Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 515 Is the Lamb Happy?

On the table is a steaming cup of black tea and an exquisite three-tier dessert tray. A white parasol blocks the afternoon sunlight pouring down from overhead and the lonely fallen leaves drifting in the wind. When those fine and dense needles fall one after another on the cloth umbrella, a faint rustling sound is heard in the woods, as if it is an autumn rain that has never stopped for thousands of years, creating a comfortable and cool atmosphere.

Nevile looked at this uninvited and rude guest with great interest, her eyes flashing with curiosity and obscure doubts, but soon she calmed down. On her lap was a book, which looked like a product of the last era. The corners and cover of the book were a little old, and the small and beautiful words on the paper were as bright and moving as flowers.

For some reason, facing the gaze of the countess, the usually calm Saint Charlia seemed a little uneasy. Her breathing became disordered and she opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but Nevile spoke before her.

"I didn't expect Miss Saint Charlene to condescend to attend this simple afternoon tea party. I am really honored." The Countess had an elegant and calm smile on her face. "It was my mistake not to send an invitation in advance, but I believe you will be willing to give me a chance to make up for it and let me sincerely invite you to share this afternoon's leisure time?"

This gave Saint Shallia a way out. After all, it was Saint Shallia who barged into the tea party without saying hello, and she was also the one who was rude. However, the Countess took the blame on herself in a tactful and appropriate way, which not only took care of the guest's face, but also reflected her generosity and tolerance. This is the etiquette and habit that the ancestor of the oldest family in the Siqilia Peninsula, the Valenhild surname, gradually developed during his long noble career and has been engraved into his bones.

All those who were enemies of the Countess could not stand her sarcastic ridicule and ruthless revelations, but at the same time, all those who stood on the same side of the Countess would say that she was an elegant, considerate, and empathetic lady, an aristocrat among aristocrats. Now, Saint Shallia, as the latter, had experienced the same feelings as those people.

She breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, and was no longer as nervous as before. She nodded gently to Nevile: "I am happy to do so, Miss Nevile, and -"

She hesitated for a moment before slowly telling him her real purpose: "Actually, I have something that I need your help with."

When she said this, the shepherdess secretly glanced at Leticia, who was sitting on her chair, knocking the teacup tray with a spoon out of boredom, making a ding-dong sound. However, as a vampire, her perception was obviously very sharp, so she immediately noticed Saint Shallia's attention, raised her head and looked at her warily. Although she did not make any other defensive moves, her cold attitude was already obvious.

Because she was so happy, she let go of her guard against Saint Shallia and ran past the blue-haired girl without any worries. At this time, the lamb led by Saint Shallia, which was originally buried in the fallen leaves and dust looking for unrotten pine cones, suddenly raised its head and called out to her. The bleating sound of the lamb sounded so clear in the empty forest that Leticia suddenly stopped.

"what?"

"it is good!"

Thinking of this, she jumped off the chair impatiently and ran towards the hotel with a happy mood. Her light and cheerful steps stepped on the fallen leaves on the ground, like a cat calmly fleeing between the old walls and eaves of the city, blowing away a few withered yellow butterflies.

As for the possibility of being scolded by grandma later, I'll have to worry about it later.

Nevile noticed the two men's sneaky little actions, but did not expose them. She knew in her heart that what Saint Shalia wanted to say must be related to Leticia. She thought about it, then smiled and said, "We are all on the same ship now. We are partners with common goals and ideals. We should help each other. So, if Miss Saint Shalia needs any help from me, you can naturally ask for it without any worries. I will do my best to help you."

Leticia agreed without hesitation, because she had wanted to leave a long time ago. She was not interested in adult conversations. As for the chair... After she left, Saint Charia could sit on her chair. Isn't that perfect?

"No need to be so polite. Let's sit and chat. Since it's an afternoon tea party, the fragrant black tea and delicious desserts are worth it. The only problem is..." The countess cast her eyes on her granddaughter: "Since we didn't consider that you would join the tea party in advance, we didn't prepare any extra chairs. Leticia, go to the hotel and borrow another chair from Miss Shesta. Remember to say thank you."

After hearing the first part, Saint Shallia wanted to say that it was okay and that she could just stand there. But after hearing the second part, she realized that the Countess was deliberately sending her granddaughter away to create a private space for their next conversation. So she swallowed her words of refusal and agreed without saying a word.

In fact, Saint Shalia was treated well, just a vigilant look. For some reason, an innocent young man became the focus of Leticia's surveillance. Every time he appeared, the vampire girl would retreat three feet away, or hide in a dark corner to secretly observe him. It really made people wonder if he had done something bad to Leticia, which made the girl so defensive.

Saint Shallia felt a little disappointed when she saw this, but she also understood that it was not her fault. After all, on this island, except for her grandmother Nevi'er and her playmates Medien and Shemi, Leticia was equally wary and resistant to everyone. This was a habit she gradually developed during her years of escape. It was now engraved in her soul and bones, and would not disappear with the cycle of memory.

This clear statement completely reassured Saint Xia Liya, and she said sincerely: "Thank you."

The vampire girl tilted her head and fixed her sight on the lamb. Then, as if she had discovered a new world, a strong light of curiosity flashed in her eyes: "Sheep? Where did it come from?"

She squatted down in front of Saint Shallia without any defense, staring at the lamb with sparkling eyes, and tried to reach out to touch its soft white fur, but the lamb dodged her. After all, it still had a lot of self-esteem. Apart from its owner, only Shemy could ride on its head and bully others. Others, including Alice, could not do that, and would only be spitted in the face by it.

Although she failed to touch the lamb's fur, Leticia was not disappointed. Instead, she became more interested in it. She stared at the lamb closely, seemingly calm on the surface, but actually secretly gathering strength. When the lamb gradually relaxed its vigilance and turned its attention back to the pile of fallen leaves on the ground, she suddenly made a move. "I'll catch it!"

The lamb miraculously dodged the sneak attack without looking at her, and even bleated, as if mocking her for overestimating her own abilities: I am a sheep that can see the thread of fate, and you think you can catch me?
Leticia was not discouraged.

"I'll catch it again!"

Then the lamb dodged it again.

"it's here!"

"I'll catch you!"

"Little sheep, don't run!"

……

She was having a lot of fun playing with the lamb, and Nevill and Saint Shalia saw it and fell silent at the same time. A minute later, the countess had to cough lightly to remind her granddaughter: Don't forget that there is still work to do.

"Oh."

Leticia reluctantly stood up from the ground, and under the pressure of reality, she had to temporarily give up her ambitions. The lamb raised his chin triumphantly, looking down at Leticia with the attitude of a winner... uh, looking up at her.

Saint Xia Liya, who watched this scene closely, thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Little Lamb, can you accompany Leticia to play?"

"What?"

The lamb looked back at his master, then looked suspiciously at Leticia who was looking forward to it. He pondered it with his simple little head for a while and thought that this seemed to be a good idea. Anyway, his master would discuss important matters with the countess and would definitely not have time to play with him. In that case, why don’t he go find some fun on his own?

"Baa!" it cried, and Saint Shalia translated for it: "The lamb agrees."

"Great!"

Leticia was very happy, but she did not take the rope handed over by Saint Shalia. Instead, she stretched out her hand and held the lamb in her arms with some difficulty, and said excitedly: "Let's go, lamb!"

"Meh!?" Why do I have such a bad feeling?

The next moment, the dark bat wings spread out, rolling up a violent air current visible to the naked eye. The wind whistled through the forest, and countless emerald green, withered yellow and fiery red fallen leaves were pulled by the wind and rose into the sky, fluttering all over the sky like butterflies that came to life, covering the sky and the sun. In such a beautiful and sad scene of butterflies, the vampire girl flew up with the lamb in her arms, and then flew towards the hotel at an astonishing speed. Her figure quickly passed by the tall and straight autumn chestnuts and horse stone pines, and disappeared at the end of her sight. Along with the wind, the lamb's terrified and sharp bleating sound spread.

Saint Shalia: “…”

The lamb must be happy, after all, as a sheep, it flew into the sky.

It must be, right?
　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)