"I'll take care of Grace and Helen's affairs. They will follow Grandma Cassandra to Green Lake soon. I know what to do. Now, we need more poem fragments."
Xia De said softly, and Yin Luna took over the task:
"I'll find a way when I get to the Vatican next week. See you at Green Lake, Shad."
"I'm thinking about whether I should go to Green Lake as well. Just like I did in Randall Valley, to help you."
Luvia said again, but was stopped by Xia De and Yin Luna. Yin Luna felt that this time was more dangerous than the last time. In addition to this reason, Xia De also thought that if Luvia also went to Green Lake, then there might be a time period when all five members of the team gathered in the ancient city where many conflicts already existed.
Although there was no evidence, Xia De always felt that when all five members of the team appeared, something big and unexpected would happen.
Because Yin Luna was going to leave for another place soon, Shade, Yin Luna, Luvia and Dorothy had dinner together that night. Although Saturday afternoon was a date time exclusively for the princess and the female writer, Dorothy did not feel that her time was invaded. She liked this loyal reader very much.
After dinner, Yin Luna and Luvia left, and Dorothy actually said goodbye with a smile. At about seven o'clock, Leicia's carriage stopped at the door of No. 6 St. Teresa's Square. Tonight was the time for Her Royal Highness the Princess.
Because of the challenge about "loyalty" posed by "Desire" underwater on Wednesday night, Shad has set the target of his last enlightenment rune of the sixth ring to the "Clock Tower Lovers" who can achieve physical fusion.
So during the evening class that night, Shade asked Leicia a question:
"Do you think I'm loyal?"
"That's a weird question."
Her Royal Highness, sitting on the inside of the desk, was playing with the pink "Thorn of Love":
"You want to ask, what are you loyal to? Country? Race? Faith? Or love for a girl?"
As he spoke, he pointed the "weapon" in his hand at Little Mia, who was lying on the parchment of a copy of "Clock Tower Lovers" which was said to be 500 years old. The cat did not dodge the weapon, but lay there lazily with its eyes squinted.
"Yeah, there are so many kinds of loyalty... Do you think I am loyal to love?"
Shade sat obediently on the chair outside the desk waiting for the "judgment". Lecia smiled and poked the cat with the "Thorn of Cupid". The orange cat meowed, got up and moved on the desk.
"Different people have different definitions of loyalty. I heard that Viscount La Maria, who lives in the southern part of Tobesk, has five or six young and handsome lovers, but the Viscount still believes that his wife is very loyal to her family and to love... ... because she always cooks dinner for him herself.
"This... Oh, stop teasing Mia."
Xia De picked up the cat that was about to be poked again, and Leicia smiled and stopped teasing the cat:
"Viscountess Ramaria is a special case. If we use the values that people can accept, you are certainly not loyal to love, my knight. But loyalty is relative. I don't have particularly high requirements for loyalty. After all, if you were really loyal, Dorothy and I would not have a chance... Answer me a question."
She pointed to the illustrated storybook on the table. This story was also "Lovers in the Clock Tower", but it was for children who had just learned to read, so it was more abridged than the story that Shade knew, and the final ending was not "the knight and his lover's body merged", but the knight who returned home found that his lover was seriously ill, so he found the witch in the forest, exchanged his arm for the elixir, and finally hugged the healed girl tightly in the clock tower when they parted.
Leicia asked:
"Shad Hamilton, if I am really in danger one day, are you willing to risk your life to save me?"
Xia De nodded immediately:
"Of course I will. I won't let you go no matter what."
"See, so at least I think you're loyal."
She retracted the pink crystal spike in front of her body and poked her chest:
"Come to think of it, loyalty is one of the qualities a knight must possess. Are you doubting your knighthood?"
She smiled and stabbed the spike into her heart, then opened her right hand. In the pink halo, clusters of crystals grew into blooming flowers.
"I'm not doubting this. I'm thinking about the ending of 'Clock Tower Lovers', imitating the power of the story and merging with the girl."
After saying this, I felt that there seemed to be something wrong with this sentence. Sure enough, the red-haired girl said teasingly with shining eyes:
"If you want to be 'one', you don't have to seek extraordinary powers. You can experience it tonight."
Seeing Xia De's embarrassed look, she smiled and inserted the crystal flower into her ear:
"I understand what you mean, the Lovers of the Clock Tower? The miracle achieved by love is such a wonderful story. I will help you, Shad. Dorothy and I will help you. But if you succeed, can you promise me one thing?"
"What?"
He asked curiously, and Her Royal Highness the Princess raised the corners of her lips:
"I must unfold your puzzle lock when the time comes. I also want to experience what it feels like to merge with you in another way. By then, will you become me, or will I become you? Or will it be some other strange appearance?"
That night, Resia did not leave Saint Teresa Square. The attention of the entire kingdom was now focused on the Green Lake area, and His Majesty the King who stayed in Tobesk was also very busy with negotiations. Therefore, no one would notice that Resia stayed overnight in Shade.
However, it was obvious that the blonde writer, who was not present tonight but still very much involved, had not forgotten that Leicia had made her sleep until noon last week. It was hard to say whether this was to "retaliate" against Leicia, or just to make Saturday's date more exciting. In short, the princess almost didn't get up on Sunday morning. When her maids took the sleepy princess away, they looked at Shade with a strange look in their eyes.
Xia De hoped that no strange rumors would spread in the future.
After breakfast, he lamented that he did not use the black time key last night. Then he said goodbye to Xiaomia, who was reluctant to move, and went to Green Lake from the basement.
He still entered the alley from the back door of the Green Lake Hotel. Today, Green Lake was still foggy, and the stench in the alley behind the hotel was still the same. In the distance, he could hear the loud shouts of the marchers, and in the distance against the background of the pale yellow sky, there were sparse black chimneys spewing black smoke into the sky.
This time, Shad did not leave after putting down the food. Instead, he talked to John, a boy he was already familiar with:
"I want to find you a job. Yes, a job. Although it may not be paid, it will provide food and accommodation, and it will be warm in winter."
Shade hasn't decided whether to ask Megan or Carina to help, but even if he lets them help, it will be after the Green Lake incident is over, and the boy will not be involved.
"John, will you go to work?"
The dirty boy held his puppy, sat on the lid of the trash can, looked up and asked Xiang Xiade:
"Can I keep him?"
"Woof~"
The skinny little dog also barked at Shad. It was probably older than Mia, but it didn't look very smart.
"certainly."
Xia De nodded affirmatively, and the boy nodded quickly as well:
"I do. I do."
"Okay, but you have to wait for a while. Strange things may have happened in the Green Lake area recently. Go on with your life, but don't go to strange places. Remember to come back and rest at night. If you encounter anything strange, tell me at any time, or leave a note."
Although the boy can't read, he can draw.
The boy nodded:
"Yes sir."
He jumped down from the trash can and wanted to bow to thank Xia De, but Xia De stopped him:
"Thank me after I have arranged your affairs. Then we'll see you next time. I wish you good luck."
"Good luck to you too, sir."
He held the puppy in his arms and watched Shad walk away in the alley until he completely disappeared.
Today is Sunday, and there is another party on the south bank of Green Lake tonight, which Shade intends to attend. But he still has to deal with the things at hand during the day, such as the bodies of Edwards and others.
Mr. Soren Green was on duty at the Green Lake Hotel that morning. After listening to Shad's request, he said it was okay, but he still wrote to Megan first.
The reply came back quickly. Megan and Audrey had something to deal with this morning and could not participate in the investigation, so they asked Shad to take action. Therefore, Shad left the Green Lake Hotel at nine o'clock in the morning and took a carriage to the Green Lake Public Cemetery according to the cemetery address given by Mr. Soren Green.
It is worth mentioning that as a relatively old lakeside city, the funeral traditions in the Green Lake area are different from those in other areas. In addition to traditional burial and cremation, people here also have the habit of sinking the bodies of the deceased into Green Lake. Even before the central island of Green Lake was shrouded in fog, some citizens insisted on sending the bodies of the deceased to the island for burial, but now these traditions can only be heard from a few echoes of the past.
Soren Green and Helena Green are the sixth generation of the Edwards family. Their father, Mr. Green, and grandmother, Miss Maria Edwards, are buried in the local area. Before her death, the youngest daughter of the fourth generation left a request for a traditional water burial, hoping that she could return to her hometown, which she was destined to never return to. Therefore, the body of Maria Edwards could no longer be found.
This time when Shad went to the cemetery, he could only visit the grave of the old man named "Nicholas Green".