This complex relationship was not something Xia De could understand very well, so he said;
"So, Princess Leicia and Princess Ajelina are also related to Mr. Foren? Oh, but I will not show mercy, gentlemen. For Her Highness Leicia, I will win."
This was not a hostile statement, but a social politeness. And Queen Diana finally asked what she really wanted to ask:
"Shad, you can talk to Mr. Foren. Although they don't have the title of knight, their character and behavior are well-known in Carsenrick. By the way, how did you come up with the idea of swearing an oath with Leicia?"
Shad felt Dorothy touching his hand gently. He gave the answer that the princess had prepared long ago without changing his expression:
"When His Royal Highness was communicating with my companion tonight, Miss Dorothy Louisa, he heard about my participation in the City Tournament and asked me if I would swear in the name of the Duchess of Saladil. Miss Carina advised me not to do so because it involves some issues of... inheritance rights."
In fact, Shade didn't know what this meant, but Leicia thought that as long as Shade said so, there would be no problem.
"I bought my armor from an antique collector that Her Highness Resia helped me find. To thank Her Highness, I bought it in her name. I will bring her victory."
Queen Diana's expression remained unchanged. She talked to Shad about how he met Leithia and showed concern for his health after recovering from a serious illness. Shad politely thanked the Queen for the flowers and gifts she sent when she sent someone to visit him.
This conversation also made the Forlan brothers basically certain that Shade could not be a ring sorcerer.
Then, the Forlan brothers talked about what they saw and heard during their journey from Willendel to Tobesk, and their impressions of the city of Tobesk.
When the dance began after eight o'clock, Shad took Dorothy out of the lounge and invited the blonde to dance.
The first dance was a slow one. Dorothy leaned against Shad's chest and followed his steps:
"Lecia did this this time because she thought that one day others would know about your relationship."
"Of course, people will know about our relationship. I never thought of making you my secret lover."
Shade said softly.
Dorothy hummed, and then said:
"Before the dance ends, ask Ajelina to dance with you. This is Leisia's arrangement. Don't make Ajelina sad."
"no problem."
Shad turned his head across the crowd on the dance floor and looked at Queen Diana who was still sitting on the sofa. At this time, a man with southern appearance, who seemed to be in his forties, with green eyes, a hooked nose and deep eye sockets, was chatting with the queen in the place where Shad had just sat.
"What are you looking at?"
' asked Dorothy.
"Lord Lewis of Carsonrick."
Xia De answered, and the writer frowned slightly:
"I know this man. His reputation is not good at all. According to Resia's memory, when she visited Willendel last year, she almost had a conflict with the earl. Shad, after this dance, you should invite Ajelina. Don't let Ajelina come into contact with such a person."
Although Dorothy is not Ajelina's biological sister, she cares about her sister as much as Lesia does.
"OK."
As he spoke, Shad took out a lady's knitted embroidered handkerchief from his pocket and put it into Dorothy's hand. The handkerchief felt very high-quality, with blooming black roses embroidered on the white fabric:
"I'm going to ask Ajelina to dance. Go find some perfume and spray it on the handkerchief. I want the kind of perfume that, uh... socialites use. Also, don't touch this handkerchief for a long time. It has a bad luck curse on it."
Dorothy put away her handkerchief, and as she followed Shad, she looked up and asked him with a smile:
"It seems like you've been prepared. Are you planning to vent your anger on behalf of Lecia?"
Although this was not the original purpose, Shade certainly couldn't be so foolish as to mention Miss Carina's name at this time.
So after dancing the first dance with Dorothy, Shad walked towards Princess Ajelina. The seventeen-year-old princess certainly had many suitors around her, but she had been rejecting others.
When she saw Dorothy leave temporarily and Shad walked towards her, Ajelina even took the initiative to walk towards him, but after being reminded by her maid, she returned to her original position with dignity and watched Shad walking towards her.
"Your Highness, may I invite you to dance?"
Now Ajelina no longer needed to be reserved. She pursed her lips and held Shad's hand. She felt that although Dorothy Louisa was very similar to her sister Leicia, and sometimes even her sister, she was much more generous than her sister.
The princesses of the royal family all have very good dancing skills, after all, they have professional tutors to teach them. Therefore, although Ajelina rarely dances with Shade, the two of them work very well together.
"Shad, you and Aunt Carina..."
Under the cover of the dance music, she finally asked the question in her heart. Shade knew what the little princess wanted to know, and he felt that he had to protect Miss Carina's reputation:
"She didn't force me, I did it voluntarily."
He answered softly, dancing the minuet with Ajelina. This simple court dance is more dignified, elegant and graceful than the waltz that has been popular in recent years. Although the passion and unrestrainedness of the waltz are fascinating, the minuet still has a clear advantage in the court dance of this era.
"Voluntary..."
Ajelina bit her lower lip and asked again:
"Shad, does Great-Aunt Carina play an important role for you?"
"Yes, I need her strength and power. But don't think too much, she and I are truly in love."
Xia De explained again, but it was obvious that Ajelina focused on the first half of the sentence:
"Power?"
Xia De felt her hand exerting a little force. Xia De wanted to say something else, but Her Royal Highness the Princess was already intoxicated by the dance music.
After dancing with Ajelina, the excited princess temporarily left the banquet hall and went to the lounge to touch up her makeup. Dorothy returned to Shad and returned the handkerchief embroidered with roses to Shad with a smile. There was indeed a strong smell of perfume on it. Shad didn't know where Dorothy borrowed the perfume from, but the smell did meet Shad's requirements.
"It's so rare that you take the initiative to do bad things, which is really interesting."
Miss Writer said, and Shade corrected her:
"I won't do anything bad, and I won't give this cursed item directly to others."
As he said this, he straightened his tie:
"Wait here for a moment, Dorothy. I will be back soon, and we will continue dancing."
"No problem, my dear knight."
At this time, Earl Lewis stood up from the sofa and walked towards the door of the banquet hall, looking like he was going to the bathroom. So Shade followed him with his head down, and disappeared at the door with the Earl one after the other.
Queen Diana had already left the banquet hall, so Dorothy went to the window and waited patiently. She refused other people's invitations to dance and looked out the window at the night view of the manor courtyard.
Xia De didn't let his female companion wait too long before returning:
"It went very smoothly. I accidentally dropped the handkerchief in the corridor. When I went back to look for it, I couldn't find it anymore."
Shade said regretfully, bowed and extended his hand to invite Dorothy to dance, then took her hand and walked to the dance floor again:
"I really hope that whoever picked it up won't touch it often, otherwise..."
“What if the person who picked it up really doesn’t come into contact with it very often?”
Dorothy asked again, and Shard thought for a moment:
"Then I will create some accidents artificially."
He said gently:
"I didn't mean to kill anyone, but I couldn't let him leave Tobesk unharmed. Dorothy, don't say such a spoilsport, and let's go on dancing."
(Little Mia is running...)
The end of the banquet on Sunday also means that the registration period for the Tour de Tobis has officially ended. And with the arrival of another Monday, the last day of the Windy Month, the much-anticipated "Tour de Tobis Spring Tour" has finally arrived on the first day of the schedule.
But when Shad got up early in the morning with Dorothy in his arms, he was not thinking of today's game or the new week's gifts, but of the Key of Time:
"The battle of Randall Valley will take place from the evening of the seventh day of the Windy Moon to the early morning of the eighth day. In other words, one week from now, on the early morning of Tuesday, on the eighth day of the April Sowing Moon, I will finally be able to open the black key of time!"
Although there was still a week left, this did not affect Shad's good mood. He speculated about his possible encounters in the past life, the Sixth Epoch, and wondered if he would meet the long-haired Luvia.
Of course, the latter conjecture is unlikely to be realized, because when Shade first met Luvia at Lakeview Manor last summer, she was obviously quite surprised that there was a fifth person in the team. In other words, unless Long-haired Luvia had lost her memory, she should have never seen a stranger in the past.
But it doesn't matter that he couldn't see Long-haired Luvia in the past. Shad believes that when he opens the black key, she should meet him again in his dreams. Although Long-haired Luvia and Luvia are essentially the same person, and the same person in soul, Shad still misses the girl who has only come into contact with him in his dreams.
Are you missing what you did with her in your dream
"She" whispered in Xia De's ear, but Xia De pretended not to hear her.
Before breakfast that day, a letter was sent home through Margaret's secret intelligence network, bringing Shad new news and a mission from the "Gray Gloves".