Chapter 74 Love and Arrows The arrowhead struck the fabric and bounced cleanly, revealing a pair of...
As the play ended, the servants took down the oil lamps.
The light spread along an arc into the various "private rooms," attracting everyone's attention and propelling the banquet to the next stage.
The nobles of Belair rose from their seats and gathered around the flickering lights.
The mild and mellow incense is mixed with the scent of the sea.
At Belle – seafood is naturally a timeless theme for banquets.
The imperial chefs went to great lengths, using various methods to remove the overly strong fishy smell from the seafood, leaving only its mouthwatering fresh aroma.
Fruit juice topping, herb marinades... and a brand new finishing touch: spices from Enlin.
Plates were arranged in a staggered manner on the long table by the window, displaying a dazzling array of delicacies with their elegant, rounded shapes.
Eleanor took Andra's arm and walked towards the nearest table.
The tear stains on her face had disappeared, and the little princess seemed to be in a good mood as she looked at the tableware used by King Belial: as expected of the Belial people who want everything to be the best and most fashionable, apart from some obviously antique gold and silver plates, most of the other tableware had been replaced with glass and ceramic utensils.
She could almost hear the gold coins clinking as she gratefully picked up a small piece of fish.
To make it easier for the distinguished guests to eat, the fish bones in the plates were removed.
Most of the sea fish is minced and fried until golden brown, then served with flatbread and vegetables cut into small cubes or circles. You can simply shove it in with a fork and enjoy chewing it.
Eleanor took a few steps to the side, looked up and suddenly smiled: a cream cake, a three-tiered cream cake with berries.
She served cream cakes to wealthy merchants at Enlin's holiday banquets and even distributed a portion of the recipe.
It's probably because cream cakes are so delicious and perfectly match the Belair people's desire for trendy luxury.
So even though there were no electric mixers back then, Belle's chefs still proudly displayed the cream cakes by hand, momentarily disorienting time.
Eleanor forked a shrimp ball, and the delicate, sweet flavor exploded in her mouth.
Bang.
Her small mouth pursed happily beneath the mask.
"Haha." Andra smiled knowingly, picked up a pancake and wiped her lover's mouth. She leaned closer to say something, but the surrounding conversation suddenly fell silent.
They turned their faces at the same time, and the oil lamps beside them were picked up by the servants, their direction changing to illuminate the people walking towards them.
He was a rather refined young man; if it weren't for the crown on his head, he would have looked more like a well-read scholar.
She was slightly shorter than Andra, but her slender figure made her appear very tall, and she walked with a swaying gait.
When Queen Charlotte of Bale approached, Eleanor first noticed the strange mask on her face.
If the Norlana people like to wear half-face masks to cover their noses and eyes, then the Belai people prefer the concept of a "mask" rather than covering up.
Their masks could only cover about one-fifth of their cheeks, and were positioned in the center of their noses, creating a visual effect similar to those of a strange person in a comic book who had a starfish covering their face.
Even the most beautiful face can't withstand such a mask... Fortunately, Charlotte is really pretty, so even with a starfish on her nose, she's still passable.
Eleanor bit her tongue hard, suppressing a laugh as she walked toward Charlotte.
"Your Majesty King Bale, thank you for your hospitality. Bale's drama and cuisine were truly impressive."
Charlotte nodded gracefully, not proposing to Eleanor with the fury and disdain that the Norlanans had feared.
She opened her arms in a gesture of embracing, then lowered them softly, saying, "My dear Princess Norlana, your arrival is like the coming of spring..."
She seemed to realize she had said the wrong thing and skillfully changed the subject: "As the chosen ones of the god of wisdom, any advice you give can greatly benefit us."
After Charlotte finished speaking, she winked deliberately and sincerely praised the trinkets sold by the Marigold Merchant Guild.
King Bale's reaction was very friendly, but there's no smoke without fire when it comes to favors.
Eleanor chuckled and said, "Belle's performing skills are truly unparalleled; my understanding of song and dance is not even half as good as theirs."
She paused here, politely giving King Belle a space to make his request.
Charlotte shifted her gaze from Eleanor to Andra, and remarked quite naturally, "Oh, what a handsome young man. This must be a princess from Hetuya, right? I'm so glad I met you here instead of on the battlefield."
Her words were somewhat sarcastic, but her tone was calm enough, like a joke between friends.
The three had a brief exchange, and Eleanor could almost picture this person in her mind.
Charlotte, the current King of Belial, and the sister of the former king.
She and her sister are about the same age, and they mostly did not receive specialized royal education when they were young...and they were not well-known.
Charlotte also successfully inherited the throne in her previous two lives, only with a slight difference in time.
Even though she didn't know much about the previous two Baelai, Eleanor could deduce from clues that Charlotte's abilities were not much different from Ophelia's, because the latter was really lacking in presence.
The system in Belial is more loosely structured than in Norlana. As long as the nobles and merchants don't cause internal strife, the king's influence is not as great.
Perhaps due to his childhood, this King Bale is very good at reading people's expressions.
Eleanor discovered that Charlotte was very good at conversation and could also subtly observe her and Andra's reactions out of the corner of her eye during the conversation.
Charlotte's gaze initially fell on her, but after a while of conversation, King Balai's eyes focused on Andra: fear? apprehension?
She couldn't tell, but there was definitely some kind of ambition involving interests.
Sure enough, amidst the white noise of the nobles' whispers, King Belai casually picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and remarked to the two, "Seeing you two noble lords, ah, I suddenly think of my poor niece, she is also a lovely princess!"
Charlotte lamented, “Little Eliza is beautiful and kind... oh, of course not as clever as you, Princess. Poor little Eliza, she cries every day since her mother died.”
King Bale spread his hands sincerely and said, "That child thinks I'm a bad person. Alas, the only thing I can do for her is to find her a new support."
When she said this, she first looked at Eleanor, but then stared at Andra with a worried expression.
Andra was completely dumbfounded: she could, of course, understand what King Belai meant.
This guy wants to turn his troublesome niece into something of profit, and is asking them to help him arrange a marriage between Eliza and Norlana or Hetuya—he seems to prefer Hetuya.
Andra didn't see it as a sign of importance. King Belai clearly thought that Hertuya's place was a den of dragons and tigers, and he wished he could bury his niece alive in a pit!
Ha, she couldn't help but sneer inwardly: if Eleanor really agreed to introduce the little princess to Myrcella, King Baelai would definitely find a way to ruin it.
Seeing the hopeful look in King Belle's eyes, Andra calmly echoed, "It's a pity, she will understand your good intentions one day."
She didn't mention the arranged marriage at all, pretending not to understand.
Charlotte nodded regretfully, making her question even clearer. "Do either of you have anyone you'd like to recommend?"
Eleanor was a beat slow to react. She blinked, a fleeting look of weariness and confusion crossing her eyes.
However, Her Highness would not be rude to King Belai. She was only momentarily distracted before regaining her composure and said tactfully, "My sisters' marriages are all decided by Mother, so I really have no say in it."
Belle smiled, her face showing some embarrassment after being rejected repeatedly.
However, she was quite composed and nodded gently, saying, "It was indeed presumptuous of me to discuss such a serious matter as marriage. Today is just a gathering of friends, so please make sure you both have a good time—leave the important matters of state for tomorrow."
After she finished speaking, she noticed Eleanor's fatigue and said considerately, "Your Highness seems to enjoy watching plays? I've asked them to move the final short play to the front."
This arrangement was undeniably considerate, subtly indicating that Eleanor didn't need to attend the ball and could leave early after watching another play.
If it were a normal occasion, Eleanor would definitely stay until the dance was over before leaving.
But she had a slight headache today, so she smiled and agreed.
King Belle raised his glass in farewell and returned to the darkened private room, surrounded by the glow of oil lamps.
The nobles who had been standing and talking to create an atmosphere also dispersed in an orderly manner, as if the scenery had quietly changed.
Kara, karakara.
The sound of machinery echoed from the central stage, and layers of wooden trees rose up, piecing together a dense forest.
A robust woman is dressed in magnificent armor, with a crest symbolizing the god of war painted on her chest.
She leaped onto the stage at the very beginning of the play, and with agile movements, drew her bow and shot an arrow at the curtain.
Thump.
The arrow struck the fabric and bounced off cleanly, revealing a pair of slender, pale hands that lifted the curtain.
The actress who played Cupid reappeared, this time wearing a long dress adorned with pearls, and stood with her arms outstretched in front of a pair of young girls.
"Enough!"
Lilia, the goddess of love, straightened her chest and rebuked, "Stop hunting down that poor couple! They didn't mean it."
What difference does it make whether it's intentional or not?
The God of War, Onoa, pointed at one of the boys and sneered, "She killed my chosen follower; she will pay with her life!"
Eleanor rubbed her temples, trying to focus her scattered thoughts on the drama.
The theme of this play is the wager between the god of war and the god of love. This story does not involve power, and the versions circulating in various countries are quite similar.
Two girls from rival families fell in love and planned to elope—but the news was leaked by their servants.
So one of the older sisters chased after him with a sword, only to be pierced through the heart by another girl.
The deceased sister was a chosen one of the God of War, and the place where they committed the murder happened to be outside the temple of the God of War.
The Goddess of War, who possessed the power of revenge, naturally would not forgive them. She possessed the statue and began to pursue the lovers.
One of the girls in the couple was a believer in Cupid. The pendant around her neck shone brightly in the crisis, conjuring up the phantom of Cupid, which saved them from a deadly blow.
On stage, Cupid's skirt fluttered as she earnestly pleaded with him.
"What caused all this was not resentment, but fate."
"They wanted to achieve happiness, and they won by force!"
The God of War swung his sword while retorting sarcastically.
"Their fates stemmed from hatred and revenge; how could they ever escape my grasp?"
"If you say they win happiness through force, then why are you stopping my pursuit?"
The two deities engaged in a war of words, their divine powers unable to truly attack each other, only able to do their best to hinder each other.
The goddess of love's persistence and the goddess of war's pride fueled their rage, so they simultaneously threw their weapons, their palms clasped together.
In the name of God, we swear an oath and make a bet!
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