The surprise of the first snow had spread through the courtyard, and those by the windows in the banquet hall also spread the news. People poured out of the building or stood by the windows, marveling at the year's first snowfall.
For the princess's wedding, this was probably quite a nice gift.
Seeing too many people watching the snow, Xia De decided to find his cat, so the cat, who had never seen snow since birth, could see what it was like.
Just as he was about to turn around, a whisper in his ear reminded him:
【Your dance partner has arrived.】
"Xia De!"
Someone patted his right shoulder from behind. Xia De turned to his right to look behind him but saw no one. He then looked to his left, where Iluna stood smiling in the crowd, hands behind her back, watching him.
Although she appeared at this banquet, her attire was clearly not for attending a banquet. Her clothes were form-fitting, and the whisper elements from various relics were easily detectable. Her fanny pack was also stuffed with bulging spellcasting materials.
"Xia De, I knew it was you."
The seventeen-year-old girl said with a smile in the dim light.
"Iluna? What are you doing here?"
Xia De asked, surprised, but a smile also appeared on his face. He was happy to see Iluna here at this moment.
"Oh, it's about the Schluch Lake incident. I was originally going to rest at home, but the Church urgently notified me of a mission. After arriving here by carriage with Captain Robinson and the others, everything was already over."
She lowered her voice and pointed in the direction of Schluch Lake behind the manor, but everyone was watching the snow, so no one really paid attention to them:
"Mr. Rendall, Sunlight Greatsword, arrived a few tens of minutes before me. Besides him, Miss Green, a Ring術士 of the Church, has also arrived, so I'm not needed by the lake."
She still had her hands behind her back, her shoes scuffing the ground. Her gaze flickered away from Xia De, and her face flushed slightly:
"I knew you were here. Since I wasn't needed by the lake, I thought I'd see if I could find you."
She then pointed to the first floor of the mansion where dance music was playing:
"It's really lively here. My clothes aren't suitable for entering the mansion, so I thought I'd just wander around the courtyard and garden. It just so happened to snow, and I guessed you'd also come out to see the snow. See, I really did run into you... This dance music is really good. I thought you'd be dancing inside with someone else."
When she said the latter half of the sentence, her eyes shifted to the side, as if she had become interested in the masked children running in the snow, holding pinwheels.
【See, I told you your dance partner arrived.】
"She" reminded him again.
Although Iluna didn't say it aloud, Xia De already knew what he needed to do.
He extended his hand and asked softly:
"Lady, would you like to dance?"
"Of course, yes, I happen to have time."
Iluna said, concealing her smile, but then suddenly shook her head:
"I'd better not go into the banquet hall. My clothes aren't suitable, and besides, I'm here on a mission."
After speaking, she looked at Xia De with anticipation. Xia De nodded:
"Then let's go somewhere else. Let me think... Let's go to the hedge maze. There are fewer people there. We can pick a spot close to the mansion, and we should be able to hear the music."
"Okay."
Iluna immediately nodded.
So, in the light snow, they walked from the front courtyard of Lakeview Manor, along the courtyard path, to the garden in the back. The night was deepening, and since there were no activities in the garden and the lakeside was temporarily and unreasonably sealed off by the Church, most guests gathered in the mansion and the front courtyard, leaving the garden mostly empty.
Entering the hedge maze, between the tall hedges on both sides, they found a spot perfectly illuminated by Moonlight, where tiny snowflakes were particularly noticeable in the light.
"Look, it's like the center of a stage!"
Iluna said with a smile.
"Wait a moment."
He held Iluna's hand and stopped, raising his right index finger in a place not reached by the lamplight:
"Look!"
Red Butterflies flew from his fingertip, circling Iluna while trailing bright red threads. As the Butterflies danced, a light blue ball gown was woven inch by inch onto Iluna, until a Red Butterfly flew to her head, transforming into a red hair ornament.
"How pretty! Now we can dance!"
Xia De exclaimed, quite satisfied with his Red Butterfly Illusion. Although this illusion could be easily seen through and was not very useful for disguise in crowded places, it was perfect for the current situation.
Iluna bit her lip, looking at the dress on her, then touched the hair ornament in her hair, regretting a bit that she hadn't put on makeup before leaving.
"Speaking of which, I've never used my illusion like this before... And this."
Xia De's right index finger moved again, and countless Red Butterflies flew from his sleeve, soaring into the snowy Moonlight.
The Red Butterflies danced under the Moonlit night and starry sky, dragging red specks of light as they flew high, leaving behind trails of red light.
"I'm still very confident in my illusion."
Xia De said with a smile, then bowed slightly to Iluna, extending his right hand. The seventeen-year-old girl reached out and took it.
The two came together into the quiet Moonlight where snow fell. The Chosen One and the Outsider prepared to dance to the faint music.
Iluna looked at Xia De's face, so close, and reminded him with a blush:
"You mustn't tell Luvia about this."
"Why?"
"She might think I specifically took on this mission just to dance with you."
Iluna argued, then looked at the dark hedges around them, and then gestured for Xia De to begin.
But Xia De didn't immediately move. Instead, he thought for a moment and said:
"Tonight I touched upon power again, so perhaps I can try to fully activate the illusion. You see, it's really too small here."
"You want to redecorate the stage?"
Iluna asked.
"Yes, redecorate. So now, Iluna, please close your eyes and spin with me~"
He embraced the seventeen-year-old girl, who also smiled and closed her eyes, feeling only the cold snow touching her forehead. After they had spun three times, she heard Xia De say softly:
"Please open your eyes."
"Oh!"
What met her eyes was an endless wilderness under the Moonlight. Above them, where snow fell, was a massive Moon disc, as if about to fall. They now stood on a field ridge, and Red Butterflies under the Moonlight surrounded them, their red specks of light adding more brilliant colors to this quiet Moonlit wilderness.
This was Xia De using the spell Red Butterfly Illusion with all his might. Since the illusion only affected him and Iluna, there was no need to worry about being discovered. Of course, this scene was so real also because it was a dream scene that Xia De would never forget.
He didn't know how many nights he had watched this scene alone in his dreams.
"Xia De..."
Iluna's face was flushed as she looked at everything around her. Xia De asked:
"Not bad, right?"
He suddenly exerted force with his right hand, making Iluna step out of his embrace. Then, to the dance music, they began to dance on the field ridge under the Moonlit, snowy wilderness, accompanied by the Red Butterflies.
Iluna's face remained flushed throughout, as if she was somewhat afraid to look into Xia De's eyes. When the song ended, and the piano's lingering notes had not yet faded, they both looked up to see the Red Butterflies flying into the silver Moon in the sky, casting their last glow in the snow.
"How was it?"
Xia De intended to show off his improved dancing skills, but Iluna probably misunderstood. She suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed Xia De's cheek.
She kissed Xia De's left cheek, not the right cheek that Tifa had kissed.
Iluna, her face flushed, hopped back, separating from Xia De. Then she put her hands behind her back again, turning her back to Xia De to look at the distant, gradually fading scene of the real hedge maze:
"Very good, Knight."
She said softly, then turned to look at Xia De:
"Don't tell Luvia about this... If this ball were to elect a 'Ball Queen,' you would definitely be chosen. Although I wasn't invited, this is the most perfect ball I've ever experienced."
After speaking, she felt her pocket but couldn't find anything suitable, so she simply took off the scarf she was wearing and threw it to Xia De:
"What a pity, my dress doesn't need a garter."
She looked down regretfully as the illusionary dress on her body also disappeared. Then she waved to Xia De and lightly walked away from the edge of the illusion, disappearing around the corner of the hedge maze.
"Ball Queen, isn't that a title for girls?"
The Moonlit wilderness in Xia De's vision collapsed, and the scene of the hedge maze in the garden appeared. Snow fell on his shoulders and quickly melted; it wasn't the season for snow to accumulate yet.
【Outsider, you successfully proved your charm at the banquet.】
"She" reminded him softly.
Xia De looked suspiciously at the scarf in his hand:
"Why? I invited pretty girls to dance in front of so many people, and I didn't prove my charm, but after dancing alone with Iluna, I did..."
【Because you invited the true protagonist on the most magnificent stage.】
"Protagonist?"
Xia De nodded, folded the scarf, and put it in his pocket, placing it together with the pink scarf Miss Jialinna had thrown to him earlier.
He looked up at the Moon, sighed, and shook his head, then walked towards the brightly lit Lakeview Manor mansion.
--- Digression ---
PS: One more chapter to conclude this banquet. Although the banquet was written at length, it basically captured the essence of aristocratic banquets of that era, depicted the main and side storylines, showed the changes in the girls' favorability, and revealed Xia De's gains. Although it occupies quite a few chapters in this volume, it was all worth it.
