Imperial capital, Titaneia.
The flying birds brought the breath of spring, and the green vines in the corner of the wall sprouted new curved buds again, slowly climbing along the wall as delicate as sand.
In the new year, the royal family held a spring celebration as usual. The Queen and the Regent were both present in the palace square. Amidst the falling petals, they waved to the crowd to show their closeness.
Outside the city, tall gates large enough for a war colossus to enter, their ancient doors still bearing carvings dating back nearly a thousand years. Vines, flowers, butterflies, moons, and roses together paint a fairy-like scene, evoking the graceful grace of elves and the opulence of the ancient True Red Empire.
Now the tall gate is slowly opening, and the caravans and pedestrians who have been waiting for a long time in the morning are entering the city one by one.
Carriages passed by one after another, some of them were full of goods, some were simple and rough, with charcoal and firewood for burning. Of course, there were also some beautifully decorated carriages coming in, but they came through another entrance, which was very clean and spacious.
Pale golden sunlight shone obliquely on the green field. A noble carriage with copper horns slowly climbed the hillside. The two black horses pulling the carriage were very handsome and did not seem to have put in much effort. The driver just slowed down the pace intentionally to make the distinguished guests inside comfortable.
"Hello." Seeing the carriage arrive at the city gate, several guards in red stood up and inquired about the situation. This was the request of the commander of the imperial guards, De Rosa.
"Hello, fellow imperial guardsmen." The coachman was a well-mannered steward, and he greeted the guards with standard etiquette.
"Hello." After a simple nod, the guards asked the butler to come down to register.
"Count Gekuan?" Looking at the name and seal left by the butler in the book, several people looked at it a few more times with a little curiosity.
There are no more than 80 nobles with earldoms in the empire, and over time, one can always remember some of the more prominent families.
Count Gekuan was once the commander of the defense corps near the imperial capital. Unfortunately, he stood on the wrong side during the coup and was transferred away afterwards, no longer holding any military position.
As guards stationed in Titaneia all year round, they had naturally heard of this name, but such memories were indeed a bit distant.
"That's right." The butler nodded, without explaining which of the Earl's family members were in the carriage. He then returned to the carriage and drove into the city.
Behind the glass windows in the car, there are two layers of curtains, one layer of white gauze and the other layer of dark blackout curtains.
Behind the white gauze curtain, a pair of eyes observed the situation outside, looked at the well-trained guards, and nodded slightly.
"What does Lord Elio think of these soldiers?" As these eyes were observing, a pleasant voice sounded in his ears, and the gentle breathing made the young man a little restrained.
"Kornos, you're too close." He turned his head and looked at the charming witch sitting next to him. She had silver-purple hair and was wearing an exquisite black and white maid dress. She was looking at him with a teasing look on her face.
"Oh, isn't this good? I am the young master's personal maid now, and I have to serve you."
The witch seemed to like this kind of role-playing game very much. She leaned down slightly and looked up at the handsome boy in front of her. The curve of her waist was outlined by the black and white maid skirt, giving people a sense of youthfulness and beauty.
"Okay, Cornos, stop teasing Elio." Another maid came over and pulled the witch's body up slightly, letting her leave Elio's side.
"Thank you, Sister Anna." Facing this maid, Elio finally relaxed as if he had met an older sister whom he could rely on.
"Anna always takes Elio's side, and he will never mature this way." The Frozen Green Witch, who was pulled aside, was slightly dissatisfied and sat on the sofa opposite like an angry little girl.
"If maturity means being able to tease and play with women skillfully, it's better not to have that kind of maturity." Anna poured steaming hot tea for Elio and Cornos, which had just been brewed using the equipment on the carriage.
The orange-red and transparent tea swirls slightly in the porcelain cup, emitting a faint fragrance that dispels the winter chill.
Kornos held the teacup, took small sips, and looked at the street outside the window.
"It's still the same as before. The streets haven't changed much in more than 200 years." Although the witch looks young, she has actually lived for quite a long time.
"What was the empire like in the past?" Elio also became curious at this time.
"In the past? Actually, the difference is not that big. If there is a real difference, it's probably that there are fewer people. Many places are very peaceful and quiet, not as noisy as they are now." Kernos stirred the cup gently, and occasionally tapped it with a spoon for fun, listening to the crisp sound coming from the rim of the cup.
Looking at this girl who was both youthful and mature, and whose appearance made it difficult to judge her simply, Elio felt that witches were truly an existence independent of race.
They seem to have a childlike mind and are interested in many things, but beneath their seemingly innocent appearance, they understand many ancient truths that are difficult to understand.
"Is Elio trying to guess what I'm thinking?" Cornos raised her head and looked at the young man in front of her.
The young man seemed a little embarrassed when his thoughts were suddenly seen through. He had not yet fully adapted to the change of identity. Just like those children in the city, he was always shy and not good at dealing with such a beautiful woman.
"Hehe~" Seeing Elio turn his face away, the witch with long silver-purple hair made a clear and pleasant sound like a silver bell.
"Don't guess, I won't lie to you. When I'm happy, I'm happy. When I'm sad, I'm sad. My smiles and tears are as real as what I think in my heart." The witch only narrated simply, but her words were full of moving temptation.
"Because I'm a witch, not a girl, nor any other woman. I don't need to deliberately please anyone to distort my own desires."
"Maybe I'm willful, but a witch like this is easy to understand, isn't she? If you want to pursue me, that's fine. I have a long life and I'm here to spend some interesting time with you." The witch tilted her head slightly, her hair falling on the table, her silver eyes looking at the young man, and the scattered sunlight shining on her through the curtains.
Elio looked at the silver-purple witch in the morning light, his heart seemed to tremble, as if for a moment he wanted to agree to all her requests and spend the rest of his life with her.
"You can't look at it anymore." A pair of gentle hands covered Elio's eyes from behind, freeing him from the temptation of the witch in front of him, and his body and mind gradually calmed down.
Anna covered Elio's eyes slightly and looked at the witch in front of her warily.
"Don't forget, witches are a blessing, but also a disaster." This is an ancient proverb that has been passed down across the continent.
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