“Why so slow?” Lucia looked at the late-arriving Roseliel, a hint of impatience in her tone.
She had been standing in the waiting area outside the checkpoint for quite a while. The night wind, carrying the bustle of the streets, blew in waves, making the tips of her hair sway slightly.
“Well, as a major figure of the kingdom, I naturally had to be thoroughly checked to ensure safety, hahaha...” Roseliel forced an explanation.
In reality, she and her entourage had been turned inside out and inspected from head to toe. Almost all the female guards on duty had been deployed.
From the looks of it, they had been half-tempted to slap a couple of exorcism talismans on her body just to be sure.
Lucia gave her a look, clearly not believing it, but she didn’t press the matter and simply turned to walk forward. “Let’s go.”
Roseliel quickly scurried to catch up. “Slow down, wait for me!”
After passing through the checkpoint, they finally entered the royal capital, the famous Sleepless City, Aetherland.
Roseliel was quickly stunned by the prosperity here.
Built against the mountainside, the royal capital at night looked like a giant glowing honeycomb. Every few steps along the streets stood a magic lamp, emitting a soft and steady light, much like the streetlights of the cities in her previous life.
Despite it being night, the crowds on the streets remained dense. The shouting of vendors, laughter, and music were no different from the daytime. Roadside stalls were still open, the aroma of meat from unknown creatures roasting with certain spices wafting over, causing a stir in one’s stomach.
In a nearby plaza, someone was performing magic tricks. Flames traced bright arcs in the night, drawing rounds of applause from onlookers.
What truly shocked Roseliel, however, was the sight of various racial faces everywhere in the city.
As a relatively open country, the Kingdom of Leonis was home to residents of many different races, and Aetherland was a melting pot of all cultures.
Roseliel personally saw a beastkin caravan by the side of the road. Their pack beasts were as robust as the rhinoceroses of her previous life, carrying ore, furs, and various beastkin handicrafts on their backs as they crouched by the street like stalls.
“Miss, please hold my hand so you don’t get lost!” Luna took Roseliel’s hand, as if instructing a small child.
“I’m not that young...” Roseliel was somewhat speechless. She pulled her hand away, and a hint of dejection appeared on Luna’s face.
“So, where are we going?” Lucia stopped and looked back at her.
Although she didn’t suspect Roseliel as much now, Lucia always felt that Roseliel must have other involvements in this case.
Ever since she joined the investigation, everything had been suspiciously smooth—clue after clue, deduction after deduction, with every step landing on a key point.
This feeling of being orchestrated made her very uncomfortable. She decided to take this opportunity tonight to probe Roseliel’s depths further.
On Roseliel’s side, she also wanted to use this chance to feel out Lucia’s stance regarding Simon—the ‘Drunkard’.
Both had their own agendas, but their results coincided; they decided to wander around together.
However, Roseliel thought to herself, it seemed she would have to work overtime after all.
“Let’s go to the theater,” Roseliel thought for a moment. “We can get a private box.”
“Can we book one if we just go suddenly? I heard you have to book half a month in advance, and even certain major families don’t have special privileges.”
“Normally, indeed not.” Roseliel smiled slightly. “But the theater is owned by my family.”
Lucia: “...”
The three of them soon arrived at the Aetherland Opera House. The theater’s exterior walls were illuminated by magic lights at night, with arched window frames and intricately carved pillars casting layers of shadows, displaying its antiquity and weight.
After Roseliel revealed her identity, the staff quickly led them through the corridors and up the deep-red carpeted stairs to an inconspicuous wooden door at the end of the third floor.
The moment she pushed the door open, even Roseliel herself couldn't help but marvel in her heart.
The private box, nearly a hundred square meters in size, was fully equipped with sofas, low tables, coat racks, a wine cabinet, and even a large bed—she wasn’t sure what that was for.
In front was a floor-to-ceiling curved glass window, providing a complete view of the entire theater. Beside the window frame, a polished magic crystal was embedded, projecting the scenes on stage in real-time. It even had multiple camera angles, allowing the audience to see the details of the performance from different perspectives.
Lucia stood in front of the window, silent for a while. Roseliel was not much better; she had only seen such scenes in movies and television shows in her previous life, and it was her first time actually standing in such a space.
Only Luna remained as calm as ever; she clearly wasn’t here for the first time. She skillfully pulled open the curtains before the window, activated the magic crystal, and then quietly stepped back into the corner.
Roseliel quickly adapted to the comfort of the box, kicked off her shoes, curled up on the sofa, leaned against the soft cushions, and let out a long breath.
She found that her nature as a shut-in hadn’t changed much despite the transmigration. Even in another world, she was still a homebody.
Lucia sat down beside her, her posture as proper as always.
If anyone else were present, they might think she was the real Lady Roseliel.
The play currently being performed was called Cavalier on the Dragon’s Back, which told the epic story of dragon riders resisting a demon invasion a hundred years ago.
Thanks to the existence of magic, the expressive power of the stage was astounding. Light effects, sound effects, and even the dust kicked up on the battlefield were vividly simulated by spells.
Roseliel quickly became enthralled. Although she had seen plenty of movies in her previous life, movie special effects were fake after all, whereas effects made with magic were, in a sense, real.
Moreover, the plot being enacted had actually happened, and there might be a chance for it to happen again in the future. She couldn’t help but fantasize about whether she would one day have the chance to become a dragon rider herself.
Her mood fluctuated with the ups and downs of the plot, her expression sometimes serious and sometimes relaxed as she became completely immersed.
Lucia had originally wanted to take the opportunity to talk about the case, but seeing her like this, she opened her mouth and then held back.
Lucia stared at Roseliel’s profile. At this moment, she was no different from any ordinary girl. Lucia suddenly realized that it was difficult to reconcile this face with the bully in her memories.
“...Hey.” After a while, she still couldn’t help but poke Roseliel’s shoulder.
“What is it? Speak quickly, it’s a critical moment!” Roseliel’s eyes didn’t even move.
Lucia sighed and simply leaned back into the sofa as well.
It had to be said that classics truly possessed a magic that made one never tire of watching them. She had only intended to watch perfunctorily, but soon she too was drawn back in.
At the end of the play, the giant dragon let out a long cry over its deceased master. The entire theater fell silent for a few seconds, and then applause erupted like a tidal wave.
Roseliel’s eyes were slightly red as she clapped exceptionally hard, her palms turning red. “Wonderful! Truly a great play!”
“So, can we talk properly now?” Lucia finally got a word in.
Roseliel pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked, “What do you want to know?”
At the same time, she gave a look to Luna, who caught the signal and retreated from the room.
“What are your thoughts on those code names?”
“Well...”
Roseliel briefly recounted the details of her conversation with Mona earlier that day to Lucia, focusing on the reasons she suspected the Royal Medical Society.
“Mhm.” Lucia voiced her agreement with her judgment. “This deduction makes a lot of sense.”
However, she then frowned. “If there really is a problem with the Royal Medical Society, the impact will be quite severe.”
Roseliel chimed in, “Exactly. I hope that’s not the case.”
“I’d prefer it if the only problem was actually with your family.”
“Hey!”
Roseliel rolled her eyes at her. It seemed that regaining her status as a human being in Lucia’s eyes was still a long way off.
However, since they were on the subject, Roseliel also intended to take the opportunity to chat about the matter concerning Lucia’s senior brother.
“Most of the drug-related content in the letters is connected to the code name ‘Executioner’. Assuming there truly is a mole in the Royal Medical Society, they should be the one corresponding to ‘Executioner’.”
Roseliel analyzed, “The most pressing matter now is to find ‘Drunkard’.”
Lucia leaned back against the chair and rubbed her temples. “That’s exactly what’s causing the biggest headache right now.”
Her gaze fell on the stage outside the window where the curtains had already been drawn. For a long time, she didn’t speak again.
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