Chapter 517: Boating Amidst Winter Snow
At the end of the year, the examination period arrived, and even within Émanas, there was a more tranquil atmosphere as everyone prepared for their exams.
Lolan Hill sat in a small cottage at the Temple Academy, reading a newly opened letter.
This letter was written by Florasia.
Since she left campus, around June, Florasia had been summoned back to the Verdant Empire to participate in the grand engagement ceremony. The letter detailed her recent life in the capital.
Even though Florasia came from a prestigious family, she had to relearn numerous etiquette rules to prepare for the upcoming grand ceremony. Royal designers consulted with her on various opinions and ideas, reportedly preparing nearly a hundred wedding outfits for the royal family and the Landsworth family to choose from.
All sorts of celebratory personnel, props, and clothing arrangements were tailored to please various parties, and they specially sought the opinion of this future empress.
Now, she felt like a little bird trapped in a floral cage, no matter where she went, a large entourage followed her. Even when drying her hands, seven servants would present towels made of different materials and patterns for her to choose from.
Once she chose one, that material and pattern would immediately become popular among the nobles in the capital. Noble ladies and matrons would vie to imitate her.
Her life became extremely noisy, almost devoid of privacy. Sometimes, she dared not speak casually to the maids around her. Because any casual remark could easily be twisted and spread rapidly.
You never knew how many noble families the servant who held your horse served behind the scenes, or how many eyes watched her. They were like bloodthirsty fish, circling around her, seizing any gossip-worthy news and events.
Faced with such a situation, Florasia struggled and endured for quite some time. Later, her brother came to the capital and brought over a group of household servants from their hometown, which improved the situation significantly.
“Florasia’s life doesn’t seem to be going smoothly,” Lolan Hill murmured to herself, looking at the words on the paper.
This letter was delivered by Florasia’s brother, otherwise, it might have ended up on countless tables.
As the top aristocratic family in the Verdant Empire, the Landsworths and the royal family, these two new couples were the focus of discussion throughout the capital. Florasia had also become a household name in the capital of Titania.
Firstly, because of her status—she was the only daughter of the Landsworth family, the fiancée of the Crown Prince, and the future White Queen of the empire.
Secondly, because of her stunning beauty. Before coming to school, Florasia was already known as the “Sun Jewel of the Landsworth Family.” Now, she was further called the “Sun Jewel of Titania.”
Titania was the name of the elf queen who married Alin. After the establishment of the Verdant Empire, to commemorate this elf queen, the capital was renamed Titania.
And now, this young girl with elf blood was not only a link between two great families but also a symbol of the balance and appeasement of the elf tribe in the Verdant Empire. She could be considered a perfect marriage partner for the royal family.
No wonder the emperor repeatedly summoned Duke Landsworth and, after much persuasion, finally arranged this marriage.
After reading the letter, Lolan Hill put down the paper and looked out the window at the sky.
The messenger who delivered the letter was a trusted person of Florasia’s brother and did not leave any other contact information. There was nothing confidential in the letter, so after handing it over to Émanas for safekeeping, he left. Lolan Hill had no way to reply and might not meet again for years.
—
A week later, the exams ended, and Lolan Hill’s request to study abroad at the Holy Land was approved. She would head there next semester.
Before leaving the school, she met with her friends several times.
Outside Bridgehead College, on the Blue Stream River.
A small boat drifted on the river surface, snowflakes fell from the sky and quickly melted upon hitting the water.
Several girls sat in the boat, with a small stove in the middle, cooking porridge and milk, emitting a fragrant aroma.
Lolan Hill wore a black and white winter dress, sitting at the stern of the boat, extending her hand out the window to catch some snowflakes, observing them in her palm.
“Lolan-senpai~” Ye Ling cheerfully jumped over, her long twin pigtails dancing in the air.
Lolan Hill caught this playful girl, sighing inwardly that Ye Ling had grown up, becoming much heavier than before.
This petite girl, now 16 years old, wore a light blue winter dress, with thick white socks covering her slender legs. Sitting in Lolan Hill’s lap, her small feet swung gently, expressing her happiness.
“Ye Ling is almost as tall as Lolan,” Bumansa commented beside her.
“Haha, let’s see how she will be spoiled in the future,” Alena laughed, holding a fluffy yellow and white ‘big ball’ and sitting by the fire, with a few skewers in her hand ready to cook.
Soon, the ball moved, stretched, yawned, and shook its body—it was a cute big cat, much calmer than when it first arrived at the school.
“Miao~”
The cat meowed loudly, sitting on Alena’s lap, staring at the flames and roasting meat, its tail swaying left and right, sometimes brushing against Alena’s wrist, tempting someone to grab it.
Letis tiptoed to hang a metal lattice ball at the top of the boat, but unable to reach, asked Nia to help hold her steady. After a while, she finally hung the ball properly.
“What’s this for?” Nia asked, looking at the copper ball swaying with the boat.
“Well, it can heat the air inside the boat to keep it warm. It’s an improved version of the old large heaters. It’s smaller and prettier.”
“Everything has to be aesthetically pleasing for people to like it,” Letis said, stating her principle.
Not far from the bow, Lily held a fishing rod, sitting on a small wooden stool.
“Vimya, do you think there are fish here?”
After waiting for a long time without any reaction from the float, Lily turned her head dejectedly and asked the blue-haired girl nearby.
“There should be some, perhaps they’re just not interested in your bait,” Vimya stroked her hair and replied.
“Ah, what can I do? In winter, there are no bugs to catch, so I had to use some of my breakfast bacon as bait.”
“Maybe we need to wait a bit longer for those fish that enjoy smoked bacon to wake up from the bottom of the water,” Vimya smiled.
Lily helplessly looked at the bobbing float, supporting her chin with both hands, muttering, “How long do we have to wait? Girls don’t have much patience.”
“How about eating some bread first?” Bumansa suggested from the side, opening the snacks she had prepared earlier and distributing them among everyone, causing another round of laughter and joy.
Outside the boat, thousands of miles of snow covered the world in silver, creating a uniform scene.
(End of Chapter)
