Chapter 62

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Senna was shocked when Lys pulled out a shrunken lunchbox containing two sandwiches.

"I apologize, Miss Lamb. I left in such a hurry this morning that I couldn't prepare a proper lunch, but I assure you it tastes good."

By the time Lys finished speaking, Senna had recovered from her shock.

She was so much like her husband - Noah had been just as timidly smooth and attentive before his collapse. Without having to do anything, one would receive the best care.

"Miss Lamb?" Seeing no response from the masked figure staring at her, Lys prompted again.

She adjusted the angle of the lunchbox to make it easier for her mother to take.

So similar to Noah...

Chewing on the sandwich, Senna's mind wandered. After finishing, she instructed Lys to stay put while she visited the Owl Post Office to mail some items.

Upon returning, seeing no point in wasting more time at the stall, Senna packed everything up. Instead of apparating directly back to the shop with Lys, she led her into the nearby clothing store.

"Find her some clothes, one size larger - she's growing too fast and I don't have time to shop frequently," Senna said upon entering.

The shop owner, a lady with arched eyebrows and a critical expression, had been displeased about their stall outside her store.

However, considering it had brought some new customers, she asked, "What style do you prefer? This year's silk dresses are very fashionable."

Unable to discern anything but height from the thoroughly covered figure in black robes, she could only inquire about preferences.

"Go try something on, little wild one," Senna said disapprovingly as Lys emerged, still keeping her head thoroughly covered despite removing her black robe.

Having finally gotten proper meals at school these past two years, Lys had grown considerably.

Looking at her tall, broad-shouldered figure striding confidently in Noah's shirt, she appeared like a boy who had borrowed women's clothes.

"Trousers, get her trousers. Merlin's beard, these dresses look awful on her."

In the end, Lys received two loose-fitting black shirts and two pairs of plain black trousers, much to the shop owner's dismay.

"Madam, even if she doesn't wear dresses, as a young lady she surely needs some undergarments, doesn't she?"

Finally, Senna bought her several plain, unremarkable undergarments, which left Lys curious.

Back at the shop, watching Lys examine the underwear, Senna wondered what would be wrong with raising her as a boy? With those broad shoulders, long legs, and those grey eyes...

"Little wild one, have your eyes gotten lighter?" Used to her mother's nickname for her, Lys responded uncertainly, "I don't know."

Shrugging, "Go make dinner, I'm hungry."

"Yes, mother."

Lys stored the clothes in the wardrobe and trunk before heading to the kitchen.

That night, Senna drank heavily, consuming most of a large bottle of whiskey herself.

She stared at those grey eyes, identical to her husband's. "Oh, Noah! My Noah, yes my potion, I'll make you stand again... Noah."

Senna wiped her eyes with Lys's robe. "You love me, don't you?" When no expected response came, Senna's sobbing shook dust from the chandelier above.

After settling her mother whose eyes were swollen like walnuts, Lys cast a quick "Scourgify" at the chandelier, accidentally causing a candle to explode and turning the fixture silver.

Beneath her calm exterior, Lys was deeply troubled.

Mother had always wanted Father to recover his health. She saw her husband through Lys. She asked about love? What was love? Why did Mother look at her that way?

When her magic became unstable, her left arm always throbbed with pain.

Clutching her left arm, Lys calmed herself and cleaned up the dinner table leftovers.

Rather than lying beside her mother in the bedroom, she transfigured a small bed and fell asleep holding Venom.

The next morning, Senna showed no signs of discomfort when opening the shop, as Lys had given her Invigoration Draught and some stored Glory Potion, ensuring she'd be energetic enough to purchase new potion research materials.

Before leaving, Senna suddenly turned to Lys, who was struggling with cursive writing. "You, come with me. You can choose something too."

Once again shrouded in black robes, Lys changed her mask back to its metallic color and accompanied her mother to the bandaged man's potion supply shop.

After delivering previously ordered potions, Senna browsed the shop. With plenty of Galleons this time, she could experiment with some unusual combinations, so...

"Miss Lamb, may I buy this?" Lys patted the pocket containing Venom. "I really want it."

Lost in thought, Senna nodded absently, continuing to calculate what materials she needed to restock.

Lys carried a strange creature's corpse with wings and partial scales, while Venom poked his head out of the bag to marvel at the fascinating potion ingredients, many of which they'd never seen in books.

Back home, Lys cast several cleaning spells on the creature, even inside its mouth, before feeding it to Venom.

The meal left Venom's already wide body bulging in the middle - he wouldn't need feeding for at least half a month.

Later that day, after driving away a troublesome wizard, Lys received a scolding from Senna. "I've told you, never let anyone's wand have a chance to point at you!"

"The Avada curse is shorter than you can imagine! You'll never know if someone is truly that ruthless until you've lost your ability to resist, you fool!"

Sitting before Lys, who stood with head bowed in silence, Senna gradually calmed down. Noah's attack had left too deep an impression.

This little wild child would only be in third year next year - perhaps her demands were too harsh... How could they be too harsh! Given the current situation! What's wrong with being strict!?

Afterwards, besides practicing writing, processing materials, managing daily life, selling goods, and reading books, Lys gained another task - enduring provocations.

"I never learned dueling, and only started raising my wand against others in the past decade. But the peculiarities of magic and the horrors of human nature are beyond my shallow experience to explain." Senna took Lys to a dark, foul-smelling bookshop.

The books inside were grotesque and eerie.

The dragon-hide gloved proprietor recommended several books, all of which Senna rejected.

"Don't try any tricks. I've been running my shop here for a long time too."

"Such a shame... human skin... magical power..."

The elderly wizard with an enormous nose and rotting teeth shuffled back to the counter, curling his lip disdainfully at Senna's selections.

"Those books are meaningless. The most interesting one is right here. Look, my precious~ This is the book you need for educating children."

Senna hesitated but bought that book too. They left the shop accompanied by the wizard's cackling laughter.

Back home, Lys opened the book to find it was an experiment log.

She soon found herself flushed and drinking water - it was about magical stabilizers, describing bizarre and bloody experiments involving souls and bodies, with clear photographs of mutilated people struggling in agony just pages earlier.

"I'm not showing you these to teach you what's in here, but to let you know what can happen to you in the wizarding world if you lose your ability to resist. The experimental subjects here weren't even in the worst situations."

"Lys! Every fight could be your last! Never let yourself be at the wrong end of a wand!"