Delay Betrayed Me!
Good morning, Lucien.
As Lucien stepped into a garden composed of crystalline ice sculptures and cold-resistant magical plants, he heard a crisp greeting.
Looking up, she saw Phoebe walking towards her, enveloped in a soft silver light that slowly diffused in the cool air.
"Good morning, Phoebe," Lucien replied with a smile.
Phoebe had caught a glimpse of Lucien talking to a book from afar, and now that she was closer, she couldn't help but ask curiously:
"Were you just having a... um, voice chat?" She pointed to the Instant Whisper in Lucien's hand.
"It's a video call," Lucien explained, naturally turning to include Phoebe in the frame. "Perfect timing, Auntie. Let me introduce you. This is a friend I met in Beauxbatons, Phoebe Delacour. Phoebe, and this is my aunt, Penelope Grafton."
In the picture, Aunt Penelope's face is clearly visible, and she exudes a dignified air.
Phoebe immediately smiled politely at the image on the page and greeted, "Hello, Mrs. Grafton."
However, several seconds passed, and there was no response from the other end of the page. Aunt Penelope's expression remained unchanged, as if frozen in time.
Lucien was about to explain that this was caused by delays in cross-border communication --
"Little Lucien," Aunt Penelope's voice suddenly came from between the pages of the book, her words slow and steady, carrying the concerned yet nagging tone of an elder, "Summer vacation is in a few months. How about we arrange for you to meet the second daughter of the Swinton family? I know you're not in a rush to think about dating and marriage right now, but young people always benefit from making more outstanding friends their own age. Besides, you're our only child, and I was just thinking..."
This string of standard "marriage-urging" quotes echoed clearly in the quiet ice sculpture garden, freezing the air for a second.
Lucien unconsciously rubbed his fingers against the cover and turned his head slightly to the side.
The problem of audio-visual asynchrony and severe latency definitely needs to be addressed as a priority...
As for the aunt, she clearly hadn't "seen" Phoebe's appearance or greetings yet.
The delay ruined my life!
Should we design an alchemical device similar to headphones, or add some magical effects to the Instant Whisper feature...?
"Ahem," Lucien coughed lightly, scratched his cheek with his index finger, took the film camera hanging around his neck, and handed it to Phoebe as if it were a natural thing to do. "Phoebe, could you please take a few pictures for me? Hmm, the ice sculptures here are quite unique."
Phoebe blinked, pretending not to have heard the previous "family matter," and quickly took the camera.
"Sure."
She skillfully adjusted the camera settings, saying as she did so:
"When I first came to Beauxbatons, I also liked to take pictures everywhere and send them to my Mother and my sister Gabrielle. Gabrielle is very cute and also longs for Beauxbatons, but she is too young and will have to wait a few more years before she can start school."
"It's very cozy." Lucien stood next to an ice-sculpted rose and agreed, "Beauxbatons is beautiful; it's all worth documenting."
During a break from taking photos, Phoebe remembered Madame Maxime's instructions, hesitated for a moment, parted her red lips slightly, and then gently pursed them.
Raise your camera, point it at the boy and the ice sculpture, and ask casually:
"Lucien, what do you think of... Beauxbatons?"
"The environment is beautiful, the academic atmosphere is strong, the students are very well-mannered, and the professors' courses are all unique," Lucien commented objectively.
Phoebe gently stroked the camera's slightly cool metal casing with her fingers. The question that had been lingering on her tongue finally came out, her voice a little softer than before:
"Well... would you like to stay in Beauxbatons a little longer? Madame Maxime is sure to be easy to talk to, and..."
She paused, but the words "and this Hogwarts is much safer than Hogwarts" lingered in her throat before she swallowed them back down.
Lucien responded with an understanding yet apologetic smile, his tone gentle but firm:
"Thank you for your kind offer, Phoebe. However, I still prefer life at Hogwarts."
I mainly need to rush back to handle the Valentine's Day arrangements. I just took on the loan task for "Fire Element Magic Runes" and started the pre-event activities related to Hogwarts, whether it's the questionnaire survey on campus or the new products that need to be launched simultaneously by "Seventh Workshop".
Ultimately, it's more appropriate to start the project back in the familiar environment of Hogwarts.