Chapter 1502: Lovers of the Zhong Lou

If only in terms of area, the three most well-known opera houses in Tobesk City could not compare to the Wilde Opera House in Randel Valley. But if commenting on the decoration style and the degree of luxury, it was clear that the opera house of the "Pearl of the North" was still superior.

On the night of early spring, there were quite a few people who wanted to spend time in the opera house and enjoy life. The temperature rose very quickly, but in two weeks, the feeling of winter had completely disappeared. Even the wind at night could feel warmth; one of the proofs was the attire of the audience walking up the steps at the entrance of the opera house, which had completely transitioned to spring.

For Xia De, the difference between winter attire and spring attire was not big. Although Lei Qianya had told him countless times, he still liked the simplest black coat; even if attending a formal occasion, he would just change the overcoat into a black formal suit.

The Maria Queen Opera House, located on Swift Street, was still crowded on the night of early spring. The street decorated by gas lamps was not the reason for attracting people; that opera house, brightly lit under the starry sky, was the place that people who loved nightlife wanted to visit.

The Outlander had once seen such a statement in a lace news tabloid: any singer, opera actor, and performer in Dralian regarded it as an honor to be able to perform in the Maria Queen Opera House. Only female opera actors like Vanessa and Miss Bernice could use such a place as their stage at will.

Xia De arrived a little late. When he got off the carriage, the next opera was almost about to start. He jumped off the carriage, paid the fare, and then walked up the steps in three steps and two steps. When he was about to reach the end of the steps, he slowed down his pace and then straightened his tie, walking into the lobby of the opera house in a quite gentlemanly rather than very anxious manner.

The maid arranged by Lei Qianya led Xia De through the hidden stairs on the side inside the theater to the third floor. She knocked on the door in the very center of the third floor. Xia De originally thought the first person he would see would be Lei Qianya or Ajilina; he didn't expect that the person who got up from the sofa and looked at the door was actually the other lady of the Cavendish family.

"Good evening, Xia De."

Miss Galina said very lightly, waving her hand to let Tifa pour tea, and then looked at Xia De's attire up and down: "It seems you really care about your date with Lei Qianya; look, the dress is really formal."

Actually, one had to wear a formal suit to the opera house, and most of Xia De's formal suits were purchased with Lei Qianya's help, among which there were simply no cheap goods. "Good evening, Galina. Hmm... I didn't go to the wrong door, right?"

Although Xia De was a bit surprised, he still walked into the room jokingly.

"Of course you didn't go to the wrong door. I knew you and Lei Qianya were dating tonight, so I murdered her a step in advance and am waiting for you here. Now the poor girl is hidden in the wardrobe over there. Oh, knight, why don't you know how to take the initiative to find me?"

The red-haired lady pretended to be resentful and said. Xia De looked left and right and indeed didn't see Lei Qianya and Ajilina, but he also knew the witch was joking:

"Sorry, I..."

"I don't need your apology. I asked that purple-eyed fortune teller and found that you almost never issued any evening invitations."

She said to Xia De with a smile:

"Then I understand. It seems that you prefer girls to take the initiative on weekdays, which is completely different from the impression you left on me in bed. But I have to admit, Xia De, this point is very much to my taste."

She reached out and pulled Xia De, letting him sit beside her. And Lei Qianya and Ajilina, who returned from the washroom, also appeared at the door at this time:

"This is my date, and don't say such things on such an occasion; the reputation of the Cavendish family will be ruined, and Ajilina is still here."

The Princess said helplessly, but she didn't ask Miss Galina to leave immediately, while the little princess pursed her lips to keep herself from saying her inner thoughts.

"If you want to be alone with Xia De, then you can make another appointment for yourself." Lei Qianya suggested, and then greeted Xia De gently.

"I thought you liked group dates."

Miss Galina teased, and then all

the people heard a laugh that couldn't be held back.

Including the maids present, pairs of eyes looked at the red-haired little princess. Ajilina Cavendish subconsciously took half a step back. Lei Qianya's mouth twitched a few times, "fiercely" glared at her sister, and then lifted the hem of her skirt and sat on Xia De's other side.

"So, Lei Qianya should have something to say to me tonight, rather than just a date." Xia De thought in his heart, took the teacup handed by Tifa, and thanked her.

【Why do you think so?】

"If it were a date, to put it exaggeratedly, now she probably would have already started fighting with Miss Galina."

In terms of personality, Lei Qianya is the kind of girl who is very difficult to compromise actively. Of course, this is also one of the reasons why Xia De likes her.

Xia De arrived a bit late, so shortly after he sat down, as the light in the theater below the box gradually dimmed, the noisy sound from the audience also became lower little by little. The maid by the wall also dimmed the light of the gas lamp in this room. Xia De saw the actress in men's clothing walk to the center of the stage under the beam of light and start singing, so he asked curiously:

"Speaking of which, what is this play tonight?"

When dating Lei Qianya at the opera house, the opera was never the focus of the date, and Xia De had no interest in opera, so sometimes when the Princess made an appointment with him, she wouldn't even mention the repertoire.

"This is a repertoire adapted from a well-known fairy tale."

Miss Galina held a brass telescope; that small telescope was connected to a metal rod, and she only needed to hold the metal rod to support the telescope in front of her eyes:

"We generally call it 'Lovers of the Zhong Lou'."

"The young knight received the lord's summons to participate in a war against an enemy country. His fiancée waved goodbye to the knight at the top of the clock tower at the highest point of the city, until she watched the knight's back as he rode away disappear on the horizon. The knight fought abroad, and only after many years did he finally return to his hometown. He looked at the dilapidated clock tower and saw the girl with an unchanged face again at the small window at the top. She was still so young and so beautiful."

Lei Qianya said, and Ajilina beside her helped complete the last part of the story:

"The knight dragged his old body up the clock tower, embraced his fiancée tightly at the top of the clock tower, and swore never to be separated. A long time later, people discovered that the corpse of the knight who died in battle at the front line appeared at the top of the clock tower for some reason, and the bones of the girl who died of illness many years ago also appeared at the same time. The two skeletons grew together in an embrace, and no one could separate them."

"Tsk tsk~"

Xia De sighed softly:

"The power of the oath? Or the power of the soul full of emotion and unwillingness?"

"Xia De, don't always use the thinking of a Ring Ringed Ringed Shushi to comment on fairy tales; this will make the story not as romantic as it originally was." Lei Qianya said with some dissatisfaction, and also stuffed a telescope to Xia De, even though he didn't need this at all with his eyesight: "Why would a female actress play the knight?"

Xia De asked again, and the actress in men's clothing singing solo on the stage had already put on armor with the help of the servant. During this period, the old man who looked like a butler used recitative to explain the background. This "recitative" adopted a form of both speaking and singing, the old actor's foundation was quite profound, coupled with the witty lines humorously like "the knight" although about to go far away but still missing his lover, making the opening atmosphere quite good.

"This is the tradition of this play. Most of the time, the knight is played by a female actress. When Bernice was young, she often performed this play with Siris Lathers. In the era when the Golden Dawn Opera Troupe gradually became famous, 'Lovers of the Zhong Lou' adapted by Bernice was one of their representative works."

Miss Galina said, putting down the telescope and looking at Xia De. Seeing that he was indeed not very interested in the opera itself, she said: "Let's talk about business; it was not my intention to disturb your date with Lei Qianya..."

In the darkness, the other girl beside Xia De "tsked," and Miss Galina pretended not to hear:

"It's just that you asked me to help you investigate the Edwards family from Green Lake Town, and I must

confirm one thing. Xia De, you investigate this family, really just because your teacher, that thirteen-ring female sorceress Miss Danister, asked you to help do so?"

"Yes, otherwise what else could it be for?"

Xia De looked at her curiously, although the box was almost turned off, he could still clearly see the witch's face. "You should not have encountered any strange women recently, right?"

Miss Galina asked suspiciously again, and this time even Lei Qianya looked at Xia De. Xia De shook his head hesitantly:

"I was only able to barely get out of bed last Saturday; where would I go to encounter strange women? Oh, there was a lady on Wednesday who commissioned me to find a cat, but that was Grandma Sidier, a neighbor at No. 23 St. Deran Square, who is already fifty-three years old. Hmm... strange women, what does it have to do with the Edwards family?"

The witch nodded, her expression a bit solemn:

"You know, although the surname Edwards is not very common, it is definitely not a very rare surname. After you wrote to me, I immediately realized that I knew an Edwards myself. I didn't ask her, but investigated from the side, and then found that she really came from Green Lake Town."

"It wouldn't be a witch again, right?"

Lei Qianya, who was quietly touching Xia De's hand in the dark, said suddenly, and Miss Galina nodded, looking into Xia De's eyes: "Audrey Edwards, the fifth seat of the Council, eleven-ring, Great Witch of Knowledge and Wisdom." ===== CHAPTER 1503 =====