Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

The light was still on the stairs, but the light in Room 1 on the second floor was off. Shard turned on the light as he entered, the flowers still piled up in his living room, but the candles on the dining table had already been extinguished.

He didn't see Lecia, but Dorothy was sitting on the sofa waiting for him. Her expression had returned to normal, no longer showing signs of her earlier tears.

"What happened?"

Shard asked, Dorothy shook her head but didn't let Shard sit down:

"Just now Lecia talked to me about a lot of things... including you and Luviya."

"Ah?"

Shard was shocked, his good mood plummeted immediately, but it was something Dorothy would find out sooner or later, so it wasn't inappropriate for Lecia to tell her:

"I... yes, we..."

"You don't need to explain to me. I used to think that with Luviya's attitude, as if she was carrying a huge responsibility, she would never get married in her lifetime. I didn't expect her to act so fast..."

Obviously, Dorothy had drunk quite a bit of the fruit wine Shard had prepared, her face was unusually flushed:

"Shard, was the guiding Red Butterfly just now your Illusion Technique?"

"Yes."

"You wretched, dirty, handsome, flower-attracting butterfly..."

She squeezed out words from between her teeth that Shard couldn't understand, but there was no hatred for him in her eyes.

The blonde girl pressed her hands on the sofa:

"Just now, if you had wanted to stay and dine with us, we wouldn't have let you leave. Why did you go downstairs alone?"

"How could I? That was your time, I wouldn't disturb such a thing."

Shard thought for a moment:

"Maybe our relationship is close, but you and Lecia, you two and me, are different kinds of close relationships."

Shard clearly separated the two:

"Maybe our relationship is good, but that doesn't mean your relationship with me is all there is to life. Life has other important people and important stories, like you and Lecia. Just now was your time together, just like you said to me today - girls need secrets."

The blonde writer's face lit up with a bright smile. She wore light makeup and a long evening gown, and with the slight flushing from the alcohol, she looked really beautiful at this moment:

"Shard, sometimes I really feel you... are pretty nice."

Her voice was very low, almost drowned out by the rain outside the window.

"Of course, I'm pretty nice."

Shard immediately nodded; he was also very satisfied with his planning and performance today.

"So, will you keep giving me stories in the future? Helping me make the 'Hamilton Detective Stories' longer and more interesting?"

The blonde girl asked again amidst the sound of rain.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? The stories I've experienced are so interesting. It's also my wish to present them to more people after hiding important information."

Feeling the cat pawing at him underfoot, Shard bent down and picked it up:

"Dorothy, I read every episode of your serial in the 'Steam Bird Daily'. Your stories are very nice, you will definitely become the most famous popular novelist in this steam-driven era."

"Then in the future, we will walk this road together."

Dorothy said softly.

"Dorothy, that sounds strange, and generally speaking, I would consider such words very ominous. But of course, the road ahead is still long. We've only just solved the initial problem of you two not being able to meet. There are still many issues between you and Lecia to resolve."

Shard said, and Dorothy, for some reason, suddenly smiled. But before Shard could ask, the blonde girl shook her head:

"You really are... if it were scored out of a hundred points, I would want to give you one hundred and twenty... Lecia is in your bedroom, she has something to talk to you about."

She stood up, "snatching" Mia from Shard's arms:

"It seems to be something related to the Royal Family, so don't bring the cat over."

"Related to the Royal Family?"

Shard nodded and walked into his bedroom.

The light was on outside, but the bedroom was dark. The chair from the desk had been moved to the bedside, and Lecia, wearing a luxurious princess gown, sat on the chair with her back to the window, bathing in the faint star and moonlight amidst the rain. The silver crown sparkled, but it was still not as dazzling as the princess wearing the crown.

Lecia sat upright under the moon, looking at Shard across the bedroom bed:

"Have you finished talking with Dorothy?"

"Hmm... the bedroom door was open just now, I don't believe you couldn't hear the outside sounds."

Shard pointed out, the red-haired princess shook her head slightly:

"Shard, sometimes you need to learn to agree with what ladies say."

"Alright then, we have finished talking. Dorothy said you were looking for me about something related to the Royal Family?"

"Yes, next month, my sister Mona Cavendish is getting married, and I hope you can accompany me to the wedding."

Shard thought for a moment before remembering who "Mona Cavendish" was. Fire Jumper Larus III had far too many children, apart from a few actively involved in political affairs, Shard couldn't remember the others.

If Shard remembered correctly, this Princess Mona Cavendish was only a year younger than Lecia, the same age as the Outlander in this body:

"Of course, no problem. You can inform me of the specific time and place."

Lecia nodded, stood up, and walked to the window, looking out with her back to Shard. The windows of the side bedroom and kitchen faced away from Saint Delan Square, towards Yordle Palace.

From Shard's bedroom, one could see the silhouette of Yordle Palace under the moonlight and rain. The gale and torrential rain ravaged the long autumn night in Tobesk, making the city seem somewhat blurry:

"Shard, do you know what I've always wanted?"

Her voice turned much colder.

"Power."

Miss Galina had mentioned this to Shard:

"Royal power."

"Yes."

Lecia turned to look at Shard, her gaze sharp:

"Don't you find it strange? I clearly..."

"What's so strange about it? You are also a direct descendant of the Cavendish Family, you have the right to inherit the throne. Although I don't know how much you want, you definitely have the right to strive for it, and you have done very well so far."

Shard praised, but Lecia didn't smile because of this, instead she asked seriously:

"Rejed's Hamilton, do you really think my idea is normal?"

"Of course."

Shard nodded immediately:

"This is an era of change, everything is shifting. Steam factories are springing up, urban life is changing rapidly, black smoke is enveloping the sky, and large cargo ships traverse between the two continents. This is an era of change, of steam, and the brass pipes and ever-increasing new inventions are the evidence. And in an era of change, people need new leaders... I'm not saying your father hasn't done well enough, but it's also true that the young generation has their own ideas."

Shard was also convinced by his own words. He nodded:

"Lecia, you have the right to fight for everything you want."

"...Everything I want."

The red-haired princess finally smiled amidst the violent rain:

"Yes, I have that right. So, Shard, will you continue to help me on the path ahead?"

"Of course, haven't I always been doing that? Like the Difference Engine blueprints from the other day."

"Yes, you've done very well, very nicely."

But it wasn't Lecia who said that; it was the girl behind him.

Shard turned around in surprise and found that Dorothy had already entered the room and closed the door from the inside. The blonde girl looked shy, and in the darkness, Shard's emerald green eyes seemed to glow.

With the door closed, there was no light at the entrance. She stood in the shadows watching Shard, while she stood in the moonlight watching Shard.

The sound of the pouring rain was interrupted by a flash of white light from the starry sky, followed by the rumble of thunder.

"Mia..."

"In the living room."

Dorothy whispered:

"Knight, tonight your mentors will give you the most important lesson."

"Hmm?"

Shard hurriedly looked at Lecia by the window, but as soon as he turned his head, a ribbon with lace edges flew over. The warm satin ribbon belonged to Lecia's garter; although she was also a bit shy, she was far more straightforward than Dorothy:

"Rejed's Hamilton, you are a knight of the royal family and once pledged your loyalty to the royal family."

The red-haired girl under the moonlight said so.

"Hmm... yes."

"Tonight, you will serve your princess."

She reached out her hand to Shard with a serious expression, her fingers slightly curved, as if inviting Shard to a dance in the rainy night.

Shard opened his mouth slightly, momentarily not knowing how to respond.

[Do you not understand?]

"How could I not understand, but..."

"Shard!"

Dorothy's voice came from the door again. When he turned around, another warm ribbon was thrown over:

"We are not shameless, but since you have truly fulfilled your promise, we are also willing to fulfill our promise."

She reached up to untie the white ribbon in her hair, biting the silk ribbon with her mouth, lifting both hands to untie the other ribbons that held her golden hair. Her emerald eyes kept staring at Shard, and in the shadows at the doorway, those eyes truly glowed.

"But..."

"You need to think carefully."

A voice sounded again behind him, and as he looked back at Lecia under the moonlight, Her Highness the Princess removed her crown, placing it on the windowsill where raindrops kept tapping. Then, she slowly pulled the ribbon that cinched her waist, lightly biting her lip with a teasing smile in her eyes, her movements slow:

"Tonight is the first time Dorothy and I will touch each other."

Looking back at Dorothy, the blonde girl in the shadow at the doorway bent down to take off her small black leather shoes, placing them neatly at the side of the door. Straightening up, she gathered her long hair behind her and then also untied her dress's waistband:

"This is a day worth remembering."

The princess by the window, amidst the sound of rain, took off her high heels and placed them on the windowsill, next to the crown, and turned to look at Shard:

"So, we decided to play some forbidden games that girls shouldn't play."

Shard turned his head to look at them, and they were both closing in on him:

"And you, not out of gratitude, nor because of tonight's excitement, but simply because..."

"You have three choices, knight."

Miss Writer walked towards Shard, who was by the bed, her face flushed with shyness.

"First, go out now and spend this rainy night with your cat."

Another flash of white light lit up outside the window.

Her Highness the Princess walked towards Shard, who was by the bed, her face full of excitement and smiles:

"Second, your wardrobe is big enough. Maybe you can rest inside, leaving your bed for us, and watch our game tonight."

Thunder boomed through the city, and the rain grew more intense.

Shard glanced at the wardrobe in the corner and immediately shook his head.

"Third..."

He couldn't tell who was speaking anymore; he could only hear the sound of clothes falling on both sides:

"Play a game, knight. I really want to know..."

"...whether you can distinguish between us..."

"...though Luviya got ahead of us..."

"...but two cannot lose to one..."

"...I heard you advanced to Four Rings..."

"...hope your physical fitness matches your level..."

"...two Five-Ring sorceresses are not easy to handle..."

"...tonight, don't mistake us..."

"...if you do..."

"...there will be a small punishment..."

Shard felt dizzy, and he bet that the two approaching figures were constantly swapping bodies:

"You guys..."

"Shut up, my knight."

"Shut up, my detective."

"Don't you want to walk the next path with us?"

"It's a long road, and we've already chosen you."

"Know our secrets."

"Understand our desires."

"Tonight, you are willing to help us touch each other."

"Tonight..."

"We are all the princesses you must serve."

Someone chuckled softly:

[Do you need help identifying whose essence you are touching later?]

The sound of cat paws scratching at the door came, and a white flash of lightning lit up the night sky, illuminating the dark bedroom. Amid the rolling thunder, the young Outlander was already pushed onto the bed by the female sorceresses.

He looked at the girls amid the lightning and thunder, inhaling the two different yet similar scents of their perfumes:

"How am I going to apologize to Luviya?"

"Shard, hope Luviya has trained your skills for us."

The canopy of the four-poster bed fell, the sound of the torrential rain masking all sounds in the bedroom, but unable to hide the interwoven figures within the canopy.

Though it was raining, the March moon still hung high, illuminating the small window of Saint Delan Square amidst the rain.

Raindrops climbed down the glass densely in the night, causing an unease that felt real. The faint moonlight also gently illuminated the high heels and the delicate silver crown on the windowsill, the moonlight passing through the elegant curve under the heels, while the crown and the dense raindrops on the glass reflected the faint glimmer together amidst the torrential rain.

The hollowed-out center of the crown was inlaid with an oval ruby. The ruby glistened under the moonlight, flanked by symmetrically arranged smaller white diamonds. The design unmistakably resembled a butterfly spreading its wings, flying under the moon.