That afternoon, Shad did not leave the manor. Miss Sylvia left time for Shad and Princess Margaret. Margaret and Shad talked in the study, listening to the stranger telling his adventure stories, his experience of meeting Leicia, and more about his relationship with the witches of the witch council.
Shade was surprised that the princess was not angry with him, and he certainly would not ask why she was not angry. The two agreed that Shade would find a way to get to Willendel City as soon as possible, and Shade did not forget to mention the issue of the White River Valley Vineyard in Huntington City.
"White River Valley Vineyard? So, that's where you're from?"
Her Royal Highness thought for a while before she remembered where it was. She promised to change it from royal property to her own property as soon as possible. Of course, it was still entrusted to Mr. Bernhardt, so that Shade could use it at any time.
They chatted in the study, took walks in the snow, and Shad even let Margaret sit on the swing and pushed it for her amid the laughter of Her Royal Highness. Before dinner in the evening, the princess hugged Shad on the sofa and kissed him goodbye. Shad found that Margaret was probably the most awkward kisser among the girls he knew, but she was also happy to practice more with Shad.
It turns out that the "surprise training" of the three witches at noon today was very effective. The young princess suppressed her body's instinctive reaction and did not do more with Shade. She was different from Leicia, who had more brothers and sisters and her own mature ideas. She had more concerns due to her princess status, and Shade also respected the girl around him.
But before dinner, Shad gave Margaret a leaf of eternal youth as a year-end gift. He had two leaves in his hand, and he had another one left after giving this one.
Her Royal Highness also knew about this special relic. After solemnly accepting the leaf and realizing that she had not prepared a suitable year-end gift, she gave the White River Valley Vineyard directly to Xia De. Although it was still under her name, the property and title deed belonged to Xia De.
Xia De originally didn't want to accept such an expensive gift, as he could buy it with his own money, but at Margaret's repeated insistence, he accepted it.
"Knight, do not underestimate the savings of the princess of the kingdom. Although I may not be as rich as your duchess, a mere unprofitable vineyard is nothing to me."
After dinner, Shad brewed a large amount of wine with blood wine and asked Margaret to take it back to Willendel as a gift. Her Royal Highness was also very obedient and gave Miss Sylvia the last time before departure, so that Shad and Miss Sylvia had some time to be alone.
"After returning to Willendel, I will try my best to sense whether there is a space maze in the city and the surrounding areas. Although I don't have the same perception ability as you, since I have already come into contact with it once, I think I should be fine."
As night fell, snowflakes were still floating in the air. Shade walked in the courtyard with a young witch with short black hair. The witch walked backwards and looked at Shade with a smile:
"I look forward to seeing you again."
"Me too."
Xia De nodded, wanting to say something but too embarrassed to speak. Mia stood on his shoulder, looking at the snowflakes curiously, her big amber eyes reflecting the light of the moon.
Miss Sylvia stopped walking backwards, and when Shade approached her, she gently kissed him on the cheek in the snow:
"I stimulated you like that at noon today, and Margaret, a girl who doesn't know how to behave, was intimate with you for a while in the afternoon. I thought you would do something."
Xia De shook his head somewhat embarrassedly:
"I'm not a sex-hungry ghost, and my series of deadly sin spirit runes do not include lust."
Miss Sylvia teased:
"Tonight, I guess someone in your family must be staying with you."
She let go of Shade and continued walking forward side by side with him:
"We witches still have concerns, and Margaret has her own ideas. I envy the other princess next to you, and the fortune teller with purple eyes. Her eyes are so beautiful that even witches would envy her..."
She held Shade's hand, and they stopped in the snow together, looking at the moon side by side:
"Be careful. I know... you will definitely be involved in greater danger again. Although I don't know what your ultimate goal is, but... be careful."
"Please rest assured, I can't bear to die now."
Xia De touched the cat on his shoulder with his free hand, and the little cat's head slightly raised, looking at the moon with them.
“Next time we meet, maybe I’ll give you a surprise… about that investment I talked to you about.”
Miss Sylvia mentioned this matter again, and Shad had not forgotten it. As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and took out the bill of exchange he had entrusted Tifa to issue:
"I came here to talk about this. I have 5,000 pounds here as an initial investment."
This was half of his current savings. Although it was not much for Miss Sylvia, she still accepted it. She knew that Xia De would not accept dividends for nothing:
"Well, your 5,000 pounds and your ideas will be used as an investment to join our business. I already have some ideas about the chemical fiber you mentioned."
Under the moon, I gently embraced Xia De:
"Since I started following my teacher, I never thought that I would meet a man like you in my life."
The voice in my ear whispered and made a promise:
"I will find out as soon as possible whether we can be together... May the infinite space protect you and me in the distance. I will miss you..."
She bit Shade's ear gently and whispered sweet words. Then, the sequelae of desire left by seeing her in the morning broke out again, and only Shade and Mia could hear the small and shy voice of the black-haired witch.
At 7 o'clock on Sunday evening, the motorcade carrying the delegation drove to the train station. Xia De did not see them off, but stood at the gate of the manor and waved goodbye to the motorcade. Farewell is always sad, but this time the farewell was particularly simple, because the reunion should not be far away.
Before leaving, Margaret asked Shad to bring a letter to Resia and asked Shad not to open it. According to her, she wanted to ask Resia if she wanted to do some "small business" together, which reminded Shad that Resia seemed to have been doing arms business.
Instead of leaving Huntington immediately, he made one last visit to Mr. Bernhardt, a local vampire, in the dark.
Xia De decided not to come to the local area before the end of the year-end festival, so he thought of saying Happy New Year to his friends and giving them a few bottles of wine as New Year-end gifts.
Unfortunately, Mr. Bernhardt had already left the area. On Friday, Mr. Bernhardt left Huntington City and headed to Willendel due to excessive shock. Therefore, when Shade arrived at the vampire's manor, he only saw the letter handed to him by the housekeeper who stayed behind:
"I probably need to rest for a while. I haven't been able to rest in Huntington since returning from Fort Midhill."
The middle-aged vampire said this in the letter.
He expected that Xia De would come to visit again, so in addition to apologizing for leaving without saying goodbye, he also specially wished Xia De a happy New Year's Eve and gave him a silver candlestick that looked quite valuable as a New Year's Eve gift.
There are small bat decorations on the candlesticks. Although they are just ordinary items, they are enough as gifts for the end of the year.
Although he was sorry that he didn't meet this gentleman, Shade still left nine bottles of wine and asked the butler to send them to Mr. Bernhardt in Willendel. Of course, he also got the address of the vampire seed lord in Willendel from the butler, and if he had the chance, he would visit him again.
"Then let's go home."
Holding Mia in his arms, Shade rode his horse into the night. The story of Huntington City and Midhill Castle finally came to an end. Galloping on horseback in the dark, he felt an inexplicable sense of joy in his heart:
"I also need to send a holiday card to Professor Drake who has just moved... In March, there will be a large-scale equestrian competition sponsored by the royal family in Tobesk. Maybe I can participate this time with my riding skills."
The horse he was riding was borrowed from Mr. Bernhardt's estate, and the servants who were going to deliver goods to the White River Valley Vineyard would take it back later. The bay horse was so steady that when it went straight at the turn of the country dirt road and crashed into the bottom of the lake bank, Shade, who was daydreaming, did not react immediately.
“Is the horse crazy?”
He was about to jump off the horse with the cat stuffed in his coat pocket, but suddenly he felt the trace of a familiar element.
Sure enough, after the horse came to the unknown lake, it ran along the ice toward the center of the lake. There was no strict dividing line, and the surrounding scenery changed unconsciously. After landing on the island in the middle of the Lake of Cherubim, Shade realized that he was here again.
"Professor Drake's research says that you can only go to the island during the day, but that's not the case..."
At night, the Lake of Cherubim is covered with snow just like the real city of Huntington, but the islands are still covered with grass, trees and flowers.
Shade got off the horse, put the cat on his shoulder, and led the reins to the small lake in the center of the island. The ability of "walking on water" was prohibited near the shore of this lake, and there was no ice in such a cold winter.
In the past, Xia De always jumped directly into the center of the lake, but this time, he pinched out a handful of bone powder and sprinkled it into the water. After the calm lake water gurgled, a small wooden boat with a somewhat rotten smell floated up from the bottom of the water.
Letting the horse graze on the shore, Shade and Mia paddled together and soon arrived under the angular rocks in the center of the lake. Under the moonlight, the "Lady of the Lake" holding a long staff was waiting for him. Shade got off the boat and said respectfully:
"Good evening."
He was very grateful to the Cherubim for the important tips he had given him during the Battle of Pantanal.
"Good evening."
The angel nodded slightly, and with a gentle smile, he glanced at the cat standing on the bow of the wooden boat behind Shade, looking around:
"Recorder, please keep the knowledge you recorded safe. I know you will give it to the right person."
"I will."
Shade nodded, and the angel whispered:
"I came to you this time to ask you whether you want to know about the Hall of the Secret Keeper?"