Avalon itself was an island nation, and the Hall of Silver and Tin in the capital Glass Island was even built on an island within an island.
At the front end of Avalon Bridge leading to the Hall of Silver and Tin, an elderly Elf stood straight as an arrow, his skin like tree bark and his oil-green pupils wild as a wolf's, casting a figure in the winter night like a lone tree.
"I'll leave you here."
The old butler instructed the maid Lily, "Take good care of Mr. Aiwass."
Lily responded respectfully.
Under the old butler's watchful eye, she pushed Mr. Aiwass's wheelchair onto the bridge.
The sun set early in the early winter. The deep blue night sky hadn't yet turned pitch black, and the sapphire-like lake shimmered with exceptional beauty under the streetlights on both sides of the bridge.
The tall White Griffons, like stone lions, would silently settle on the stone platforms on both sides of the streetlights as night fell.
As Mr. Aiwass passed by, from time to time a White Griffon would open its eyes to gaze at him. Their pupils shone like jewels in red or blue, crystal clear and reflecting the colors of the lights.
Their pure white feathers reflected the orange-yellow glow of the streetlights, radiating a sacred brilliance. Explore more stories with m,v l'e-NovelHub
The flaxen-haired young girl was also here for the first time.
Immersed in this beautiful sight, she couldn't help but exclaim, "It reminds me of your eyes."
"...What did you say?"
Suddenly flirted with, Mr. Aiwass was a bit slow to react, "The Griffons?"
But Lily wasn't shy about it and simply stated as a matter of fact, "I was talking about the color of the lake, Mr. Aiwass. It resembles the color of your eyes."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Aiwass turned his gaze away from the Griffons and looked toward the lake illuminated under the night lights, "I hadn't really noticed... Now that you mention it, it does look somewhat similar."
Hearing this, the Griffons on both sides of the bridge let out a series of low, good-natured chuckles.
Realizing that these White Griffons could actually understand human speech, Lily was taken aback.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she dared not speak anymore, merely lowering her head to push the wheelchair.
Since this meeting wasn't an official one and didn't require a visit to Her Majesty the Queen, it was not necessary for the Royal Steward to be present. Guided by a male servant, Lily led Mr. Aiwass to the annex.
The Hall of Silver and Tin was always brightly lit. Even the annex where the royal heirs lived was no exception.
Even though there were only a few heirs left and not even one-tenth of the annex's rooms were filled, all rooms had to have their lights on. This was so that residents of the Red-White Queen District could see at any time, to reassure them—that the Queen was always with them.
By the time Mr. Aiwass arrived, a lavish dinner was already prepared.
All the dishes were laid out on the table, rather than being served slowly as at home.
Mr. Aiwass immediately spotted dishes he didn't recognize: roasted freshwater fish, fried cod strips, breadcrumb-coated fried frog legs, carrot stewed lamb, lemon oysters, and a few crisp roasted pigeons.
There was also a seafood soup with clams, razor clams, and prawns, along with vanilla and pineapple combo ice cream. Almost all the dishes were to Mr. Aiwass's liking. At a glance, the table was almost entirely meat and seafood, the only greenery being a peculiar spinach cake.
...Does the little princess not like vegetables?
A doubt arose in Mr. Aiwass's mind.
But soon, his question was answered:
"This is what I found out, Mr. Aiwass, that you like to eat."
Princess Isabel, sitting at the table, looked toward Mr. Aiwass. Her eyes, as beautiful as top-grade emeralds, reflected the silverware's glow, radiating colors of joy and anticipation, "Do you like it?"
She wore a Vanhua crown on her head, a string of pearl necklace around her pure white neck, with a small rose carved from citrine. Her pure white off-shoulder dress was adorned with natural emerald green leaves. Her hands were folded gracefully on her lap, presenting a gentle and generous smile.
She was so beautiful that her light golden hair, naturally cascading to her waist, seemed to sparkle under the light, just like the Hall of Silver and Tin shining in the midday sun.
So much so that Lily couldn't help but hold her breath, astounded by such pure clarity and beauty.
Perhaps due to her one-fourth Elf mixed heritage, Princess Isabel seemed younger than her actual age—although she was nineteen, she looked even younger than Mr. Aiwass.
She seemed to be only a little older than Miss Julia, Lily thought to herself.
Princess Isabel's waist was extremely slender, but her chest curvature was not very pronounced... it seemed even smaller than that of fifteen-year-old Miss Yulia.
Perhaps this was the only flaw in her beauty. Or, it could be said that it was precisely because it blurred the meaning of sex and temptation that this beauty appeared so pure.
Even Aiwass held his breath for a moment.
This was also his first encounter with Princess Isabel. Although he had long known of her beauty and had seen her model in the game, perhaps due to the influence and enhancement of the Path of Beauty... the real her was far more "beautiful" than that.
"...I am very fond of it."
Sitting quietly in his wheelchair, which made him appear refined and gentle, Aiwass sincerely answered, "I am extremely grateful for your accommodation and care, Your Highness.
"I was so overwhelmed by your beauty that I failed to respond immediately to your question. If I have been impolite, please be forgiving."
"Then please eat, Mr. Aiwass."
Princess Isabel simply smiled and urged him on.
She was just a little surprised to find that when she looked at Aiwass, she didn't feel the timidness and nervousness that came with meeting a stranger... as if she already knew him.
—So hugging the young Aiwass really worked!
Immediately, her thoughts turned to the fact that Aiwass had lost his parents at such a young age.
According to Mr. Sherlock's deductions, Aiwass's biological parents must have lured the Hook Demon away, thereby saving Aiwass's life. The tragical hue of this story saddened her.
Although it might not be related to her, or maybe she was too engrossed in the role—Isabel seemed to radiate a maternal glow: "Let's talk while we eat, Mr. Aiwass. You must be hungry after your journey..."
Suddenly, she heard a soft cough near her ear.
Only then did she suddenly remember that she seemed to have forgotten something!
—It was what her teacher had reminded her beforehand!
Thus, Isabel coughed and forcefully changed the subject, hurriedly adding: "Besides, my teacher, Yanis, would also like to participate in this dinner—if you don't mind."
...Such an abrupt transition.
She was reminded, wasn't she?
Aiwass obediently picked up his knife and fork, replying with a smile, "I have long admired Master Yanis."
A voice with mature charm gently asked, "Have you seen my works as well?"
The elf, who looked not quite thirty, possessed both the mature allure of a lady and the innocent charm of a girl, appeared unperceived at the tableside. She took a seat closer to Aiwass than the princess, eyeing the platinum-blonde youth with interest.
Yanis was tall and slender, with creamy curls, and bangs that swept across one eye. Her eyes were the same emerald green as Princess Isabel's, and she was only a finger's height shorter than Aiwass—just by looking at her height and her elegantly straight back, one could tell she was undoubtedly a Pureblood Elf.
It was as if she had been there all along, just unnoticed by Aiwass; or as if she was merely a "painted" projection that seemed somewhat ethereal under the light.
Aiwass instantly realized this was a "Reflection in the Painting." It was an extraordinary ability that could only be learned after the "Painter" profession advanced to "Art Maestro" at level 40.
Painters obtained a portion of the power of the Gemini Mirror, turning their paintings into mirrors. They could hide their true form within a painting, roam freely within it, and cast their projection into the real world, appearing at any place where there existed a painting.
To turn the real into the unreal, the unreal into the real.
To transform reality and paintings into her own Gemini Mirror.
All nine Paths include the ability to teleport, but "Reflection in the Painting" is one you can acquire at the lowest level and with the least cost.
In the current version of the world, the Path of Beauty's reflective teleportation is the only means of teleportation.
No wonder Master Yanis could travel among the nations of the world. With the ability to teleport at will, she couldn't be stopped by mortals, and even Transcendents had no way to prevent her.
In the presence of Master Yanis herself, Aiwass spoke fearlessly and gracefully: "Whether it's 'Pilgrimage to the Temple of Akropolis,' or 'Golden Dawn' and 'The Crystal Sea,' I am quite fond of them all."
Although I haven't seen them... but you'll get to hear about them from me in time.
Aiwass added in his mind.