Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1610: Vase Appreciation

People around who recognized Miss Galina naturally also saw the interaction between Shard and the Duchess. Previously, no one had ever seen the Duchess in such a manner in public, so they became somewhat more convinced of the rumors about the Duke and his lover.

The two didn’t linger too much among the magician’s crowd but continued their walk in the garden. The Witch held Shard’s arm, softly introducing him to the notable guests attending this exclusive banquet. She seemed very happy, more relaxed and content than Shard had ever seen her.

They sampled the snacks on the tables, strolled through the garden, and greeted familiar people together. The red-haired lady even watched Shard play two rounds of Roder Card with others, although there was no betting involved this time. With Mia not around, they even fed the pure white pet cat raised by Velarde Manor together, and Galina laughed as she speculated about what Shard’s cat at home would think of such an act.

"Would this be considered a date?"

While watching the night sky from the estate’s second-floor balcony, the Witch suddenly asked. Shard placed his wine glass on the railing, holding onto the bar with both hands:

"Of course it counts."

"I somewhat understand Lecia’s passion for you now, this is really nice."

She also put down her wine glass, her face gradually getting closer to Shard. Amidst the lively conversations from the garden below, the ambiguous glow of the gas lamps on the balcony, under the moon, they drew closer until they kissed. The cold, yet slippery kiss didn’t last long before Galina gently pushed Shard away.

They turned to look behind them, only to see Angelina standing at the balcony door in her sky-blue dress, unsure whether she should interrupt. Behind her stood four or five noble ladies Shard hadn’t seen before, who were excitedly whispering about the scene before them.

"Good evening, Angelina, are you having fun?"

The Witch asked with a smile, and without waiting for Angelina’s response, she turned to Shard and said:

"I’m going to touch up my makeup, and before the open-air ball starts, I need to attend to some necessary social obligations. Tifa and the others should already be in the lounge waiting for me to receive guests. You stay with Angelina for now; I’ll find you once the ball starts."

She lightly brushed Shard’s lips and then walked towards Angelina. She gently patted Angelina’s shoulder before greeting her friends. The young noble ladies responded to the Duchess’ courteousness in a flurry, watching her briskly walk away.

After Angelina shooed away her giggling friends, she joined Shard on the balcony.

She clasped her hands together, not knowing what to say until Shard found a topic:

"Good evening, Angelina. Is the party enjoyable? I found the magic show over there quite interesting. I’ve always been curious, doesn’t your family have those so-called ’Court Clowns’?"

The Little Princess smiled:

"I always thought we’d have them when I was young, but then Mother told us those Eunuch Stewards don’t perform magic or jump through fire hoops... Good evening, Shard, I thought you’d ask why Sister didn’t come first."

She called Shard by name directly, which was only possible because there was no one else around besides them.

Shard shook his head:

"Your Highness, I do understand the basic social etiquette. Moreover, it’s quite impolite to ask one lady about another lady."

He glanced at Angelina and asked:

"Do you need me to praise your outfit? It really suits you."

Angelina graciously lifted her skirt and twirled in place, allowing Shard to see every detail of her ensemble. Then, she quietly asked him:

"Shard, I heard from Sister that you agreed to help her gather intelligence in the Green Lake Region, is that right?"

Shard hadn’t expected her to ask this question but nodded nonetheless:

"Yes, it seems very important to Lecia."

"Then, are you optimistic or pessimistic about the negotiation?"

Her Highness asked again, clearly not forcing a topic but genuinely interested.

"It’s hard to say whether optimistic or pessimistic, but I foresee the negotiations will not go very smoothly."

He told her about passing the border in the Green Lake Region and the encounters and conflicts at that rural tavern with Captain Lades, Princess Angelina listened with eyes practically sparkling:

"It’s truly fascinating, I mean, this negotiation is just creating conflicts."

"Indeed, I even worry that before the Pantanal Region erupts, it might be the north-south conflict of the Green Lake Region that causes trouble first. Due to the development of the two cities, the place is already filled with tension... It’s hard to say."

Shard cautiously shook his head, downed the wine in his glass, and grimaced from drinking too quickly. Angelina giggled with a hand covering her mouth:

"I didn’t expect you to have such a moment of indiscretion."

"I just don’t handle alcohol well... Drinking really has no benefits."

The seventeen-year-old red-haired Princess nodded softly, then quietly asked:

"Shard, would you like to go to the lounge over there? We can talk more about the Green Lake negotiations. My father and mother think I don’t understand anything. There are many things my Sister Lecia and the others can’t know, but I’ve actually heard of them. Maybe you’re interested, after all, no one usually talks to me about these things."

Shard hesitated for a moment. In such an open banquet, when women invite men to the lounge, there is a certain social implication. Considering Lecia’s feelings, he was unsure what this meant. Noticing his confusion, Angelina tapped Shard’s arm:

"Shard, what are you thinking?"

She pouted, pretending to be upset, which made her already youthful face appear even more charming:

"I really want to discuss the Green Lake negotiations with you. Otherwise, I would have asked you to take me for a walk downstairs, as this is a rare occasion when my sister isn’t around."

The lounges in the banquet were actually public. Earl Velarde had cleared out the rooms on the left side of the first floor for guests to rest or converse. The lounge Miss Galina mentioned was actually the Earl’s study, which she had special access to.

Shard and Angelina returned to the first floor. At that moment, the banquet was lively, and all the lounges were temporarily unused. The two casually chose one to enter.

Angelina did want to discuss matters related to Green Lake with Shard. She had overheard many things in Yordle Palace that were not suitable for public disclosure, such as His Majesty the King’s stance on the border dispute, the trade expectations brought by the new trade route, and the location and specifications of the subsequent railroads to be constructed.

These pieces of information came from casual conversations and couldn’t be confirmed with complete certainty, but they were still very valuable as references. It was only then that Shard realized Angelina was also quite sensitive to politics. Her insights into the relations between the two countries and her forecasts of future economic trends and domestic conflicts were not much inferior to those of Lecia, who was often involved in political affairs.

"But no one wants to discuss these things with me. They all think I’m just a pretty vase. Besides my sister, most people believe I should wear beautiful dresses and mingle at afternoon tea parties with naive girls or use fake smiles to attract those foolish noble lads, like in court novels, stupidly engaging in social interactions."

Her Highness the Princess lamented without hesitating to express this truth to Shard. As she practically had "please praise me" written all over her face, Shard burned the notes on the domestic grain production he had calculated earlier and said:

"Your talents are strong; the Cavendish Family genes are truly... I mean, doesn’t Lecia value you a lot?"

The Little Princess looked at Shard with even more sorrow in her eyes:

"But the problem is Sister Lecia is too strong. Even if I have some talent and skills, I can’t compare to her. She doesn’t particularly need my help, or rather, the helpers around me are already sufficient. Sometimes, I don’t aim to achieve too much; I just..."

Shard completed her thought. He understood Angelina’s sentiments:

"Want to be acknowledged or praised a bit, rather than always being considered a little girl who hasn’t grown up."

The Little Princess blinked, her face slightly flushed:

"Do you have the power to read minds?"

"Not yet."

"Then you’re really good at understanding girls."

"Please don’t say that; it makes me seem like a flirt."

Shard hurriedly responded, causing Angelina to laugh again. She poured tea for Shard while resting her hands on the sofa, swinging her legs beneath the dress:

"Talking to you feels really nice. You’re an extraordinary man. It’s not a coincidence that my sister and aunt favor you. Knight, you truly seem like someone straight out of a story."

She tilted her head to look at Shard, the lipstick on her rosy lips was different from that of Lecia and Galina:

"Shard, do you understand vase appreciation?"

With his teacup in hand, Shard found this to be a peculiar question:

"Antique or modern porcelain?"

"Think more carefully about this question."

She chuckled softly as a reminder.

"Neither."

The Princess still tilted her head while looking at him, her eyes filled with curious emotions:

"It’s the vase in front of you. Do you think I’m pretty?"

At this moment, Shard surprisingly didn’t feel any awkwardness or discomfort, as if the conversation was naturally supposed to progress this way. Angelina’s words were open and sincere, as if they were genuinely discussing a vase.

"The Cavendish Family’s girls are indeed impressive."

She laughed softly in Shard’s ear. Shard snapped out of his astonishment:

"I don’t like using objects to describe girls; it’s very impolite."

"Knight, you only need to answer honestly: am I pretty?"