Chapter 87 Hope Blue Diamond (IV)

◎Banquet◎

Bethel is a small city located on a chaotic border. No nobles are willing to live here. Apart from the gentry and a few small lords, it is difficult to even select noble gentlemen who are qualified to accompany guests. It is impossible to hold high-end banquets like those in the capital with elegant ladies and luxurious occasions. Anthony, who is well versed in the art of pleasure, knows this very well.

Rather than dressing up the rude and inexperienced daughters of gentry and petty lords in gorgeous and elegant long dresses and forcing them to pretend to be noble ladies, it would be better to be tacky to the end. After all, all banquets are to please people, and Anthony... he knows very well what men like.

So he simply sent out every carriage in the town hall to collect all the famous prostitutes in the city of Bethel.

He gave them jewelry and fine clothes and asked them to imitate the dress of the noble ladies of Dudley and role-play a medieval version of Calais.

He believed that the officers would like this. It has the elegant appearance of aristocratic ladies, but the soul of a wanton prostitute inside. This would make them feel like they have conquered the aristocratic ladies. Men like this kind of game.

The first carriage stopped in front of the City Hall. A woman in a goose yellow silk dress got out of the carriage, fanned herself twice with a feather fan, and looked at the door for a moment. The servants immediately came forward and extended their arms to her respectfully. The lady put her hands on them with curiosity and nervousness, raised her chin proudly, and walked into the hall under the guidance of the other party.

Carriages gathered from all directions, and colorful ladies like butterflies flew lightly into the carefully decorated hall. Anthony stood in a secluded place on the second floor, watching more and more people coming below. The band played lively music at the right time, and those carefully selected beautiful actors released their charm unscrupulously. Although there were no guests of theirs here, out of professional instinct, facing so many competitors in the same industry, they had consciously begun to show their strengths.

Anthony looked at the atmosphere below gradually becoming more heated with satisfaction, and turned his head again to ask, "Where are our guests?"

Before he could finish his words, in addition to the sound of the carriage wheels, the sound of several horses galloping was heard outside.

"Ah, it's our distinguished guest tonight! Let the ladies get ready!" Anthony perked up, hurriedly pulled his clothes, tugged at his bow tie, moved his neck, and ran down the stairs with his belly sticking out, showing a light posture that was totally inconsistent with his weight.

As he rushed out of the door maintaining his reserved demeanor, he happened to see the leading knight jumping off his horse.

The other person had long, fluffy hair like wool, delicate and gentle features, and hazel eyes that were kind to the point of being almost soft. With his smiling face, he looked like anyone could bully him.

Anthony was stunned for a moment. He felt that this person looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before, so he stood there hesitantly: "You..."

The knight was wearing the uniform of a guard officer with a gold medal on his chest. He folded his whip and tapped the side of his leather boots with the wooden handle to shake off the dust and dirt. He smiled at Anthony and said, "Good night, Mr. Mayor. I am the new head of the guard. I have just been transferred here from Dudley. His Majesty hopes to find the person as soon as possible, so he sent some more people here. Now I am in charge of the search of Berser for the time being."

Anthony was still a little confused, secretly regretting that the money he had spent on the former person in charge had left before he saw any results. However, this was not the time for him to think about this. He hurried over and said with a smile: "It seems that His Majesty really cares about his 'Queen'. Will that Excellency really show up in Berser?"

The knight paused, as if he suddenly became happy, and nodded seriously: "You are right, I am not sure, so we will not lift the blockade until we find it."

Anthony approached him. The mayor thought that this young officer was very kind and seemed easy to get along with. If he could establish a good relationship with him, he might have a better chance of returning to Dudley. So he smiled.

He said with a sincere heart: "Anyway, before completing your majesty's mission, you can relax a little. I have prepared a unique banquet for you today. You will never see such an interesting banquet even in Dudley."

He emphasized the word "interesting" meaningfully and winked at the other person deliberately. It was a bit scary for a man with a big belly and plenty of fat to make such an expression. What was rare was that the officer actually kept a kind smile throughout, as if such a scene was nothing in his eyes.

"Then I'm looking forward to it." The captain of the guard laughed cooperatively, his hazel eyes curved, his pupils having a special color like amber and gold under the bright light of the gas lamp.

"There's a banquet at the City Hall tonight," Raphael said, sitting at the table, stirring the mashed potatoes on the plate with a fork, his eyes looking through the window at the bustling market below. "The boss lady told me that this is held to entertain the captain of the guard. Mayor Berser will obviously be there too. This is the only chance to enter the City Hall and get the mayor's seal."

Leshert sat on the edge of the bed, holding a cup of hot milk in his hand, thinking hard: "...How can I blend in?"

Raphael looked at him and shook his head: "It's not you, it's me."

Leshert's expression suddenly tightened.

The Pope ignored the Knight Commander's instantly gloomy face and continued, "The boss lady said that many socialites in Berser have received invitations to the banquet. This has become an opportunity for the agent to prove his strength. This is why she told me this news - she hopes that she can introduce me to this banquet."

"No!" Leshert blurted out.

The upright Knight Commander's face turned pale: "You are the noble Holy See of Florence, how can you, how can you, in such an identity..."

Raphael interrupted him: "If this seal is not obtained, whether it is the Holy See or something else, it will disappear quietly in Calais."

The lavender eyes looked at Leshet without any emotion. The contents in them were hard and cold. After meeting his gaze, Leshet was stunned for a moment, and then he slowly lowered his head: "...I will follow your orders, Your Majesty."

"Very good, then you can pretend to be my coachman." Raphael retracted his gaze, scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth, swallowed the mashed potatoes mixed with something unknown with difficulty, and said to himself: "At least I don't have to eat this tonight."

As the sun was about to set, a light single-passenger carriage passed through the crowded market stalls and stopped in front of the shabby hotel. The carriage was simply decorated, with a shock-absorbing spring chassis, high pedals and a carriage to prevent water from entering the carriage on rainy days. The emblem of the Bethel City Hall was printed on the body of the carriage.

The shop on the left side of the inn sells leather goods. The strong smell of tanned leather made the horses raise their necks uncomfortably and snort. After the coachman pulled the reins twice, the docile animals lowered their heads and sniffed one after another.

Hot mead was simmering on the stove outside the large window of the inn all year round. The blackened copper samovar was as thick as a child's waist, and the lid moved with the steam bubbling away. The guy guarding the samovar stood up and stared at the carriage in a daze.

"I'll take her..." The coachman paused and dug up the name from his memory. "Miss Eulalia, here are some things that the mayor prepared for her."

He turned around and took out a suitcase from the carriage and wanted to hand it to the waiter.

The clerk took the suitcase, secretly surprised at its weight, and began to guess what was inside.

"Clothes and jewellery," said the coachman, seeing his thoughts, with a grin. "I see there is one of these boxes in every coach. We pick up ladies, you know, who may want something better, something more suitable for the town hall."

At this point, the coachman showed a proud expression as a member of the "City Hall".

The waiter carefully carried the suitcase into the inn. The coachman soon heard a middle-aged woman's scream of joy from inside, followed by the sound of someone stepping on the floor.

"Well, socialite, huh." The driver muttered to himself.

More than half an hour later, a lady with light steps came out wrapped in a large black cloak that covered her head and face. She lowered her head and her face could not be seen clearly. She was wearing an amber long skirt. The fluffy and wide skirt was like a flowing waterfall. The back of her waist was adorned with a huge decoration made of organza. This decoration, which was meant to modify the figure and highlight the buttocks, was obviously too outstanding. Although the legs were completely invisible, the body proportions alone showed that the lady had a good figure.

Before the coachman got off, the young lady stepped on the simple step on the side of the carriage and whooshed in. After a while, a hand wearing a long silk glove stretched out from inside and calmly pulled the wide skirt hanging outside the carriage inside.

This series of actions was so fast that it was dizzying. Before the coachman could react, a sound of light tapping on the wall of the iron carriage came from inside: "Please set off."

The driver waved his whip and urged the horse to start moving, while he was thinking in his mind, although she looked good, wasn't this lady's voice too... too deep?

Raphael in the car straightened his back to give himself some space to breathe. After all, he was a man, and no matter how thin he was, it was still difficult for him to fit into a lady's skirt. Fortunately, the skirt was not shoulder-bound, but precisely because of this, he had to stuff some auxiliary items into his chest to avoid being immediately exposed.

Raphael closed his eyes and kept breathing steadily. He felt the carriage suddenly stop and heard the driver's puzzled voice outside. After a while, the carriage started again, and this time it moved much more steadily.

Raphael arrived at the Town Hall before it was completely dark. The servants were lighting the gas lamps everywhere. He took off his cloak, tried his best to cover his face with his hair, walked into the hall along the porch in a low-key manner, and then quickly found the least noticeable corner.

The band began to play light music. He saw Mayor Basser rushing down the stairs, as if he was going to pick someone up outside the door. Raphael didn't care about it. He was looking for an opportunity to go to the second floor.

This was not easy, as the second floor was the office of the town hall and guests were not allowed to enter. However, Raphael did not think that the servants of the Beser Town Hall would be so dedicated to their duties.

He casually poured a cup of mead on his skirt, then lifted the hem of his skirt and went to find the maid who was waiting beside him. The maid was stunned the moment she saw him, and it took her a long time to come back to her senses. Her face was red to the root of her neck, and her tone was very gentle and a little too enthusiastic: "Do you need to change your skirt? I know where there are extra skirts. Maybe I can find a new one for you. What color do you like?"

Raphael was a little overwhelmed by her enthusiasm and hurriedly diverted her attention: "No, I want to tidy up first."

"Oh," the maid blinked, as if she was shocked by his voice, and pointed him in a direction, "There's a rest room over there, with clean water and towels."

Raphael nodded politely and walked in the direction she pointed.

It should be noted here that Raphael's voice is not that rough, and he deliberately changed the tone, but he is not a very good voice changer, and the result is obviously not satisfactory.

I can only speak less.

Raphael thought as he walked. He had no psychological barrier to pinching his throat and pretending to be a woman. He just felt a little sympathetic to those who had to listen to him.

The bathroom was next to the lounge. Raphael heard faint sounds in the lounge, so he walked through the door lightly, went into the bathroom and quickly wiped the water stains on his skirt. He heard the door of the lounge opening and closing, and the people inside seemed to have left. He waited for a while, pushed the door open a crack, and the corridor was empty.

The amber long skirt drew a full circle on the ground. The beautiful lady with a slim back bent down, and with fierce movements that did not match her elegant appearance, she lifted the wide skirt from the ground with both hands, held it in her arms like a bundle, and began to sprint in the corridor.

As he expected, the servants guarding the stairs were not so serious, and there was no one on the remote stairs. Raphael almost easily reached the second floor, found the mayor's office, and began to search inside.

If he wanted to leave Perse, he had to either use force or bribe them, but Raphael doubted whether the royal guards transferred from Dudley would be swayed by money, so he decided to choose a legal path - leaving Perse with a pass signed and sealed by the mayor.

As for how to get this signature and stamp...

Of course it depends on your personal wisdom.

Raphael rummaged through Anthony's desk but couldn't find the most crucial seal. Instead, he found several blank documents. He picked up two of them and stuffed them into his chest. At the same time, he found a discarded letter that Anthony had thrown in the corner and put them together. There was the mayor's signature on it, and he had to learn to imitate one. →

But there was no seal, not anywhere.

Raphael's heart sank. Could it be that this mayor was such a dedicated guy who liked to carry his seal with him?

He couldn't stay here for too long. Whether it was true or not, he would just have to search to find out.

Raphael made up his mind, quickly put things back in place, and returned the same way with the skirt in his arms. He waited in the bathroom for a while before slowly wiping the water off his hands and returning to the banquet hall.

The banquet hall was already bustling with noise and bustle.

The experienced girls knew best how to liven up the atmosphere. They were like light butterflies, hovering around every guest worth lingering, laughing and talking as sweetly as flowers, and making every man happy with their timely smiles and well-measured coquettishness. Of course, Anthony invited not only the officers of the guards, but also the gentry and lords with whom he had a good relationship. To the sound of the melodious music, several pairs of men and women soon "fell in love" and snuggled up to each other and whispered.

Raphael found that someone was already standing in the hidden corner he had originally chosen, so he quietly walked behind the curtains of a bay window and sat there waiting for the right opportunity.

This opportunity came soon. He saw Mayor Boser's iconic big belly appear in his field of vision, but standing next to him was——

Raphael heard his own heartbeat hit his chest with a deafening thud.

Why is the little emperor here? !

The young man standing next to Mayor Bather was holding a glass of wine and looking down at the wine in the glass as if in a daze, letting the mayor chatter in his ear. He was wearing a guard uniform with a gold medal on his chest, and his long, thick, curly woolen hair draped behind his back. His light brown eyes were hidden under his eyelashes and his expression could not be seen clearly. The corners of his mouth always had a gentle smile like a mask.

He seemed easy going, but Raphael knew it was just an appearance.

This little emperor, who always smiles, has disguised himself as gentle and cowardly for many years, but now no one in Dudelai is not afraid of him. He is a madman who does whatever he wants, and no one can guess what a madman will do.

Raphael had never considered him as an opponent. Even until his death in his previous life, he had never thought that Calais was the culprit for all the misfortunes that led to his current predicament.

So now, Francis IV's appearance here, was it a coincidence, or did he learn some news?

Raphael didn't dare to bet on the possibility, after all, it was too much of a coincidence.

The Pope anxiously put his fingers in his mouth and bit them twice. The slight pain pricked his nerves, forcing him to calm down and organize his thoughts.

First, he couldn't leave easily now, as that would attract too much attention; second, he had to get Anthony's seal, which would be a big deal.

François's presence at Besser became more urgent.

A cold light appeared in Raphael's eyes. After the initial panic and uneasiness disappeared, another emotion began to ferment in his body. Excited blood rushed in his veins. When two hunters meet, there must be a winner.

The author has something to say:

Ah... It's the weekly meeting again. The principal is really good at talking. Listening to him talk about "The years I was the principal of X Middle School", "The years I studied abroad in Singapore" and "My son's daily life" again, I was numb. Can I already imagine the image of the principal? Hahahahaha

When writing this chapter, I looked through the stills of "Sissi" for reference of costumes. I was amazed once again that the 1955 version of Sissi was so beautiful! ! The costumes and makeup are particularly luxurious and beautiful, giving a feeling of the extravagance and elegance of European royal families, which completely fits my imagination of that era. Each dress is unique and luxurious, each with its own beauty. I recommend everyone to go and have a look! Really beautiful.