[Angelica] The Light of Firefly

The Weiss area in the southeast of the Sakria territory is a famous summer resort with beautiful scenery and pleasant climate.The Marchi Mountain, which separates Moleto and Weiss, is far away from the deep green valley, and there are swarms of trout in the river, which often attracts countless fishing enthusiasts.Not to mention the Torret Moor, once a royal hunting ground.

At this time, on the national highway of the Tolet Wasteland, a pair of horses were pulling a light green sedan-style carriage with four yellow wheels, coming from the direction of the king's capital.The carriage was handsome, the wheels gleaming silver in the summer sun, and there were pansies on the sidecars and on the driver's livery.

"Ah, Marshall, look, look! The shape of the stone over there is so strange!" The curtain of the carriage was lifted by a small white hand, a girl poked her head out, and simply pulled the curtain aside and tied it in a knot.Her clear green eyes sparkled with excitement, her cheeks were flushed, and her thick blond hair was blown tousled as if the heavens had thrown a handful of sunshine on her head with pleasure.

The blond boy sitting opposite her also leaned over and looked at the cliffs outside the window, "Votlink Valley, isn't it beautiful?" He turned his head and laughed, "If you like it, I'll bring you here in a few days, okay?"

"Marshall is so lucky~ he has always lived in such a beautiful place."

"No, I usually live in the capital." The boy's beautiful violet eyes narrowed in relief, "You seem very happy, An Qi~ It's great to have you here!"

Seeing Angelique's loneliness, Marshall invited her to be a guest at the manor during the holiday, so Angelique followed Marshall to Heather Manor after the school festival ended successfully.Madame de Isilde's property, the heath estate, spreads along the vast forests of the Moor of Torret, like a jewel inlaid in the rich valley.Every summer break, Marshall would always return to Heather Manor to spend the summer, and he didn't really dislike the social season with so many guests.Randy and Jeffrey, who were invited together, should arrive tomorrow at the latest.Since it was a formal invitation, Jeffrey had to come with his guardian, Luwa; and Randy, facing Marshall's invitation of "traveling in a carriage", hesitated and said that he would go by himself.

Speaking of which, the social season... "An Qi, your skirt..." Don't you think it's too short?Or is it just trousers and such knee-length skirts?Marshall paused for a moment, and finally closed his mouth in embarrassment.

Angelique turned around, "Huh? What's the matter?" She looked at her skirt and whispered, "I always wear this at home, so it's not the same at Marshall's? That's right, Rosalie Except for the school uniform, Ya seems to be wearing long skirts that are fluffy and costly... Anyway, I won't go to your dance, so it shouldn't be... It doesn't matter?" She blinked her innocent eyes and asked Marshall cautiously.

Marshall sighed inwardly. Should she have been told that the general custom from breakfast to dinner was to change from three to six dresses?

In fact, being able to immediately realize that the clothes are not suitable is already a huge improvement for An Qi.If it were the first time she arrived at QX, she probably wouldn't have noticed what went wrong.

(An Qi is actually working very hard...)

Worried about her worried and hesitant face, Marshall suddenly held Angelique's hand eagerly, "It's okay, Angelique looks like this is fine! I will accompany you, and if you don't go to the ball, I won't go either! "

"Marshall, thank you... But this is not good, is it?"

"It's okay! When we arrive at the manor, what about Angie, as long as you have a happy vacation. There are many interesting activities besides the dance party. Don't you want to go trout fishing with me?"

"Ah~ I really want to go."

Marshall breathed a sigh of relief as she watched her plan the event with twinkling eyes.

In fact, if An Qi really wanted to go to the ball, maybe...he couldn't guess the possible outcome.

On the last day of the school festival, when the name "Angelico Limoju" was announced from the crew list of "Magic Shoes", the audience was silent for half a second, and then there was a small commotion.

He knew that Angelique, as a commoner, had become a special case of QX when she first entered the school, but he didn't expect that the announcement of the new members would cause such a big commotion.

QX can be said to be a shrunken Sarkia aristocratic society. In such an environment, Angelique's outstanding performance in the school festival alone is not enough to subvert the deep-rooted sense of hierarchy. On the contrary, it will attract more for her. Inadvertent or even malicious spying.

Marcel de Isilde had his own thoughts under his pretty, childish face.He liked Angelique, and the young viscount didn't want to see her innocence bruised and bruised in front of all this.

"Marshall, look!" She tugged at his sleeve, pointing sideways.

He identified the ancient towering oak tree, and the outline of the building could be seen faintly behind it, "It's almost here, Angie, welcome to Briar Manor."

*************************************

(This, where, where, is, house, house? It’s simply a building...)

Stepping out of the carriage, Angelique looked up at the manor and felt that her knees were weak.Slender Ionic columns, a hundred feet high, supported cornices that hung high over fine and deep porticoes.Speaking of the Marshall family's manor in the wilderness, the impression that came to her mind was the beautiful rural cottage drawn in a storybook, of course, it was as small and cute as Marshall.did not expect……

(What should I do... I can't go in, I can't go in~)

Although she was dumbfounded when she first arrived at QX Academy, it must not compare with her feelings at this time.This is not to say that Heather Manor is bigger and more magnificent than QX, but the so-called "front-to-back contrast" - the contrast with the unpolished natural scenery not far away, and the "Marshall's Manor" sketched in her mind - is stark to exaggeration.

"An Qi, I'll take you to meet my mother first."

"Marshall doesn't need to take care of me, let's go see my mother first~" Taking a breath, she urged Marshall, "Your mother must miss you very much!"

"Come on, Angelique." Marshall took Angelique's hand and walked up the steps, turning his head and smiling, "When you grow up∮meet your friends∮remember to tell your mother..." He whispered with the clear and soft voice unique to teenagers What she was humming was part of a lullaby that Angelique was familiar with.Angelique was fascinated by listening for a moment, and was led through the hall by him as if sleepwalking.

Before he knew it, he had already walked up to the third floor and stood outside a door.Marshall tapped a series of rhythms on the door with his knuckles, and then pushed the door open. "I'm back~ Mom."

What appeared in front of me was a tall lady with shiny blonde hair and a slender figure. "My dear child." She quickly stood up from the chair and kissed him on the cheek, her beautiful eyes filled with love and joy.

Angelique stood aside a little bit at a loss, keeping quiet and watching their mother and child.Marshall bears a striking resemblance to his mother, having inherited his mother's straight flowing blond hair and fair complexion.She remembered that Marshall said that her mother was over fifty, but she looked well-maintained, making it impossible to guess her age over forty.At this time, those cat-like green eyes were full of joy, and his face was full of joy, making him look younger.

"Ah, by the way, Mom, this is Angie." Marshall remembered Angelique standing by, so he introduced to his mother.

"Is that the friend you mentioned in your letter? Unexpectedly, my little Mas (※ Note [-]) will bring a girl home~" The lady laughed and turned her head.

Sunlight fell on Angelique's face through the curtains.The moment she saw her, the lady's pupils dilated slightly. "...Your name is Angelique." The subtle pause before speaking made her look a little strange.

"Yes, we met for the first time, um... my lady." Embarrassed by the unblinking gaze on her face, Angelique blushed slightly.After thinking about it, she curtseyed by pulling the hem of the skirt - the graceful posture trained in etiquette class, coupled with her short skirt and apple-like red face, is quite interesting.

"My name is Bellusa (※ Note [-]), not some "Lord Lady". Come on, sit down, do you like tea or coffee?" She smiled and turned to pull the bell in the alcove, "Or With you, Mars, sit down quickly, I have prepared refreshments for you."

The lady entertained Angelique with amiable words and fragrant tea, which immediately shortened the distance between her and her.She let the children taste the sponge cake, listened to Marshall describe the process of the school festival, and softly ordered the butler Malcolm to take Angelique's luggage from the carriage to the garden-facing hall with the maid. in the guest room.In less than 10 minutes, in her charming and friendly smile, everything was handled properly.Angeli couldn't help but look at this exquisite and typical Shuyuan with admiration.

"An Qi is really shy. How can you be as powerful as Mas said? I really want to see your performance in the school festival with my own eyes." Seeing the embarrassing expression of Angel who is not used to having a maid standing beside her to deliver refreshments, The lady waved off the two maids and joked.

Angelique became popular again, "Mrs. Bellusa, I'm not as exaggerated as Marshall said!"

"Mom! Don't make fun of Angie."

"Isn't this a joke? I can't walk away during the school festival, can't I see my mother lonely?" The lady immediately accepted her son's opinion, shifted the object of teasing, and asked Angelique softly, "Did your mother attend the school festival?"

"..." She shook her head lightly.

Marshall quickly hinted at his mother with his eyes, "You are very, very good, Angie! I think your mother will be proud of you."

"...By the way, An Qi...what's your mother's name?" Her eyelids trembled slightly, and she unconsciously referred to "your mother" as "your mother", with a few hints of blue in her green eyes. very much looking forward to.

"Mother's name? Xie Liwei, Xie Liwei Limozhu."

"Xie Liwei?!" The lady muttered to herself, unable to hide her disappointment, "Xie Liwei... Li Mozhu..." Repeating the name, she frowned as if thinking hard.

"……Mother?"

"I've written down this name. Next time there is any performance, I will come forward and invite your mother!" She smiled comfortingly at Angelique, and then looked at Marshall with a little reproach, "Angel was not invited. Mas’s behavior is also inappropriate. To travel alone with a young lady without an older female companion, did you not consider Angie’s reputation?”

Marshall was stunned for a moment, bowed his head and apologized, "I'm sorry." He actually forgot such a basic etiquette... Everything felt so natural when he was with Angie, and he never considered the unspoken rules between nobles.

Angelique moved her gaze from between the two in doubt, "Well, although I don't quite understand... please don't blame Marshall!"

"An Qi, you can't see the invisible rules of the game around you..." The lady put her hands lightly on Angelique's slender shoulders, leaned over and kissed her cheek, "If you want, I will be your guardian Bar."

Angelique can close her eyes.A faint scent of violets emanated from Belusti de Isilde's silk robe and fair hair.That is the scent that my mother always has.

She gently stroked the top of Angelique's head, "It's okay, I will take care of you instead of your mother, it's okay."

Choked for a moment, she couldn't speak, just nodded.

The lady's voice softened with pity. "My dear boy."

The lady folded the letter and poured wax on the seal.The coat of arms on the cover was blurred because of the trembling of the hands.She took a deep breath, stared at the gradually cooling wax seal, turned around but was surprised.

The young man standing silently behind her glanced calmly at the recipient's name on the envelope, "Mom, what's the matter?" Although he was asking, his tone was pleading, as if saying, "Please tell me I tell the truth. 』

It was just a slight gaffe, but the child still noticed it - should it be celebrated or not?

She shook her head, with a somewhat wry smile, "I just want to make sure of one thing."

"Is it related to An Qi?" He collected himself and hid his anxiety.

"I don't know what I don't know, I can't tell you." Her eyes were slightly sad, "No matter what, Mars, I hope you will protect that child well."

The boy nodded seriously, "I will work hard."

Because this is also his wish.

*************************************

Angelique didn't know how lucky she was to be taken under the wing of Lady Belusti de Isilde.That lady has an energy and talent that cannot be ignored, and at the same time has both soft, witty speech and elegant manners. In addition, she was born in No. 1 Mende Galderon in Sacria, and she is well-known in the social circle. far and wide.Being able to get her blue eyes is undoubtedly Angelique's strong backing in this world that does not belong to her.

However, for our Angelique, the definition of "social circle" may not be clear yet.At this time, she was standing outside the door with Marshall's right arm in her arms - the lady asked them to appear last - from behind the door, she could not see the guests entering from another door, nor the scene in the ballroom, and there was even more around her. If no third person passed by, she fiddled idly with the silver dance invitation card tied around her wrist with a ribbon.

"Angie, you don't really want to go to the ball, do you? It's because Mom is too strong." Marshall wore a formal dress, the frills of the pewter vest covered the edge of the satin scarf, and there was a little apology in his words.

"No, there is nothing! Madame Bellusa is also for me." The lady is really very obsessive, and it is amazing that she is not annoying at all. "But my biggest feeling right now is—waist, good, sour, ah~" Wearing a taffeta summer dress with a fully stretched skirt and a diameter of ten feet, not counting petticoats and panniers, these are completely covered by the waist The weight to bear... You must also straighten your waist without slackening for a moment.In addition, the corset made her a little sad, and the super exposed upper body of the dress made her hardly dare to show her breath. Angelique finally realized the "misfortune of the nobility".

Marshall smiled at her, bowed his head and unfolded her dance card. "Mom also said that 'you get what you sow'." He wrote his name on the almost transparent ivory inner page, raised his head, his delicate eyebrows curved into a beautiful arc, "An Qi, you It's so pretty!"

Angeli couldn't help but be engrossed, and murmured: "Marshall is so cunning... You are the prettier, obviously~"

"That's not true! Angie is the prettiest!" He protested in his beautiful big eyes.

Unable to resist him, she unfolded the dance invitation card like a fan, "Mrs. Bellusa said that the first dance was...so much?!" Except for the first dance, he actually wrote the dance invitation on every page of the invitation card. Names are written on the first line.

"Well, actually, I really don't want Angie to dance with anyone else, if it's Jeffrey and Randy...hey, Angie, promise me that when I grow up, I'll dance with me all night, okay? good?"

Seeing him asking seriously, she blushed for a moment.

(I don’t know how long I’ll be in QX...Maybe I’ll be kicked out in a few days? It’s as sudden as when I came here, maybe...)

She stayed for a while, feeling a little sad in her heart, looking at Marshall's pure eyes and couldn't bear to please him, "...Okay, but the premise is that I will go to the dance again by then."

"Yeah." He smiled happily and nodded.

Two doors were slowly opened from inside the ballroom.Angelique stood at the entrance, and was suddenly overwhelmed by the unbelievably gorgeous scene that appeared in front of her eyes. This scene was so unbelievably beautiful.

Brilliant and soft candlelight illuminated the huge ballroom.Candlelight comes from four sets of waterfall-like crystal chandeliers that seem to flow on high; from pairs of crystal candlesticks inlaid with gold hanging on the long wall; A tall black window that doubles as a mirror; tall branched silver candlesticks with multiple sockets on the long table by the door and several large silver bowls for mixed sweet drinks, with curved golden light reflecting off the round bowl sides.

At the same time, music was flowing in her ears, almost thinking it was in a dream.Marshall led her to the middle of the ballroom, and she realized that the band was playing when the door opened for them.People moved out of the way, and she could feel countless curious eyes betting on her.

The first dance started, and the hostesses, Marshall and Angelique, led the dance in the center of the ballroom.Marshall gently embraced Angelique's waist with his right hand, "Anqi, don't worry about them."

indeed.Her feet followed the music, she didn't want to think about anything, she just danced happily.

At the end of the song, the others stopped and applauded them politely.In the second lead dance, the hostess and hostess danced with the guests respectively. Marshall looked at Angelique reluctantly.She smiled and waved to him, retreated to the corner, and looked at the dancing crowd.

"...Angelic?" A gentle voice softly passed through the music floating in the entire dance hall.

Hearing that familiar voice, she turned her head to look at the person walking by, "Senior Lumière!"

Lumiere Clive was wearing a white dress, and her silver-blue hair was tied into a bundle behind her head, revealing her jade-like ears.Although the style of the dress is simple, it makes the slightly hesitant face even more handsome and noble.Hearing her answer, he seemed to smile in relief, "It really is you, I'm afraid I've got the wrong person."

"Wrong person?" She grabbed the hem of the skirt with a nervous expression, looked down, "...do I look weird?"

"Heh, why do you think so?"

"Because Mrs. Bellousa told me not to look in the mirror. I don't even know what I look like now, and I have to carefully avoid all the mirrors, but there are so many mirrors here... Ah! Senior Lumiere, Don't laugh at me! Does it really look so strange?"

"..." Lumière quietly looked at Angeli, who raised her hair like a child and asked without saying a word, her gentle sea blue eyes carried an indescribable expression.Countless words were written in his eyes, but in the end he just smiled and shook his head, "No, it's not strange at all."

Faced with such gazes, Angeli couldn't help feeling embarrassed, and didn't even know what to say.

Ever since I knew that Lumière was a man, sometimes I felt very at a loss when facing him. When I thought of him as a woman and cried to sleep in his arms... I was very shy.

"Why are you here?" As if aware of her embarrassment, Lumière looked away, leaned against the wall with her, and broke the silence.

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Marshall invited me to play, and Randy and Jeffrey will probably be there tomorrow. Where's Senior Lumière?"

"I'm following a certain adult..." In the middle of speaking, he suddenly looked ahead and stopped talking.

"What's wrong?" Angelique turned her head and looked at the two people approaching.

"Anqi, let me introduce you," the lady pointed to the tall man behind her. "The man who wants to invite you to dance is Duke von Andain. Duke, this is my adopted daughter Angelique."

The man leaned forward slightly, and the black hair that was draped in the same black dress coat slipped out and fell on his cheeks.The scrutinizing cold gaze swept across Angelique's face, and he smiled politely by pulling the corner of his lips a little, "...Louis von Andain."

to be continued

The author has something to say: Note [-]: Marse is Marshall's nickname.

Note [-]: Belusa is the abbreviation of Bellussity.