The third item was a strand of Veela hair, imperceptible to the eye, hidden within the tail feathers of the Green Luan.
To weave one's hair into the tail feathers of a Green Luan—a bird symbolizing love—the meaning within was self-evident.
Perhaps Lisa Shafiq never knew of her lover's intentions, even until her death.
As for the identity of that mysterious lover, upon seeing this strand of precious Veela hair, Kate could make a rough guess.
A thousand years ago, when Lisa Shafiq was just a young woman, she inadvertently met and fell in love with a Veela.
However, as they were both of the same gender and different species, their romance could only be kept underground.
Later, the Veela lover crafted this dressing table, stuffed the parchment into the jewelry box, and presented it along with the thumb ring to Lisa, asking her to elope.
Kate didn't know whether Lisa ever discovered the letter asking her to run away, but she knew that at that time, Lisa's father and brother met with accidents and passed away one after another.
In an instant, the Shafiq family was left with only her as an adult wizard, along with the two children left behind by her brother.
Thus, Lisa became the second Head of the House, raising her nephew and niece single-handedly before passing away in her forties.
And her lover, likely assuming Lisa had broken their promise, departed. The two missed each other forever.
Only this dressing table, the thumb ring, and the jewelry box remained in the Shafiq family's collection room.
It could be said that if Lisa had chosen to follow love, the pure-blood Shafiq family might not exist today.
Fate is fickle; that is likely what this means.
[Congratulations Host on completing Family Side Quest 1]
[Reward: Charisma +15]
Kate frowned. With this, her Charisma was now second only to her Vitality and Mana, reaching a high of 40 points.
Of all the basic attributes, Charisma was the one she cared about the least.
What was the use of being good-looking?
Death wouldn't let you off the hook just because you were pretty!
Therefore, she had never intentionally increased her Charisma during her previous point allocations.
It was just that after returning home, she first obtained the title 'Lord of the Manor', then received 'Ancestral Spirit Protection', and now, with this completed Side Quest...
Sigh!
Wouldn't it be tastier to add those points to other attributes? What a waste!
Compared to being a good-looking 'flower vase', she would rather be an ugly wizard with nondescript features who could rely on strength to beat Voldemort to death.
She looked up at herself in the bronze mirror. Her skin seemed a bit fairer, her features a bit more defined, but there didn't seem to be any drastic changes.
That's good.
Kate secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Increases and decreases in Charisma were the easiest for outsiders to spot.
If her face became unrecognizable because of a Charisma boost, that would easily cause trouble.
winding the Veela hair and placing it into the jewelry box, Kate took two steps back and bowed solemnly to the dressing table before her.
"Ancestor, I am leaving them here. If your heroic spirit has awareness and returns one day, it would be good for you to see them."
She had only taken them to complete the quest. Now that the task was done, there was no need for her to forcibly keep her ancestor's beloved items.
She turned to look at Jingjing and asked with some uncertainty, "Jingjing, do I look very different compared to just now?"
"Little Master is as kind-hearted and benevolent as the Young Master!" Jingjing praised in a hushed voice.
Fine. I knew house-elves had no sense of aesthetics.
Kate was speechless for a moment before leaving the room with the elf.
Returning to the main building, Kate used an excuse to let Jingjing leave first. She went to the lounge alone, opening the System while eating some snacks.
"System, are there any more tasks following this?"
[Main Quest 3: Enroll in Hogwarts and complete the Sorting Ceremony.]
This one can only be completed in two months.
There were still a full fifty-plus days left. She couldn't just waste them away, could she?
Long periods of high-intensity study had made Kate panic the moment she became idle. After eating a few biscuits in the lounge, she felt restless sitting there.
"Jingjing!"
As soon as her voice fell, Jingjing appeared beside her, bowing respectfully. "What are your orders, Little Master?"
"I want to practice spells. I need a quiet room where I won't be disturbed."
She stated her requirements precisely. "Preferably a place where I can stay for a whole day."
After wandering around outside for a few months, her shut-in tendencies were acting up again.
"There is a dedicated training room in the West Wing. The sunlight there is very good. I can take the Little Master there and then prepare tea and snacks."
That sounds like a good place. Should be enough for me to practice spells for two months, right?
Thinking of her spell interface, which was unlocked in a ragged and uneven manner, Kate couldn't help but feel a wave of helplessness.
It had been a year. Not only had she failed to unlock advanced spells, but she hadn't even practiced a single one of the spells she had learned to a level of mastery. This efficiency was simply too low!
With a mindset of being particularly dissatisfied with herself, Kate simply used Apparition with Jingjing to go to the West Wing.
She stayed there for seven or eight days in a row, only coming out to eat, use the toilet, and shower. She even had Jingjing move a chaise lounge there to sleep on the spot.
Kate herself lived quite comfortably in this fulfilling, reclusive life.
However, Rand was the first to find it intolerable. On the ninth day she spent in the training room, he personally hauled her out of there.
"It is a good thing for the Little Master to practice diligently, but one must also pay attention to combining work and rest!"
"Jingjing, the training room needs cleaning this week. Seal that place off temporarily!"
Having been scolded, Kate raised her hand pitifully. "Then can I go to the library..."
"The Little Master should walk around the manor more. If you do not wish to be here, you can also go outside and find Miss Granger to play."
Rand, who rarely got angry, furrowed his brows and flatly rejected her proposal.
Kate's eyelid twitched. Only then did she realize that once she started living this fulfilling life, she had forgotten all about Hermione.
She had left in a hurry before, and Hermione still hadn't received a letter from her. Who knew how worried she might be?
Scratching her small face with a bit of embarrassment, Kate could only obediently follow the old butler's instructions, returning to her room to write a letter on the spot and having an owl send it off.
"Grandpa Rand..."
Realizing that her bad habit of losing track of day and night when focused had flared up again, Kate naturally felt guilty when facing the old butler.
"Don't be angry. I won't do it next time!" She lowered her head and apologized earnestly.
It was rare for Rand to lose his temper with her, and it was ultimately out of concern for her health.
The scene of Kate's magical riot back then was still vivid in his mind. As the butler of the Shafiq family, how could he not care about the health of the family's sole heir?
Seeing her bow her head to admit her mistake, his chest full of annoyance had nowhere to vent. He could only reach out and pat her shoulder.
"Going to Miss Granger's house to play... do you need me to prepare anything for you?"
Kate raised her head in surprise. Seeing Rand's face return to its kindly expression, she felt a sudden sting in her nose and shook her head.
"No need. I'm just going to play for two days. I'll be home very soon!"
"En. Then I shall wait here for the Little Master's return."
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