Shade has known from a long time ago that noble banquets usually cannot fully fill the stomach, so people will eat something in advance when attending the banquet. But this Thursday, because he was bidding farewell to Emilia and the others, Shade did not have enough time after returning home.
, so before setting off, he just ate a few pieces of bread stored at home.
When Shade hurriedly entered the city from the St. George Stone Bridge in the north of the city and arrived at Belindle Manor without stopping, the witch and her party were already ready to set off and were waiting for Shade to appear.
Tonight is nominally a celebration party for Earl Hawthorne's little granddaughter's full moon. In fact, it is a long-awaited gathering of the seven major families to discuss how to deal with the "dragon". Therefore, the witch with the fat-red birthmark on her eyebrows is also dressed quite formally.
Shade has been operating in Moon Bay for more than half a month, but this time he saw the great witch of fate wearing the most formal dress.
It was an extremely beautiful golden dress with a multi-layered hem, white lace gloves on her arms, and her long golden hair was braided into dozens of gorgeous tangled braids by the maids. She was very beautiful in her own right.
Tall, after putting on high heels tonight, Shade even felt like he had become the shorter one standing in front of her.
"No, Mr. Watson, the lady specially chose high heels of the right height. She is still shorter than you."
Miss Matilda, the head maid, said from the side, as if she knew what Shade was thinking. Miss Belindel glanced at her maid angrily, and then explained to Shade:
"I invite you to be my best friend at the ball. Naturally, I won't foolishly make my best friend look shorter. Fortunately, your height is suitable. I don't want to wear flat shoes at the banquet."
As she spoke, she took a step closer to Shade. Her ears were decorated with diamond earrings, and gold ornaments inlaid with rubies hung around her neck. Even her forehead was decorated with a drop-shaped amethyst forehead ornament. Her face was full of smiles.
, as if teasing Shade on purpose, almost making the two faces touch each other before stopping:
"look."
Shade could almost see his own clear reflection in those golden eyes.
"This height is just right. When I wear these high heels, I'm still shorter than you."
Even after comparing their heights, she did not retreat, and still looked at Xia De with a smile. The three maids in the room, including Miss Matilda, also smiled at this scene, and the witch looked at Xia De with satisfaction.
De's face turned red little by little:
"Why are you blushing? Am I not beautiful?"
she asked.
"Of course it's beautiful."
The joy deep in those golden eyes could not be hidden at all, and Shade was holding his breath to prevent excessive inhalation of the scent of her perfume from causing his heartbeat to accelerate faster. The "Witch's Smell" perfume was in
Different witches can display different smells in their hands. For Bella Belindel, what Shade smelled was the cold winter snow, rose tea with ice cubes and a cool floral fragrance that Shade couldn't name.
It's just that different from the "cold" feature highlighted in the perfume, the blond countess in front of Shade at this moment is quite enthusiastic. Seeing Shade standing there with a blushing face and saying nothing, her eyes lit up slightly, and then she mustered up the courage to take the initiative again.
He moved forward, tilted his head slightly, and lightly pressed his lipsticked lips on the corners of Sha De's lips.
Seeing Shade covering her mouth instinctively and retreating, she smiled and narrowed her eyes again:
"There are crumbs in the corner of your mouth. I wiped them off for you. Didn't you have dinner before coming here?"
She spoke in a normal tone, as if she had just wiped the corners of Shade's mouth with her hands. When Shade wanted to explain that he had something to do in the evening and had not eaten in advance, she unexpectedly moved forward again and spoke in almost the same way as before.
With the angle and strength, he pressed his soft lips against the corner of Shade's lips again.
"Do you know what you are doing this time?"
The great witch of fate asked with a smile.
Shade was even a little afraid of her:
"Hmm, help me wipe off the lipstick mark just now?"
For some reason, the maids all covered their mouths and laughed, and the smile on the countess's face became brighter and brighter:
"What an interesting man. Look, you have new lipstick on your face. Do you want me to wipe it off for you again?"
She seemed to enjoy teasing Shade like this, but this time it was her who was unexpected, because Shade just thought about it and nodded lightly:
"Then I'll trouble you."
"Oh, you rude man!"
The blonde countess scolded softly, and then immediately turned around and left the room, not wanting Shade to see the blush on her face. Shade smiled and glanced at Miss Matilda aside, and the maid with a smile on her face asked
Shade handed over his handkerchief and said softly:
"Miss is shy."
"Matilda!"
The countess's voice came from the corridor, and of course she heard everything.
The banquet was held at the Hawthorne family's manor in the city, which was of course also in the core of Moon Bay City. Although Shade had twice attacked Freeman Hawthorne, Earl Hawthorne's grandson,
He was sure that he was well disguised, so he was not afraid of being recognized at all.
Even because of the dragon egg fossils from the New World found on the smuggling ship, he and Miss Belindle both suspected that the Black family and the Hawthorne family were actually cooperating with the [Dragon Eater Order].
The seven major families in Yuewan City gathered together, and this banquet was enough to be regarded as the highest-level banquet in the city. In addition to members of the seven major families, the banquet was attended by envoys from various countries stationed in Yuewan City and important figures such as the Marquis of Ankara.
Nobles are also on the list.
Of course, Count Bella Belindel was still the most important guest at this banquet. When the motorcade stopped along the street under the illumination of gas lights and stopped at the entrance of the bustling manor, the long-awaited old butler immediately brought people forward to greet him.
.
According to previous practice, the first person to come out of the carriage should be the head maid, Miss Matilda, but this time it was a man in formal clothes who jumped out of the carriage neatly.
Shade smiled and nodded at the surprised old housekeeper, then turned around and stretched out his hand, took the hand offered by the Countess, helped her and stepped out of the carriage.
She didn't say a word, she didn't even take a step, but her appearance itself seemed to suck the light from all the ladies present. The sound at the door of the manor seemed to be suspended for two seconds, and then people started to move towards it.
The countesses, who were becoming more and more dazzling, expressed their greetings.
Miss Belindel also responded to the acquaintance, and then naturally took Shade's arm:
"This feels really interesting. I used to come to banquets without bringing anyone with me."
"Didn't the maid pretend to be a man?"
Shade asked softly, and the two of them were led by a team of maids through the manor courtyard to the building where the banquet was held. The Hawthorne family's manor is smaller than the Belindel family's, but it can be seen that the owner of the manor likes gardening very much.
Compared with Belindle Manor, which has a wide view and is only decorated with shrubs, trees, flowers and grass, the artistic trees in the courtyard of Hawthorne Manor and the asymmetric architectural layout using shrubs and ground-mounted gas lamps are obviously
It took a lot of effort.
"If you don't have a male companion, you don't have one. Why use a maid as a disguise?"
The countess said softly, with an elegant smile still on her face:
"Destiny gave us thirteen people power, but it also cost us a price. It's fair. I'm different from others. I never thought it was a curse. To me, it was a different kind of blessing from fate.
I accept it as fate accepted me."
This was the first time Shade had heard this view from a modern witch. Even Miss Aurora, who paid the least attention to the "witch's curse", never thought it was a blessing.
"If this is a blessing, what is my presence?"
People around her kept nodding to the countess, but more people were looking at Shade. Although Miss Belindel's "cousin" had appeared publicly on other occasions, this time it was considered an official appearance.
"Of course it's fate. I never question fate."
The two maids outside the building lowered their heads and each pulled a door back. Inside the door was a place that had been decorated as a banquet hall on the first floor. A long table filled with food was placed in the middle of the red carpet, with a high platform in the corner behind it.
A musician plays the piano in front of the crowd.
Men and women in formal attire gathered together and spoke Carsenlic with a standard Yuewan accent. Earl Hawthorne and Earl Eddington, who were holding wine glasses and talking, immediately came up to them with a smile. In response to this entertainment
Before, Bella Belindel said in a voice that only Shade could hear:
"You are also a gift given to me by fate."
Because this banquet is nominally to celebrate the full moon of Earl Hawthorne's little granddaughter, Freeman Hawthorne's little sister, no matter what we want to talk about, we must meet the little girl first, so the Witch and Shade
After a brief exchange of greetings with the two earls, he was led to see the "host of the banquet."
The girl, who was being cared for by an older but reliable-looking maid, probably didn't like being disturbed by so many people. She was placed in a cradle and looked tiny, only a little older than Mia. But at least she was.
Most of the men and women who came to visit the child were sincerely happy for the birth of the child. There may be many problems in this era where steam and magic coexist. This world that is about to face the end of the world in the steam wave may not be welcomed by everyone.
I like it, but at least the people here still retain a sense of mission for the continuation of the ethnic group and the innate love of human beings for children and cubs.
Even the infertile witch liked the child very much. Of course, this was largely because the other party was a girl. Miss Belindel prepared a gift for the child in advance, and when she and Shade left the baby, she also
I heard Xia De smile and ask:
"It's such a pity that she only received the blessing of one witch instead of seven."
The Countess knew that Shade was telling the story of "The Sleeping Princess":
"In this day and age, it is impossible for any child to receive so many blessings."
PS: Actually, I originally wanted to use "tiaoqing" as the title of this chapter, but I was afraid it would be too conspicuous.
