CHAPTER 371: CHAPTER 196: ONE HOLDING THE UMBRELLA, TWO WALKING TOGETHER (DOUBLE CHAPTER)

Imperial Capital Camelot, Black Lily District, Dark Night Garden.

Fine rain drizzles down.

The showers of late summer come and go without a trace.

Amidst the hazy lights under the rain, a carriage stops by the bustling roadside, splashing small droplets.

Unlike the other carriages traversing the street, this one has a matte black carriage body, with the emblem of a Black Eagle and Sword Shield along the carriage’s edge.

The eight contract families of the Fresta Empire use plants as their emblems, but the Black Eagle and Sword Shield is exclusive to the Empire’s Royal Family.

A blonde girl light-footedly leaps down from the carriage.

As soon as her toes touch the ground, a jet-black umbrella shields her head.

"I didn’t expect you to be quite the romantic, Shiayar."

Enola glances at the black umbrella above her, silently inching closer to the boy holding it.

For Shiayar and Enola now, there are countless ways to keep dry more conveniently.

If necessary, even altering the weather above the Empire Capital briefly would not be impossible.

In the Black Tower, there is a similar forbidden spell-level magical device named the "Celestial Controller."

"In my hometown, there is a popular doggerel used to confess between couples—"

"’From now on, rain falls in Shengjing, one holds the umbrella, two walk together.’"

"Shengjing, which means the capital... In the Fresta Empire, it would be the Imperial Capital Camelot."

"In the fine rain of the Empire Capital, sharing an umbrella with someone by your side, walking together hand in hand, heading towards the unknown and ethereal future..."

"I’ve always wanted to try this feeling with you."

"Today, it seems my wish has come true."

Shiayar holds the umbrella, looking at the misty Empire Capital scenery through the rain, smiling as he speaks.

Enola looks at Shiayar, her gaze slightly dazed.

She seems to return to that Ceylon snowy night, bone-chillingly cold yet warm in memory.

That night, she was with the boy before her, huddling together with their shared body warmth, walking into the vast snowstorm, with soaring smoke and burning ruins behind them.

But Enola quickly comes to her senses, with a slightly complex expression in her sky-blue eyes.

"I don’t recall such a doggerel being popular in Ceylon."

"Doggerel, as the name suggests, is a popular culture spread among the common folk. Of course, a young lady of the Winter Flower Family like you, Ennie, wouldn’t know."

Shiayar chuckles: "As long as you get the meaning, it’s fine."

"You are still so good at these sweet nothings."

Enola sighs helplessly, "No wonder even someone like Miss Silvia, not to mention Empress Isadella, is unconsciously attracted to you."

"And then, there’s this one from the Dark Shadow Council..."

She looks with a hint of resentment at the stately and ornate building before her.

Dark Night Garden.

It is also the Dark Shadow Council’s stronghold in the Empire Capital.

Due to Augutina’s previous obscure actions in the Astral Realm against Guderian, and the subsequent disputes among the Royal Family and the Great Nobles within the Empire Capital, the Dark Night Council unhesitatingly supported the Royal Family.

As the Great Nobles who occupied vast resources were cleared one by one, the Empire’s branch of the Dark Shadow Council, like the White Tower, also gained a massive resource influx, expanding and developing further.

And this is also Shiayar and Enola’s destination for this trip.

Although Shiayar’s open explanation is that his visit to the Dark Shadow Council’s stronghold is mainly to confirm intelligence and gather resources.

But Enola naturally wouldn’t be so easily fooled.

The main reason Shiayar came here is mostly because of that Queen of the Night, Augutina.

As for the specific process and logic of the deduction? No need for deduction.

Nothing but sheer familiarity.

Shiayar’s past records are so extensive that it wouldn’t surprise Enola if he suddenly became entangled with another female.

"The first time we came to Dark Night Garden, I felt that the Queen of the Night gave you a peculiar look."

"Now, a year later, my intuition proves correct."

Enola gives Shiayar a deep look, with a hint of regret in her gaze.

"I wonder how that mysterious Queen of the Night got acquainted with someone like you, Shiayar."

"Could it be that the sweet talks and tricks you just used on me were also used on Silvia, Augutina, and others?"

Ahem—

Shiayar clears his throat lightly.

That’s really a tough topic to counter.

He couldn’t possibly confess that he promised the newly emerged Queen of the Night that he’d be her future knight, right?

Moreover, Ennie’s guess wasn’t entirely wrong.

Shiayar hasn’t forgotten the first time he met Silvia, where he reenacted the famous "You jump, I jump" scene from Titanic.

All he can say is that his intuition is too overpowering in this version and needs nerfing.

"From the style of this carriage, you’re with Isadella too, aren’t you?"

"Do I still need to pay the fare?"

Facing Ennie’s full of regret, Shiayar decisively chooses to change the subject.

Finding something to say, he starts chatting with the carriage driver who brought them here.

"I wouldn’t dare, Sir Shiayar."

Though serving as a carriage driver, he is actually a young officer in Black Eagle military attire.