Chapter 2141: Banquet in Moon Bay

Xia De had known for a long time that aristocratic banquets usually couldn't fill one's stomach completely, so people would eat something in advance when attending banquets. But this Thursday, because of seeing off Emilia and the others, Xia De didn't have enough time after returning home, so he only ate a few small pieces of bread stored at home before setting off.

When Xia De hurried into the city from St. George's Stone Bridge in the north of the city and arrived at the Berindell Manor without stopping, the witch's group was already ready to set off, and they were waiting for Xia De to appear.

Tonight, nominally, it was a celebration banquet for the full moon of Earl Hawthorn's little granddaughter, but in fact, it was a rare gathering for the seven major families to discuss how to deal with "dragons," so the witch with a cinnabar-red birthmark on her brow also dressed quite formally. Xia De had been operating in Moon Bay for more than half a month, but this was the first time he saw the Great Witch of Fate wearing the most formal evening gown.

It was an extremely beautiful golden long dress with multi-layered skirts, white lace gloves on her arms, and her golden hair was woven into dozens of gorgeous braids intertwined together. She was already tall, and after wearing high heels tonight, Xia De even felt that he had become the shorter one standing in front of her.

"No, Mr. Watson, Miss specially chose high heels of appropriate height, she is still shorter than you."

The head maid, Miss Matilda, said on the side, as if she knew what Xia De was thinking. Miss Berindell gave her maid a reproachful look, and then explained to Xia De:

"I invited you to attend the dance as my male partner, so I naturally wouldn't be stupid enough to make my male partner look short. Fortunately, your height is very suitable, I don't want to wear flat shoes at the banquet."

As she said, she moved closer to Xia De. Her ears were dotted with diamond earrings, her neck was hung with gold jewelry inlaid with rubies, and even her forehead was dotted with water-drop-shaped amethyst forehead ornaments. Her face was full of smiles, as if deliberately teasing Xia De, almost stopping only when the two faces were stuck together:

"Look."

Xia De could almost see his clear reflection in those golden eyes.

"This height is just right, I am still shorter than you wearing these high heels."

Even after comparing heights, she didn't step back, still looking at Xia De with a smile. The three maids in the room, including Miss Matilda, all looked at this scene with smiles, and the witch looked at Xia De's face turning red little by little with great satisfaction:

"Why are you blushing? Am I not beautiful?"

She asked like this.

"Of course beautiful."

The joy in the depths of those golden eyes couldn't be hidden at all, and Xia De was holding his breath, preventing the excessive inhalation of the perfume on her body from causing his heartbeat to accelerate even faster. The "Witch's Scent" perfume could show different scents in the hands of different witches. For Bella Berindell, what Xia De smelled was the snow of a cold winter, rose tea with ice cubes, and a cold floral scent that Xia De couldn't name.

Just different from the "cold" feature highlighted in the perfume, the golden-haired countess in front of Xia De was quite enthusiastic at this moment. Seeing Xia De standing there with a red face and not speaking, her eyes lit up slightly, and then she gathered her courage to move forward again and tilted her head slightly, printing her lipstick-painted lips lightly on the corner of Xia De's mouth.

Seeing Xia De instinctively cover his mouth and step back, she narrowed her eyes with a smile again:

"There are bread crumbs on the corner of your mouth, I helped you wipe them off. Didn't you eat dinner before coming?"

Her tone was normal, as if she had just used her hand to wipe the corner of Xia De's mouth. While Xia De wanted to open his mouth to explain that he didn't eat dinner in advance because he had things to do in the evening, she unexpectedly moved forward again and printed her soft lips on the corner of Xia De's mouth again with almost the same angle and strength as just now.

"Do you know what I'm doing this time?"

The Great Witch of Fate asked with a smile.

Xia De was even a little afraid of her:

"Hmm... helping me wipe off the lipstick mark just now?"

I don't know why, the maid ladies all covered their mouths and laughed, and the smile on the countess's face became more and more bright:

"What an interesting man, look, there is new lipstick on your face again, do you want me to wipe it off for you again?"

She seemed to enjoy teasing Xia De like this, and this time it was her who was unexpected, because Xia De just thought about it and nodded lightly:

"Then I'll trouble you."

"Oh, you rude man!"

The golden-haired countess scolded softly, and then immediately turned and left the room, not wanting Xia De to see the blush on her face. Xia De smiled at Miss Matilda on the side, and the maid with a smile on her face handed her handkerchief to Xia De and said softly:

"Miss is shy."

"Matilda!"

The countess's voice came from the corridor, and she could hear everything, of course.

The venue for this banquet was the Hawthorn family's manor in the city, and the Hawthorn Manor was naturally in the core area of Moon Bay. Although Xia De had attacked Earl Hawthorn's grandson, Freeman Hawthorn, twice, he was very sure that he was well disguised, so he was not afraid of being recognized at all.

Even because of the dragon egg fossils from the New World found on the smuggling ship, he and Miss Berindell both suspected that the ones cooperating with the 【Dragon Feast Cult】 were actually the Black family and the Hawthorn family.

The seven major families of Moon Bay gathered together, and this banquet was enough to be called the highest-standard banquet in the city. In addition to members of the seven major families, envoys from various countries to Moon Bay and great nobles such as the Marquis of Ankara were also on the list.

Of course, Earl Bella Berindell was still the most important guest at this banquet. When the motorcade stopped at the bustling manor entrance along the street under the illumination of gas lamps, the old butler who had been waiting for a long time immediately stepped forward to greet them.

According to previous practice, the first one to come out of the carriage should be the head maid, Miss Matilda, but this time it was a man in formal wear who jumped out of the carriage neatly.

Xia De nodded to the somewhat surprised old butler with a smile, then turned and reached out, took the hand handed out by the countess, and helped her walk down the carriage.

She didn't say a word, and hadn't even taken a step, but her appearance itself was like sucking away the light on all the ladies present. The sound at the entrance of the manor seemed to be paused for two seconds, and then people expressed their greetings to this increasingly radiant countess one after another.

Miss Berindell also responded to acquaintances, and then naturally took Xia De's arm:

"This feeling is really interesting, I wouldn't bring anyone when I came to attend banquets before."

"And didn't let the maid disguise as a man?"

Xia De asked softly, and the two walked through the manor courtyard to the building where the banquet was held under the guidance of a team of maids. The Hawthorn family's manor was smaller than the Berindell family's, but it could be seen that the owner of the manor extremely liked gardening. Compared with the Berindell Manor, which was open and only decorated with shrubs, trees, flower clusters, and grass, the artistic trees in the Hawthorn Manor courtyard and the asymmetrical structure layout using shrubs and ground gas lamps were obviously spent a lot of effort.

"No male partner means no male partner, why use a maid to disguise?"

The countess said softly, with an elegant smile on her face:

"Fate gave us thirteen people power, but also made us pay the price. This is fair. I am different from others. I have never thought that it was a curse. For me, it can be considered an alternative blessing of fate. I accept it, just as fate accepts me."

This view was the first time Xia De heard it from a modern witch. Even Miss Aurora, who cared least about the "Witch's Curse," never thought this was a blessing.

"If this is a blessing, then what is my appearance?"

People around kept nodding to the countess, but more people were looking at Xia De. Although Miss Berindell's "cousin" had appeared in public on other occasions, this was the first time he officially appeared.

"Of course it is also fate's arrangement, I never question fate."

The two maids outside the building door lowered their heads and each pulled a door and stepped back. Inside the door was the place that had been arranged as the first-floor banquet hall. A long table full of food was placed in the middle of the red carpet, and the musician with his back to the crowd in the corner high platform was playing the piano.

Men and women in formal evening gowns gathered together and talked in standard Moon Bay accent Karsenrik language. Earl Hawthorn and Earl Eddington, who were holding wine glasses and talking, immediately greeted them with a smile. And before dealing with this social engagement, Bella Berindell said in a voice that only Xia De could hear:

"You are also a gift given to me by fate."

Because this banquet was nominally to celebrate the full moon of Earl Hawthorn's little granddaughter, that is, Freeman Hawthorn's little sister, so no matter what they wanted to talk about, they had to see the little girl first, so the witch and Xia De only exchanged greetings with the two earls for a while, and were led to see the "master of the banquet."

That girl, who was taken care of by an elderly but reliable maid, probably wouldn't like being disturbed by so many people. She was placed in a cradle, looking small, only a little bigger than Mia. But at least the men and women who came to see the child were mostly genuinely happy for the birth of the child. This era where steam and magic coexist may have many problems, and this world on the wave of steam that is about to face the end of the world may not be liked by everyone, but at least the people here still retain a sense of mission for the continuation of the ethnic group, and the innate care of human beings for children and cubs.

Even a witch who cannot give birth likes this child very much. Of course, this is also largely because the other party is a girl. Miss Berindell prepared gifts for the child in advance, and when she left the baby with Xia De, she also heard Xia De ask with a smile:

"What a pity, she only got the blessing of one witch, not seven."

The countess knew that Xia De was talking about the story of "Sleeping Princess":

"In this era, it is impossible for any child to get so many blessings." ===== CHAPTER 2142 =====