Chapter 43 Jade Rabbit Goes to the Masquerade Party Red and Blue
The palace was far more bustling than when Alice had been staying there. One after another, luxurious carriages were brought into Buckingham Palace and parked in front of the building housing the banquet hall.
The men and women who got off the car were all wearing various masks, making it difficult to see their faces. Some even put on exaggerated makeup with paint.
Recalling what the gentleman had worn when practicing his dance steps last night, he wouldn't be sporting this style, would he? If she wanted to see something this exaggerated, she might as well wait until she returned to the East to see those lesser-cultivated little demons. Their attire was diverse, each one a show of brilliance, and all genuinely genuine.
"Miss Alice." A court attendant came to the carriage, held Alice's right hand that was holding the fan, and interrupted her running thoughts.
The visitor said respectfully, "Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Queen have ordered me to serve you tonight. I wish you a pleasant evening."
This attendant was no stranger; he was one of the Queen's most capable men. The young lady who had saved the King had, after all, been in the palace for a month, and the two of them were quite familiar with each other.
Alice touched the silver mask that covered most of her face and asked curiously, "How did they recognize me?"
"Actually, it was your carriage that I recognized first," the attendant said with a smile. "Of course, I will never forget your extraordinary figure."
Alice nodded. That was quite true; the carriage had been a gift from the Queen, so it was perfectly natural that her attendants, who were always with her, would recognize it at a glance.
The man hadn't finished speaking. He looked at the four sisters who had gotten off the carriage after Alice and said, "What's more, you have the other four young ladies of the Bennet family with you, each with their own distinct personalities."
"Miss Elizabeth is intelligent, Miss Mary is knowledgeable, Miss Catherine is clever, and Miss Lydia is straightforward." Every time he said a sentence, he looked at one of them almost at the same time.
Alice already understood that the servant had obviously learned something in advance, whether it was about her family or the unfamiliar faces who had just entered the palace.
The four people named had never dealt with the royal family before, and their faces were filled with surprise. Elizabeth quickly concealed her identity, but Lydia made no attempt to hide it. She even boldly asked, "If it's so easy to see through, what's the point of the masquerade?" She began to remove her mask.
"You and the other ladies don't have to worry about missing out on the fun of tonight's masquerade ball. It's thanks to this little skill that I have the honor of serving Her Majesty the Queen," he added.
Lydia wanted to ask more. Alice said directly to the attendant, "Please lead the way."
After saying this, he glanced at Lydia. The person who was stopped from continuing the conversation puffed up his cheeks and snorted.
The attendant naturally responded by leading Alice and the sisters to the banquet hall.
Along the way, the four sisters were secretly amazed by the splendor and luxury of the royal palaces.
Once inside the ballroom, the place was ablaze with brilliance, from countless exquisite gas lamps to the shimmering jewels worn by the upper class. The air was filled with a medley of decadent aromas.
The group of six attracted the attention of nearby guests as soon as they entered the banquet hall.
At first, I wanted to see which gentleman or lady could be led by the queen's attendants, but after watching again, I couldn't take my eyes off it.
Leading the way were two ladies, one in red and one in white.
The one with black hair and black eyes wore a red Empire-style floor-length dress with two overlapping thin chains woven with pearls and rubies at the waist.
A pearl-studded, teardrop-shaped, pigeon-blood ruby necklace hangs around her neck, complementing the red dress's wide square collar and pearl-colored satin collar.
The mask is primarily silver, with two tiny white plush rabbit ears adorning the left side. A red mole at the end of the eye, faintly visible beneath the fur on the tip of the ear, resembles the crimson sun on a snowy mountain.
A pair of bright black eyes peered through the mask's hollows, gazing at the crowd, leaving one feeling as if they were being seen through, locked in a trance. The young lady before them seemed to gaze down upon them from afar, shrouded in an indescribable mystery. But upon closer inspection, those eyes revealed a playful, playful smile, the image of a young girl. The guest lunchbox was simply an illusion.
It's just unclear which role she's playing: a deity or spirit from ancient Greek, Roman, or Celtic mythology, a classic character from a contemporary play, or perhaps a historical figure?
Walking alongside her, another young lady was wearing a white silk Greek-style long dress with yellow embroidery, a small hair crown of the same color on her head, and holding a white cloth dove. She was obviously playing the role of Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty.
Three younger ladies followed behind. One wore a black university gown, glasses, and held a book in her right hand. Although only men could attend universities in England these days, this lady didn't dress in men's clothing. She wore round pearl earrings, and a light blue ribbon adorned her bun beneath her bachelor's cap, adding a touch of beauty to the dull black.
One of them is wearing the most famous costume of Portia from Shakespeare's comedy The Merchant of Venice, which is often performed in theaters today. However, this lady is not dressed as a lawyer disguised as a man, but the dress of a rich lady that Portia wore when she was choosing a husband.
The last lady was the most elaborately dressed, wearing a sweet and gorgeous Rococo-style dress. The peacock green skirt was embellished with pink ribbons and embroidery, and her hair was tied with a headband of white pearls and pink-green silk flowers. She walked among the crowd, her large skirt in hand, with a proud demeanor, like Madame de Pompadour, straight out of a famous painting.
Crowds tend to follow the herd. When they see the people next to them turning their heads because of something attracting their attention, they will also look at this group of people in waves.
Alice continued walking forward, oblivious to the crowd. Elizabeth smiled and followed her sister's steps. Mary adjusted her glasses, clutched her prop book, and silently remembered that everyone around her was a student. She looked up and stared straight ahead. Catherine glanced around, surprised by the lack of emotion. Lydia held her head high, wishing every eye could be on her.
Perhaps it was a happy occasion, as the King and Queen hadn't insisted on arriving last at the ball and had already entered and taken their seats on the dais. They wore no masks, but each held an ornate golden mask, held by a thin pole, over their eyes, and gazed at the men and women in the room.
Alice took her sisters and attendants to meet the king and queen.
The Queen took her hand, looked at the ruby necklace on Alice's neck, and then looked at the red and white hair accessories adorning her exquisitely braided hair, and happily told her discovery: "Miss Alice, when you lived in the palace, I found that you still loved red and white colors, so I gave you ruby jewelry. It really came in handy at this ball." Since her husband recovered, the Queen has gradually regained some of her lively and cheerful personality of her youth, and is also happy to hold more balls to meet good-looking young men and women.
George III did not interrupt his wife's conversation, but only ordered his servants to call the Crown Prince and several princes and princesses.
By this time, most of the invited guests had arrived. The costumes in the crowd were incredibly diverse: Elizabeth, portraying mythical figures; Mary, portraying a professional; Catherine, portraying a character from a popular play; and Lydia, portraying a figure from a painting. Others, dressed as imaginary Orientals, adorned with spices and jewels; others, portraying hostile leaders from other countries, portrayed them in uglier ways. There were also clowns, magicians, black bears, foxes, and the most outrageous of all, a mummy, wrapped in bandages with only the eyes visible.
The ball officially begins when the Prince of Wales arrives.
Seeing Alice beside the Queen, he didn't act like a Crown Prince. Instead, he approached her and said warmly, "Miss Alice, I'm a loyal customer of your hair rejuvenation cream. Look, I hardly need a wig anymore."
Alice glanced at George III, who was apologizing to his wife and had to go deal with an urgent state matter first, and was in no hurry to respond.
The Prince of Wales seemed to have suddenly opened up and said, "My lady, why didn't you come to me for help when your wonderful medicine was slandered? I would definitely help you. I would not have let your medicine suffer so long before its reputation is restored."
Alice understood the deeper meaning of his words, but pretended not to know: "If I knew that Your Highness was among the customers who liked the ointment, I would definitely come to see you." As for whether he would really go, who knows.
She rolled her eyes in her heart. Who would want to see a little devil like you if they could see the King of Hell?
Seeing that he didn't get the response he wanted, the Prince of Wales was a little unhappy, but he didn't dare to show it too much. Thinking of the gossip he had heard, he suggested to his mother, "Mom, you're used to masquerade balls. Why don't you add some rules and try something new?"
"What's new?" The queen became interested.
"Since we can't see the true face of the person behind the mask, why not not allow the two of them to talk when they invite each other to dance? That would be a real masquerade." Alice looked at the crown prince who came up with the idea with a half-smile. After he finished speaking, he glanced over and was caught red-handed.
The Prince of Wales did not feel guilty and even gave Alice a friendly smile. After all, the person he was really afraid of had left.
After hearing this, the queen thought her eldest son's idea was very interesting and immediately ordered someone to pass the order along.
The conversations in the banquet hall became a little quieter, but soon the band on the sidelines started playing cheerful English country dance music, which did not reduce the liveliness in the hall.
The crowd dancing happily on the dance floor can still chat freely.
As if she felt that she had kept Alice and the others chatting for too long, the Queen patted Alice's hand lightly and nodded affectionately to the other young ladies of the Bennet family, telling them to go and enjoy the ball as well.
Anyone could tell that the ladies who had been chatting with the Queen were new celebrities, especially the lady in the red dress. Young men nearby who hadn't yet entered the dance floor came over to invite them to dance.
They remembered the queen's order and only made invitation gestures with their bodies. The Bennet sisters each chose one and entered the dance floor.
Alice looked around but didn't see anyone familiar. Those who arrived late wouldn't get the first dance.
She was about to choose the one she liked best from the several people who were courting her when suddenly a tall gentleman joined in. He was wearing a military cap and his golden curly hair was exposed when he bowed.
interesting.
Alice accepted the invitation.
This song is still an English country dance.
Standing still on the dance floor, he began to dance cheerfully to the music before raising his head. Beneath the black mask were a pair of amber eyes.
"Miss, what should I call you?" He took the initiative to bring up the topic.
"Alice," she replied. It was a good way to kill time.
"Ms. Alice, are you the lady who runs the Oriental Alice Pharmacy?" Amber Eyes was surprised, and it was obvious that she did not know her identity before coming to invite him to dance.
"Yes. Sir, have you ever bought anything in our store?" Alice asked cheerfully.
"Forgive my rudeness. My family has only ever sent servants to your pharmacy to buy things, never visiting in person, so I don't recognize you, young lady." The man spoke of his family's admiration for Alice's medicines. "From your Refreshing Cream to your latest Hair Strengthening and Rejuvenating Cream, they've all been a favorite. Even before Your Majesty and Her Royal Highness the Queen visited your pharmacy, we continued to buy from them."
The subsequent dance music conversation was turned into a drug usage exchange meeting by this person, and he urged her to develop more new drugs.
The song ended and the two returned to their seats on the dance floor. Alice randomly chose a direction to leave the dance floor.
Several young men approached the dance floor to invite them in. Having been chosen by the Queen to attend this celebratory masquerade, it was safe to say that none of the guests looked bad.
The people in front of him were of different heights, and the most eye-catching one was a tall young man wearing medieval soldier's armor and a silver helmet on his head. Only a pair of clear blue eyes were exposed, which were bright and had a hint of subtle melancholy.
Ellie made no secret of her preference for these eyes. She tapped the soft armor on the owner of the eyes' arm with the folding fan in her hand, and then entered the dance floor together.
Those blue eyes that seemed clear and almost cold became passionate when they started dancing the minuet.
She listened to the voice asking for my name again and smiled, "Miss, didn't the person who asked you to dance tell me my identity?"
"No." The clear female voice still came from the armor, with a casual tone.
The two exchanged places with a nearby pair of dancers. The lady opposite added, "His Royal Highness of Wales simply said there was a lot of activity here. He gave me a look from a gentleman with similar blue eyes, and he sent me over here to wait for the lady."
The gentleman was indeed tripped by the Prince of Wales, but he did not seem to be in any danger.
Hearing this, she became curious: "You can call me Alice, and who is Miss?" Alice was almost deceived by her eyes for a moment.
"You can call me Lorraine. His Highness the Prince of Wales is my cousin." She then instantly returned to her demeanor as when they first met, proudly saying, "How's it going? My self-taught dramatic acting is pretty good, isn't it?"
"It's quite similar. And quite funny." Someone imitated that gentleman so well, I wonder how he would react when he saw it.
After the minuet ended, the two had become familiar with each other and agreed to meet again in the future.
Salon dance music soon filled the ballroom again. Lydia was dancing happily on the dance floor, and the other sisters also seemed quite engaged. However, Elizabeth had gone somewhere and was not on the dance floor.
Seeing that Alice had temporarily lost her appetite for dancing, the attendant tactfully led the important guest of the night to a long table at the side of the venue for some dessert or drinks.
I hadn't been sitting there for long when a masked man with white furry ears came over and invited me to dance, with only a bit of his pale chin showing.
Hmm, that's the fox mask I saw earlier. While the chin is somewhat similar, this person must be truly sickly, or at least hasn't seen the sun for years, which is why they have this complexion.
Too lazy to keep her company any longer, she opened her folding fan, covered her face with it and fanned herself lightly, rejecting the invitation.
After having some food, Alice got up and prepared to go find Elizabeth and "redeem" the gentleman.
Just as I walked near the door of the banquet hall, I heard hurried footsteps from behind.
The gentleman wearing a mask with white furry ears stood in front of Alice, blocking her path, bowed slightly, and extended his arm in invitation.
Coming again? She was enjoying the attention that the Tang Dynasty monk received on his journey to seek Buddhist scriptures.
It would be fun to play with it later, but if he kept chasing me, I'd get mad. Alice simply raised her folding fan, trying to push him away.
The people moving around brought a fragrant breeze. She puffed her nose lightly and smelled a faint familiar aroma mixed in with it.
Alice finally took a good look at the person in front of her.
The man was wearing a red cloak and a dark blue long tailcoat with silver knight's epaulettes on his shoulders. He wore a white shirt and a small blue cornflower on his left chest, which matched his deep blue eyes.
The mask on the face is in the style of a furry snow-white rabbit, and the two upright rabbit ears are small and cute.
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The author has something to say: Red and Blue have always been a couple, the Rabbit King meets the real and fake Adrian at the banquet [Cat's Paw]
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