Capítulo 1380: Chapter 1380: The Grave of Love

Scribe Level Relic [Wishing Coin], draw a pentagram pattern on the ground, place five candles of varying lengths at the points of the pentagram, then toss the coin to the center of the pentagram, and you can make a wish.

The manner in which wishes are fulfilled is always strange: the smaller the wish, the more ordinary the fulfillment; the grander the wish, the more other disasters it might provoke.

Shard once obtained this coin from Miss Galina (in Chapter 467). At that time, his relationship with Miss Galina wasn’t as close as it is now, and the Duchess’s requested reward was…

[To have dinner with her.]

The second time encountering this type of coin, Mr. Edmund offered it at a regular price. Because wish-related relics are quite rare, no matter how strong the side effects, they are always useful. Thus, the [Wishing Coin] is considered one of the pricier items among the Scribe Level Relics. But no matter how expensive it was, Shard had to buy it.

Considering the journey from the Ruined Tower in the mountains to Milestone and from the White Valley Vineyard to Huntington City, after leaving Coldwater Port, Shard merely returned home to take a bath, then prepared dinner for the cat that would wake up from its nap, and left a note for Dorothy who might come tonight, before heading to Randall Valley.

There was still time before Margaret’s banquet, so Shard went to the Prophet’s Society to find Luviya.

Luviya has been in Randall Valley for over a month now, gradually adapting to the work here. Recently, the association informed her that there was significant progress in the negotiations with the Order, though, in reality, Miss Lathis said it seemed the Prophet’s Society had completely forgotten to send her a letter.

In any case, when Shard arrived at the Prophet’s Society, Luviya was still busy working and asked Shard to wait for her at the Abundant Land Inn. After Shard finished reading the entire Randall Valley Evening News and chatted for half an hour with the next-table guests about the recent “Petrified Plague” situation in the city, Luviya finally hurried over.

She didn’t look like she was coming off work, as she wasn’t carrying her handbag.

This time, instead of chatting on the inn’s first floor, they went to Luviya’s room. Shard happily showed the two coins he got today, but Luviya seemed quite troubled:

“Recently, I really can’t leave because of the matter with The Chosen One; the local society is short-staffed. So, after some communication with the Academy, my secondment period has been extended; I’m afraid I won’t return to Tobesk until spring.”

“That’s alright, you’ll be able to see me every day, no matter where you are.”

Shard said:

“Besides, Iluna told me at noon today that she’s received the notice and will depart on Sunday, arriving here later next week.”

“The Church must have made significant progress, otherwise they wouldn’t have Iluna come now.”

Luviya said with some worry:

“Do you want to use divination for those two coins now? To search for that Sapphire Earring and the two hexagonal gemstones whose whereabouts are unknown.”

“No need for now; who knows, I might just stumble upon them myself. With spring drawing nearer, there are more important things to divinate later.”

Shard said, then extended an invitation:

“I’m attending Margaret’s banquet tonight; would you like to join me?”

“There are still some unfinished tasks at the association. The association is trying to use divination to locate the areas of Crazy Earth in the entire region. They found one today, and the Church has gone to deal with it.”

The purple-eyed girl said, holding Shard’s hand; she truly wished to accompany him:

“Moreover, the ‘Universal Earth Elixir’ given by the witch to the Church is indeed effective. I’ve heard that in a dilution range of 10 to 500 times, the elixir can delay or even heal different degrees of petrification symptoms. Although it’s not a cure, it’s already very effective. As for the [Healing] Holy Grail, unfortunately, the potion transformed by that grail is ineffective.”

“It’s unfortunate that I don’t have enough Holy Grails.”

“Today’s cases are at 302; even if you acquire one Holy Grail a day, you’ll never have enough.”

Luviya understood clearly:

“We can never hope to save everyone.”

The purple eyes looked at Shard, and for a moment, Shard wondered who exactly these words were meant for him.

Since Luviya didn’t have time, Shard went alone to the manor where Margaret was staying to attend the banquet.

The estate where the Princess and Prince reside is a property of the Anjou Royal Family in the area, located in the northern part of the city center, covering an area about twice the size of the Earl Granger’s estate.

Although Margaret said the banquet was to celebrate the completion of the shipyard and invited related parties and their families, the number of guests at the banquet exceeded Shard’s expectations.

He arrived early, spending some time talking with Margaret in a room. When Margaret went with her maid and attendants to greet the guests, Shard also arrived at the banquet hall, finding the long dining table surrounded by people under the illumination of crystal chandeliers and gas lamps adorned with Anjou family crests.

“Does the shipyard matter involve so many locals?”

Margaret and Prince William, as the hosts of this banquet, were very busy at the start, so Shard had the opportunity to wander around. He initially wondered if he might encounter Ston Osenfort again, but later thought that even if he did, there would be nothing significant to discuss.

He then considered checking out who was playing Roder Cards in the banquet hall as a way to pass the time, but as he meandered through the lively crowd with a wine glass in hand, he noticed a familiar face by the window.

So, Shard changed his direction, holding his wine glass as he walked over:

“Mr. Enriques, I didn’t expect to run into you again.”

The man looking out the window alone turned around and recognized the young gentleman he had met at Earl Granger’s on Tuesday:

“Mr. Watson, what a coincidence, meeting you again.”

The two clinked their glasses, and Shard also glanced out the window. The banquet hall was on the first floor, and outside this window was the estate’s back garden. Now at the end of winter, though the weather was still surprisingly cold, some people were willing to be out at night in such temperatures.

At this moment, two ladies could be seen sitting on a stone bench covered with cushions at the corner of the evergreen bushes.

In the garden, only a few isolated gas lamps were lit, leaving the two ladies whispering softly shrouded in dimness and coldness. Meanwhile, the banquet hall was warm and bright, with pleasant music and lively chatter rising and falling. The room was so bright that the glass reflected the view inside the window.

Thus, Mr. Enriques’s face was reflected in the glass, almost overlapping with the silhouette of Mrs. Enriques, who was sitting in the distant garden draped in a white shawl.

One being outside and one inside, one in the cold, the other in warmth and comfort.

“If the person talking with Mrs. Enriques were a young and handsome man instead of an older woman, this would almost be a world-renowned painting.”

The outlander said something only he could understand in his heart, then asked Mr. Enriques:

“In such cold weather, how is it that your wife…”

“She is talking with Aunt Angela.”

Mr. Enriques’s expression was melancholic, and his tone was particularly low. He probably did not care who he was talking to, just wanted someone to talk with:

“It’s indeed very cold outside, but…”

He drank down the contents of his glass in one gulp, and Shard looked out the window:

“Please pardon my nosiness, but are you two… having problems with your relationship?”

Mr. Enriques nodded slightly, placing his glass on the windowsill, but instead asked:

“Speaking of which, Mr. Watson, I see you’re at the age for marriage, may I ask if you’re married?”

Shard shook his head:

“No, but I do have a few very close young ladies of my age.”

[Overage.]

Mr. Enriques nodded, being from a noble family, he naturally understood Shard’s meaning.

He looked outside intently:

“Not being married is good; love is always happy and perfect, but marriage is always the grave of love. I didn’t understand this before, but once I truly got married, I realized how accurate this saying truly is… So, Mr. Watson, do you know why fairy tales always end with the wedding of the prince and the princess?”

Shard followed his train of thought:

“Because after getting married, it’s no longer as beautiful as a fairy tale. The mundane life, the friction of trivial matters, the conflict of personal habits. Children reading fairy tales are better off not being exposed to the adult world’s helplessness at such a young age.”

“Indeed, the helplessness of the adult world.”

Mr. Enriques stared blankly at the two holding hands and talking outside the window:

“In the past, I was immersed in the beauty of love, and only after getting married did I realize how difficult it truly is to form a family with another person.”

It seemed that the issue troubling him was not only his wife’s experiences while studying in Velindale City but also the difference between life and imagination after truly getting married.

However, although he seemed to be confiding in Shard, Mr. Enriques never mentioned the things he knew, even if he was deeply troubled by his wife’s past with others outside, he could not confide in a stranger.

“Perhaps you can seek help from relatives who’ve been married for a long time.”

Still, Shard offered his own advice:

“While young people always think the old folks’ views are outdated, the fact is, most of the time, they are correct.”

Mr. Enriques nodded:

“Yes, that’s why my aunt is talking with my wife outside. But she has apparently misunderstood, thinking that some of my untidy habits have disappointed Maggie, whereas in truth, it’s…”

He didn’t continue, instead, he took another drink from a passing waiter’s tray.

In this era, the so-called “marriage counselors” did not exist yet, but Shard knew of a similar profession:

“Have you considered seeing a psychiatrist?”