Chapter 805: To Dorothy

"Hailos banquet? Midsummer?"

Xia De still expressed that he didn't understand, and turned his head to look outside through the small window in front of the desk. In the late autumn season, Tobesk was shrouded in smog, but it still couldn't cover the bright red sunset. The sunset glow had already appeared in the sky. Looking from the window on the third floor, over the roofs of thousands of households, over the top of the chimneys emitting black smoke, he could see the clouds also dyed with the color of maple leaves.

"That was before Dr. Schneider met you."

Dorothy said in a low voice, her memory returned to the banquet of Count Hailos in midsummer:

"That was a banquet held by Count Hailos in the city. The Count is wealthy and likes luxurious banquets and balls. Princes and princesses of the royal family were invited to those social banquets. Lei Qianya also went before leaving for Karsenrik, and invited me..."

Her voice gradually lowered, Xia De understood that Lei Qianya wanted to have as close contact as possible with Dorothy before leaving Tobesk. But they couldn't get close, couldn't talk, and couldn't even look at each other from afar.

That was indeed a great regret. No matter how hot the summer night was, no matter how lively the banquet atmosphere was, Lei Qianya Cavendish and Dorothy Luisa that night probably wouldn't have a good mood.

That banquet in midsummer was held at the well-known restaurant "Sunset Hotel" in the city. That place is a high-end restaurant, but also undertakes banquets and ceremonies. To enter that kind of restaurant, of course, you need formal attire, so Dorothy, with Xia De's help, spent more than an hour changing clothes and applying makeup.

And Xia De just changed his coat and pants—Lei Qianya also stayed at Dorothy's place, and then the two went to the Sunset Hotel located in the Chengnan together.

Even at night, the high-end restaurant was as bright as day. The waiter was waiting at the door, and after Xia De and Dorothy entered together, the waiter asked very respectfully:

"May I ask if you are Hamilton of Rejied and Miss Dorothy Luisa?"

After Xia De nodded, he said softly:

"Someone reserved a seat for you, please follow me."

Xia De and the blonde girl wearing a dress sat down at the round table against the wall. The waiter pushed the food cart over, but there were only fruits and an appetizer dessert on the cart. However, a music box was already placed on the table.

Dorothy turned the spring, and as the lid of the silver music box slowly opened, the small statues of the blonde and red-haired girls hugging and spinning slowly rose.

Dorothy showed a slight smile:

"She really remembers this."

Eating the delicious but slightly sour pineapple mousse with Xia De, listening to the dance music played by the music box. Soon, a small drawer popped out from the bottom of the music box. So they got a new note, and the sentence was still like a riddle:

【Among the three cats in early spring, your smile is unforgettable.】

"The destination this time is the Three Cats Inn on Anthem Square."

This time Xia De learned to answer first, Dorothy showed a smile:

"Yes, Three Cats Inn, that is the story of spring. However, finish this dessert before leaving. Lei Qianya... I must scold her severely in the diary."

On the way from Chengnan to North City, Xia De heard another story again.

That was the fourth month of the swap between Dorothy and Lei Qianya, and the time came from winter 1852 to spring 1853. It was another forced swap. Lei Qianya, who obtained Dorothy's body, had to replace Dorothy to meet the second-ring female sorcerer from out of town at the Three Cats Inn, arrange accommodation for the other party, and complete the Academy task taken by Dorothy.

This Academy task sounded simple, but there was a reward of 4 practical credits. That female sorcerer from out of town got into some trouble, and because the weekly forced swap was not at a fixed time, Lei Qianya didn't get much news from Dorothy.

That night, not only did Lei Qianya use Dorothy's body to solve the vampire rats that didn't know where they came from in the Three Cats Inn, but Dorothy also used Lei Qianya's body to mobilize people as a princess to provide security for the Three Cats Inn.

The two were inside and outside the Three Cats Inn that night, of course they didn't meet, but they both knew what the other party was doing. After a busy night, the eight hours ended, and they returned to their bodies, but the relationship between the two also progressed rapidly after that incident, until they were inseparable after the outsider came to this world.

It was close to eight o'clock in the evening when they arrived at Anthem Square. The business of the Three Cats Inn had reached the so-called "night mode", and many girls waiting for guests could already be seen by the wall on the first floor.

The owner of the Three Cats Inn, Mrs. Madame Sangmei, could also be considered Xia De's friend. Seeing Xia De holding the cat and bringing the blonde girl to the counter, she teased and asked:

"Isn't this the champion of Big City Player 1853? Oh, look, you finally brought a duplicate beautiful girl this time. This dress is really beautiful, I also had one when I was young, but unfortunately I can't wear it now."

Xia De ignored her teasing:

"Is there any letter for Xia De Hamilton or Dorothy Luisa here?"

"Of course there is."

The female owner put down the pen she was using to record accounts and tapped twice on the striped wooden table that looked dirty but was actually spotless.

"Clearly already paid."

Xia De complained in his heart, but still took out two alloy silver coins of one shilling and pushed them over:

"Where is the letter?"

Mrs. Madame Sangmei swept the coins into the biscuit box under the counter and took out a bottle of red wine with a smile:

"Take this first, someone left wine here for you, let you take it."

Then she pulled the gas lamp on her head and flipped the account book forward two pages:

"The letter cannot be given to you now, eight o'clock in the evening, that is, 12 minutes later."

"Why?"

Dorothy asked suspiciously, Mrs. Madame Sangmei showed a meaningful smile:

"You can sit here for a while. Don't worry, I greeted the neighborhood in advance, and no indecent people will appear in my inn tonight... Except for the girls by the wall."

So Xia De took the wine and sat down with Dorothy. When it was two minutes before eight o'clock, Mrs. Madame Sangmei asked the two to go outside to see.

Xia De counted down, and stood on the edge of St. Deran Square with Dorothy. At eight o'clock sharp, only a swoosh was heard in the distance, and a trace of light flew into the sky, and then exploded into brilliant fireworks under the starry sky.

Traces of light flew into the sky, and the fireworks of the explosion lit up the faces of Xia De and Dorothy. The blonde girl stared at the fireworks in the sky and said softly:

"So, she still remembers I like..."

The letter at Mrs. Madame Sangmei's place still had only one sentence—

【Since I saw your eyes for the first time in the winter of 1853, I have never been able to forget you.】

Xia De, who was already familiar with the "puzzle-solving" rules, asked immediately:

"I know this time, you must have tried to meet each other after the abnormality appeared in the winter of

"Beneath the central fountain in St. Deran Square."

After wandering around inside and outside the city, Xia De finally returned to his dear house before nine o'clock. Peddlers were not allowed to linger in St. Deran Square at night, and the residents, having been busy all day, had mostly returned home to rest; it was quiet and peaceful here.

The gas lamps around the square provided light, but the gas street lamps on the square itself were currently under maintenance and were not lit, so the moonlight remained the brightest light in the center of the square. However, dark clouds drifted over from the distance; it seemed it was about to rain.

When Xia De and Dorothy stepped off the carriage, the square was empty. Dorothy hurried to the fountain in the center of the square, where a young girl held up a water bottle. After checking carefully, she crossed her fingers, aimed them at the east side of the pool, and whispered a spell:

"Reveal."

As the ancient language spell was chanted, an envelope weighed down by a heavy object appeared on the edge of the fountain pool, which had previously been empty.

The heavy object was half of a red butterfly pendant. Although the pendant showed no signs of wear or corrosion, it possessed a sense of ancient vicissitudes. Dorothy picked up the pendant in confusion, then opened the envelope and looked at the contents:

【Perhaps fate exists in passing by, but we are the most distant kin.】

This was not a note, but a complete sheet of paper. The letters were written in the center of the letterhead, and a butterfly pattern drawn in red ink was below them.

"What does this mean this time?"

The blonde Miss was puzzled and looked up at Xia De beside her. Xia De, illuminated by the moonlight, suddenly pointed at the letterhead and said:

"Look at this."

Dorothy looked down again and saw that the red butterfly drawn on the letterhead was actually flapping its wings and flying off the paper.

The translucent red butterfly scattered red dust in the air and flew toward the edge of the square. It flew from the cold moonlight toward the warm yellow gas street lamp. Dorothy followed it subconsciously, only to find that the red butterfly had arrived at the entrance of No. 6 St. Deran Square, then disappeared into the door panel.

At this moment, the wall lamp beside the outdoor door, which Xia De rarely turned on, suddenly lit up. At the same time, the gas lamp in the second-floor living room of No. 6 St. Deran Square, where no one should have been home, also lit up.

"This is..."

Dorothy, dressed in her finery, stood before the steps at the entrance, only to see Xia De beside her handing her the house key tied with a red string.

The blonde Miss lifted her skirt and walked quickly up the steps, opening the door in the dim light. Pushing the door open gently, the lights on the first floor were off, but the lights in the foyer and on the stairs were so bright.

She stood with her back to the starlight, bathed in the warm yellow glow. A red carpet extended from the entrance toward the top of the stairs, and red, white, and pink flower petals were scattered all over the carpet.

A familiar scent of incense permeated the air. Holding the red butterfly pendant in her hand, the blonde Miss felt her heartbeat suddenly accelerate.

She stepped over the threshold in disbelief, then heard a familiar voice. That voice was waiting for her higher up, reciting their story:

【To Dorothy

—Late Autumn, 1853】

She walked up the stairs, holding the banister, and looked toward the higher part of the staircase.

【Perhaps fate exists in passing by,

We are the most distant kin.

Since I first saw your eyes in the winter of 1853,

I have never been able to forget you;】

With her heart beating rapidly, she walked quickly toward the top, the red butterfly leading the way for her.

【Among the three cats in early spring,

Your smile is hard to forget;

The Hakes banquet in midsummer,

Not being able to dance together is an eternal regret;】

Turning the corner of the stairs, the flower petals extended all the way up, entering the room where the door was left ajar.

【In this late autumn, looking at the fallen leaves,

I want to kiss your cheek—

Blonde Miss, do you still remember,

Our first meeting.】

Almost unable to control her emotions, and even less able to remember exactly how she had arrived at the door on the second floor.

【I knew then,

You and I are like the front and back of a mirror.

Although we can never meet, just by leaning on you,

I feel complete.】

The transparent red butterfly disappeared before her eyes, and her trembling hand pushed open the door.

Tears slid down her cheeks at this moment, and inside the room, large bouquets of flowers covered the floor, making it look like a flower field in midsummer.

In the center of those bouquets, the red-haired Miss, wearing a silver crown, a golden gown, and black high heels, turned and looked at her with brown eyes.

A red ribbon was tied around her waist, and her smooth long hair was braided into a complex and elegant style hanging behind her. Her face was lightly made up, and her eyelashes looked so beautiful.

Her eyes blinked, and brown met emerald green. Princess Lei Qianya Cavendish, standing in the flowers, whispered the last sentence with her lipstick-painted lips:

【Dear Dorothy,

You are me, and I am you.

This is our story.】

Tears slid down her fair face into the flowers at her feet. Dorothy reached out to cover her mouth, struggling to hold back the sound of sobbing.

The furniture in the living room had been temporarily moved to the corners, leaving a path through the flowers so she could walk toward Princess Lei Qianya. At the other end of the path, in the dining room where the lights were off, candles were lit on the table set with gold and silver utensils and exquisite dishes.

There was no wind indoors, but the light was very bright. They looked at each other, as if there were a thousand words in their eyes.

The red-haired Princess swayed the half-pendant relic hanging from her waist, her brown eyes fixed on those emerald green eyes, and she lifted her skirt with one hand to bow slightly:

"Nice to meet you for the first time, I am Princess Lei Qianya Sevier Cavendish."

The blonde writer wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, tried hard to show a joyful expression, took a deep breath, and also lifted her skirt with one hand to bow:

"It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Dorothy Redampt Lu Yisha."

The blonde Miss wore a red gown, and the red-haired Miss wore a golden gown. The simultaneous bowing motion was like a strange mirror reflecting a marvelous scene. But on those two completely different faces, one was smiling gently, and the other was weeping with tears.

She walked along the path through the flowers, and she also walked along the path through the flowers, embracing in the center of the flowers:

"Finally..."

"Finally touched you."

Large swarms of red butterflies, from who knows where, flew around the Misses in the flowers. The sound of sobbing and murmuring represented joy, but also the sadness of the past.

The accumulated emotions erupted in an instant, making the embracing Misses unwilling to separate for a long time. At the door, Xia De, holding the cat and casting an illusion, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He watched this scene in the room happily, snapped his fingers, and soft violin and saxophone music began to play in the dining room.

【Aren't you going over to hug them?】

The voice in his ear chuckled. Xia De shook his head, held his breath, carefully closed the door, and then tiptoed downstairs to leave:

"At a time like this, no one should disturb them; this is a candlelight dinner prepared for them."

He thought to himself as he arrived on the first floor. There was dinner on the first floor that Princess Lei Qianya had prepared for him. Having only eaten appetizers after being busy all afternoon, Xia De was also starving.

Upstairs, Princess Lei Qianya and Dorothy poured out their hearts, telling each other things that could not be told in diaries and letters. Downstairs, Xia De finished his meal, washed up on the first floor, and prepared to rest immediately after Princess Lei Qianya and Dorothy left.

He was no idler; he had an important matter to attend to with Doctor Shi Nai De tomorrow.

The music played by the alchemical item, the Sound Stone, played overhead, and as expected, it began to rain outside the window.

Xia De was in a very good mood and thought that he must obtain the right to read their diaries as a reward after this matter. But at ten o'clock in the evening, the sound of rain tapped against the window, and the music overhead was still lingering. Xia De, sitting on the first-floor sofa holding the cat and reading a book, suddenly heard someone calling him from upstairs:

"Detective, Knight, could you please come up? We have finished talking, and there are some things... that need you to do, to put a period on this memorable night."

Because of the floor between them, he could not tell who was calling him.

"Need me to do?"

Suspiciously, he stood up and walked up the stairs, with Little Mia following behind Xia De's feet up the stairs as well.

The foyer lights were bright, while the gas lamps on the stairs were somewhat dim. Amidst the increasingly dense sound of rain, the young outlander walked cautiously toward the dimly lit upper floor.