The female warrior, who has always been thrifty, has invested her blood this time.
Nemo twirled the fabric of his clothes, deciding not to estimate its price. Now he has more important things to do—
"Don't move, Ollie." Nemo muttered nervously, the black shadow as thin as silk was holding a delicate peridot earring and gestured on Oliver's earlobe. The long needles behind the ear studs have been removed and replaced with rattan glue that easily adheres to the skin.
Although even if they did temporarily pierce their ears, they could be healed instantly with healing magic, but Nemo decided to choose the relatively painless method.
Oliver didn't dare to move, and even stopped breathing. Nemo was so close that Oliver could even see his eyelashes. The ear studs stained with rattan glue brought a touch of coolness to the earlobe, but Oliver's attention was completely elsewhere.
Considering Nemo's relatively introverted personality and his status as a "superior demon", Ann prepared a long black dress for him with a neat cut. The short ponytail was loosely draped, and there were no complicated accessories added to the clothes. Right now, Nemo was expressionless because of his nervousness, and he had a cold temperament that refused to let people go thousands of miles away. The female warrior has many years of experience in walking the black chapter. , matched just right. If Oliver hadn't learned about Nemo beforehand, he probably would have missed it.
What makes people laugh and cry is that this dress really gives Nemo a little more of the legendary "Demon King" atmosphere.
"It's done, it's very sticky," Nemo said, blowing on the earlobe in front of him, and the warm breath wrapped around Oliver's auricle in an instant. "It fits your eyes very well, Ollie, it just looks a little… uh."
Nemo smiled embarrassedly, and the cold feeling disappeared instantly. He leaned forward and kissed the tip of Oliver's nose. "See for yourself."
Oliver twisted his neck uncomfortably, the soft scarf and clumps of lace making his neck tickled.
Then he was silent in front of the mirror.
Different from Nemo's relatively simple dress style, he was wearing a very gorgeous gray-green dress. The long sleeves that were spread out covered the dazzling scars on his wrists. Maybe because of his shape, the originally strong and sturdy body looked a little thin. The bangs that were scattered on the forehead were combed up and fixed with a scented hairspray. Add intricate embellishments on the cuffs and neckline, and peridot stud earrings shimmering on the earlobes. Oliver at this moment looks a bit... like a frivolous dude.
"It's beautiful, really, trust me. Except..." Nemo whispered.
"...except that it doesn't look like a good thing," Oliver added bitterly, posing in a few exaggerated aristocratic poses. "I think I can go straight to the street now and easily play the role of a bastard who robs a flower girl."
"Isn't Jesse more suitable for such a positioning?" Nemo fiddled with the jeweled neckline of Oliver's neckline with a little dissatisfaction, correcting its position.
"Maybe his face is too unconvincing, that guy... ugh, that one doesn't look like a tough type." Oliver picked up the thin sleeve and put it on carefully, using it to cover the thick calluses and tiny scars on his face .
After thinking about Jesse's identity for a few seconds, Oliver shook his head with a wry smile, and sprayed himself a bit of perfume, but he sprayed his face without any defense—the greasy sweet fragrance exploded, and the two of them hit each other together. Huge sneeze.
"It's a pity that we can't bring weapons to the ball," Nemo said, holding his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll let Bagelmoru take everyone's weapons and stand by near the castle. The goat has already found a place to be fostered, and we shouldn't be going back here again... Don't forget to bring something."
"Are you all right?"
"what?"
"Expression management." Oliver raised the corners of his mouth, stretched out his gloved fingers, and brushed the corner of Nemo's mouth with a smile. "We've run out of Shajiaomei, do you want to buy something else instead?"
"If you mean 'faceless,' no problem." Nemo could wipe all the smiles off his face in an instant as long as he recalled what happened in Withered Castle—he wouldn't say it out loud. Even though the Wither Castle has been destroyed, its shadow has not dissipated.
Nemo didn't deliberately ask Oliver's recovery, he didn't want the other party to be anxious because of it. All he could do was set aside as much time as he could with his lover, so that the darkness would fade faster.
They invariably kept silent on the topic, tacitly.
"That's all right, my ruthless majesty." Oliver stood up and muttered. He put down the brightly colored perfume bottle, and the thick glass bottle gently collided with the wooden table. Then a clumsy aristocratic ceremony was performed.
"Fuck you." Nemo smiled helplessly, "According to this statement, should I kidnap you?"
"Then I have to leave a note and tell them not to let the brave come to save me."
The two laughed and walked to the door of the agreed restaurant, waiting for the carriage that had been agreed in advance, and by the way, joined the rest of their companions—
Jesse was a step ahead. The grey parrot, who couldn't participate in the dance, hummed and stopped on the iron pole hanging the sign.
Jesse's style hasn't changed much, and Nemo seriously suspects Ann doesn't bother to care about him. The blond youth is still the same, except that he has carefully braided the original relatively casual long hair, and tied a headband with sapphire. Jesse doesn't look much different from before. Dressing up a little bit makes him look a little less sleek and a little more innocent.
"What about Mr. Ann and Mr. Cross?" Nemo wasn't very comfortable with his loose hair.
"They're still getting ready." Jesse looked up and down Nemo's outfit, then glanced at Oliver. "Tut tut, jeez—it's perfect for the two of you, don't know how many ladies will have their hearts broken for you tonight."
Just as Nemo was about to dismiss it, two somewhat unfamiliar figures approached.
Ann didn't do much weird makeup. The female warrior's chestnut hair was already a bit shorter than Oliver's. She showed the scars on her eyebrows carelessly, wrapped around her chest, and used a dark red robe to cover up her overly feminine waist. Coupled with the high-heeled boots—except for the slightly delicate facial features, there is undoubtedly a sassy young man in front of them.
Even the height is not much different from Nemo, who is 1.8 meters tall.
"Don't look at it, it's not the first time I've done this. There have been situations like this before, and many tasks are in places where it's difficult for women to get in." An raised his eyebrows. Originally, her voice was biased, and as long as she lowered it a little, it would be difficult for others to identify whether the owner of the voice was a man or a woman. "Remember, call me Andre now."
"Wow." Oliver exclaimed without hesitation, "Wait, the one behind you..."
That wasn't the Adrian Cross they knew.
To be precise, it was "not quite like" the knight commander they knew. The Mr. Cross they knew was a calm man of about ten, while the man who followed Ann looked in his mid-twenties. But even if his face was a little more youthful and his head shrunk a little, the young man's facial features did bear the shadow of Adrian Cross.
"Aging Potion?" Nemo was the first to react.
Adrian, who was much younger, nodded quietly - the former knight commander's height of 1.85 meters became 1.8 meters, and his physique shrank a little bit.
The age-reducing potion sounds amazing, but in fact it has no definite medical use, and its effect is extremely limited. Its price is extraordinarily expensive, and it has been popular among nobles for a long time, and ordinary people usually do not have access to this thing.
It can make the user's appearance ten years younger, and the effect can only last for one day and one night, and the user's physical strength and physique will not return to the past like the appearance. There are also many restrictions on this luxury potion - only people over ten years old can use it. If you want to rely on this potion to restore your appearance to a teenager with a big difference in physique, it will often cause irreversible damage to the body.
Alban's high society once had such a tragedy, a sixteen-year-old boy stole his mother's potion out of curiosity and wanted to play a prank. However, the physical disparity between sixteen and six years old was too great, his bones shattered into pieces, and he almost died.
"I'll be eleven years old soon," Adrian replied lightly, seeming to see Nemo's concern. "This thing can't hurt me."
"Our Lord William likes young boys in the age group of eighteen to twenty, but considering the quality of your faces, this level can be passed. But if you take into account the appearance and physique of Clos, this aesthetic span is not enough. It's a bit suspicious." An opened his eyes, "and there are many nobles who recognize Cross's face, we have to be careful."
"Nice job, Miss Savage." Jesse rubbed. "Ed, why don't we—"
"It's time for us to go." In order to dilute the solemn temperament of the knight commander himself, his dress was similar to that of Ann, which can be said to be the most complicated of the five present. Adrian ignored Jesse and raised his fingers in a certain direction. "It's the carriage."
There were no obstacles to getting in. After stepping off the carriage in a proper manner, Amway dropped the invitation. She straightened her chest, raised her chin slightly, and led the four of them into the main entrance with a steady pace.
Then, at the gate, he met the Alban nobleman who came up to chat.
"William's nephew? It's a pleasure to meet him. William has never been on such an occasion before, and he is finally willing to change his mind?"
"Yes, my uncle has been traveling. As for coming here... This is an important dance, isn't it? After all, it is rare to see all the adults come so well. Of course, of course. There is one more point." An Shun took it from the tray of the attendant. A glass of wine, shaking the glass very standardly. "Uncle's pets are too lonely, and I just happened to take them to relax. You know, uncle also hopes to contact Alban more."
The implication is to give the tired lover to the interested aristocrat, and by the way to improve the relationship. The Alban nobles on the opposite side nodded clearly.
"Time flies so fast." He sighed, "It's been more than 20 years now, when William was still here..."
"You mean that uncle stole the maid's lace apron?" Ann winked and took over the topic naturally. "My aunt still makes fun of him about it."
"Oh, is her body okay?"
"Very good, thank you for your concern... A few, although I promised my uncle to help take care of you, it doesn't mean that I need to teach you to walk. You can move freely."
An blinked his left eye and made a "disband" gesture behind his back. She herself stood casually and politely, chatting with the nobles one after another.
"Then it's as planned, we'll act separately first, and we must find that 'mobile siren' Rosa quickly." Nemo tried very hard and lowered his voice. "The royals will show up in a while, and Delia will return to the lounge after that. We'll have to pick someone to meet Ann, and the sooner we can confirm Rosa's movements, the better."
"Well, be careful too." Oliver nodded, "There must be people from the Rudd here."
"I know... shh, it's on."
The dead emperor appeared on the high platform on one side of the wide hall, under the gorgeous chandelier. The bright warm lights filled the air, and the emperor's face looked pale, but his movements were natural. The target of Tumbleweed's trip, the young Princess Delia quietly followed behind him, and Prince Eldric stood very close to the princess.
The emperor didn't look like a dead man at all.
"Thank you for coming here." The corpse opened its mouth, and the voice was steady and clear. "There's been some ridiculous messages out there lately, I think it's time for me to come out and meet everyone again—"
"Have you found it?" During the Emperor's eloquent speech, Nemo put his lips vaguely close to Oliver's auricle, and swept his eyes cautiously around. "He doesn't have a heartbeat."
"I smell a corpse." Oliver was also flirtatiously close, his voice so small that he couldn't hear it. "Ann's information is correct. But I'm more concerned about other things..."
"how?"
"Delia Alastair is said to have been healthy."
"That's right, her heartbeat is fairly normal."
"I know. I'm just curious, why hasn't she opened her eyes once for so long - five or six minutes now?"