Chapter 47: The Third Wish

Chapter 47: The Third Wish

Jasmine felt a surge of excitement, but she was still a little uneasy.

“What… what kind of price do I need to pay?”

In her view, the fact that the earlier free attempt had required no price did not mean the wishes afterward would be the same.

Klein straightened the tall top hat on his head and said with a smile,

“The penny you pay is the price. The corresponding changes you must bear after your wish is fulfilled are also part of the price.”

Jasmine nodded, seeming to understand and yet not fully understanding. She hesitated no longer and reached into her pocket, trying to find a few copper pennies to complete her wish.

But her pocket was completely empty. Aside from a handkerchief, there was nothing inside.

Having stayed at home for far too long, she had not come into contact with money for quite some time.

Earlier, when she had come from home to the municipal square, she had walked the entire way and had not taken a trackless public carriage.

“I—can I go home first?” Jasmine asked, both annoyed with herself and embarrassed.

“Of course. That is your freedom. But I cannot guarantee the Fully Automatic Wish Machine will always be here waiting for you.” Klein smiled in the tone of a magician. “Sometimes, it is very willful.”

Jasmine gave two “Mm”s, thanked him, turned around, and trotted away in the direction opposite the municipal square.

The more she ran, the lighter her body felt. She had recovered the healthy state she had possessed before being burned, returning to the youthful young girl of seventeen or eighteen.

To her, this was a scene that appeared only in dreams.

Of course, as an ordinary person, after running for a while, she gradually felt tired and had no choice but to slow down and begin walking.

The cool night wind blew. High above, one brilliant star after another shone through the clouds. The trees by the street swayed gently, scattering shifting shadows across the ground. Everything was so quiet and beautiful that Jasmine felt both body and mind relax, and all her worries recede.

Since being injured, this was the first time she felt so peaceful. Without realizing it, the corners of her mouth had lifted slightly.

After walking for five or six minutes, she suddenly heard someone call her name.

“Eh, Jasmine?”

Jasmine turned and saw a familiar face. It was her former neighbor, Mrs. Hamill.

“Good evening, Mrs. Hamill. I haven’t seen you in so long. Are you going to the carnival?” Jasmine, no longer wearing a scarf, smiled from the bottom of her heart.

Mrs. Hamill was a woman with somewhat graying hair. She examined Jasmine carefully for a few moments and said,

“Since you moved away, I haven’t seen you at all. I heard you were injured in the earlier bombing?”

“Mm, but I’m already healed.” Jasmine nodded heavily.

She immediately asked,

“How is Julie now?”

Julie was Mrs. Hamill’s eldest daughter and Jasmine’s playmate from the past.

Mrs. Hamill’s expression instantly darkened.

“She was… she was violated by the Feysacians, and then she died…”

Jasmine froze for a moment. Amid her sorrow, she inevitably thought of her own experience.

A Feysac soldier had once forced his way into her home, intending to violate her. But after seeing her face, destroyed by fire, he had only kicked her and left.

“Poor Julie.” With pain and sincerity, Jasmine drew four clockwise points on her chest, outlining the stars.

After hearing what had happened to an old friend, she discovered that perhaps she could still be considered comparatively lucky.

After parting from Mrs. Hamill, Jasmine walked all the way back to the apartment building where her home was located.

When she arrived outside her door, she had recovered a great deal. Her mood was much better, and she began anticipating the expressions her parents would show when they saw she had returned to her original appearance.

They should no longer press their pain deep inside and pretend nothing had happened. They would definitely…