Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

Ding-dong—

Not long after returning to the hospital bed, the door opened again. He Cheng entered carrying several bags, followed by an elderly woman.

The elderly lady had neatly combed silvery hair and wore a clean, striped outfit.

“Thilan is awake. How are you feeling? Let Grandma take a look.”

She walked over, leaning on her cane, sat down beside Hestia, and carefully observed the young girl.

“The nurse said everything’s fine. Grandma, you don’t need to worry,” He Cheng said as he pulled a small table closer to Hestia’s bed and set her lunch in place.

“You silly child, you’re so careless. The nurse only said there were no serious physical injuries. For a young girl, even a small scar can be a lifelong concern. How can you take it so lightly?”

She scolded her grandson and then held Hestia’s hand.

“It’s fine now. You’re in the hospital, which is very safe. The medical expenses have partly been covered by the public safety agency, and we’ve paid the rest. Don’t worry about it,” she reassured Hestia, addressing her concerns.

“Don’t overthink it. Stay here as long as you need to recover. One of the children you saved is my great-granddaughter, so it’s only right for us to take care of you.”

The elderly woman held Hestia’s hand, speaking many comforting words. It was then that the young girl learned more about their identities and circumstances.

It turned out that the crying little girl by the tunnel that day was this woman’s great-granddaughter, the child of He Cheng’s elder sister. The elderly woman, widely respected in Hestia’s neighborhood, was one of the oldest residents and had previously been a teacher.

“Your sister and brother-in-law are both busy with work, so they might not have time to visit you. For now, I’ve arranged for He Cheng to take care of you. It’s always safer to have someone around, even though this is a hospital,” the woman explained the family’s situation.

Most of her children were now in their fifties or sixties and found traveling difficult. Among the grandchildren, He Cheng and his sister lived the closest, but their work left little time for childcare, which led to the incident that day.

“We’re truly grateful to you, Thilan. Without you stepping in, the outcome could have been unimaginable,” she said with deep emotion.

“It was reckless of me too. I didn’t thoroughly scout the area before taking the children inside,” Hestia said, embarrassed, shaking her head.

“Don’t think like that. Don’t take all the blame on yourself. Life is full of unexpected events, and no one could have predicted such a rare incident. You did far better than anyone could have expected,” the elderly woman comforted her further and urged her to eat.

“This is a light and nutritious fish-and-milk meal I just bought from Bamboo Fragrance Pavilion. It should suit your taste,” He Cheng said, setting the utensils and opening several containers of fresh fruits—strawberries, mulberries, and a box of nuts that Hestia liked.

“I had He Cheng buy those. You can snack on them after your meal,” the elderly woman explained.

“This…” Hestia felt a bit embarrassed.

“You’re such a sweet child. Don’t worry—just eat,” the elderly woman interrupted, understanding her thoughts from her expression.

“It didn’t cost much. Your life is what matters. These are just small things.”

“Thank you,” Hestia nodded and began eating her lunch.

The fish was fresh and boneless, and the soup was rich and flavorful, boosting her appetite. It was, after all, a T5-grade meal, superior in both taste and nutrition to the standard T6-grade meals.

After Hestia finished eating, the elderly woman continued chatting with her. During this time, the doctor came to check on her and left satisfied with her progress.

In the evening, He Cheng’s sister and brother-in-law visited. They were the parents of the girl Hestia saved and expressed their deep gratitude. Both worked at a company on the 47th floor of Arpeggio City and were usually very busy. Before leaving, they tried to transfer money to Hestia, but she refused.

“Please accept it. You’re living alone now and have no source of income. If you’re uncomfortable, perhaps you could tutor some of the neighborhood kids in the future. Consider it a teaching fee,” the elderly woman persuaded. Eventually, Hestia accepted the 8,000 federal credits collected by the parents of the rescued children for her treatment.

Over the following days, more visitors came to see Hestia—her teachers, neighbors, and the families of the children she saved. Three days later, feeling fully recovered and with the doctor’s approval, Hestia was discharged.

“The fact that such severe injuries could result in discharge within a week is a first for me to approve,” the doctor remarked before leaving, praising Hestia’s good fortune.

After leaving the hospital, Hestia was invited by Grandma He to stay at her house for a while.

“It’s too lonely for you to be home alone. Besides, you’re still in recovery, and your arm isn’t fully functional. It’s better if you stay with me. I’m still in good health, and my grandchildren often come by, so taking care of you won’t be too difficult.”

With that, Hestia went home to pack a few changes of clothes and temporarily moved into Grandma He’s house.

Grandma He’s house was spacious, with three floors. The second floor was the living room and activity space, which also served as the main entrance. The third floor housed the bedrooms and study, while the first floor contained the bathroom, shower, kitchen, and storage for household appliances.

“Hestia-sis~”

As soon as she entered, a familiar little girl ran up to her with open arms, hugging her waist.

“Hestia-sis is finally out of the hospital!” The girl had always remembered her big sister but was curious about why Hestia’s hair had changed color.

“Probably a side effect of practicing my transcendent sequence,” Hestia explained, giving a plausible reason. Certain transcendent sequences could indeed alter one’s physical appearance to some extent, especially dragon-related sequences.

“Wow, I see. But Hestia-sis, you’ve become so pretty I almost didn’t recognize you!” The child’s words were direct.

Hestia felt a little embarrassed by the compliment. She was used to being unnoticed among her peers and suddenly didn’t know how to respond to such open praise.

Admit it? That felt a bit arrogant. Deny it? That seemed insincere.

“Thank you. Lisa will grow up to be beautiful too,” Hestia said, crouching down to meet the girl’s eyes.

“Maybe, but I don’t think I’ll be as pretty as you, Sis,” Lisa replied hesitantly, twiddling her fingers.

“Alright, Lisa, come here. Let Hestia-sis rest for a while. If you could bring her a glass of water, that would be wonderful,” Grandma He said with a smile.

“Okay, I’ll get water!” Lisa nodded proudly before dashing to the back.

Grandma He led Hestia to the third floor, which had several rooms.

“This used to be Lisa’s mother’s room, but after she got married, she moved out. I cleaned it up the other day and put in a new mattress. See if it suits you,” Grandma He said, opening the door.

The room was simple but well-equipped, with a bed, wardrobe, desk, chair, and a fabric sofa by a large floor-to-ceiling window.

Through the window, one could see the artificial night sky outside, dotted with lights resembling a flowing galaxy. This view synchronized with ground-based observation stations to mimic the real night sky, alleviating the claustrophobic feeling of living underground.

“Most of the furniture is wooden. I’m not sure if you’re used to it, as young people these days seem to prefer minimalist egg-gold designs,” Grandma He said. Egg-gold, a new alloy with a texture reminiscent of eggshells, was widely used for its soft sheen in household items and decor.

“I’m used to it,” Hestia replied.

“My grandmother was also from the East. Many of the furniture pieces at home when I was a child were wooden,” Hestia reminisced.

“Oh, then we’ll have plenty to talk about in the future,” Grandma He chuckled.

“Take a good rest today and get a good night’s sleep.”

Afterward, Hestia unpacked her belongings, and Lisa brought her water. The two chatted for a while in Hestia’s room before Lisa reluctantly left.

In the bathroom, Hestia sat immersed in water, gently pouring it over her body and feeling the droplets slide down her arms and shoulders. The small room echoed with the sound of water.

Leaning against the edge of the bathtub, she gazed at the tiny ceiling above. Her body relaxed as she slowly processed her pent-up emotions.

“I survived,” she murmured.

The feeling was surreal. At one point, she thought she was slipping into death, on the verge of giving up.

But fate had given her another chance. This brush with death made her grateful, seeing beauty and charm in everything around her. Even chewing plain white rice brought out a faint sweetness she hadn’t noticed before.

“No matter what, you must live on and stay strong…”

The words from the past echoed in her ears.

“I’ll remember, Mom.”