Every day, the Hedan Daily reports the latest on the organ harvesters. The culprits are being brought to justice one by one. The efficiency of the Funeral Attendant is commendable, as the Hedan Daily follows the progress of the case closely. All the criminals will be publicly executed by fire at the Tides Market, and only their wails and confessions can soothe the public's anger.
Each public execution attracts a large crowd. The criminals are Awakened, wielding evil hidden powers, which is precisely why most ordinary citizens despise such powers. The dark arts they wield can easily steal others' lives and souls, leaving ordinary people unable to resist.
As the evil organ harvesters are executed one by one, people's fear gradually dissipates, and Hedan returns to normalcy. After all, it is a land blessed by the Earth Mother Goddess, and these clowns will eventually be purified.
On the weekend, Celestia, who was supposed to have stood up Simmons, suddenly found herself available again, but her good friend would be joining.
This left Simmons speechless. Since when did his Holy Land become a garden open for tours? Whatever decent family would be interested in someone else's Holy Land?
Simmons knows Celestia well. She often teases him, but she's never careless about serious matters. Surely, she understands the special nature of the Holy Land. When he asked Celestia, she only said it was unspeakable but promised it would be of great benefit to him and a blessing for which he would owe her a kneeling gratitude in the future.
Simmons found this rather perplexing. What on earth was she talking about? Well, his lack of Awakened powers within the noble circles is no secret, and he does need Celestia's help to stabilize the Gate of Truth. However, Celestia mentioned that the timing was not yet certain, and the earliest would be the afternoon. She told him and Li Xin to wait, and if anything changed, then... apologies in advance.
Early in the morning, Celestia was waiting at the designated spot in plain clothes for Her Highness the Princess. She was just a bit surprised to see Arthur. How did the Princess's lady-in-waiting leave the palace? She had only seen her once at the Royal Palace, but Celestia had an exceptionally good memory and recognized her.
"Can't recognize me?" Estella suddenly spoke.
This startled even the bold Celestia. "Your Highness, did you sneak out of the palace?"
King Ola is notoriously strict, especially with the royal family. The two Princes have been disciplined numerous times, sometimes more strictly than ordinary people, and the same applies to the Princess. This isn't a secret among the nobles. How strict His Majesty is with his children, sometimes Celestia even feels a bit sorry for Her Highness.
"If it's troublesome..."
"It's not troublesome, it's thrilling! I like it!" Celestia replied.
To think the Princess would disguise herself and sneak out of the palace. She even used a prosthetic. Wow.
When women act boldly, men are left far behind. Celestia has always been one to seek thrill, and for Her Highness to seek her out first is a great trust. The George Family's capabilities are one thing, but their emotional intelligence is top-notch. Estella did not have any special requests, just wanting to see the real Hedan and experience ordinary life. She had one day, needing to return to the Monastery by evening, and the rest was up to Celestia to arrange.
As her companion, she knows the life of a caged bird in the court, full of rules and devoid of freedom. No matter how noble, what's the point? She had initially planned something special, with a dinner at Lanuo Ivory Bay Restaurant. But suddenly, she felt, even if the food there was better than the Royal Palace, so what? Her Highness came out not to seek more luxury; that was not her goal, similar to herself.
If she were to simply go through the motions, she would have gone to the Knight Academy long ago. With a bit of a green tea approach and some means, she could have married someone with a higher title and settled for life. In this aspect, she shares the same sentiment as Estella.
So she planned to arrange some special activities first, then take Estella to the Saint Grace Canon Law School, and then involve Simmons's Holy Land. Normally, even in his dreams, Simmons wouldn't have such an opportunity. The greatest blessing of his life is having her as a cousin.
As the sun rose, Estella, dressed as a nun, held a cat, which she placed in a basket on her back. Mainly because Keli was too eye-catching. Such a cat would only be kept by nobles, and in the eyes of those who know, Keli is quite extraordinary. However, having exerted the power of running in the morning, Keli was content to lie back and nap. When in cat form, she becomes particularly lazy.
Chris was already off who knows where. Of course, Estella had her within sight at all times. Nothing escapes the sharp eyes of the Sun Golden Feathered Eagle. Chris was equally excited to be out with Estella and was circling high in the sky, cawing continuously. Her petite body shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
"Your H... Arthur, good morning." Celestia waved.
Estella smiled, finding such greetings and names refreshingly new, no need to bow and scrape.
"Morning, Celestia."
"Arthur, have you had breakfast?" Celestia asked, "Anything you'd like to eat?"
Estella set down her basket, "Not yet. I'd like to try something special, preferably what ordinary people typically eat."
Celestia thought for a moment, "Normally, it would be beef stew, masala tea, and freshly baked naan. For something special, there is indeed a place, but it's in the immigrant district, a bit mixed. There's an out-of-town chef there who's created a dish of crispy bits and Kung Pao chicken, which has a unique taste and has become quite popular lately."
"The immigrant district, is that in the George District?"
"Yes, the Lirong Inn in the George District," Celestia said. She only provided the idea; ultimately, it was up to Her Highness to decide. She worried the Princess might not find the immigrant district to her liking.
Lirong?
Actually, Celestia had been mulling over this. Should she seek out Mr. Gemini? But she felt it might not be appropriate. Members of the Round Table Conference maintain their own mystery, so much that the Twelve Zodiac Star Disc has fallen into this state. Many people dislike being pried into, and her abrupt approach might displease Mr. Gemini. Such a move is quite improper, but perhaps this is destiny.
Celestia may have been all rules and decorum when studying at the Royal Palace, but Estella knew they were kindred spirits. Everyone was surprised when Celestia joined the Canon Law School, but she wasn't. Not even the King's call could mask her real intent. She simply wanted to go, to seek freedom.
She admired Celestia's cleverness and courage, and seeing her with short hair was quite stunning. The immigrant district? Only Celestia would dare to take her there.
"Let's go to the Lirong Inn then. I want to understand an immigrant's life," Estella said.
"Ahem, then Arthur, from now on, I'll just treat you as Arthur. If there's anything inappropriate..."
"Celestia, we're friends; there's nothing inappropriate between friends," Estella said.
Celestia suddenly linked arms with Estella, "Two girls walking together shouldn't stay so far apart."
She then waved at a carriage parked in the distance. The carriage approached them; it was a George Family carriage. Trying to flag down a ride might be an experience for her, but not for Her Highness. Some details still deserve attention.
Celestia led Estella onto the carriage, setting the basket aside. "I remember the kitty being very attached to you; why so quiet now?"
"We struck a deal," Estella laughed. "How's my disguise? Will I be recognized?"
Celestia shook her head, "I feel like even if you stood in front of the King, he wouldn't recognize you. But you need to loosen up a bit, don't be so reserved."
"But I'm a nun right now," Estella replied.
"Ah, precisely a nun who has descended from the mountain," Celestia said with a cunning smile. "Any plans for later?"
"I'll listen to you; I just want to see something special."
"Sounds good. In the morning, I'll take you around some unique places, see where we end up. In the afternoon, how about visiting Saint Grace Canon Law School? We might even run into someone special."
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