Chapter 87 Sisters' Gathering! Sisters' Gathering Day! Some...
"So this is the Moonlight Rose."
The blooming moon rose is more stunning than those depicted in popular literature. It is formed when the moon, which can be seen in broad daylight, suddenly descends, and the tears shed by lovers' kisses melt into shimmering expectations, creating this scene in the liquid formed from the melting of star fragments.
If that's the case, perhaps it's understandable why stories like to portray them as witnesses to love, but they all know that's not the case.
"And there's something even more beautiful: the Moonlit River, filled with moonlit roses, and a ceremony where people dance on the other side. But I can't show you that, since this ceremony is... for divorce."
It was a ritual for asking for forgiveness after marital infidelity and for expressing separation, with roses used as a dividing line. However, this ritual was lost for so long that it became a testament to courtship. Unfortunately, Enid doesn't have any video footage of it, but she knows the general posture of the ritual.
“It seems we don’t need to see it,” Stephanie said, somewhat amused.
She didn't believe that Enid and Dick would end up divorcing after marriage. Given their personalities, their yearning for love, and their loyalty, she was actually looking forward to when Dick would propose to Enid. Cassandra and Barbara agreed.
"If there are divorces, will there be a real marriage proposal ceremony?"
Upon hearing Barbara speak, Enid suddenly blushed. The one about the meteor shower night didn't actually count. She remained silent for a long time, looking into everyone's expectant eyes, before slowly beginning to explain.
“Yes… Logically speaking, if it were a proposal to a High Druid, given my special circumstances, I would need to make a vow before the Mother Goddess and also join or abide by the Mother Goddess's rules—not my own rules, but those of my beloved. I would need to dedicate my soul to my beloved, keep the vow of a lifetime, and thereafter, our souls would be intertwined, never to be separated.”
She had never truly expected this. Enid initially thought her life would be like her mother's: to have a child continue the Grady family's mission, to perpetuate the High Druid legacy, and then die in the Sacred Grove, her soul scattered and her body becoming nourishment for the grove. That was what she had originally imagined…
"I haven't thought about it because it sounds too difficult. It might be too much to ask someone to actually marry me."
“I think it’s alright. If it’s Dick, Bruce’s challenge will definitely be easier. We and the boys probably think so too. Damian also trusts him a lot, so it’s only the challenge with God left. But I don’t think he will refuse.”
Stephanie's tone was so matter-of-fact that Enid began to be shocked. Barbara then picked up Cloud Sheep, which was rubbing against her feet.
“Stay is right. If he really makes this decision, then he must have thought it through and won’t back down. Perhaps you’re more worried about you than him,” Barbara said in a very relaxed tone, with a gentle smile on her face. “There’s no need to feel burdened. Marriage is important. It’s not too late to consider it when you’ve really thought it through. We’re just curious if he’ll need to dance one day.”
Enid, relieved of her mental burden, began to think, and incidentally summoned a relatively new book, probably the one she had read the least. It seemed to contain various parts about marriage. She searched for a long time before finding it, and even couldn't help but burst out laughing.
“Yes, we need backup dancers…and the backup dancers must be his brothers.” Enid projected the image onto the screen.
The ink outlined a simplified figure on the old parchment, depicting an elaborate dance. It showed a young man in gorgeous clothes, accompanied by three dancers, praying for divine permission. Behind them were women in equally magnificent ceremonial attire, responding with equally gorgeous dance moves. They recognized the ceremonial attire; it was the same one Enid had worn before.
“It looks a little difficult.” Stephanie stroked her chin. The difficulty wasn’t that the dance itself was hard, but rather that the depiction wasn’t very clear, and it would take time to replicate. “Perhaps I should share it with them in advance.”
"Actually, it's not that difficult. You can find the corresponding movements for these few actions."
Cassan, looking at the dance steps above, had already thought of many dances. There were actually similar movements among them. Stephanie's eyes lit up. She had almost forgotten that there might be this one. Reading Stephanie's meaning from her eyes, Cassan nodded without hesitation, indicating her agreement. She would be responsible for teaching them.
“Great, we’ve reached a consensus. If there’s an opportunity, we can post it on the family channel so they can start learning.”
“I think they will learn very quickly,” Enid said shyly after hearing Barbara’s words, feeling that it might be a little too early.
Upon hearing Enid's words, Stephanie quickly responded. She understood Barbara's meaning, of course. This was a surprise based on mutual agreement, and Enid's current attitude was a response, but it was just not the right time yet.
"No, no, no, the most important thing is to wait until they've almost learned it, and you've almost forgotten about it. After all, it's a surprise, right?"
After understanding what they meant, Enid nodded in realization.
“Indeed, I can share it with them, and then talk about it again when I’ve almost forgotten about it.” She wasn’t worried anymore; in fact, she would start to look forward to this surprise happening in the future, just like the sudden blooming of snow orchids (precious and rare flowers), which would make her very happy.
After obtaining Enid's permission, Barbara quickly posted the compiled document to the public channel, with the title "Notes on Proposing to a High Druid." Dick was the first to read it; he quickly downloaded and browsed the entire document, and after getting a general understanding of the content, he opened the channel and saw Jason posting a question mark.
Jason: Huh? I have something to do with this too?
Tim: I will do my best.
Damian: Hmm... I understand.
Barbara smiled and closed the chat window, not bothering to see how they were communicating or how Dick was expressing his gratitude. Instead, she continued the sisters' conversation. They had just returned from Disneyland that day, and Enid had mentioned that the Moonlight Roses were in bloom, so they decided to come here to see the roses together.
"I remember you said before that the fruit of the Moonlight Rose is edible, right?"
On the way here, Enid enthusiastically explained the uses of the Moonlight Rose besides its potion-making properties. Hearing this, Enid nodded happily, hurriedly stood up, ran over and picked four roses, and gave them to them.
"This is different from the one in the secret realm. Mine is the most primitive one, so it has fruit. After peeling off the petals, there will be fruit inside. It's soft, but the inside is crisp. Each one has a different flavor!"
The moonlight roses in the sacred forest only bloom for a limited time. This is a unique place where the moon shines brightly even during the day. All plants that thrive under the moonlight can take root here, and the roses here are even more dazzling, but this also means their blooming period is shorter.
There's no need to be sad, because after a brief bloom, life will flourish even more magnificently once again. The natural laws of all things are the most grand, and Enid certainly won't be saddened by this.
“It’s sweet and sour.” After peeling back the petals and eating the fruit inside, Cassan frowned slightly at first, but quickly relaxed. She didn’t need to hide her emotions; it was a kind of sourness that escaped before the sweetness could emerge, and was finally captured, leaving only an excessive sweetness. “It’s quite delicious.”
"Wow! What great luck! This flavor is the most interesting! Hmm, there are also flavors that are bitter at first and then sweet, and sweet at first and then sour."
"My life is one of bitterness before sweetness... but the bitterness is a bit like chocolate."
Stephanie raised her hand to indicate that she had been affected, but thankfully the bitterness wasn't too bad. Barbara nodded in agreement; hers wasn't the sourness of lemon or vinegar, but rather more like citrus, which was somewhat intriguing.
“This is the first time I’ve ever known chocolate could be bitter! The ones I’ve had before were…bitter melon!” Enid wrinkled her nose dejectedly, looking rather unlucky. Stephanie, however, seemed to have an idea. She pointed to the roses: “Could we use them to make juice or hot cocoa or something?”
"No..." Enid swallowed her own fruit, which was sour and made her face scrunch up. She drank it down with a pitiful expression. Suddenly, Cloud Sheep, who was holding a glass of fresh milk on her head, said, "These flavors don't really matter, and the fruit doesn't have any special effects. It's just a very ordinary fruit. But would you like to try this milk?"
After drinking the milk, Enid thought of something and tried to sell it. The little lambs, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and were as big as clouds, nuzzled against them one by one, each with a cup of milk on their heads. Cassan glanced thoughtfully in the direction the lambs had come from.
"Is it fruit?"
"Okay, we've been found out! As expected of Cassandra."
The next second, a pile of milky white, grape-like fruits appeared at their feet. It was pushed over by a group of cloud lambs, which piled up on the grass at their feet and then disappeared. Occasionally, Stephanie and Cassan would catch one and hold it in their arms. Its fluffy fur was just like the clouds, soft and warm.
Barbara picked up a glass of "milk" and shook it. It was thick enough to cling to the side of the glass, and it had a strong milky aroma but no fishy smell at all. So she drank it all in one gulp. In addition to the milky taste, there was also a hint of fruity sweetness in it. It was unexpectedly delicious.
“It tastes great, is there a lot?” Barbara asked with a smile.
“There’s so much of it—because there aren’t many dairy cows here, so this is what we have. It’s very nutritious and tastes amazing! I’ve prepared a lot for you! You can take some back with you!”
Enid was overjoyed to hear Barbara's praise. Cassan and Stephanie accepted her kindness and took the pile of milk fruits. However, Stephanie was clearly more interested in the little cloud lamb in her arms, and she stroked the lamb's fur.
"What is their connection to these fruits?"
"They are the caretakers of the milk grapes, so these are all prepared by them, and they hope they will be appreciated, because it is their honor for the plants they care for to be appreciated."
“It tastes very good,” Cassan said after hearing Enid’s words.
“Wow, this is great, I really like it,” Stephanie said.
After receiving praise three times in a row, Cloud Lamb was about to take off. A bunch of people swarmed around the three of them, even trying to bring more fruit. Enid quickly stopped them.
"Okay, okay, no more whining."
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Author's note: Hmm~ Thinking about it, actually proposing isn't that quick.
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