Chapter 274

Chapter 61 Night’s End Part 2

I was still furious about what happened with Carlos! I needed to chop off his little bird with Captain Gray’s sword and feed it to goat cheese. Otherwise, he wouldn’t understand the fury of a strong man… Eh?

Victoria led me to the curb on the right side of the street, then she let go of my hand and squatted down in front of a white cloth covered with small trinkets. I casually glanced over and saw that the items on the cloth seemed to be handmade crafts: ebony carvings of deer, symbols of the church like the Holy Cross, exquisite book bindings… and other finely crafted trinkets.

I was immediately captivated by these interesting things.

They were all so beautiful!

… As for Carlos, let him die already.

The bad guy was thrown out of my mind. I imitated Victoria and squatted down beside her, hugging my knees as I looked excitedly at the dazzling array of trinkets. Then I saw Victoria pick up a shiny bracelet, and my gaze followed hers, unable to look away.

It seemed to be a beautiful bracelet made of flowing gemstones, with emerald green, crimson red, and ivory white… various transparent and colorful gems paired together, shining brilliantly under the lights—although I immediately realized they were just pretty stones.

“Praise the gods, beautiful ladies, what would you like?”

The vendor was an old woman with white hair and missing teeth, wearing a dirty gray cotton dress with a noticeable hole at the hem, but this did not affect her cheerful smile.

“Isn’t that bracelet beautiful? The pebbles were all picked by me from the riverbank, polished one by one with sandpaper, and strung together… All done by myself. Do you like it?”

The old woman said, then took another bracelet made of similarly colored and sized pebbles from the white cloth. She stretched her hand with difficulty, offering the bracelet to me, saying, “Take a look, if you like it…”

I quickly took the bracelet and held it up to examine it closely. The more I looked, the more I liked it.

Handcrafted, clearly made with great care… How were the holes in the pebbles made?

There must be no automated tools. Grandma was so old, doing this must have been quite a struggle.

“The two bracelets were blessed by kind nuns. I believe whoever wears them will always be safe and happy,” the old woman said.

“Grandma, isn’t it late to be selling?” Victoria tried the bracelet on her wrist and asked quietly.

“Hehe, the streets are so lively, I’m comfortable here. Why hurry home? Before my old eyes go blind, I’ll keep making beautiful handicrafts and find good homes for them… I’m old now, the only thing I can do is this. I’ll save some silver coins for my grandson working outside the city. He should get married soon!”

The grandmother spoke with a shaky voice, and her face was full of wrinkles when she smiled, yet somehow it made people feel warm.

“If I could find someone as beautiful as you two, I could die peacefully!”

“Grandma, your skills are amazing. Your body must be very healthy.”

A pebble had dust on it, so I brushed it off with my hand and blew on it, making the pebble clearer and brighter.

“I’ll live for a long, long time. When my grandson has children, and when they grow up, I’ll save money for him to marry.”

“Hahaha!” The old woman closed her eyes and laughed happily, unable to stop, “You girls really know how to speak sweetly. Then I’ll take your words as a blessing!”

At this moment, Victoria suddenly turned back, staring at the bracelet for a long time.

“I want this,” she said to me.

Her face exuded grace, her bright eyes full of spirit. Despite her usual calm tone, I suddenly felt that in this moment, she was like a pretty little girl asking for a gift from an adult.

“Sure.”

I nodded gently, unable to stop smiling.

Then she added, “Two.”

Without waiting for my response, she immediately turned to the old woman, “How much?”

“If you like them, just one silver coin each. The other one is a gift for you both… You’re such good girls… It breaks my heart to see you. Girls like you should be safe and happy.”

I took out two silver coins from my purse, grabbed the old woman’s rough, cracked hand, and gently placed them in her palm.

“If you don’t pay properly… The blessing might not work.”

“Good girls,” the old woman didn’t refuse, accepting the silver coins and bowing her head to me, “You are all good girls, good girls will surely be happy…”

After leaving the stall, Victoria and I continued walking down the street. She put the bracelet on her wrist and raised her wrist to the light when passing a lamppost, seemingly in a good mood.

And on my left wrist, I wore the same bracelet as hers.

The pebbles were cool. The stone surfaces were polished smooth and delicate, more comfortable than the white bracelet Pasifal gave me. I really liked this feeling.

“Fresh oysters—”

“Candy apples! Fried almonds! Come and take a look—”

The cries of vendors echoed amidst the bustling night.

Victoria ate the fish clean, and I pulled her to buy a small bag of fried almonds. While eating, I casually asked her questions like “Do you like venison pies?” “Why do you always eat cabbage? Like a rabbit,” “Were you always so expressionless when you were young?” Most of these were ignored by Victoria.

In fact, I found that talking to Victoria was quite a challenge. Unlike most people, she didn’t tell me what she ate today or what she wanted to eat tomorrow. She wouldn’t complain about who did something foolish. She was a very ungrounded, extremely proud woman, even if she dressed casually, her thoughts were different from ordinary people.

So the best way to interact with her was occasional conversation and mostly silence.

Though silent, there was no awkwardness.

It was a kind of quiet that emerged from the noise, a silence that required nothing to be said, a comfortable silence.

Unfortunately, this silence didn’t last long.

Just as I finished eating the almonds and threw away the paper bag, my eyes started wandering, searching for food. Suddenly, a sharp exclamation came from nearby.

“Oh my God!”

Then came a rather effeminate voice, as if calling us.

“Beautiful lady! The two beautiful ladies over there—”

I frowned slightly.

Who is this annoying person… coming to chat?

I instinctively looked in the direction of the voice and saw a thin, simply dressed but neatly styled man standing in front of a makeshift stall made of wooden frames and tarpaulins, waving at me from behind the crowd.

When I saw him, my eyes lit up.

… It’s delicious food!

I quickly grabbed Victoria’s hand and pulled her toward the man: “Let’s go over there!”

“Is he a friend?” Victoria obviously saw the man and asked in confusion.

“It’s delicious food.”

I answered without looking back.

We pushed through the crowd to the stall, and the man greeted me with delight: “Beautiful lady, we meet again! You are still so charming today~ Oh! My god, to see two star-like beautiful girls… This is truly a blessing from the gods~”

He bowed politely, speaking warmly.

I could smell the scent of cake, and my lips couldn’t help curling up. I wanted to greet him, but instead said, “We meet again, Opera almond cake!”

“Oh呵呵, Miss is really interesting~ I am not a cake…”

The man covered his mouth and laughed, his demeanor flirtatious.

“Hey, are you bringing a friend… or a sister? Want some cake?”

I nodded vigorously: “Yes!”

Last time, I thought his cakes tasted great, just a bit worse than Captain Gray’s. When I went to the academy, I was afraid they would spoil, so I didn’t leave much to eat at home. Now buying them is perfect for breakfast tomorrow.

Anyway, Victoria doesn’t eat these sweets… So whatever I buy is mine.

So I added, “Wrap them up.”

“Sure~ How many does Miss want?”

“How many are left?”

“Mm, probably not many left…”

The man twisted his shoulders to turn around and shouted to the stall behind him, “Dear, we have guests wanting almond cakes. How many do we have left today?”

Eh?

This ‘dear’ made me curious.

Is the boss here with his lover…

I couldn’t resist turning my head to look behind him, and the next moment, a very coarse voice suddenly came from inside the stall: “Today’s sales were good. We have a little over two pounds left, enough?”

??!

My breath caught momentarily. My lips trembled, and I looked at the burly figure showing only half his back from the stall, my smile freezing slightly.

“Miss, as you heard. There aren’t many cakes left. Will you buy the same amount as last time?”

“Coming down? Or…”

The man shrugged his shoulders and picked up his lotus finger to flick the collar of his shirt. He apologized to me with a slightly apologetic tone.

“Uh, give them all to me…”

I scratched my cheek. I didn’t know why, but suddenly felt awkward.

He had indeed called him darling just now, referring to that very strong-looking man inside.

Did I hear wrong?

This boss…

I originally thought he was just a bit effeminate, but I didn’t expect him to really like men…

…

How would Victoria feel about this?

Suddenly, I became concerned about her thoughts, so I glanced at her secretly. Victoria’s face remained as calm as water; apart from looking somewhat absent-minded, she showed no other reaction. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

She noticed my gaze and turned her golden eyes toward me: “Why are you looking at me?”

“Nothing…”

I quickly looked away. When I looked back at the thin boss again, he was turning around to shout at someone behind him: “Arthur, wrap everything up!”

He didn’t call him darling this time… Was it an unconscious reaction just now?

Suddenly, I felt uneasy as if I had stumbled upon someone else’s secret. I fidgeted and looked down at my feet, then glanced at the night sky. The thin boss seemed to notice my unease. He paused for a moment before showing a look of enlightenment and sadness.

“Oh, I couldn’t help but say it.”

The man looked at me, a wry smile forming on his lips.

“Miss, if you have any other views on our kind of relationship, I cannot control your thoughts. But even if you despise us, please don’t spread it widely, okay?”

His words lacked the enthusiasm they once had and became a polite request.

Uh…

Actually, I hadn’t thought much about it. He might be misunderstanding something…

So I hurriedly waved my hands: “I’m not—”

“It’s alright, miss. I’ve been used to being treated differently for many years, and I understand how you feel. All I hope is… please don’t have any complaints about the cake. No matter what, food is innocent.”

“No, no. You misunderstood. I’m just a little curious… I won’t tell anyone.”

The man’s gaze softened slightly. I tilted my head in thought, then said to him: Love is free, emotions are sacred. No one can look down on you.”

After these words, the thin boss’s eyes lit up.

“Miss, do you really think so?”

“Mm-hm.”

Of course, I do.

As a person who had crossed over… perhaps a person who had crossed over? But no matter what, I still retained memories from my past life. I remembered that I had a good friend who liked men, yet he was a very gentle person.

“Then I truly thank you for being so open-minded…”

It seemed he sensed sincerity from my eyes. The thin boss couldn’t help but raise his lotus finger again, and his thin lips curved into a smile. Suddenly, I felt he smiled a bit like my friend.

“Praise you, my lady. You are truly an angel sent by God to this world, not only beautiful in appearance but also pure-hearted… I am truly growing to like you more and more. To express my gratitude, let this two-pound cake be a gift for you!”

“No, it’s nothing…”

I quickly waved my hands to refuse, but the man’s attitude was firm.

“No, miss, please accept it.”

“Really, it’s—”

“Take it, Peylo,” Victoria suddenly spoke.

The man looked at her and his smile grew wider: “Thank you, thank you for understanding… It’s an honor to meet both of you ladies, and this small cake is a token of my sincerity…”

While we were talking, the burly man had silently wrapped the cake in brown paper and walked out of the stall, giving me a rather sturdy smile.

“The cake is ready.”

“Arsht, let me introduce you~”

The thin boss took the brown paper bag and gave him a warm glance.

“This lady is the one I told you about last time, the one who bought all the cakes on your birthday, which allowed me to give you such a surprise… I think she is a charming little elf~”

“It’s you, miss,” the burly man scratched his head, “I thank you… um, well, thank you very much.”

“Idiot.”

The thin boss scolded him and then handed the cake to me.

“Please take it~”

I took the cake, hesitating a bit: “Is this… okay?”

“I feel like it’s too little… Miss, judging by your age, you probably don’t understand the significance of what you just said…”

“We weren’t originally from the capital city and had no family. We wandered through many places. But that wasn’t what we wanted. Our relationship… was always treated as abnormal, as something ominous…”

“Because of this, I was almost burned by the mayor once, and another time, someone wanted to lock me up… So, you wouldn’t understand the meaning of that sentence.”

The thin boss was smiling while the burly man turned around silently and started tidying up the stall.

I suddenly realized that this place wasn’t where I used to live.

Such relationships, as they had, didn’t seem to be accepted by the common people… And most people in this world weren’t open-minded or rational.

“Oh, meeting a kind lady, I couldn’t help but talk more! Please don’t think I’m annoying~”

“Not at all.”

I held the cake tightly in my arms, feeling the warmth of the food through the paper bag, and smiled slightly.

“How are you doing now?”

“Thank you for your concern, miss,” the boss bowed to me again, “As you can see, we’re doing well. I make a living by selling cakes on this street using the skills passed down by my mother. My man, he sells small goods on the other side of the street. Although we occasionally still receive strange looks, everyone is very friendly, and life is always smooth. Just recently, we got a small plot of land on Juri Street, and we’re already quite satisfied~”

“Eisenbell is a free country, and the capital is our refuge. Thank Queen Elizabeth, if not for her decision to abolish the old laws… we wouldn’t be allowed to stay here, would we?”

I was stunned when I heard this.

“She is our benefactor, unlike any noble I’ve met…”

I didn’t hear much of what he said next because my brain was stuck.

He just mentioned Queen Elizabeth… That’s Victoria, isn’t it!

Victoria… abolished the law banning same-sex relationships?

Isn’t that right?

Unable to hold back, I turned my head in surprise to look at the stunning profile beside me.

And then, Victoria avoided my eyes for the first time.

What…

Why…

?!

“Miss…”

“…miss?”

I suddenly came to my senses: “Oh!”

“I say, if you’re not too busy, miss, please come visit us at home sometime~”

The boss looked at me, his smile as warm and sweet as his lover’s behind him.

“Mm-hm.” I nodded gently at them.

“Then we’ll take our leave now. Wishing you both a pleasant evening~”

People on the street continued to walk past.

The same-sex couple walking further away in the distance.

“Victoria…”

“Mm.”

“Why didn’t you speak earlier?”

“Nothing to say.”

“Oh…”

The atmosphere became strange after that.

I suddenly lost the desire to continue shopping, and I knew Victoria must have felt the same way. Before long, we walked back to Longdor Street along the stone path.

When we reached the gate of No. 2 residence, I couldn’t help asking her: “Did you abolish that law?”

“Yes,” Victoria answered calmly.

“Why?”

“Don’t like it.”

“Oh…”

A simple and direct answer.

“Oh, we’re home… How fast.” I said to her.

“Mm.”

Her response was still calm.

“I didn’t send you any good gifts.”

“You did.”

Victoria raised her wrist to show off the sparkling bracelet.

I pouted: “That doesn’t count.”

“I think it’s great.”

“But—”

“I think it’s great.”

She emphasized again, her expression serious: “I really like it. More than any gifts I received today. Peylo, you made me see many genuine smiles today. For me, that’s the best gift.”

Click, click…

The iron gate of No. 2 residence was opened by a maid.

Victoria touched my head: “Go back. Get some rest early.”

“Mm…”

After taking two steps, I turned back again.

“By the way, I haven’t told you yet… Happy birthday, Victoria.”

Under the hazy moonlight, the blonde woman curled her red lips.

“What’s this strange blessing?”

“From, Silviga’s, special blessing!”