Capítulo 1679: Chapter 1678: “Sweetheart
The rain hadn’t stopped, and when the group left the villa, the downpour intensified. Rain clouds shrouded the entire Green Lake region, and both cities on the north and south banks equally welcod the largest rainstorm since the spring of 1854.
After leaving the villa, gan, along with her maids and Shard, returned to the yacht docked at Duin. It was already 5 PM, about ti for dinner.
The City of Glass was out of the question, so the last target for today was Rot-Eye Barry’s private yacht moored in Green Lake. Based on clues from previous locations, gan believed that the yacht was most directly connected with the cultists on the island.
Shard didn’t particularly mind this, but he had already accepted gan’s invitation, so he planned to head ho first to bring Mia along, letting the cat also enjoy a decent dinner. When he bid farewell to gan, she even arranged for soone to escort him back to the Green Lake Hotel—though she knew he definitely didn’t stay there—and jokingly ntioned that perhaps when Shard returned, she might need his help with so small tasks.
He initially thought he could return ho by evening, so he hadn’t asked the young won to help take care of the cat. Thus, he expected nobody at ho when he returned, but upon erging from the basent where the Crystal Shoes had landed, he unexpectedly noticed Luviya’s shoes on the shoe rack in the first-floor hall.
“Luviya, ho from work so early?”
Shard shouted towards upstairs, and the voice of the purple-eyed girl imdiately ca from the third floor. She was busy in the room set up with astrology equipnt, and Shard thought that if Luviya hadn’t eaten dinner yet, he wouldn’t go dine with gan.
“Not off work early, but took leave to co early to set up the instrunts. The association confird that the lunar eclipse this month will occur next Wednesday, the thirtieth of the Sowing Moon. In the morning, the doctor delivered a notice from the Academy asking all Correspondence Astronomy College students in the central Old Continent to record the star patterns in advance.”
Today was the twenty-first of the Sowing Moon, and it seed like a comprehensive record of the star patterns was necessary.
As Shard picked up the little Mia who greeted him, and walked up the stairs, Luviya was still upstairs. Shard also went up to the third floor, watching the purple-eyed girl slightly bending over, looking at the sunset sky through the astronomical telescope:
“Shard, take your cat to dinner, I’ll probably be busy for a while longer.”
She didn’t even turn her head as she spoke, but her tone sounded excited, since an astronomical event like a “lunar eclipse” wasn’t sothing that happened often.
“So, do you need
to bring you sothing back? gan Edwards invited
to dinner, I can pack so to bring back.”
At this, Luviya finally turned her head, though she still didn’t straighten up:
“What? A woman invites you to dinner, and you still want to pack so to bring to another woman? Oh, Shard, how did you beco like this…?”
She joked around, then turned to continue adjusting her stargazing equipnt:
“Bring whatever you like, or I can eat bread at ho, it’s fine.”
“How can that be okay? I’ll bring you so dinner when I co back. It’s past five o’clock now… I’ll be back around seven-thirty.”
Considering he still had to go to Green Lake, Shard extended the ti a bit.
“Coming back later is fine too. It’s different from last autumn’s Star Ocean Whale observation; observing a lunar eclipse requires more equipnt…”
She turned again, asking Shard with an expression mixed with a bit of shyness, boldness, and playfulness:
“What, did my bending over finally make you notice my good figure? Your gaze has been quite focused.”
“Oh, I…”
“In such a hurry for what? I definitely won’t be leaving tonight.”
The purple-eyed girl replied generously, waving to little Mia:
“This ti, you’ll probably sleep in the closet again.”
It was evident that the cat was the most disgruntled at that mont.
Bidding farewell to the busy Luviya, Shard took little Mia back to the Green Lake region. Before entering the hidden wall, he turned the cat into a toy, but when he reached out to touch the Ancient God Statue, he looked at the items piled by the wall.
Though he thought nothing would go wrong tonight, checking the yacht might not be so dangerous, but given the unusual cloud column observed over Central Island that afternoon, he decided to be cautious.
First, he glanced at the [Night Watchman], then shook his head:
“No, not that exaggerated yet.”
Then he reached for Feliana’s Notes, pulled out the two cards tucked inside, and placed “Twin Lovers” into his pocket:
“Safety first.”
Next, he placed the small red leather book given to him by Miss Danester, which was an alchemical item capable of releasing Thirteen-Ring Sorceress’s Arcane Technique, into his pocket. Lastly, he also tucked away the small book encasing an Angel Feather.
With this, Shard felt much more at ease.
Considering Mia rarely moves about in the Green Lake area, Shard restored the cat after stepping out of the hotel warehouse wall.
Although it’s raining outside, the basent remains dry. The cat clearly has a fondness for places storing large amounts of food, but unfortunately, it’s not yet ti to let it eat.
Departing through the hotel’s back door, Shard slipped the cat into the inside pocket of his coat and opened the umbrella, checking the trash bin where the boy usually stayed.
The boy was still absent, but the items Shard had left in the morning were taken. Since the boy couldn’t write, he used coal ash to sar a drawing on newspaper in the bin.
Shard didn’t quite understand the aning of the drawing, but he could guess that the boy found a place to shelter from the rain.
After all, he seed not to be a first-year wanderer here.
“After the Green Lake matter is settled, I can… No, I mustn’t think about this now.”
With the umbrella held high, he circled back from the rear to the main entrance of the Green Lake Hotel and boarded the carriage prepared by the Witch. On a rainy evening, the streets were deserted, and the carriage with the “Paradise Island Pharmaceuticals” logo carried Shard all the way to the dock.
The Witch’s yacht was anchored at the dock, and after handing the umbrella to the Maid, carrying the cat as he approached the cabin, the Head Maid with red hair indicated to Shard to wait in another room:
“The Miss is eting with a guest and will finish in ten minutes. Please have a cup of hot tea first; dinner is ready. Also, in five minutes, kindly knock on the Miss’s door directly… The Miss needs soone seen with her and a man.”
Shard nodded in understanding; Grand Witches lately have these sorts of troubles.
He then noticed the young Maid upfront looking at the cat he was carrying, biting her lip, trying to restrain her expression. It was clear she liked cute cats like Mia.
The stranger eting with the Witch was also a woman, the wife of the Green Lake City’s Mayor and daughter of the Earl of Chichester, Ms. Sarah Kaufman. It’s said that the current Mayor, Roland Kaufman, becoming Mayor, is closely linked to his wife’s family’s influence.
Of course, one should never disclose such matters in front of the Mayor.
Ms. Kaufman ca to see gan because ongoing negotiations between the two countries required important business representatives. Paradise Island Pharmaceuticals certainly t such requirents, but they were challenging to classify as belonging to one country, having operations both in Draleon and the Carsonick Territory, with their registration independent of both in the Duchy of Milson.
Hence, Draleon’s side sent Ms. Kaufman to initiate contact with gan and gauge her thoughts, then have more significant figures engage. Ideally, Paradise Island Pharmaceuticals would declare itself a Draleon enterprise if possible.
But gan and Audrey would have to be mad to do that.
Shard went to a nearby cabin and drank a cup of hot tea. After the Maid knocked to indicate it was ti, he subtly hid the prominent Mia in his pocket before proceeding to the yacht’s top deck and knocking on the lounge door.
“Co in.”
A familiar voice emanated from inside; judging by the warmth of the pendant hanging against his chest, it should be the Witch Audrey speaking, not the Female Sorcerer gan.
Shard pushed the door open, seeing a woman with brown shoulder-length hair and a voluptuous noble lady adorned with an egg white gemstone ring on her finger sitting opposite each other, their maids standing beside them. The noble lady should be the Mayor’s wife, notably poised but seemingly over forty, with age traces evident despite costic concealnt.
The Witch, whose actual age was unknown, sitting opposite her appeared much younger.
Shard feigned surprise, saying:
“gan, I wasn’t aware you have a guest here. Jill told
you were here, so I ca straight away.”
The warm yellow light inside the cabin illuminated the Witch’s languid deanor as she beckoned Shard over:
“Sweetie, why are you only here now? Co over.”
Shard smiled, accepting the endearnt, and sat beside her; the Witch didn’t forget to introduce to Ms. Kaufman:
“This is… a friend I’ve recently gotten to know.”
She winked at the forty-sothing noble lady:
“Please don’t reveal this to anyone; I’m not ready yet.”
Ms. Kaufman nodded with a smile, showing understanding:
“Did you agree to my proposal? Next week’s ball to welco Duke Galina Cavendish to the city will be lively.”
“Will you go?”
Thus, the Witch asked Shard softly. Shard appeared contemplative, casually draping his left hand over the sofa back, as if to embrace the young brown-haired lady:
“gan, I’ve told you not to always arrange things for . But if ti permits, attending could be considered… Will Carsonrick delegates be present? I’m familiar with several representatives, which might be awkward if encountered.”
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