Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Because he went to deliver the Year-End Festival gift to Iluna early this morning, Shard returned to the festively decorated Tobesk at noon on Wednesday, where everywhere celebrated the Year-End Festival. He then went directly to Yordle Palace to await the king's summons.

Today, King Larus III seemed busier than usual. Shard met the king at one o'clock on time and received a very formal encouragement and reward. As Director Anlos said, Lecia's father hinted that Shard should maintain a relationship with Princess Margaret. Of course, it was just a hint, and there was no evidence to show that His Majesty the King had given such an order.

The awarding ceremony would be held publicly after the new year, and a suitable reason would have to be found to explain Shard's merits. As for the bonus, His Majesty the King certainly wouldn't personally hand it to Shard, but after Shard left the king's study, the red-clothed eunuch servant who had brought him there handed Shard a bank draft at the door:

"1000 pounds? How generous,"

Shard thought with a smile in his heart, keeping a straight face as he put away the draft.

As the servant led him out, he unexpectedly encountered the elegantly dressed Lecia and Angelina. Although the princesses weren't walking in the same corridor as Shard, his extremely sharp hearing allowed him to overhear their conversation.

The Little Princess seemed to be asking Lecia why she looked younger recently, only to be scolded by her sister:

"Angelina, are you saying I didn't look young before?"

Even during the Year-End Festival, Lecia didn't hesitate to show her authority to her younger sister. What intrigued Shard more was how Lecia and Dorothy negotiated the time with Luviya.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't imagine Lecia agreeing to waste even an hour of the precious 24-hour Day of the Red Butterfly.

After leaving Yordle Palace, Shard first took a carriage to the cemetery outside the city, where he laid a flower for Detective Sparrow, who lay in slumber there. After the mourning, he went to Miss Galina's estate and exchanged holiday greetings with the witch and Miss Maid with black hair.

Miss Galina would spend the Year-End Festival at Yordle Palace, as is the royal tradition. Tonight, it was apparent that Lecia planned to sneak out after the family dinner.

When he returned to the city, it was three in the afternoon, and the festive atmosphere had almost reached its peak. Shard first visited Old John's pawnshop and found that the old man had returned to town. Old Man John looked the same as ever, as if he had just gone on a trip, and even brought Shard a Casenli rabbit fur hat as a gift.

The last stop this afternoon was the heavily festive Dawn Chapel. As a core believer of the diocesan, Shard, though unable to attend the day's activities, had to at least participate as a representative of the believers in the Year-End Festival opera with Bishop Owen that afternoon.

It is worth mentioning that in the opera that afternoon, Shard played himself. The content of the opera was about Shard blocking a bullet for Queen Diana in the summer, and the divine blessing of the "Holy Prayer Day Commemorative Coin" protected him from that fatal shot.

Such a legendary story adapted into an opera proved very attractive, and a few weeks later, Shard even heard that a local opera troupe had bought the script, intending to adapt it into a large five-act opera. Shard himself also received a rather handsome "image fee."

Of course, that was all after the Year-End Festival.

Time came to Wednesday night, the last night of 1853. Most of the shops in the city weren't open today, and those that were open, along with restaurants, had mostly closed by the afternoon.

People of this era preferred to spend the most important holiday of the year at home with their family. At Shard's home, Miss Maid had already adorned the place anew.

Miss Galina even considered Shard's Year-End Festival dinner, and though she couldn't accompany him, to prevent Shard from not having dinner on such an important holiday, she had the chefs from Yordle Palace prepare a sumptuous dinner, which was delivered directly to No. 6, Saint Delan Square.

The servants entering one after another, and the dining cart being pushed in, naturally couldn't escape the notice of others, but since the current master of Yordle Palace, the nephew of the Duchess, Larus III, didn't say anything, others wouldn't say much either.

This lavish dinner was not only enjoyed by Shard and Mia. Joining Shard for the last dinner of 1853 at home was Luviya. After all, Lecia and Dorothy both had family to accompany. Lecia, of course, needed no further mention, and although Dorothy had moved away from home to live independently, she still spent every Year-End Festival at her home with her parents and unmarried siblings.

The dinner was very sumptuous. Though they were just eating at home, Luviya didn't dress up but did apply light makeup. It was clear her mood was exceptionally good that night, and she even tried feeding little Mia.

Of course, the cat didn't accept it. She rarely ate food offered by anyone other than Shard.

As night fell, the sound of fireworks began to ring out continuously outside the window. Even though the night sky was still shrouded in gray fog, the lights from nearby Yordle Palace illuminated almost the entire night sky, even without approaching the window.

This was a memorable night. The purple-eyed girl sat across the table from Shard, twirling a glass goblet, listening to the fireworks and the sound from the Sound Stone, smiling as she reflected on how difficult the whole of 1853 had been.

Amid the successive explosions of fireworks outside the window, during the final dinner time of 1853, Luviya and Shard clinked glasses, then both rose slightly and leaned over to share a kiss above the table.

The girl's lips are so soft.

Whether it was from drinking wine or excessive excitement, Luviya's cheeks were quite rosy. After setting down her wine glass, she picked up her knife and fork again and smiled at Shard's face in the glow of the golden candelabra:

"Meeting you is the greatest fortune of my life."

"If you say that, I'll get shy."

Shard said while stroking Mia, grinning. Tonight was a special night, and he let go of his usual concern about the orange cat's weight, so Mia was joyfully devouring her meal.

After dinner, it was only seven-thirty in the evening. Luviya and Shard watched the fireworks from Yordle Palace through the window and then exchanged Year-End Festival gifts.

Shard gave the "Book of the Fool," written by an ancient fabulist, while Luviya didn't immediately give her gift, instead smilingly saying she'd give it later tonight.

Until now, Shard still didn't know how Luviya coordinated the timing with Dorothy and Lecia, but it seemed the purple-eyed Miss Diviner was determined not to leave tonight.

The Year-End Festival atmosphere was just right. After watching the fireworks, Luviya smiled and said she was going to the washroom to freshen up, carrying her change of clothes with her.

Shard held Mia in the living room, looking down at his cat, and Mia gazed back with big eyes, evidently aware of Shard's intentions.

She didn't try to run away but nestled in Shard's arms, meowing softly a few times. Unfortunately, this did not evoke any sympathy from Shard.

However, before Shard could prepare a soft nest for the cat in the wardrobe, he heard the sound of the door opening downstairs. Only three ladies had a key to No. 6, Saint Delan Square. When Shard reached the staircase, it turned out to be Her Highness the Princess excitedly lifting her skirt, stepping up in white high-heeled shoes inlaid with diamonds.

She had presumably just attended the Yordle Palace banquet, watched the fireworks with Larus III and Queen Diana, and had come here straight away without changing her golden princess gown or removing the ruby-embedded crown.

Meeting Shard at the second-floor door, the red-haired Princess warmly embraced Shard with an even warmer kiss:

"Oh, it wasn't easy to sneak out, good thing Angelina helped me... Dorothy hasn't arrived yet?"

She hugged Shard with fiery eyes:

"This is my first time not spending the entire night of the Year-End Festival at Yordle Palace. Even during the years studying at Zaras Literary Academy, I'd go home for it... I've long imagined this day would come, but even in my adolescent fantasies, I never imagined meeting someone like you... a handsome knight."

Her lipstick-stained lips kissed Shard's cheek, then she held Shard's hand and led him into the living room. Shard was amazed that she acted as if she didn't hear any sound from the washroom, seating Shard on the sofa:

"I especially postponed the Day of the Red Butterfly for nearly three weeks; it was worth it. Shard, make sure you don't plan anything for tomorrow. How about we go around the city together? I know you don't have memories of the past, so you surely don't know about the Silver Cross Avenue parade during the Year-End Festival..."

This is an event sponsored by the Royal Family, the grandest celebration on the first day of each year.

"Nor have you seen how each church of the Church of the Five Gods is decorated for the Year-End Festival. We can go to church to listen to the choir's hymns for the New Year!"

This afternoon when visiting Dawn Chapel, Shard saw part of the New Year's decorations, and the Church indeed had deep pockets.

"And you haven't seen how remarkable the Year-End Festival performance at the Opera House is!"

Lecia blushed from excitement, and the fireworks exploding outside the window made her face even more stunning. She had already planned all the activities for tomorrow.

"But is it really okay not to show up at Yordle Palace for the entire day tomorrow?"

Shard felt worried about this, but Lecia, while pressing Shard into the sofa, laughed and said:

"I temporarily surrendered to Galina, asked her to cover for me, and she agreed... Maybe because of the Year-End Festival, I never thought she'd be willing to help me one day."