"Lecia, do you think my taste is so bad?"
He withdrew his gaze from the wall, frowned slightly and asked the girl sitting opposite him. Of course, he also knew that Leicia was joking.
"Just kidding, but it's nice here."
The red-haired girl looked around, and finally her eyes returned to the face of the handsome young man across the table:
"Sometimes, I really envy Dorothy and this kind of life."
Shade looked at her:
"But you are different from her. Maybe she is envious of your life. Leicia, I love you and Dorothy as two people, not as a whole. The princess and the writer, the Rose of Cavendish and the second daughter of Louisa. I am attracted to your individual souls, not the abnormal bond between you and her. I am not close to you because I want to pursue some excitement."
The Lady of Tobesk looked at him:
"You needn't stress this. I know I have made the right choice, just as Dorothy believes it. I have noticed that lately you seem to be stressing the differences between me and her. Is that what has happened?"
His words were very calm, but in fact he was suppressing the emotions that were surging because of Xia De's "confession".
"I knew you would figure it out sooner or later. You are all very smart girls."
Xia De wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and put down his knife and fork:
"I don't know if you've noticed, but you and her are becoming more and more alike. Not in appearance, but in demeanor, habits, and temperament at certain moments. This is not a good sign."
The red-haired girl's expression remained unchanged, but she asked in a sad tone:
"If Dorothy and I were to merge into one, would you still love us?"
"Of course, but it's different."
"Why are they different? Although I know this is not right, I have felt for a long time that we are destined to become one person from two people... Maybe we are one person, but we are divided into two people."
The green eyes looked at Xia De, and Xia De also looked at her. This time he really frowned:
"You have never said such a thing. Are these the contents of the diaries that are not open to me?"
"Because it's out of control, and I know it's crazy."
She suddenly laughed, and her smile, transformed from sadness, was more beautiful than any flower blooming in spring:
"Don't worry. These thoughts came to me before I met you and before she and I could really come into contact. At that time, we knew each other's existence and every secret of each other, but we could never get close or touch each other. We could only feel close when our souls exchanged. This desire and this long distance made us more and more eager to become one."
The only person reflected in the green eyes was Shade:
"Just like what you said to Dorothy last night - the farthest distance is that I am right beside you, but we can never reach each other. But that's all in the past. I won't think so now. Shad, you helped Dorothy and I meet and contact each other, and became the third person in our relationship. It was your appearance that clearly drew a clear dividing line in the individual of Leithia Dorothy. As long as you are still by our side, we will not think of becoming one person."
Xia De knew long ago that the inexplicable connection between the two of them was definitely not a trivial matter. This kind of bond that went beyond family affection, love, and all other relationships would definitely lead to serious consequences. But it was not until he heard these words that he finally confirmed his worries:
"I still want to emphasize that I like you two as individuals, not as a whole."
Leicia smiled and nodded:
"I see. You confessed to two girls at once, and you still say you are not a dissolute knight? But now I can feel your worry. Don't worry, we will not merge into one. After all, I can't bear to..."
She lowered her voice and motioned for Shade to come closer. So Shade left the stool and half stood up and leaned over. With a slightly red face, Leisia also half stood up and whispered in his ear:
"I don't want the Red Butterfly Day to disappear. It's much more fun to have three people together than two."
After she finished speaking, she saw Xia De looking at her without blinking.
"What are you looking at?"
Her Royal Highness the Princess felt a little shy.
"Recently Dorothy has learned the skill of turning pictures into photos. I want to record the shy look of you wearing this dress, blushing and leaning forward to whisper to me under the gaslight at the Three Cats Inn. I want Dorothy to turn it into a photo and put it at home."
The red-haired girl smiled, as if all her worries about the future and her entanglements about her ideals were put aside at this moment. She sat back down, lowered her head, and continued to eat with her knife and fork, thinking that it was really a good idea to arrange such a date. At the same time, she missed the warm and strong hug that she would feel in a few hours.
After dinner, Shad and Leicia stayed at the Three Cats Inn for a while and listened to the bard wearing a green beret and a white lily on his hat finish singing the heroic poem.
Of course, the date was not over yet, and Leisia had arranged to watch an opera for tonight. However, tonight, instead of going to the three most famous opera houses in Tobysk, they would go to the lower city in the north of the city to watch the drama performed by the common people.
It is worth mentioning that folk theater troupes are very popular in Tobysk, the pearl of the north, and are an important part of the civic culture. Some folk theater troupes are as well-known among the public as the official troupes that can perform in the Queen Maria Opera House.
Of course, folk troupes are divided into two categories. One category really loves art, and although the performances are not elegant, they are very much in line with the preferences of the middle class and actively explore new artistic methods; the other category is illegal underground troupes, which usually make a living by performing sensitive performances, including some erotic performances. The troupe that Lecia chose tonight was, of course, the more formal one.
The two left the Three Cats Inn around seven o'clock, crossed the Anthem Square, and walked less than a hundred steps on the brick-paved street due north. They saw a kerosene lamp hanging in front of the closed door on the left. Under the kerosene lamp, a yawning man sat behind a table and watched passers-by. Although it was already night, seven o'clock in the spring night was still a relatively busy time period, and Tobysk's nighttime security was relatively good.
"Two bills."
Leicia said to the gatekeeper skillfully, and after the man quoted the price of "8 pence", Shade paid for the ticket. Of course, although it was called a ticket, there was no physical ticket. After Shade paid the money, the man waved and let the two of them in.
The 8p ticket for two people was cheap, but even the tickets for a regular opera house were not necessarily unaffordable for ordinary people. In addition to the boxes for nobles and ladies, the Queen Maria Opera House also had seats in the upper, middle and lower seats. The cheapest seat cost only one shilling, which was still expensive for workers who earned less than 10 shillings a week. But the real reason that prevented them from going was the requirement to wear formal clothes.
The ticket prices of informal folk drama groups vary by region, performance type and repertoire, and are usually much cheaper than regular theater tickets. Small drama groups are involved in many fields such as comedy, juggling, dance, music and drama, and the prices are even more affordable. 4 pence a ticket is the average price.
Shade and Leicia entered the courtyard gate behind the man, which was formed by two doors on the left and right. Shade then found that the courtyard was the theater. Rows of benches were placed in the open space. On the right hand side of the door was a built stage, but there was no one on the stage at this time. On the left hand side of the door was a small white building, and opposite the door was a low wall that was obviously built by himself, dividing the courtyard into the theater's audience seats and backstage.
Leicia said the show would start at 7:20, and there were still about ten minutes left, and at least half of the people on the benches were already sitting. A rough count showed that there were about twenty people, which meant that the profit from this show was far lower than Shade had expected.
When they were about to sit down in the last row, Leicia saw Shade's doubts and said softly:
"Such folk art groups are mostly made up of people who love art. And if you look over there, their income comes from more than just ticket sales."
She pointed and Xia De saw a very conspicuous donation box on the left side of the door.
"Are you familiar with this place?"
Xia De asked softly, and Leicia shook her head:
"Dorothy is very familiar with it. She has some folk artist friends, and it was she who recommended this performance to me. Oh, thank you."
She took the cushion that Xia De handed to her and put it on the somewhat cold bench.
Before the performance officially started, more audience members came one after another. Since Shade was sitting in the last row, it was convenient for him to observe other audience members. Most of them were residents of the north of the city, most of them were ordinary citizens, but there was also a bard that Shade had seen at the Three Cats Inn, and two or three children who came with their parents.
Shade and Lecia were not very conspicuous among them. The most conspicuous person was an old man with a cane and well-dressed, accompanied by a servant. According to Lecia's introduction, Shade also knew that this courtyard belonged to the old man sitting in the front row, and he was also one of the important sponsors of the opera troupe that was about to perform.
“Dorothy is also one of the patrons here, and there are many people who love art.”
The red-haired girl continued to whisper in Shad's ear. The warm wind blowing past Shad's ears made Shad's heart restless.
The performance started soon. The band consisted of three people, standing to the side of the audience. As the monologue sounded, the first person to walk onto the stage was a young girl whose makeup was not very delicate, but whose pronunciation was clear and emotional:
"My knight is about to go on a long journey..."
As soon as she opened her mouth, Xia De understood what this play was:
"'Clock Tower Lovers'?"