Chapter 826 — Farewell and Gifts
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
As winter slowly drew to its close, the day came for the Typhon delegation to depart Cecil.
In the Autumn Palace, a farewell banquet had already been laid out. The musicians in the corner of the hall played soft, cheerful melodies; beneath the mana-crystal lamps, gleaming metal tableware and swaying wine gave off an intoxicating luster. A light, tranquil atmosphere filled the great hall, and everyone present could not help but feel their spirits lift.
Matilda Augustus stood at the far end of the long hall in a court gown, and Rebecca—likewise dressed in formal court attire—came running up to the foreign princess with a plate of small cakes in hand, greeting her cheerfully: "Matilda! So you're heading home today?"
Over the past many days, Rebecca and Matilda had not actually met often, but Rebecca was a sociable sort, the kind who made friends easily—or rather, who befriended people single-handedly. In their few exchanges, she had been delighted to discover that this Typhon princess genuinely knew a good deal about mathematics and the arcane arts; she was not merely a fabricated image kept up to maintain an air of brilliance, as some had initially guessed. The two of them quickly found common ground.
And common ground had successfully drawn them closer—at least, that was how Rebecca saw it.
"I'll write to you," Matilda said with a smile, gazing at this "Jewel of Cecil" so utterly unlike the many noble ladies she knew. They held equal status, yet lived in entirely different worlds and had developed entirely different temperaments. Rebecca's exuberant vitality and casual, unconstrained manner had initially made Matilda quite uncomfortable, but after a few encounters she found she did not dislike this lively girl at all. "Though the road between Aldernan and Xuanyao City is long, we now have trains and a direct diplomatic channel—we can go on discussing our questions by letter."
She smiled at Rebecca, who answered with a smile even simpler and more radiant.
In truth, Matilda felt a touch of regret—when she had first met Rebecca, she had known at once that this girl, who looked far too young, was in fact one of the key founders of modern arcane technology. She had sensed the candor and forthrightness in Rebecca's nature and had briefly hoped to learn from her some genuine, useful secrets of cutting-edge arcane craft. But after several meetings, their exchanges had remained confined to pure mathematics or conventional arcane and mechanical matters.
This girl who seemed so straightforward was not as guileless as she appeared; she was simply clever in exactly the right measure.
Beneath Rebecca's radiant smile, the faint regret in Matilda's heart quickly melted away.
"When you write, you must tell me more about Aldernan," Rebecca said with a laugh. "I've never been anywhere so far away!"
"Of course, and if the chance arises, you would be most welcome to visit Aldernan," Matilda said. "It is a friendly city, and from the Obsidian Palace you can see a truly beautiful view through the mist."
A look of longing crossed Rebecca's face, and then she suddenly glanced past Matilda's shoulder, her expression lighting up with delight: "Ah! The Ancestral Ink people are here!"
Matilda turned at once, and sure enough, saw the tall, powerfully built Gao Yang Cecil in royal ceremonial dress approaching with a smile.
The Typhon princess immediately stepped forward of her own accord and curtsied flawlessly: "My respects to you, great King Cecil."
Gao Yang accepted the salute, then glanced at Rebecca standing nearby and remarked offhandedly, "Rebecca, you haven't been causing trouble for anyone today, have you?"
"No, no!" Rebecca said at once, waving her hands. "I was only chatting with Matilda!"