If we only consider the area, none of the three most famous opera houses in Tobysk can compare to the Wilde Opera House in the Randall Valley. But if we consider the decoration style and the degree of luxury, it is obvious that the opera house in the "Pearl of the North" is still better.
In the early spring nights, there were many people who wanted to spend time in the opera house and enjoy life. The temperature rose quickly, and the feeling of winter completely disappeared in just two weeks. Even the night wind could feel warm, and one of the evidences was that the audience who climbed the steps at the entrance of the opera house were dressed in the style of spring.
For Shade, the difference between winter and spring clothes is not that big. Although Leicia has told him countless times, he still likes the simplest black coat. Even when attending formal occasions, he only changes the coat into a black formal suit.
The Queen Maria Opera House, located on Swift Street, is still crowded with people in the early spring night. The streets decorated with gas lamps are not the reason for attracting people, but the opera house with bright lights under the starry sky is the place that people who love nightlife want to visit.
Foreigners have read in gossip tabloids that any singer, opera singer, and performer in De La Rio is honored to be able to perform in the Queen Maria Opera House. Only female opera singers like Miss Vanessa Benanis can use such a place as their stage at will.
Xia De arrived a little later, and when he got off the carriage, the next opera was almost about to start. He jumped off the carriage, paid the fare, and then walked up the steps in two steps. When he was about to reach the end of the steps, he slowed down and adjusted his tie, and walked into the lobby of the opera house in a very gentlemanly but not hurried manner.
The maid arranged by Leicia led Shade to the third floor from the hidden staircase on the side of the theater. She knocked on the door in the middle of the third floor. Shade thought that the first person he would see would be Leicia or Ajelina, but he didn't expect that the person who stood up from the sofa and looked at the door was another lady from the Cavendish family.
"Good evening, Shad."
Miss Carina said lightly, waved her hand and asked Tifa to pour tea, and then looked up and down at Shade's outfit:
"It seems like you really care about your date with Leicia. Look, you're dressed really formally."
In fact, formal attire was required for the opera house, and most of Shade's formal attire was bought with the help of Lecia, and there was no cheap stuff among them.
"Good evening, Carina. Um... am I in the right place?"
Although Shad was a little surprised, he still walked in the door jokingly.
"Of course I didn't go to the wrong door. I knew you and Leicia were going to date tonight, so I murdered her in advance and waited for you here. Now the poor girl is hidden in the closet over there. Oh, knight, why didn't you come to me on your own initiative?"
The red-haired lady pretended to complain. Shade looked around and didn't see Resia and Ajelina. But he knew the witch was joking.
"I'm sorry, I..."
"I don't need your apology. I asked the purple-eyed fortune teller and found that you hardly ever made any night invitations."
She smiled and said to Shade:
"Now I understand. It seems that you usually prefer girls to take the initiative. This is completely different from the impression you left on me in G. But I have to admit, Xia De, this is very much to my taste."
She reached out and pulled Shade over, asking him to sit next to her. Resia and Ajelina, who had just returned from the bathroom, also appeared at the door.
"This is my date, and don't say such things in this kind of occasion. The reputation of the Cavendish family will be ruined, and Ajelina is still here."
Her Royal Highness the Princess said helplessly, but she did not ask Miss Carina to leave immediately. The little princess pursed her lips to prevent herself from speaking her inner thoughts.
"If you want to be alone with Shade, then you can make another appointment by yourself."
Leicia suggested, then gently greeted Shade.
"I thought you liked going on group dates."
Miss Carina said teasingly, and then everyone heard an uncontrollable laugh.
Including the maids present, everyone looked at the little red-haired princess, and Ajelina Cavendish subconsciously took a half step back. The corners of Leisia's mouth twitched a few times, and she glared at her sister "fiercely", then lifted the hem of her skirt and sat down on the other side of Shade.
"So, Leicia must have something to talk to me about tonight, not just a date."
Shad thought to himself as he took the cup of tea handed to him by Tifa and thanked her.
Why do you think so
"If it was a date, to put it in an exaggerated way, she would probably have fought with Miss Carina by now."
In terms of personality, Leicia is the kind of girl who is hard to compromise. Of course, this is also one of the reasons why Xia De likes her.
Xia De arrived a little late, so soon after he sat down, as the light in the theater below the box gradually dimmed, the noisy sound from the audience gradually became lower. The maid by the wall dimmed the light of the gas lamp in the room. Xia De saw the actress in men's clothing walk to the light in the center of the stage and start singing, so he asked curiously:
"Speaking of which, what is this scene tonight?"
When dating Lecia at the opera house, opera was never the focus of the date. In addition, Shad had little interest in opera, so sometimes when Her Royal Highness the Princess asked him out, she would not even mention the opera.
“This is a play based on a well-known fairy tale.”
Miss Carina was holding a brass telescope. The small telescope was connected to a metal rod. She only needed to hold the metal rod to raise the telescope to her eyes:
"We usually call it "Clock Tower Lovers."
"A young knight was summoned by his lord to join a war against an enemy country. His fiancée waved goodbye to the knight from the top of the bell tower, the highest point in the city, and watched the knight's back disappear into the horizon as he rode away on horseback. The knight fought outside for many years before finally returning to his hometown. He looked out at the dilapidated bell tower and saw the girl again from the small window at the top, with the same face as before. She was still so young and so beautiful."
Leicia said, and Ajelina beside her helped to complete the last part of the story:
"The knight dragged his old body up the bell tower, and hugged his fiancée tightly on the top of the bell tower, and vowed never to separate. It was not until a long time later that people discovered that the body of the knight who died on the front line appeared on the top of the bell tower for some reason, and the bones of the girl who died of illness many years ago also appeared at the same time. The two skeletons grew together in an embrace, and no one could separate them."
“Tsk tsk~”
Xia De sighed softly:
"The power of an oath? Or the power of a soul filled with emotions and unwillingness?"
"Shad, don't always use the mindset of a ring wizard to comment on fairy tales. This will make the story less romantic than it originally was."
Leicia said with some dissatisfaction, and handed Shade a telescope, even though he didn't need it at all with his eyesight:
“Why is the knight played by an actress?”
Xia De asked again, and the female actress who sang solo on the stage in male costume had already put on armor with the help of the servant. During this time, the old man who looked like a butler used recitative to explain the background. This "recitative" adopts the form of speaking and singing. The old actor has a very solid foundation. In addition, the witty lines humorously show that the "knight" is still thinking about his lover even though he is about to travel far away, which makes the opening atmosphere quite good.
"This is the tradition of this play. Most of the time, the knight is played by an actress. When Berenice was young, she often performed in this play with Sirius Lasser. When the Golden Dawn Opera Company was gradually becoming famous, The Lovers of the Clock Tower, adapted by Berenice, was one of their representative works."
Miss Carina said, putting down the telescope and looking at Shade. Seeing that he was not very interested in the opera itself, she said:
"Let me talk to you about business. It's not my intention to disturb your date with Leicia..."
In the darkness, the other girl next to Shade made a "tsk" sound, but Miss Carina pretended not to hear:
"It's just that you asked me to help you investigate the Edwards family from Green Lake Town. I have to confirm one thing. Shade, are you investigating this family just because your teacher, the thirteenth-ring sorceress Miss Danister, asked you to help do this?"
"Yes, what else could it be?"
Xia De looked at her curiously. Although the lights in the box were almost turned off, he could still see the witch's face clearly.
"You haven't met any strange women recently, have you?"
Miss Carina asked again suspiciously, and this time even Leicia looked at Shade.
Xia De shook his head hesitantly:
"I was barely able to get out of bed last Saturday. Where did I meet this strange woman? Oh, on Wednesday a lady asked me to find a cat, but she was my neighbor at 23 St. Teresa's Square, Granny Sidil, who was already 53 years old. Hmm... this strange woman, is she related to the Edwards family?"
The witch nodded, her expression somewhat solemn:
"You know, the name Edwards is not very common, but it is definitely not a rare surname. After you wrote to me, I immediately realized that I knew an Edwards myself. I did not ask her, but investigated from the side and found that she was really from Green Lake Town."
"Isn't it another witch?"
Leicia, who was quietly touching Shade's hand in the dark, suddenly said, Miss Carina nodded and looked into Shade's eyes:
"Audrey Edwards, fifth seat in the council, eleventh ring, great witch of knowledge and wisdom."