The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch

"Miss Avena, Miss Ciel! You startled me… When my father came and told me, I thought he was joking!"

Isabella quickly walked towards the two young ladies who were already seated in the reception room. The smile on her face was exceptionally radiant, just like the sun which was nearing noon.

However, there was still a slight confusion in her eyes.

Why? Why would Miss Avena come to see her at this time? She had heard about the gas explosion at the hotel where they were staying and had been worried for quite a while…

She did indeed want to use Avena's status and position to enter the more aristocratic, more mysterious circles, but this opportunity sought her out directly, leaving Isabella a little flustered.

"We happened to be walking around here. Ciel said she thought you might be here, so we tried asking,"

Avena's face showed the formulaic smile she used with outsiders. "I didn't expect you to actually be here."

"So it was Miss Ciel,"

Isabella felt a little relieved in her heart. It turned out they just came to see her in passing. This made Isabella less nervous than before. She looked at Ciel, who was smiling beside her, and said with a smile, "Long time no see, Miss Ciel~"

Isabella struck while the iron was hot, asking them to stay for lunch.

It was almost lunchtime now. Although the other party might not agree to stay for lunch, Isabella believed this was a good opportunity to get closer to them.

"Do you have anything urgent to do later?"

Ciel looked at Avena beside her and asked.

"No,"

Avena shook her head slightly and replied, "It's up to you."

"Then we would be honored."

Ciel looked at Isabella before her and said with a smile.

Tara and Nia stood behind the two, silently watching the two of them play a double act in front of Isabella. Isabella, a young girl who hadn't experienced much deceit, seemed to immediately believe Ciel and Avena's words and went to instruct the maids to prepare a grand meal.

It was definitely too late to cook now. Moreover, there was no kitchen in the art center. But they could have the highest-class restaurant nearby prepare the food, package it, and send it over. This wouldn't take long, and the food would also be delicious.

As for where to eat, the art center had no shortage of private rooms where afternoon tea could be had. They could just pick one to use as a dining room.

Isabella sat down on the sofa to the right of Avena and Ciel. On her way over, Isabella had already racked her brain, thinking about how she would start a conversation later to avoid awkward silence.

"Miss Isabella, have you studied painting?"

Just as Isabella sat down, Ciel directly asked.

"Of course, I know a little… Because of my father's work, I have encountered many artists and discussed paintings with them. I have had the honor of being a student of a few of them."

Isabella looked at Ciel and explained with a smile, "Of course, I haven't studied too much. Compared to painting, I am more drawn to classical music."

"Is Miss Ciel interested in painting?"

Isabella asked, throwing the topic back to Ciel.

"A little."

Ciel nodded, not hiding her intentions. Instead, she directly said, "However… the things I like to paint are somewhat inconsistent with current aesthetics."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Isabella's interest was piqued. She said, "Sometimes popular aesthetics are not necessarily good. Art is a very subjective thing. Any work of art has its value. What Miss Ciel considers inconsistent with modern aesthetics might also attract many followers with similar tastes."

Avena also added a few words of agreement, listing the names of several great painters who were not well-regarded during their lifetime but whose brilliance was discovered after their death. This elicited waves of agreement from Isabella.

With Avena joining the conversation, the tension and awkwardness in the reception room had disappeared. Now, it felt more like a few ordinary noble young ladies having a tea party with no specific topic.

"Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask, what kind of things do you like to paint, Miss Ciel?"

Isabella looked at Ciel and asked.

"You can just call me Ciel,"

Ciel smiled and nodded. She said, "I like to paint… death, and corpses."

Perhaps it was because she had been squinting for too long to prevent Nemesis from accidentally affecting others. Ciel's eyes opened slightly larger. Ciel, realizing this, quickly lowered her head, but it still made Isabella's heart tremble for a moment.

Just now, for a fleeting moment, when Ciel finished speaking, she felt as if she was being stared at by a venomous snake…

This terrifying feeling, along with the things Ciel said she liked to paint, made Isabella couldn't help but think of a name.

Pickman.

The strange, mysterious artist her father had invited… He always had a gloomy and mysterious aura about him. Coupled with his paintings, it was easy to associate them with certain mystical things.

However, he hadn't shown any mystical abilities. Up until now, he basically only painted at the Stuart Art Center. He had only given one painting to her father, Edward…

But that strange painting was so beloved by her father that he even hung it by his bedside. This made Isabella feel subtly uncomfortable.

Just now, Ciel gave her a similar sense of pressure as Pickman's paintings.

Isabella hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "I… have an artist here. He also likes to paint these kinds of things, just like you, Ciel…"

"Oh? What's his name?"

Ciel seemed very interested and asked.

"Pickman."

Isabella pursed her lips, then said, "He's in the art studio upstairs right now."

"Oh? What a coincidence?"

Ciel showed a faint smile and asked, "There's still some time before lunch. Why don't you take us to see that artist? I'd also like to discuss painting with him."

"Okay…"

Isabella's face showed hesitation. She knew that Miss Avena and her family must have connections to mysticism, but she wasn't sure if it was appropriate to bring Ciel. She looked at Ciel and reminded her:

"Mr. Pickman's personality is a little strange… And, it's best not to stare at his paintings for too long. It can easily cause… headaches."