Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 562 Does everyone like her?

Galene led the guests from the earth through a long corridor and walked towards the side hall surrounded by thirty-six white pillars. Between the pillars were spacious and transparent floor-to-ceiling windows. In the flower bed outside the windows, Cecilia flowers, known as the "Ice Rose", were blooming in clusters, swaying with the flow of water, and dotted with dark blue debris, floating like fireflies, aimlessly, drifting with the flow.

"There are currently no guests staying in the side halls, so you can choose any one you like. However, I recommend that you choose the Blue Coral Palace because it has the most beautiful scenery. There is also a very beautiful coral tree planted inside. It is said that it took root here long before the Ice Water Palace was built, and its lifespan is almost as long as this city. When I was a child, I loved playing under that coral tree. I believe that when you see it, you will be as surprised as I was when I was a child."

At this time, Galene had taken off her heavy armor, removed her sharp weapons, and put on a gorgeous outfit that suited her status as a princess: an elegant crown, a long-sleeved dress, a neckline decorated with patterns and lace, an off-white belt, and delicate sandals decorated with gold threads. The heels carved from a whole piece of dark blue amber stepped on the heavy stone floor, making a crisp echo. As she walked, she said to the guests, "As for your whale, don't worry too much. There is a square next to the Blue Coral Palace. It was originally the daily training place for the Royal Guards. But after the relocation plan was implemented, the guards often had to go out to perform tasks to maintain law and order. It is estimated that they have no time to come back for training. Therefore, we can let your whale temporarily dock in the square. What do you think?"

Nevile nodded gently: "It's a very prudent consideration. Thank you for arranging it, Your Highness Galene."

"Then I will send someone to pick up the whale later. Also, if you companions who are left on the island need anything, you can come to me at any time. I will do my best to satisfy you."

Upon hearing this, Nevelle looked at her meaningfully and thought that this princess of the Nieride royal court was still too young. If Alice were here, would you dare to say such a thing?

Fortunately, she was not here, so Kalene missed the opportunity to experience the dangers of the world.

"Sister Galene." Metien suddenly tugged at Galene's sleeve, and when she turned around, she asked curiously, "Can you tell me what kind of person Her Highness Rorona is?"

Hearing this question, the other two little girls also pricked up their ears and listened carefully. They were all curious about the Second Princess who was far away in the city of Rothdana and whom they had not yet met. However, Galane was in a trance for a moment, but soon came to her senses and smiled and said, "She is a very dazzling person."

"Dazzling?" Metien tilted his head. It was difficult to imagine the specific image of the other person from such a general adjective. Galane repeated it as if to emphasize: "Yes, she is a very dazzling person. How to describe it? It's like, in the bottomless abyss, a meteor suddenly flies over, she is shining, and you can see her... That's the feeling."

Having said this, a look of reminiscence gradually emerged on Kalene's face.

When Galene was very young, she sneaked out of the city without telling her mother and floated to the surface to watch the stars. It was one of the few pastimes in her boring childhood. Every star twinkling in the night sky was much more interesting than the martial arts training she received from Lord Katins, the literature class from Teacher Mira, or the etiquette class that was nitpicked by the etiquette officer in the royal court. Sometimes she even thought that it would be great if she had not been adopted by her mother and had not become the adopted daughter of the Nieride royal family. At least she could live freely without so many restrictions.

Although this thought always sprouted and then extinguished, like the inconspicuous foam in the waves, it is hard to say that it did not leave a deep mark on the young Kalene, causing her to wake up hastily every night and always find herself in a cold sweat, feeling empty and heavy, as if she were in an endless nightmare. And this sense of loss after waking up from the dream would make her even more eager to escape from the place where she lived, wanting to leave this cold palace, wanting to float to the surface of the sea, wanting to see the stars...

So, on a moonless and starless night, she once again surfaced and saw a meteor streaking across the distant horizon, but it was fleeting and disappeared in the blink of an eye. In the brief moment when her yearning had not yet sprouted and her longing was vague, it flew to the land and then fell into a stretch of mountains. There, human cities and buildings stood one after another, and the dark silhouettes were as cold and solemn as steel behemoths. The meteor fell there, which meant that Kalene would never get it in her lifetime, because she could not enter the human city to look for her treasure.

Few meteors fall into the sea, or rather, once a meteor falls into the sea, it is no longer a meteor. The cold sea water will extinguish the flames burning on them in an instant, and annihilate the light that echoes with their companions in the long and lonely journey of the universe. Without these things, they are just some strange stones, which can be seen everywhere on the seabed, inconspicuous, just like Galene. The girl felt extremely disappointed that night. She stared blankly at the direction where the meteor fell. After looking for a long time, she silently retracted her gaze and prepared to leave. However, when she turned her head, she saw another little girl standing in front of her, with her hands behind her back, looking at her with a smile.

……

I was really scared at that time.

I didn't expect that a good kid like Lorena would sneak out to play on the sea at night. What if my mother found out? Would she suspect that I was the one who led her astray? Would she listen if I explained... This was probably what I was thinking at the time.

Recalling what happened that night, Galene couldn't help but smile, and her steps gradually slowed down. However, she seemed to have forgotten that she was not alone, but was leading the guests. Therefore, when she returned to reality after a few minutes, she found that there were three little girls in front of her staring at her without blinking, and their movements and expressions were surprisingly consistent. Seeing that she had come to her senses, the white-haired vampire girl turned her head and said, "Ah, she's awake."

"Yeah." The little silver-haired fairy girl nodded seriously: "It looks like it has returned to normal."

What's wrong with me?

Kalene was about to reply, but the pink-haired little human girl said it for her: "Sister Kalene is not abnormal, she just remembered something! Isn't that right, Sister Kalene?"

"Uh, well, yes." Galene was suddenly embarrassed, and was glad that her mother did not see this scene, otherwise she would have been thrown to the etiquette officers of the royal court and taught a lesson for several hours. That would be hundreds of times more terrifying than Lord Katins' martial arts training.

"I know, because Lingge looks like this when he thinks about things." Metien asked curiously, "Sister Galene, are you thinking about Her Highness Rorona?"

Who is Ling?

Galene thought about it and nodded, changing the subject according to Metien's words: "Yes, that's what you want to know, my sister Lorena. I just said that she is a very dazzling person. She is beautiful and has a good personality. She always uses her abilities to help the residents in the city, regardless of the cost and without asking for anything in return, so everyone likes her. In comparison, my eldest princess may not be known by many people. But it doesn't matter, because I like Lorena too. It's better to say, who can not like our Lorena?"

At this point, she grinned brightly, raised her voice, and said proudly: "That is the most dazzling pearl in our Azure Sea, the sea-dwelling Princess Lorena!"

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)