Chapter 2542

By the time Xia De and Miss Danister returned to the Accord Inn, the light of dusk was already shining on the walls of the Golden Music Hall, making the square, which looked like clover petals, appear magnificent.

Because that door could not be turned into a toy, Xia De used an illusion to hide it before quickly taking it to the third floor.

The witch should be in her own room at this moment, so after putting that door into Miss Danister's room, Xia De knocked on the door and entered Miss Winster's Room 321 alone.

The young witch apprentice was not here, and the curtains of the suite's living room window were not drawn. At this moment, the brilliant sunset shone in from the window, illuminating the floor and the black piano by the window, and also illuminating the chubby round-faced owl and the orange-white cat snuggled together on the windowsill.

"Hmm?"

Xia De was stunned for a moment, then immediately closed the door from outside, stood in the corridor and blinked at the door before opening Room 321 again.

He had indeed misread it just now because the sunset was too bright; in reality, Mia was lying on the windowsill, her tail dangling down looking at the sun outside, while the owl was standing beside it closing its eyes to rest... Owls sleep standing up.

"What was the meaning of opening and closing the door just now."

Flapping her wings, she flew down from the windowsill, and Miss Winster appeared in the gray-white mist. She was wearing a pale blue evening gown, and on her hair, which was styled into a complex pattern, was a full set of silver headpieces.

While speaking, she spun around in a good mood, and asked Xia De with a smile in the sunset:

"Look, how is this dress of mine?"

The evening banquet started at seven, so there was no rush to leave immediately. Thus, the well-dressed witch went with Xia De to Miss Danister's room to hear them talk about today's experience.

It was just that Miss Danister seemed not to want others to know she was looking for her teacher, so she didn't say who that lady from three years ago was, so Miss Winster's attention remained on the new tree hole and the 【Hermit Group in the Woods】:

"They might understand time tree holes, is that right?"

The witch thought for a moment and asked Xia De:

"Do you need me to send the girls around me to follow them into the woodland? Those hermits are not powerful, and now I have two high-ring girls around me who can be dispatched."

Xia De, who was stroking Little Mia, shook his head; according to her, Little Mia was very well-behaved today, especially when she turned into an owl to rest, the cat even showed some closeness, as if it regarded her as one of its own. So, in the future, Xia De could still entrust her to take care of Little Mia.

"No need, we have just established a relationship with the hermits, there is no need to engage in such hostile behavior."

He had already thought it through on the way back:

"I know some very... low-key people in other places, and they have a deep relationship with the 【Hermit Group in the Woods】. I will try first to see if I can learn more about those hermits through my friends.

I just can't guess yet, if the hermits truly mastered the tree holes, would they utilize them, or would they lean toward guarding and containing them."

Tomorrow just happens to be Wednesday, and Adele Isabella, who has come from afar, will appear at this inn. Xia De plans to go talk to Old John if he has time tomorrow, or go deep into the woodland to see that mysterious elf again and ask for her thoughts.

As long as he avoids the Adele of the present world tomorrow.

The evening banquet will be attended by Xia De and Miss Winster; the witch has already tidied up, and considering that going home to wash and change would be a waste of time, Xia De borrowed the washroom in Miss Danister's room to wash up a little, and he carried his formal wear for the banquet with him.

In short, as the gas lamps were lit one by one along the Green Shade Avenue located in the southwest of Vesta City, the carriage from the Accord Inn had already carried Xia De and Miss Winster to the manor of Earl Collins at 14 Green Shade Avenue.

They arrived neither too early nor too late; Xia De still jumped off the carriage first with the demeanor of a gentleman, then turned around and took the hand wearing a white lace glove that reached out from the carriage.

After the exquisitely made-up lady stood beside him, he whispered to the courtyard and the butler welcoming guests at the door with a sigh:

"Simpler than I thought."

The Earl's manor was not large, and the courtyard area was unexpectedly small. At the entrance, there were only the butler and three or four manservants welcoming guests, and the mansion in the manor didn't look very luxurious either.

"You have seen big scenes in Tobesk, so of course you feel this is a countryside place."

The witch also said softly; although she was famous in the art world, no one would specifically welcome her here:

"Let's go, it's best not to attract attention. Let's have two drinks in a while, *ahem*, I mean let's walk around first, and then go approach the Bennett family and the Kaming family."

She naturally took Xia De's arm and tried hard to keep her expression from changing:

"However, I should meet my acquaintances in a while, the pianists, conductors, or composers who came to participate in the Moon Dance Festival concert; I will introduce them then, you just need to smile. Your identity today is my distant cousin."

"Hmm, cousin again? I mean, no problem."

Once a single, older woman brings a man like a "distant cousin" to a formal banquet, people basically consider him a man she has feelings for, so people will actively avoid chatting with such a woman; this is also one of the unspoken rules of social interaction.

What was a bit different from what Xia De thought was that this banquet was not the kind of vulgar aristocratic social banquet, but rather quite high-class, because besides local celebrities like Bennett and Sir Kaming, most of the guests invited really held titles like "musician."

Earl Collins prepared this banquet for the artists participating in the Moon Dance Festival concert; it seems this city of music doesn't have so many twists and turns.

Although very young, Miss Winster knew quite a few people. From the folk composer who came specifically from the Archipelago Kingdom-Keilageli, to the Northern Court musician who had performed for the King at the Yodel Palace, from the proud piano master who had been famous for a long time, to the eccentric conductor who dyed his hair green, almost everyone would take the initiative to greet her.

It was only then that Xia De realized how much weight her title of "genius artist" truly carried. And what people talked about most with Flora Winster was asking whether she would participate in the Moon Dance Festival concert this autumn.

Miss Winster was not like Vanessa who hadn't been on stage for a long time; she was still in the peak period of her creation and performance.

She had actually originally planned to participate in this year's music festival in the form of a piano solo, but now that she had been cursed and turned into an "owl," attending such a private banquet was fine, but once seen by thousands of people in the Golden Music Hall, it was inevitable that someone would see the clues of the transfiguration; she would not take such a risk.

Friends all felt sorry for Miss Winster's decision, and even Earl Collins, who organized this Moon Dance Festival concert, specifically came to try to persuade Miss Winster to perform on stage.

It's just a pity that since she had already made a decision, she would not change it easily, and Ms. Austin, a writer who was familiar with this lady with gray-black hair, jokingly asked:

"Since you are not going on stage, and specifically came to Vesta City in the autumn, could it be just to bring your handsome cousin to see the scenery of the South?"

Miss Winster held a red wine glass in front of her mouth and smiled shallowly, not answering this question. And Xia De, who had a Northern appearance, also smiled politely, feeling very curious about what Miss Winster would be like playing the piano.

The Bennett family and Baron Kaming's family both came, but only Old Bennett, Mrs. Bennett, the eldest daughter Jane Bennett, and the second daughter Philly Bennett came from the Bennett family, while Baron Kaming's family of three all came.

Xia De didn't rush to approach them, and when Miss Winster was chatting with local acquaintances, she also inadvertently talked about the Bennett family.

Musicians had a very bad impression of Mrs. Bennett:

"The Bennett family is very respectable; after all, they lost their title to protect the musicians fifty years ago, but such a family married a woman with short-sightedness.

This is not us speaking ill of people behind their backs; everyone thinks that Mr. Bennett's greatest mistake in his life was marrying a young, beautiful, but ignorant wife when he was young; there is not much in her heart that is worth noticing.

Now her eldest daughter is engaged to the Baron's son, and she is anxious to find marriage partners for her remaining three beautiful daughters. There is nothing wrong with a mother thinking about her daughter's marriage, but she is too anxious, and everyone can see that she only hopes her daughters will marry rich and famous bachelors."

Mr. Bentley, who introduced the situation, was a refined middle-aged man with a beautiful mustache; he moved from the capital city of Willendale to live here when he was young, was a very famous conductor in the Karsenrik country, and it was said that he was also related to the Winster family:

"As long as she encounters something unsatisfactory, that Mrs. Bennett will use neurasthenia as an excuse, holding her forehead and complaining about her life. Old Bennett is also a decent country gentleman, he can't handle his wife, so he actually doesn't care much about the family's affairs."

"How do you know so clearly?"

Miss Winster asked curiously, so old Mrs. Bovary, who was also standing here chatting with everyone, said with a smile:

"Vesta City is not big, and there were not many families living here during the Creekwood Town era. This place is very small, so every family has no secrets.

You'll see, Mrs. Bennett will sooner or later ruin her daughters' marriages because of her own reasons; I wouldn't be surprised even if one or two poor girls become old maids who can't get married."

Old Mrs. Bovary was a singer active in the previous era, but she was still very respected; when she was young, she had experienced the political movement in Willendale half a century ago.