Whispering Poems

Chapter 3885 The Performance After the Banquet
After dinner, various banquets and games were held on the deck and in the cabins, which reminded Xia De of the lively wedding banquet he had attended at Lakeview Manor.

The girls mingled and played various games throughout the ship. The prizes for the games were provided by the powerful witches, who, being quite wealthy, treated them as rewards for the girls. The banquet itself also served as a way for the followers of different witches to get to know each other.

The dance party officially began at 8:30 p.m.

The girls, eager to attend the ball, had already changed into their costumes. Amid applause, Shad and Luvia led the first dance, followed by casual invitations and playful banter.

During the banquet games, there were prizes called "dance tickets." Girls who held these special tickets could invite anyone to dance with them once, and the other person couldn't refuse.

Shad didn't know who came up with this prize. There were ten dance tickets in total, and Miss Elizabeth actually drew one of them. So the boat girl smiled and danced a second dance with Shad, while Galina suspected that this big-tailed blue dragon girl was cheating on her own turf.

In short, everyone had a great time this Tuesday. The non-human cats and unicorns also had a great time, and Mia especially enjoyed today's meal.

But no banquet lasts forever. No matter how unwilling they were, the banquet ended at 10 p.m. after Shad and Iluna had danced their last dance and all the lights in the banquet hall came on.

Iluna held Shad's hand with a sense of loss. Shad would be leaving Fatummister Island temporarily to prepare for his journey to Mount Karas, while the Great Witches would also lead their respective girls away from the island and back to their cities.

Emilia was even a little sad, but the pointy-eared elf's sadness was probably more about having to go back to school. Galina, on the other hand, was in the best mood at the moment, because Shad's return home meant that she could once again have Shad all to herself.

Amidst farewells, the maids cleaned up the mess left by the banquet, while the others returned to their rooms to rest.

However, Luvia had already mentioned that everyone had prepared gifts for Shad, and that Shad shouldn't rush back after the banquet, but should wait for everyone to make their preparations.

So when the banquet ended, Shad first sent Iluna back to the city, then sent Emilia and little Leona back to the elven camp, and then washed up in the empty room arranged by Miss Elisher.

Winnie, who brought Shad new pajamas, smiled and took Mia away; the cat was already used to this.

As Shad stood at the door of his cabin, he was still wondering what kind of game would be played that night. Galina, Sylvia, Vanessa, Sylvia, Megan—the five great witches—along with Luvia, Lacey, and Dorothy, meant there should be eight people waiting for him in the room.

He reached out as if to knock, but immediately lowered his hand.
"This is my room, why am I knocking?"

He pushed the door open and went inside. The living room was dark and empty, but there was light coming from the slightly ajar bedroom.
"Did they all hide under the bed again this time?"

It's hard to say, and it might even blind you.

"She" responded with a smile, and Xia De composed himself before pushing open the bedroom door. They were indeed there; the curtains were drawn, and the room was illuminated only by the dim, ambiguous light of a gas lamp.

As far as the eye could see, Lacia and Dorothy were sitting back to back, hugging their legs, on the pillows at the head of the bed. Galina held a wine glass in her left hand and leaned on the desk with her right. Below her arm, Vanessa sat cross-legged at the desk, looking at the books open on the table.

Sylvia leaned against the wardrobe, her arms outstretched, pressing down on the two doors. Megan, meanwhile, teased Sylvia, who was leaning against the wardrobe door with one hand, watching her as if she were protecting some secret.

At the foot of the bed, Sylvia and Luvia were playing chess. Luvia was kneeling there, deep in thought, while Sylvia was hugging a pillow.

They all remained motionless until Shad opened the door and stared wide-eyed at the scene inside. As if time had stood still, they all turned to look at the doorway.

As Shad took a step back under the gaze of those eight pairs of eyes filled with resentment, they whispered in unison:
So, who do you choose?

It's worth mentioning that everyone is now in a state where Flora can paint.

The gentle voice beside his ear made Xia De take a deep breath:

"Wait a minute, I don't understand the rules of the game yet—what do you mean by this? How do I choose? How many can I choose at once? And what does each choice represent?"

Vanessa, who had been crossing her legs, changed from crossing her left leg over her right leg to crossing her right leg over her left leg, a move that successfully caught Shad's attention.
"Shad, don't be in such a hurry~ We'll work in pairs, each pair representing a story. Whenever you choose a pair, the other six will perform the story for you, and the two people you chose will then work with you."

Behind Megan, who was leaning against the wardrobe with one hand, Audrey wrapped her arm around her sister's neck, then peeked out from behind Megan to look at Shad:
"Of course, during the performance, everyone's senses are shared; the potion described in the Pink Book will ensure this. The next act will only proceed when the performance truly cannot continue. If you can get us to finish all four acts before 3 AM..."

A smile curved her red lips, her eyes holding a deeper meaning:
"Shad, would you like to know what kind of farewell performance you'll have?"

After taking a deep breath, Xia De officially entered the room, then slammed the door shut, locking himself and these "dangerous" girls together, leaving no way out.

"Okay, I think I'm ready."

He walked over to Luvia and Sylvie, who were sitting at the foot of the bed. The fortune teller and Sylvie, whose face was slightly flushed, were both smiling with their lips pursed. The other six people had gathered together to prepare for the start of the first act.

As Shad was being held by the hands of the two girls, Dorothy, who was in charge of writing the script, whispered:

"Then tonight's performance officially begins. Shad, it seems you've taken your seat in the audience. So, Act One—The Incompetent Wife."

Actually, this idea was borrowed by Lacey from Adelina's novel.

(Mia is running.)

The end of Tuesday's banquet also marked the official end of the outsider's "Fathomist Island trip".

The story of destiny is a drama in itself, and so is the way it ends. Although the ending is strange, considering that the true beginning of the journey of destiny, that is, when Shad was "tricked" to the tower by Sylvia, was also strange, Shad believed that this was the only way to make sense of the beginning and the end, and that the story of destiny would have no more problems.

Of course, there's one more thing to do before officially leaving.

"Weren't you going home? What are you doing here looking for me again?"

At nine o'clock on Wednesday morning, in the Snow Mountain Hall, Claire asked Shad this question with some dissatisfaction in her tone, but Stella behind her knew that this was her teacher's regret and loneliness at everyone's departure.

Shad said:

"Yes, I did go home to drop off my luggage and Xiaomia, and then I came back. Inviting you to my home will probably have to wait a while; we both have things to take care of."

However, since the weather is nice today, I thought I'd finally do something I'd been meaning to do for a while: take a good look around the island. For the past three months, I've been so busy with various things that I haven't really had a chance to do any sightseeing.

Claire had already understood what he meant, but she still asked:
"What does this have to do with me?"

Then she realized that what she said might have been too harsh, so she changed her words:
"What, do you want me to take you sightseeing?"

"Yes, Claire, may I have the honor?"

"Since you've said that, wait a moment, I'll go change my clothes."

Claire originally wanted Stella to come along, but the white-haired girl smiled and refused, so the "island tour" that day was only for Shad and Claire.

Shad was already familiar with Kyle Todd, so his journey began in the City of Time. Shad visited the city often, but only Claire knew about the wonderful shops hidden in the alleys and the cityscapes that no one noticed when passing by in a hurry.

The weather was still lovely today. At the end of the sunny winter, Shad and Claire walked hand in hand through the streets and alleys of the City of Time, listening to her recount her fond memories of her childhood when she was taken to the city by Elder Reinhardt or her parents.

When a stranger occasionally catches a glimpse of a smiling girl walking in the sunlight and looking back at him, he can't think of a better way to end the winter.

That noon, they were having lunch at a restaurant in the city. Shad felt he would remember the image of Claire resting her chin on her right hand and looking out at the street scene for a long time.

Later that afternoon, Claire took Shad out of the city to enjoy the natural scenery throughout the island:
"The islands in summer are very different from those in winter. Now it's the end of winter, and some scenes may not be visible next week."

Claire, wearing a red scarf, stood in the cedar forest, pointing to the large patches of frost on the trees, and then noticed that Shad wasn't looking at the scenery, but at her.

Their eyes met, and they understood each other perfectly. The witch blushed and beckoned to Shad to continue walking with her. Shad followed behind her and whispered:
"Yes, the scenery this year will look completely different next year."

On the beach, at the foot of the mountain, and in the snow-capped mountains, their footprints covered almost every part of the island that afternoon.

As the setting sun casts a golden glow on the snow-capped mountains, a tablecloth is laid out at the edge of the [Saint's Cliff], the highest point of the Destiny Ruins atop the snow-capped peak. The tablecloth is filled with dishes that Shad had asked the dragon maids to prepare using rubies.

Claire nestled in Shad's arms, together they faced the edge of the cliff, watching the sunset. Their faces were bathed in golden light, their hands clasped together.

"I will never forget that winter of 1855, Shad."

Claire said softly, and Shad nodded, brushing a strand of hair from her left cheek and tucking it behind Claire's ear.

Then Claire sat up and faced Shad. In the afterglow of the setting sun, their hearts were intertwined. The stranger kissed the witch, just as he kissed the sun at that moment.