Chapter 405

Chapter 28: Mutual Gaze Part 2

In the midst of flowers and brocade, lanterns lit like dragons.

May 15th was the day the Church designated as when the Mother Goddess bestowed her grace upon humanity. According to the custom in Ethsembel, people would usually place a young green branch at their doorstep or plant a small tree, then decorate with floral wreaths, bouquets, and colorful flags and ribbons, praying for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest. At the same time, various cities would hold garden parties, with streets filled with diverse artistic performances, celebrating the blooming of flowers and the growth of all things.

On this day, young maidens would carry branches and flower garlands, going door-to-door to sing May Day songs, wishing for a good harvest—though this tradition had gradually faded with the prosperity of the royal city. Fewer people were willing to farm earnestly, so the blessing lost much of its significance. Drinking, singing, dancing, and night market outings with family and friends became the main themes of the festival, with many setting up stalls late into the night, making it bustling nonetheless.

This year’s May Day had a different flavor… Various cultural performances and knight tournaments still took place, but they were no longer as clearly segregated as before. Programs that combined both literary and martial elements increased. There were performances depicting palace battles, as well as ones showing Sir Sylvia battling the abyss. The performers were mostly knights, including some nobles who were well-known and promising. Minstrels played ballads praising deities and heroes on street corners with Vielle harps, drawing crowds who clapped along to the rhythm. After each song, cheers erupted, and the atmosphere soared.

Tonight, the moon was bright and the stars sparse.

When the gentle bell sounds echoed, a young maiden in white dress and a sun hat was holding several skewers of greasy grilled meat in one hand and waving a long branch with the other. The branch was adorned with a pretty pink bow made of ribbon, and two small copper bells at the end jingled “ding-dong” as she danced.

The maiden swept through the snack stalls along the street, her shadow darting through the crowd, chased by a round-faced girl behind her: “Peiluo, slow down! Wait, Daisy has disappeared…”

Upon hearing her call from behind, she braked abruptly with a “schlick,” turned around, and ran back, the copper bells ringing all the way.

The two found Daisy, who had been left behind. The maiden said excitedly, “Sarah, hurry up! I saw that the Bujie custard tarts are almost sold out over there—”

The girl named Sarah looked helpless, “Can you finish what you have first… Look, your satchel is already bulging. How will you carry more?”

“You can help me.”

“I don’t want to…”

But she still followed the maiden.

The southern district of the royal city was bustling, with myriad candles illuminating the streets brighter than the moonlight. The entire avenue was filled with a lively atmosphere. A gentle breeze blew, and at the end of the street, drums and music echoed. Acrobatic teams passed by, surrounded by children running around, and the heat from the vendors’ fires rose.

The three girls from 1504 were caught in the throngs, buying custard tarts and then moving on to the next stall.

I finished eating the skewered meat, threw away the stick, and grabbed them to buy half a cup of broad beans, slowly eating them. When I was happy, I couldn’t help but squint, the branch in my hand jingling “ding-dong.” Soon, Sarah blurted out, “Sophia is actually quite impressive.”

“Huh?”

“Just now… When we left, I saw her expression. She definitely wanted to come out and have fun with us. No girl dislikes shopping, right? But in her heart, there are things more important than having fun together…”

The girl said earnestly, and I thought for a moment, nodding in agreement.

“Yes.”

“She always knows exactly what to do and what not to do. I can’t… Though I often argue with Sophia and dislike her noble lady-like demeanor, I actually… admire her.”

The girl lifted her face, her eyes reflecting the firelight, revealing a hint of confusion.

“She will definitely live a better life in the future… No, her life is already much better than mine… And Peiluo, even without that identity, you are also very impressive… You are all impressive people… talented, with excellent backgrounds, and more hardworking than me… You’re all younger than me… Sometimes, I really want to be like you, to persist in doing whatever comes to mind. But I’m lazy.”

She held a bag of custard tarts, walking slowly.

“Though I often think about these things, whenever I make a firm decision, like before bedtime, I feel that I must work harder tomorrow, maybe practicing swordsmanship. But the next day, even if I wake up early, I don’t want to practice, feeling too tired, thinking I can still try tomorrow…”

As she walked, she spoke softly. I walked beside her, while Daisy lagged behind us, licking a licorice candy.

“Cabbage meat pie, homemade secret recipe, only available today!”

“Morlem sausages upgraded! Thicker sausage, richer juice—”

The vendors’ cries echoed around, mingling with the girl’s increasingly despondent words.

“These days, when I go to the library, Peiluo, you can immediately immerse yourself in reading, focusing intently for hours. I can’t… I can’t concentrate, and my mind isn’t sharp enough. Often, I start daydreaming, unable to focus… In the past, when Father was home, I was always the one scolded. I am a lazy person, and I know deep down that I need to become better, but… I just can’t…”

She turned her head, “Peiluo, what should I do?”

I looked at her face.

Sarah smiled thinly.

Her smile diffused in the dense crowd, unremarkable, just like countless ordinary girls in the world.

But…

“Sarah, is a good girl.”

“A good girl…”

“Yes. Kind-hearted, with a sense of justice, even if… a bit slower. In the future, she will surely become a respected, outstanding female knight.”

“But she will be left far behind by you…”

“Huh?”

The girl’s soft murmur was drowned out by the noise. I didn’t hear it, and after expressing my confusion, she shook her head, unwilling to elaborate further.

“Hey, let’s go check out the carnival? It’ll be too late if we wait any longer.”

Sarah’s mood changed quickly, and she immediately became cheerful again, cutting off my comforting words. Seeing her smile, I gently shook my head.

“The carnival… it’s so far away.”

If the journey was long, it would delay a lot of time for eating…

“It’s not that far. I know one nearby, right by the Venice Square.”

“Oh…”

“Let’s go, let’s go? They say there’s a very famous street performer there! It’s just a few streets away, we can walk there… What do you think, Daisy?”

“I’m fine with it…”

“Then let’s go… Ah, Peyilo, be careful not to get oil on me…”

“My hands are clean.”

“A handkerchief can’t clean them properly… No, I’ll get you an éclair if you want to eat it…”

Time slowly approached midnight, and the bustling atmosphere in the city reached its peak. Myself, Sarah, and Daisy strolled with the crowd, eating more food along the way. The broad beans and éclairs we bought earlier were finished. Feeling about six or seven parts full, we turned a corner and suddenly saw the road ahead crowded with people, almost at a standstill. Both sides of the road were filled with horse-drawn carriages, stuck like they were in quicksand.

Not far away, the circular square was brightly lit, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime, and faint music could be heard.

“We’re late, there are so many people…”

“Do we still need to go in?”

“Let’s give it a try.”

“Sarah, lead the way.”

Sarah nodded, grabbed my and Daisy’s hands, and squeezed through the crowd, shouting “Excuse us,” as she went. When someone was pushed aside and showed an unhappy expression, she smiled and said, “We are support staff.” Seeing the three of us girls, young and cute, they didn’t dare to protest and reluctantly made way.

So, I held down my sun hat, being dragged by Sarah, and arrived at the center of the lights, in front of the stage.

The stage wasn’t particularly beautiful, even a bit shabby, with the edges of the wooden frame exposed. However, a bright red cloth was laid out on top, shimmering slightly golden under the light of countless lanterns. The night made it hard to see clearly, but the surrounding area was decorated with flowers and multicolored ribbons, creating a slight visual effect.

The area around the stage was packed tight, and when we arrived at the front row, the performance seemed to be at its most exciting stage. People applauded and cheered, some shouting unfamiliar names. Sarah was swept up in the excitement, cheering along, while Daisy seemed indifferent—she was always indifferent. She liked to stay in the dorm when she had nothing to do, and even when bored, she never went out unless someone dragged her. A carefree girl.

As I thought, I looked up at the stage above.

It appeared to be a musical drama performance.

Since I entered halfway through, I didn’t know what it was about, only seeing that everyone on stage was dressed in elaborate court attire, their hair meticulously styled, clearly portraying upper-class individuals. At this moment, one of these upper-class figures lay dead on stage, while those surrounding the “corpse” were all enraged, their expressions fierce.

Facing these angry people was a lone white-haired woman standing on the other side of the stage.

The woman wore simple white clothes, her slender figure blending with the silver strands dancing in the wind under the light. She stood there quietly, holding a blood-stained sword in her hand, seemingly the “murderer” or “assassin” who killed the person on the ground. The opponent was ranting, but she remained silent, lowering her head and gently stroking the sword, like caressing a child in her arms. Then someone shouted from the crowd, “Follow me and kill this rebellious girl!” Several elegantly dressed men rushed forward.

“Fight!”

“Kill them—”

The voices below the stage were shouting continuously, emotions high. The woman on stage ignored them, still stroking the sword. When someone raised a knife and charged at her, she suddenly flicked the blade, producing a sharp sound. Finally, she moved.

She raised her hand.

Whoosh—

Two streaks of cold light flashed.

“Aah!”

The man clutched his chest and fell down, his face filled with indignation.

“Whoosh—”

A chorus of gasps rose from the audience.

My eyelids twitched abruptly.

Those two strikes…

Hesitating, I saw the others on stage also shouting and charging forward. The woman did not stop, stepping forward, crouching slightly, her sword at her waist, the blade turning backward, then slicing out sharply. Another person fell. The woman dodged a slow, lazy slash from the side, tiptoeing and turning, her wrist shaking as she slashed out several times in quick succession. Her movements were grand and open, yet beautiful like a dance, her skirt fluttering in the wind, like a butterfly flitting through flowers, captivating the eyes.

Beautiful…

This woman, her swordsmanship is not ordinary!

On stage, after she swung those few strikes, all the attackers fell down. The crowd below seemed shocked, stunned for about two seconds before erupting into thunderous applause.

“Cut well—”

“Amazing!”

“Who is this woman?”

“I’ve never seen her before…”

“Newcomer… impressive! Her sword dance is beautiful.”

“Did she really cut them? I feel like she did… Those strikes were too fast to see clearly.”

“Don’t worry, those are props…”

Even Sarah next to me was shouting, “Wow~ Sister, you’re so cool! So impressive!” Her gaze was full of admiration, clearly impressed by her swordsmanship.

The musical drama seemed to end here.

The woman put away her sword and walked to the center of the stage facing the audience. The fallen performers also stood up, joining her in the thunderous applause, bowing to the audience.

I was clapping, but my gaze was fixed on the woman, my brows slightly furrowed.

There’s something…

With such swordsmanship, she shouldn’t just be a street performer, right?

Suddenly, the woman seemed to notice my gaze, her eyes sweeping over the crowd, then meeting mine.

My heart skipped a beat.

Under the bright lights, her clear blue eyes resembled a clear sky. That head of scattered white hair made me think of two familiar people.

Carlos.

And… Teresa.