Regardless of the reason, Witches always disliked men, and thus, their attitude towards other men, besides Xia De, was always the same.
"Ms. Cassandra."
Entering was a flamboyantly dressed middle-aged man. His red formal suit was adorned with gaudy medals, and a flower was pinned in his reddish-brown hair. He wore dark red trousers, and his legs were encased in long white socks that extended up to his knees, making him look particularly striking.
He was roughly the same height as Xia De, but a bit thinner than him:
"Good evening, Ms. Cassandra. Oh, do you have guests?"
This "Count Darak of Campbell" was very polite. Seeing Miss Aurora sitting opposite Grandma Cassandra, he stood at the doorway and did not presumptuously walk in. Of course, he also saw Xia De standing by the wall, but naturally treated him as background decoration in this scene.
"Let me introduce you, this is Viscount Aurora from Carson Rick."
Grandma Cassandra introduced.
"Is that Miss Hivi Aurora of the Aurora Family? The elegant flower of Cambella, the duchess who gallops across the ocean."
The Count smiled as he greeted Miss Aurora, who merely gave a cold nod.
"So, Count, is there something you need?"
Grandma Cassandra asked again.
"I wanted to discuss some business matters with you, but since you have guests, I'll come back later."
He bowed slightly to the ladies but did not immediately turn to leave. Instead, he took off his gloves and performed a complex series of movements, bending at the waist in a bow:
"Oh, Miss Aurora of Cassandra, welcome to Middelburg. I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting you to a dance later? We could chat about my vacation estate in western Delarion."
According to Xia De's understanding of Witches, they would usually politely decline when they were in a good mood. But this time, Miss Aurora unexpectedly turned her head slightly to glance at Xia De, and the corner of her lipstick-painted mouth curved, revealing a smile.
Xia De had seen this kind of smile on Miss Jialinna's face before, and it meant the Witch had a "good idea."
"Count, what a coincidence, someone has already asked me to dance. He's a young man from Tobesk, yes, very young, and also a noble. It's said his relationship with the royal family is extraordinary, and he has already invited me. However..."
She smiled and pointed to Xia De behind her:
"This is my bodyguard. The bravery of that young man from Tobesk is comparable to that of my bodyguard. If you can defeat my loyal servant, I think I can decline that young man's invitation."
Xia De knew the Witch was having fun.
"That's very good."
Count Darak then looked up excitedly at Xia De, who had just been treated as background.
He first realized that the "bodyguard" was very handsome, and then saw the two pistols tucked into Xia De's waist.
After a moment of hesitation, he immediately shook his head:
"I am skilled in rapier, but there's no need for us to resort to force at the Fire Worship Festival party; it would ruin the atmosphere of this romantic bonfire banquet. However, I still look forward to dancing with you. So, I wonder if I can challenge your loyal servant to another method of demonstrating bravery."
"What method?"
The Witch asked, but Xia De could tell she was already losing patience.
"rhode cards."
The Witch immediately laughed:
"Of course, Watson, go play a game with the Count. Remember... don't lose too badly."
"Yes, madam."
Xia De walked from the wall and took out his rhode cards deck from his pocket. He pulled with one hand in the air, and with a flick of his other hand, all the special cards were ejected from the scattered deck. Then, he simultaneously gathered with both hands, his right hand grasping the deck without special cards, and his left hand grasping the special cards.
He selected replacement cards from the side deck to add, then skillfully shuffled the deck with one hand, and came before Count Darak of Campbell:
"It's an honor to play cards with you, but I don't have any special cards. I'm just a regular player."
The slightly plump Count looked at Xia De's hands in surprise, and after a long moment, he nodded:
"I have one special card. Your shuffling technique is truly... pretty."
"Thank you for the compliment. Shall we begin then? In the name of the elegant flower of Cambella—Hivi Cassandra, I will defeat you."
They played a best-of-five game using basic rules, and even without any special cards, Xia De still won with a three-game winning streak.
He even drew a King and a Blackjack once, which made Count Darak of Campbell suspect that the armed bodyguard in front of him was once a professional gambler or similar.
However, he was very cultured and accepted his loss gracefully. After praising Xia De's rhode cards skill, he took his leave. However, when Xia De was in close contact with the Count, he always felt something was off about him, but he was certain the other party was just an ordinary person and showed no traces of elements on him, so he wasn't sure what caused that almost "intuitive" feeling of unease.
Out of curiosity, he inquired more about Count Darak, and later learned that the latter had suffered a severe illness some time ago, resting in bed for the entire Summer before finally recovering. His emaciated figure was a result of that serious illness; otherwise, as a noble with no worries in life and no major bad habits apart from eating, drinking, smoking, women, and rhode cards, there was no reason for him to be so thin.
Because he had been delayed for some time with Miss Aurora, Xia De's idea of meeting local rhode cards players before the ball was completely dashed.
Seeing that the bonfire party, which started at half past eight, was very close, Xia De did not leave the lounge again. Instead, he chatted with Miss Aurora and Grandma Cassandra about his experiences at the auction, complained about the price of rhode cards at the auction, and then discussed the current situation in Middelburg.
When it was almost time, and he could see couples and other pairings gathering in the courtyard from the window, Xia De stood up from the sofa. With a smile from Miss Aurora, he imitated the gestures of other gentlemen he had seen: his left hand pressed to his chest, his right hand waving in the air, and with a slight bow, he extended his hand in invitation:
"Miss Hivi Aurora, may I invite you to dance?"
"Of course."
The Witch smiled very happily:
"Wait for me outside, I need to touch up my makeup."
Her light makeup looked fine, with no need for touch-ups, but Xia De wisely did not point this out.
So he left first to wait in the courtyard. When bidding farewell to Grandma Cassandra, the Old Witch said with a hint of regret:
"Young man, if Jialinna ever stabs you to death with a sword, I probably wouldn't be surprised."
"Hmm, what?"
"Nothing. You also seem to be a very resourceful person, at least that's what the teacher thinks."
She shook her head:
"I'll be leaving soon, to go back and rest. A reminder again, the teacher's ritual will be held on Monday. If you're interested, arrange your other plans for this Monday in advance."
"I will definitely go. Yes, for the resolution of Red Butterfly, I will definitely go."
Xia De nodded, and the Old Witch showed a relieved smile:
"Xia De Hamilton, actually, the teacher is also very much looking forward to meeting you."
"Then, farewell."
"Farewell."
Miss Aurora asked Xia De to wait in the courtyard first, and of course, when dancing with a lady of such status, Xia De chose to wear a mask. His doing so did not seem out of place among the guests attending the banquet, as many people wore masks to dance, especially among young men and women.
Xia De waited a full twenty minutes, and only after the bonfire party had already begun did Miss Aurora finally arrive.
She had changed out of her somewhat elaborate formal gown and was now wearing a black and white dress with an incredibly thin waist. Not all women suit this style of dress, but for Witches of extraordinary charm, all clothes suit them.
Miss Aurora also wore a mask that covered the upper half of her face, allowing her expression to be seen. After taking Xia De's outstretched hand, the two entered the bonfire party area. The central courtyard of the quadrangle castle was quite large, with dozens of bonfires divided into four areas, and bands playing beside the bonfire in the middle of each area.
Witches all seemed to be very skilled at dancing. Even wearing pretty black patent leather high heels, Miss Aurora's dancing skills were much more proficient than Xia De's.
Both of them wore masks that covered the upper half of their faces, so their expressions could still be seen. Under the moon, by the bonfire, Hivi Aurora's face was flushed, and she truly looked exceptionally happy at that moment. She led Xia De in a slow dance to the sound of the orchestra, and could even introduce the famous piece called "Heart of the Lake" to Xia De amidst the gentle crackling of the bonfire.
"Actually, sometimes I envy Jialinna."
She rested her head on Xia De's shoulder as they danced gently to the rhythm.
"What?"
"She always seems to get what she wants. Although her seat corresponds to Balance, I always think that she is actually favored by Destiny."
The Witch whispered softly in Xia De's ear. Xia De, of course, knew that Miss Hivi Aurora had a very high degree of fondness for him. He hadn't yet figured out where this fondness came from, but his feeling was absolutely correct.
"The only man who can approach us, with a good appearance, kind personality, and excellent abilities, and can even play a big role in the Council's pursuit of the Chosen One. Besides being only a low-ringed individual for now, I really can't think of any other flaws you have."
Listening to Miss Aurora's words, Xia De heard "her" laughter in his ear, which was probably mockery.
"But why did Jialinna meet you first?"
The brown-haired Witch asked, and then, unexpectedly, suddenly kissed Xia De's ear. As Xia De's face flushed, she left his shoulder and then motioned for Xia De to move.
