It seems that Miss Carina not only doesn't like such parties, but also has other troubles today.
Miss Carina was very sensitive and noticed Shade's gaze among the crowd below. She shook her head at Shade imperceptibly, and it was unknown what she wanted to express.
Queen Diana did not give a speech on the stairs. Surrounded by the princesses and princes of Cavendish and the ladies, she walked along the cleared passage to the large terrace on the second floor, accompanied by music. Standing here, not only the guests on the second floor and the guests in the courtyard, but also the pedestrians on the Silver Cross Avenue and the people on the second and third floors of nearby St. Teresa's Square could see her.
This terrace itself was the location where the king delivered his formal speech to the entire nation.
Because there were too many people, Shad did not try to join in the fun and squeeze to the front to watch Queen Diana's speech. He supported Dorothy and carefully sat back on the sofa. Just now, when Leisia followed the queen to the second floor and walked into the terrace, Dorothy almost fell forward on Shad.
"Really? If you knew this would happen, you shouldn't have come to this party."
Shade asked Dorothy to sit down and wanted to use Scindia's Silver Moon Gift to heal her, but Dorothy waved him off;
"It's okay."
Her forehead was covered in sweat, her face was very pale, and her voice was almost completely drowned out by the queen's amplified voice using a loudspeaker.
"It was just a little uncomfortable at that moment. I thought the distance was far enough."
She didn't lie, her complexion was indeed recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye. However, there was still sweat on her forehead, and the thin and long golden hair on her temples, which she had left untied, was stuck to her cheeks because of the sweat.
"Is everything okay over there, Lecia?"
Xia De was even more worried that Leicia would suddenly collapse in public.
"It's okay. She took painkillers in advance."
"What?"
Shad frowned in surprise, but Dorothy pursed her lips and shook her head:
"It can only be like this. There's nothing we can do about it. As long as we don't get close, this won't happen... I'm afraid we'll never be able to truly look each other in the eye in this lifetime."
Fortunately, Dorothy's writer friends were standing on tiptoe behind the crowd, trying to see Queen Diana directly while she was giving a speech, so Dorothy's abnormality was not noticed by many people.
After the Queen finished her speech, the lively banquet officially began. Queen Diana did not leave, but accepted interviews from reporters and chatted with the ladies she knew. The young princes and princesses of the Cavendish family also chose to do their own things. Shad carefully counted and found that there were more than ten children of the King who showed up today.
Larous III's reproductive ability is truly the strongest among all the kings.
Marquis Grassley quickly sent a servant to come over and asked Shad to join them at the gambling table by the wall on the second floor. But before Shad could say goodbye to Dorothy's writer friends, another maid came from the third floor. It was Miss Carina who asked Shad to go up.
So he could only say goodbye to Dorothy temporarily and asked the servant to apologize to the Marquis of Grassley, saying that he would probably be a little late.
When I met Miss Carina on the third floor, the Duchess, who was dressed particularly beautifully tonight, looked a little troubled. She asked Tifa to confirm that no one was eavesdropping outside the door, and then she whispered to Shade a slightly horrifying fact:
"There is a thirteen-ring warlock at this banquet."
"What?"
"Don't worry, it's Sari Pirot, the 13th Ring Warlock of the Church and the 'Iron Right Hand' of the Creation Church."
Miss Carina sat in front of the dressing table, her chair facing towards Shade's position, frowning a little unhappy, but with the red ball gown dragging on the carpet and the shining hair accessories in her hair, she looked even more beautiful:
"I just heard about this at 7:40. Iron Right Hand was originally stationed outside the Dark Territory. He returned to the city temporarily after switching shifts with Sunshine Great Sword these days. It was Queen Diana who invited him. This was quite unexpected. The royal family rarely invites high-level ring sorcerers from the Orthodox Church."
"What did the Queen invite this gentleman to do?"
"Nothing, just a simple invitation. It's normal to send invitations to important people in the city on your birthday. But my nephew, Larus III, was a little angry about this. He was originally planning to show up just now, but he didn't show up because of this incident... He has always been opposed to members of the royal family bypassing him and privately contacting the top leaders of the church."
"But Queen, this is just..."
Xia De narrowed his eyes slightly:
"Did she really just invite it together?"
"I'm glad you didn't just take Diana for a mere human being."
Miss Carina smiled and asked Tifa to rub her shoulders. Shade then mentioned the matter of Darkness. When the two met in the afternoon, they were in a hurry so he didn't have time to say:
"Darkness has entered Tobesk. At least until last night, he was already within the city limits."
"You met him again?"
Miss Carina tilted her head slightly:
"Is he really here to seek revenge on you? Oh, this is getting interesting."
With her slender fingers she tapped the back of a cushioned armchair engraved with the Cavendish crest:
"I thought I could have a few days off, but now I can't. Really, the Council asked me to kill Darkness myself... Shade, I'll thank you for the information after this is over. If you have any other information, remember to tell me as soon as possible, and don't try to catch him yourself. You don't know how powerful the ancient evil demon is. Even if a thirteen-ring warlock rashly fights him, he may not be able to win easily."
"It's no problem, Miss Carina."
The Duchess suddenly raised her eyebrows and smiled:
"Why not thank me now? Tifa, take the detective to find little Resia. When I came back from the second floor just now, I saw her enter the east corridor. She must have gone to her lounge."
Although some rooms in the main building of the Jodel Palace were used as living quarters for the royal family, it also played a strong administrative role. As a princess who had participated in government affairs, Resia had her own study or lounge here. Few of the unmarried daughters of Larousse III had such treatment.
"Remember not to go through the banquet hall to avoid being seen by someone with ulterior motives. Go up the stairs on the east side. If you meet anyone, tell them that I asked the detective to go downstairs to get something."
She made the arrangements, the maid nodded, and Shade stood up from his chair:
"Ms. Carina, I should be staying at the Yodel Palace until around eleven o'clock. If you have anything else to do tonight, you can always come to the second floor to meet me."
"I know that you have an appointment to play Rhodes cards with someone else. Speaking of Rhodes cards, Queen Diana will probably give you a surprise tonight, so you can look forward to it a little."
She held her face and smiled.
Under Tifa's guidance, Shade walked around the east side of the third floor before he saw the narrow staircase used by servants. He walked through the maze-like building without meeting anyone.
After stopping in front of the door with the name "Lecia Cavendish" on it, Tifa motioned for Shad to knock on the door himself:
"Your Highness Leicia probably won't like seeing me."
The black-haired maid winked at Shade playfully. If the younger Iluna was cute when she did this, then Tifa's was playful and a little charming. After the detective assistant job, she seemed to have a different view of Shade:
"Then I'll go back first, Xia De. The lady may have something else that I need to do."
She said in a low voice.
"Okay then, bye, Tifa."
"Have fun tonight."
As she said this, the maid smiled at Shade, then turned and walked away on the carpet.
Xia De made sure that the other person's back disappeared around the corner of the corridor before he reached out and knocked on the door gently.
"Who is it?"
Although the voice of Lecia from inside sounded a little muffled through the door, it still made Shade smile:
"It's me."
He believed in his own voice, and Lecia could tell it.
But after he finished speaking, he didn't hear any footsteps immediately. Instead, after a while, a sound of footsteps that was obviously not from Lecia approached the door.
After the door was opened, Shade saw a young man with reddish-brown hair, who was shorter than him, wearing a black tuxedo and a white shirt. The watch chain sticking out of his chest pocket was tied to the button. His skin was a little dark, his eyebrows were thick, and he asked Shade at the door with some doubt:
"Who are you, sir?"
"It's my friend."
Before Shad could speak, Princess Ajelina's voice rang out in the room.
Shade looked into the room and saw quite a lot of people inside. In addition to the servants, there were Princess Ajeelina, Leicia, and several other young men and women that Shade did not recognize.
There were several girls among them that Shade had seen before when he was in the Prophet's Association, but because he didn't remember their names, he treated them as strangers.
"Mr. Hamilton is my friend. I asked the servant to call him here to wait with us for the dance to begin."
Princess Ajelina said again, and the young man at the door made way for Shade to come in. He looked at Shade suspiciously, and when Shade passed by him, he suddenly realized:
"Hamilton by Rejad!"
"Yes, it's me."
Shade nodded in acknowledgement.
"Are you Miss Carina's lover as rumored?"
Xia De stopped and looked at him with a frown:
"Sir, this is not polite. Please do not slander Miss Carina's reputation."
Not only him, but also Leicia and Ajelina frowned. Although the rumors were spreading like wildfire, these things could not be said like this.
The young nobleman in front of him, whose name he didn't know, was obviously hostile to Xia De. Although he didn't know where this hostility came from, Xia De was not the kind of person who would swallow his anger. Moreover, he was slandered even though he had done nothing. This was the most infuriating thing:
"Sir, please apologize to Miss Carina."
"Yes, I made some mistakes."
Involving the powerful Duchess in the country, the other party obviously realized that his words blurted out in an emotional state were inappropriate. But after apologizing insincerely, he looked up and down at Xia De, raised his eyebrows and raised his head slightly and said:
"Mr. Hamilton, I heard you were a detective at St. Teresa's Place? Look, you look like that."
This tone is extremely frivolous, in other words, impolite.
"Well, detective, why don't you deduce what we were doing just now?"
He smiled and said:
"A detective in Saint Teresa's Square should have this ability."
Xia De looked at the others. Most of them also thought that it was very rude to speak like that, while a few girls were trying to use their expressions to tell Xia De what had just happened here.
"I see..."
Shade turned and walked towards the maid by the wall. With his back to everyone, he stretched out his hand and said to Ms. Hels, the head maid of Resia:
"Ma'am, lend me a gun."
As he spoke, he drew the Kindness Spear from his waist. Although two other maids saw this scene besides Ms. Hels, no one dared to speak.
"Sir, in addition to being a detective, I am also a knight."
Xia De lowered his head and quickly opened the cylinder.
Because the Spear of Goodness can use the spirit of the Ringwitch to generate bullets, he usually does not place bullets in it, and now all six magazines are empty.
Xia De reached into his pocket and took out a bullet. After showing it to the surprised crowd, he pressed the bullet into the magazine.
"And the most important thing for a knight and a detective is actually courage."
After returning the cylinder to the correct position, he showed the pistol to the young nobleman with thick eyebrows at the door:
"Since you are questioning my detective ability, why don't we make a bet? No, Rhodes cards are too boring. Let's bet on this."
With a flick of his finger, the cylinder immediately began to spin. When the cylinder was fixed again, Xia De picked up the gun and signaled to the other party:
"Will you go first or should I? I think you know what I mean."
"Oh, you, you lunatic!"
The young man in a black tuxedo looked at Xia De in disbelief. Xia De shook his head:
"This is a bet of honor. In the old days, knights were happy to use this method to protect their reputation."
"Mr. Hamilton, you don't have to take risks for this man. This is Mr. Jason Dimmock, the youngest son of the Earl of Dimmock."
Princess Ajelina's voice came from the side, but Shade was not interested in knowing who the other person was:
"So, Mr. Dimock, will you go first or should I?"
"You..."
"Okay then. I'll go first."
Shade pointed the Gun of Kindness, which could never be used for suicide, at his own temple and pulled the trigger before anyone else could react.
There was a click sound, and indeed no bullet was fired.
"It's your turn."
Shade took a few quick steps and handed the gun forward, but Mr. Dimock obviously didn't dare to take it:
"you... ... "
"Oh, twice each?"
As he was about to raise his gun again, the young man in a tuxedo immediately stopped him:
"No, no, I mean..."
"Oh, it's still one person at a time, but you want me to do the shooting?"
Shade raised his gun, and Mr. Dimock immediately raised his hands:
"Knight, calm down and listen to me. Why should I bet with you?"
"Because you have offended Miss Carina and my honor."
Although Shade put down his revolver with a smile, he still stared at the other person:
"Or do you want me to pull the trigger three times first, and then you try the last three times."
Because he was very confident that this gun would never kill him, the expression on Shad's face showed that he was definitely not joking.
"No, I..."
Jason Dimock looked at the other people in the room, trying to ask for help, but no one spoke at this time. Not only because Shad was holding a gun, but also because what Shad said actually made sense.
Even if they really engage in dangerous gambling here and people die as a result, the survivors will not be punished too much.
"I, I... I'm not feeling well. Sorry."
Seeing that no one was helping him, the noble young man in a tuxedo backed towards the door, then opened the door and walked out, regardless of what his friends in the room thought.
“Tsk.”
Xia De shook his head, holding the gun and turning to look at the group of people sitting on the sofa. Seeing that no one spoke, he opened the magazine again and took out the bullet.
Judging from the position of the bullet, the sixth pull of the trigger should have aimed it towards the barrel.
"You are so impulsive."
Princess Ajeelina said immediately while sitting on the sofa, and then winked at Shad, which was a very playful action.
"I'm so sorry this happened. Sorry, please go to the banquet hall first."
The real owner of this place, Leicia, said to her friends, and people walked around Shade and left the room, but most of them smiled and nodded at Shade. It seemed that what happened just now would definitely spread throughout the banquet.
After the guests left, Leicia looked at the servants standing by the wall. After nodding slightly, Ms. Hels led the servants to leave first.
After everyone left, except for her and Shad, the only one left was Ajelina Cavendish sitting on the sofa.
The little princess was originally holding a porcelain teacup, but when she saw her sister stand up from behind the desk, walk quickly to the center of the room, and put the gun on her waist to Xia De, she subconsciously put the teacup on the coffee table, then stretched her neck to look at them.
Leicia stretched out her right hand and lifted up Shade's head. The red-haired girl embraced him with her left arm, then tiptoed and kissed him.
"Oh~"
The little princess said softly, her face flushed, looking at them without blinking.
"What is your relationship?"
It took her a long time before she picked up her teacup again, leaned sideways and asked in a low voice while holding the cup.
Leicia pushed Shade away, breathing heavily, and lifted some of the scattered red hair around her ears. Even the blush on her cheeks couldn't cover it up.
Her breath was a little unsteady when she spoke, but the smile on her face was very obvious:
"Shad saved me, this is a thank you."
None of the three people present believed such words, but Ajelina did not ask any more questions.
"I wanted to do that last time."
Leicia smiled and said to Shade again. She was looking at Shade closely, her eyes were bright at the moment:
"I've been meaning to thank you since we parted so hastily out west. I wanted to kiss you on Saturday, but I got hung up on all that shit, and now I finally get to do it, and it feels really good."
"Sister Leicia, the last sentence should be spoken by a male character."
The little princess immediately reminded that Leicia ignored her sister.
"Shad, Ajelina didn't want her father to force her to marry someone she didn't like for political reasons, so she asked me for help. She's someone you can trust, so it's okay that she saw it just now."
Leicia continued:
"I sometimes leave Tobesk. If you can't find me but run into trouble in the city, you can also ask Ajelina for help. She is always in the Yodel Palace, but her maid can come and go relatively freely. I'll ask her to give you her contact information later."
"I don't get into any trouble in this city either. It's very peaceful here."
Xia De said, carefully wiping off the lipstick on his lips with the back of his hand:
"So, Lecia, were you okay when you went to the second floor just now?"
He is still worried about it.
"It's okay. Come on, sit down and let's have a good chat. I know you miss playing Rhodes, but it won't be a big deal to delay it for an hour or two."
"It doesn't really matter whether you play cards or not."
Xia De said lightly, Leicia covered her mouth and chuckled, and Ajelina seemed to want to say something, but at this time, the door was knocked again.