The woman before her was about thirty-something years old, with orange-red short hair and glass-like blue-green eyes. She was tall, wearing a drab gray men's jacket and trousers.

Even so, this couldn't hide her curvaceous and voluptuous figure. Her entire being radiated a mature, languid, and decadent aura from within.

Florence Turner.

Celitia's childhood playmate, a talented but wayward alchemist. If she had put even a little effort into the right path, she wouldn't have fallen to her current state.

Smelling the mixed scent of tobacco and alcohol on Florence, Celitia's gaze showed a trace of disgust as she quickly withdrew her hand as if she'd touched something dirty.

Florence stretched her arm and rubbed her still-aching chest, complaining:

"Little girl, why didn't you hold back? What if you'd killed me?"

"I already held back plenty," Celitia suppressed the urge to roll her eyes with all her might, "and besides, who told you to follow me."

The current Celitia truly had little strength. If it were in the past, she would have already knocked Florence unconscious and locked her in a cell for interrogation.

"Speak up," Celitia's tone became stern, "why were you following me?"

Times had changed. Even if Celitia could still recognize old friends from the past, they wouldn't recognize her in return.

And she wouldn't tell Florence her secrets.

So there was no need for reminiscing.

Florence casually pulled out a pipe from her body, a small flame dancing from her fingertip to light the tobacco inside.

Taking a puff from the pipe and exhaling swirling smoke rings, Florence finally said slowly:

"Someone used authentication magic to crack my little trinket, causing me to be chased by debt collectors every day. I was quite angry and wanted to find a chance for revenge, so I asked around and have been staking out the area for days. It's been almost ten days, and persistence pays off—I finally caught you. When they told me about it I didn't believe it, but now I see it really is a beautiful little girl."

As Florence spoke, she blew a smoke ring lightly toward Celitia's face and reached out her hand, wanting to hook her chin.

"Although I didn't have good intentions at first, big sister here loves pretty and cute girls the most, so I won't hold it against you for causing me to be chased by debt collectors."

Celitia was extremely disgusted and slapped Florence's hand away with a "smack," simultaneously waving away all the smoke rings blown toward her back at Florence's face.

"Oh, roses are certainly charming, but some have thorns." Florence shrugged. "No matter, big sister doesn't mind."

"What big sister?"

Celitia gave her a look and spoke in a measured tone with words capable of breaking any woman's defenses: "By age, I should be calling you auntie, shouldn't I?"

"A-auntie?!" Florence turned to stone on the spot.

The sudden sharp-tongued attack left Florence stunned for quite a while. Celitia couldn't be bothered with her, picked up the materials bag she'd dropped earlier, and slowly walked toward the alley exit.

"Wait for me!" Florence quickly caught up. "Little girl, I can't pretend I didn't hear what you just said!"

Celitia didn't turn around or quicken her pace, only asked with a smile: "Since you can't pretend you didn't hear it, does that mean you're admitting you're an auntie?"

"I don't mean that at all!"

Florence said indignantly, raising her hand to slap Celitia's forehead. "Big sister here is young and beautiful—what part of me is like an auntie?"

Celitia instinctively tilted her head but couldn't completely dodge, letting the slap slide past her hair.

Her fingers passed through the girl's soft hair, and suddenly Florence felt inexplicably dazed.

This feeling was somewhat familiar, reminding her of those times playing together many, many years ago.

Speaking of which, the girl's sharp tongue was also like that person's back then, though he had restrained himself much more after becoming an adult.

"You remind me... of an old friend."

She shouldn't be telling the girl these things, but Florence found herself speaking as if possessed.

Celitia's expression became more serious, her eyelids lowering slightly, her tone extremely light: "Is that so."

"Mm... Unfortunately, I'll never see him again."

The melancholic expression only lasted an instant before Florence withdrew it, putting on a carefree smile again.

"Let's not talk about that. You should tell me your name."

According to Celitia's usual style, she might have given her a look and asked back "why should I tell you?"

But at this moment, she only answered extraordinarily gently in a soft voice: "Celitia Herbert."

"Good, I'm Florence Turner."

Florence reached out to put her arm around Celitia's shoulders, acting quite familiar. "Having exchanged names, we're on the same side from now on."

"Who's on the same side as you?" The soft mood instantly vanished as the pungent smell of tobacco and alcohol made Celitia frown deeply. "Take your hand away, stay away from me, you stink."

"Don't say that. This is the scent of maturity. You're still a child—you'll understand when you grow up."

"I wouldn't understand even if I lived to eighty." Celitia complained.

"What you're saying sounds exactly like that annoying guy."

Florence spoke earnestly: "Good child, you need to grow up when it's time to grow up, experience what needs to be experienced. Don't be like that guy—still a virgin at thirty!"

Celitia: "..."

What to do? Her hands were so itchy, she really wanted to kill this annoying woman and let her know that disasters could come from the mouth too.

Despite her words, Florence did let go of her hand, crossing her arms casually as she continued:

"I just saw you buy a lot of things from the materials shop. Those are all common materials for alchemy. What, are you interested in alchemy too?"

Celitia was still annoyed by Florence's earlier words and didn't want to respond: "None of your business."

"Of course it's my business," Florence patted her chest. "Standing before you is one of this century's greatest genius alchemists, Lady Florence. I can teach you whatever you want to learn."

Celitia muttered: "Self-aggrandizing."

"You can call it self-aggrandizing now," Florence deliberately puffed out her chest, "but I'll show you just how much I have to offer..."

Celitia's eye-roll nearly reached the sky.

Could this woman tone down the trash in her head a little?! So embarrassing!!

"I know you possess exquisite authentication skills, which is exactly what I need."

Florence's voice finally became somewhat serious again. "Although authentication and alchemy are two completely different branches, they complement each other. You should understand this well."

"How about it? Want to cooperate with me? Big sister won't shortchange you!"