[Beauty and the Beast] Rose Castle

Although I have seen the grandeur of the Northern King's Capital in my dreams, I was still shocked when I saw this city with my own eyes.The air is filled with a rich and sweet fragrance of flowers, and the roses are like burning tinder all over the earth.On the rolling mountains in the distance, there are majestic fortresses and towers.This is an ancient but not old city, this is a city that can touch the thickness of history.This is... his city.

The carriage drove to the city center, where people came and went, there were maids with white scarves on their heads, and noble ladies wearing flowery wide-brimmed hats;However, no matter how eye-catching they are dressed, they are nothing compared to the white sculpture in the center of the fountain in the square: the man has beautiful features but a cold expression, holding a knight's long sword in one hand and a terrifying skull in the other.He was wearing a sharply tailored military uniform, with a knee-length coat on the outside, and a cloak that dragged the floor. A line of small characters was engraved on the base of the sculpture: To commemorate the resumption of the Northland Witchcraft Department.

"This is also the reason why I admire Your Majesty." Mr. Rockefeller flipped through the book and said suddenly, "Everyone knows that he was persecuted by witchcraft, but he can still calm down and think about whether ordinary people can coexist with witchcraft." .Many countries have heard of 'witches', and wished they could draw a clear line with witches, but he knew that blocking is better than sparse, and formulated a series of laws and regulations, which not only restricted witches, but also allowed them to walk in the sun Your Majesty, you have changed the lives of ordinary people." He sighed, "Your Majesty is really great. In the past, when people got sick, they either had bloodletting or could only take mercury pills. Now that there are witch doctors, almost no one goes to the mercury sauna. Now, everyone is no longer afraid of getting sick."

Hearing these words, my eye sockets suddenly became hot.Although Lambert's tortuous fate was not directly caused by witchcraft, it is inseparable from witchcraft.After the matter was over, he was able to weigh the pros and cons so calmly and rationally, rectify the name of the witch, and seek the well-being of the people.He is indeed a great emperor, and also a man that people do not regret falling in love with.

I sniffed, wiped away my tears quietly, and gave a soft "um".

Mr. Rockefeller's estate is on the outskirts of the capital.The carriage passed through the city center, commercial street, and Cathedral Square, and it took another half an hour to arrive.His family had already stood side by side in front of the gate waiting for him.The woman at the front, wearing a deep purple wide-brimmed hat and black net gauze over her face, is tall and holding a lace parasol.Standing next to her were two girls, one tall and one short, with round faces, far less beautiful than hers. Their eyeballs were rolling around, and they kept squinting at the cargo box behind the carriage.This is probably Mr. Rockefeller's wife and two stepdaughters.

It wasn't until the carriage stopped that I saw a young girl standing behind Mrs. Rockefeller. Her thick braids shone like gold, her eyes were clean blue, her lips were very red, and she was wearing a light blue dress.Seeing Mr. Rockefeller get off the carriage, her eyes immediately filled with tears, and she called out sincerely: "Father!" She should be the "little daughter" in Mr. Rockefeller's mouth.

Her stepsisters, like bees snatching nectar, buzzed onto the crate, bouncing on the crate and shouting, "Where's my skirt!"

"My necklace, my necklace! Is it the diamond necklace I want, let me see, let me see!"

Mrs. Rockefeller stood gracefully in front of the gate of the manor, neither picking up the box as impolitely as her daughter, nor shed embarrassing tears.She gently lifted the canopy of the parasol and said with a smile, "Welcome home."

Listening to the cries of Mr. Rockefeller's youngest daughter and the quarrel of his two stepdaughters.I was in a dilemma, and I didn't know how to get out of the carriage.At this time, Mr. Rockefeller pushed his little daughter away, straightened his collar, and said in a low voice: "Be quiet, girls. There is a guest who needs to stay at our house for a while, Luo...Miss Winnie, she is a The poor orphan girl came to the capital to find relatives, I hope everyone can treat her kindly."

Winnie?It is estimated that he gave me a temporary name.I hesitated for a moment, and stepped out of the carriage bravely.

The chattering quarrel between the two stepdaughters suddenly disappeared.Mrs. Rockefeller raised her chin slightly, and looked at me for a long time with a half-smile, not knowing what she was looking at.After a while, Mr. Rockefeller's youngest daughter greeted me first: "Hi, my name is Alisa. These are my two older sisters. The one in the red dress is Grace, and the one in the green dress is Caroline."

As soon as the words fell, her two step-sisters quarreled: "You don't want to be introduced by her, what are you talking about, why are you pinching me!" "When did I pinch you!"

It was hard to imagine that such a dignified and elegant lady would give birth to such a... daughter.I nodded, pretending not to hear the noise over there: "Hi, I'm Winnie."

Mrs. Rockefeller smiled slightly and said, "Miss Winnie, you are a guest. You are welcome." She didn't seem to mind my presence.

Walking into the gate, Mr. Rockefeller's manor is ridiculously large, and the area of ​​the garden alone is beyond my imagination.The red and green skirts were chasing each other, shouting for gifts all the time.Alisa quietly followed Mr. Rockefeller, never mentioning the gift.Mrs. Rockefeller walked behind them, wiping away the nonexistent sweat with a handkerchief from time to time.

I don't like the atmosphere of this family very much. I don't intend to stay here for a long time. I just want to see Lambert soon.But it is not easy to meet the head of state of a country.

Entering the main hall, a maid came over, took the initiative to take me up to the second floor, and led me to an elegantly furnished guest room, reminding me not to sleep too long, and it was time for afternoon tea.I nodded, closed the door, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and thought about how to ask Mr. Rockefeller to send me into the palace later.

Not long after, the maid knocked on the door and told me it was tea time.I found a plain dress in the closet, put it on, and went downstairs.Mr. Rockefeller was sitting at the main seat and reading the newspaper. When he saw me going downstairs, he glanced at me casually.The red and green skirts screamed and pulled to the table.Alisa sat down next to me and said softly: "The capital is very big, and it's not as easy as you think to find someone. It can be as short as half a year, or as long as a few years. However, my father has a lot of contacts, what? He knows everyone, so you might as well describe to him where the person you are looking for is, what he looks like, what his occupation is, and whether he has any distinctive features. He will definitely help you."

Mrs. Rockefeller blew on the black tea and said softly: "Yes, you can't rush to find someone. Tell me what he looks like first."

I clenched the knife and fork tightly, my breathing stopped, and even my heart missed a beat.How should I put it... The person I am looking for is your great majesty, the king of the Northern Kingdom?It is estimated that he will be regarded as a lunatic talking nonsense.

"...he works in the palace," I said after a long time, "he has black hair and a pair of blue-green eyes."

As soon as I finished speaking, the sisters in red and green skirts taunted sharply: "In the palace, only His Majesty has black hair, and only His Majesty's eyes are the most charming blue-green in the world. Don't even think about it, you village girl! "

"Yes, Your Majesty is mine. I will definitely marry Your Majesty, don't even think about it!"

After finishing speaking, they argued again over who could marry Lambert.Mrs. Rockefeller propped her forehead and blocked her eyes, with a headache on her face.

Mr. Rockefeller frowned and looked at them, shook the newspaper, and said: "There are many people with black hair in the palace, but only His Majesty has blue-green eyes. Could it be your memory is wrong. I will go to the palace tomorrow Debriefing, please describe in detail, and I will ask for you."

I don't like the atmosphere of his house very much.Although Alisa is gentle, she has no sense of existence. I saw bruises on her wrists, and it seemed that she was often bullied, but Mr. Rockefeller ignored her as if she hadn't seen it.The two sisters are obviously not Mr. Rockefeller's biological daughters, but they are dressed more gorgeously than their own daughters. The jewels and flowers in their buns are almost too much to pile up. Mrs. Rockefeller is beautiful and powerful, and I can't guess her thoughts... I don't want to get involved About his family, I just wanted to see Lambert quickly, so he gritted his teeth and asked, "Can you take me with you?"

Before Mr. Rockefeller could answer, his wife laughed first: "Little girl, you really are from the countryside." Her voice was soft, without any contempt, but I felt that I was despised by her from head to toe, "Entering the palace is not as easy as you think. You are not a nobleman, nor a witch. If you want to see the king, you must first submit an application to the officials of the royal capital and pay for it. My husband can do it so casually." He entered and exited the palace because he earned enough money, ordinary people...for example, you, wanting to enter the palace is simply as difficult as going to heaven."

Hearing these words, I was a little discouraged. I didn't expect that it would be so difficult to meet Lambert. For the first time, I realized that the gap between myself and him was not a star and a half.But if you don't want to find a way to enter the palace, I'm afraid you won't have the chance to meet him in this life.How can I convince them of my relationship with Lambert...

At this time, Mrs. Rockefeller continued to smile and said: "Miss Winnie, it's not that we don't help you, but we dare not help you. Once upon a time, there was a countess who wanted to see His Majesty crazy, so she hid in her father's carriage and sneaked into the But I don’t know what kind of forbidden place I broke into, not only the countess was executed, but her father was also deprived of his official position. The palace is really not a place you can enter if you want to.”

After she said that, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut. I was going to finish my afternoon tea, go to the study to read the code of the Northern Kingdom, and then think of other ways.

Unexpectedly, the laws of the North Country are much stricter than I imagined, and there is no loophole to exploit.I suddenly remembered that Ophelia had given me a golden lion badge, maybe I could use it to meet Lambert.

I was happy for less than a second when I remembered that when I changed my wedding dress, I put it on the bed in the bedroom of the castle.Ophelia is the princess, and meeting the duke's rules is no easier than meeting the king.I couldn't help being more discouraged.

At dinner time, I absentmindedly sipped my soup.At this time, there was a loud noise outside, as if some large building collapsed, which startled me.Mrs. Rockefeller glanced at me again with the eyes of a countryman, and said slowly: "The group of witches will blow up the palace sooner or later. I don't know what they are doing all day long."

The red and green skirt sisters looked at each other, and the red skirt asked: "Some people say that His Majesty knows witchcraft, is it true?"

The green skirt hurriedly shouted: "Even if Your Majesty knows witchcraft, I will marry him. What age is it? You are not allowed to discriminate against people who know witchcraft!"

"Stop daydreaming." Mrs. Rockefeller scolded lightly, "I'm not familiar with the royal family, so ask your father."

Mr. Rockefeller thought for a while, and replied: "Although witches have regular official positions and can still receive salaries, after practicing witchcraft for a long time, there are still sequelae, such as irritability, mania, nightmares, and visual impairment... …His Majesty does have poor eyesight, but that is an old problem. His behavior is more sophisticated and calm than many senior ministers, and it is not obvious that he is irritable and manic. It should be just a rumor."

For some reason, Mr. Rockefeller's words did not convince me.Thinking of the sculpture holding a skull in the city center, a hint of worry rose in my heart, and my desire to see Lambert became more urgent.

After dinner, I searched for a long time, and finally found Mr. Rockefeller in the garden.He leaned on a cane, standing tall and straight among the flowers, saw me coming, and asked with a smile: "Are you still used to living here?" I said straight to the point: "Mr. Rockefeller, please take me into the palace. "

He stared at me, the smile on his face gradually disappeared: "I thought you were a sensible girl, how could you make such a rude request."

"My family is in the palace, he is very important to me and I have to find him."

Mr. Rockefeller stopped looking at me, turned his head to look forward, and said lightly: "Even if you find your family, so what?"

I frowned: "What do you mean?"

"Although you were wearing a wedding dress studded with diamonds when I found you, you are not a girl from aristocratic background, right? Don't rush to refute, I have a good eye for people. Even if you find your family, you can get What. What can a country girl's family do in the palace? Can he give you gold, silver, jewelry, and beautiful clothes?" He said, leaning on a cane, and approached me step by step, "It's better to find you Those useless family members, why not stay in the manor and be with my daughters. My wife does not reject you, and even welcomes you to stay, what are you not satisfied with?"

"Mr. Rockefeller, this is not a matter of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. You are not related to me, so I have the nerve to bother you here all the time."

He nodded: "So that's what you mean. Now that you have spoken, let me just say it straight. You have the same temperament as my dead wife, so I hope you can stay. Can you understand what I mean? At this point, he leaned forward, as if he wanted to take my hand and kiss it.

I took a step back in fright, and said in amazement: "Mr. Rockefeller...you, didn't you say that you are not interested in me?"

He frowned: "It's no fun to play hard to get, little girl. Don't you acquiesce in those rumors?" His expression was a little irritable, "When I picked you up, you were wearing a wedding dress, which means that you must either run away from marriage, or Abandoned by others. Your reputation is not clean. Besides me, who else would offer such superior conditions to keep you. You should think about it carefully, and don't disappoint my good intentions."

I didn't expect that Mr. Rockefeller would have such thoughts on me, let alone Mrs. Rockefeller, not only did not object, but also wanted to match me with him.I can't understand what this family is thinking, I just want to escape from this manor, but from that night on, no matter where I go, there will be a maid with a big waist following me.Moreover, even if I escape from the manor, I have no way to enter the palace.I'm getting more and more depressed day by day. Could it be that even if I get to the capital, I can't see Lambert?

Two days have passed since the showdown between Mr. Rockefeller and me, and I have not spoken to him again.On this day, when everyone was having lunch in the dining room, the porter of the manor suddenly ran in and said out of breath, "Master...Madam..."

Mrs. Rockefeller frowned and said, "Have a sip of tea before talking, what does it look like if you are panting all the time?"

The maid handed the porter a bowl of tea.After the concierge drank it, he took a deep breath and said, "Master, there is news from outside. The fortune teller did a fortune telling for His Majesty, and said that the girl he misses day and night is among the unmarried girls in the capital. Your Majesty has just ordered that the palace will The ball will be held for three days and three nights in a row, and all women can enter the palace to participate in the ball without invitation until His Majesty finds the girl."

My heart almost jumped to my throat. I breathed carefully and clenched my fists so that I didn't show any abnormalities.Then, I discovered that no abnormality is the biggest abnormality.The red and green skirt jumped up and screamed: "Your Majesty is finally going to marry me, Your Majesty is finally going to marry me!"

Even Mrs. Rockefeller, who was always moody and angry, asked in surprise, "When will the dance be held?"

The porter replied, "Just tonight, ma'am."