were all things that could be bought with money. aside from the thought she put into choosing them, they weren't anything special.
Only Hermione's gift was a commentary on spells that she had hand-copied for a whole day, waiting to give it to her in person on Christmas day.
Kate thought that during the two days she lay in the hospital, Hermione must have been anxious and uncomfortable, yet still had to stay in class and help her take notes.
Although she couldn't experience Hermione's psychological feelings, the soreness in her hand after a day of copying could help her feel the pain of Hermione copying notes.
On the day of Christmas Eve, she stayed in her room for most of the day. By the time she had wrapped all the gifts and sent them out, it was already approaching evening.
Kate yawned and prepared to go out for dinner. However, as soon as she opened the door, she saw a familiar brown-haired little kitten squatting at the doorway.
Hmm? It didn't seem to be a hallucination!
She quickly pulled the person up. "Hermione, how come you're here today?"
If her brain wasn't dizzy from being busy, the agreed meeting time seemed to be the night of Christmas, right?
"My mom and dad booked tickets to travel to Hawaii, so they asked Grandpa Jones to send me over!"
Hermione grinned. Just as she wanted to take a step, her body uncontrollably fell into Kate's arms.
Kate was startled and hurriedly held her up. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing... it's just that just now, my legs seem to have gone numb from squatting." Hermione buried her head in Kate's embrace, explaining with an awkward voice.
Was this really the little witch with the best grades in the entire year?
Why did she look not quite bright?
Kate felt a wave of helplessness. Only then did she let go of her, gently pinching her cheek. "How long were you squatting? Why didn't you knock?"
"Heh, only ten minutes. Because Grandpa Jones said you were preparing gifts..."
As she spoke, her gaze kept peering into the bedroom. "Is there a gift for me? Can I see it now?"
So she was waiting here for this.
Kate frowned, pretending to be angry. "Didn't I give you a Chocolate Frog on the train? That was the gift!"
"How can that count!" Hermione puffed up her small face in dissatisfaction upon hearing this. "I prepared for you—"
Realizing she was about to spill the beans, she hurriedly covered her mouth.
"Oh? What gift did you prepare for me?" Kate raised an eyebrow, deliberately leaning in to ask. "Do you not plan to give it to me?"
Hermione instantly sprang away from her side. "No! A gift only has meaning if it's opened on Christmas!"
After saying that, she made a funny face at Kate and ran briskly all the way into the dining room.
____
________________________________________
🌸 Help Love Bloom!
Our girls need a little push... and you can help!
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉