An Aura Farmer's Guide to Another World-Chapter 43: Welcome to Silver Bell

Bowing slightly, with a dark hat covering her wavy brown hair. Lily kept her gaze averted as she greeted us. "I’m Lily, Lady Beatrice’s head maid. She sent me to take you to her château (pronounced sha-toh)."

Glancing at Lily, she was clad in a navy blue full-skirted dress layered over a white blouse with ruffled cuffs.

Over the blouse and dress, she wore a black corset and a dark, tailored jacket with three-quarter length sleeves.

Three maids, their hair covered by wide-brimmed black hats adorned with white feathers, walked to us from Lily’s side and collected our luggage.

Lily gestured for us to get inside a magnificent, highly polished carriage drawn by four matched horses, its dark panels gleaming with subtle gold leaf.

Cupcake led the way, and the three of us entered the carriage behind her.

A wave of cherry perfume immediately greeted us, easing the accumulated stress of the trip

Even more shocking was the carriage’s lighting: an entire chandelier, powered by gas lamps, hung from the ceiling. Its glass was coated pink, further submerging us in the pink atmosphere.

As I sank into the soft velvet seat, my hand rested on the armrest, which I noticed was made of pure gold, adorned with pink pearls.

Over my shoulder, I glanced at Lucy seated next to me, followed by Cupcake, then Evelyn.

"The perfume smells nice," I said to Lily, who was seated across from us.

"I’m glad you like it," Lily replied, her hands clasped on her thighs. "Her novelty had it specifically made."

Cupcake extended her hands and took Lily’s, then interlaced their fingers and gradually started pushing them in the wrong direction.

"I like your bracelet; it looks cute," Cupcake said.

’Crack!’

Lily’s fingers emitted a cracking sound, resisting the pressure Cupcake placed on them.

"That’s kind of you, but it’s a cheap bracelet."

As Cupcake bent forward, her twin tails grazed the chandelier while she leaned closer to Lily.

’Crack!’

Lily’s fingers cracked under the pressure Cupcake was applying.

"How much is it?" Cupcake asked.

"Two million berries. I bought it from a craven last year."

Lily managed a smile, her eyebrows flinching from the pain Cupcake inflicted.

Cupcake’s mood shifted, and her eyes grew cold.

She added more pressure on Lily’s fingers, dragging them to their limit.

’Crackkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!’

"Stopt!"

I grabbed Cupcake’s left arm, trying to prevent her from breaking all ten of Lily’s fingers.

Lily remained calm, a smile on her lips, even as Cupcake refused to stop, relentlessly pushing forward.

"Only Lana, the Queen, Lady Beatrice, and you were aware that the Night Squad had been assigned to protect Lady Beatrice."

Cupcake stared into Lily’s soul, deep creases forming on her forehead.

"Who leaked our assignment to protect Lady Beatrice to the press?"

Lily remained calm. "Lady Beatrice loves to gist; I can’t stop her from revealing information to her close friends," she answered, her voice steady.

"You’re telling the truth," Cupcake said, falling back into her seat. I did the same.

"My apologies," Cupcake said.

"It’s okay; her nobility’s safety comes first before anything else." Lily calmly adjusted her hands.

Evelyn glanced at Cupcake, her ears twitching. "Attempting to break all ten fingers for no reason... I’m starting to like you."

"Next time, feel free to go all the way with my fingers. It would be my pleasure to have your tiny hands break them," Evelyn said, leaning closer and placing her hands on Cupcake’s shoulders. She then trailed her fingers over Cupcake’s left hand, following the path of her veins.

Cupcake shoved Evelyn off, yelling, "Get off me! Psycho!" Yet, Evelyn hugged her from behind and whispered, "Make me."

Instantly, Cupcake elbowed Evelyn squarely on her nose, causing her body to jolt backward and slam into the velvet backrest.

"This feels more like it." Evelyn blushed, and the blood splattered on her nose returned to her body, healing her to perfection.

"Clowns," Lucy hissed, casting a disdainful glare toward Evelyn and Cupcake.

Glancing at Lily, her mouth was a tight, thin line, and her brows were subtly furrowed, her eyes darting nervously between Evelyn and Cupcake, her usual calmness replaced by a quiet unease..

"You don’t have to worry about anything," I forced a smile. "We are a perfectly sane squad."

***

’Ding-dong!’

A bell rang from the city center; when I glanced out the window, I saw a tall stone tower eighty meters high.

The tower had a clock at the top, its hands pointed to 8 pm. Beneath the clock, I observed a pink bell ringing in a pendulum motion.

’Clop-clop’

Our carriage crossed a bridge over a river, where goldfish and koi carp swam, highlighted by the orange glow of the street gas lanterns scattered throughout the city.

After crossing the bridge, we landed on a street lined with rows of cherry trees. There, men and women dressed in elegant suits and stylish bonnets observed the blooming cherry trees, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the lanterns.

We followed the road to a roundabout, where a fountain took center stage. The fountain featured a beautiful mermaid lying on a large cherry blossom petal. Water streamed from her mouth, perfectly pursed for a kiss, falling into the large basin below.

’Clop-clop’

As the carriage made its final turn, it revealed the last street, flanked by towering five-story apartment buildings that led to the château.

Inspired by Gothic architecture, each towering structure was adorned with a multitude of windows. Some were large and square, while others were elegantly curved bay windows that projected outwards, glinting in the light of the street’s gas lanterns.

’Creakkkkkk!’

The gates leading to Lady Beatrice’s château were open, and the four horses pulling our carriage led us inside.

Beyond the château’s outer walls, we found ourselves facing an additional wall crafted entirely from cherry trees.

We proceeded along a broadway flanked by streetlights, which led to the mansion’s entrance.

’Thud-thud.’

As we exited the carriage, the three maids behind us began retrieving our luggage from the second carriage.

Designed in the shape of a horseshoe, Lady Beatrice’s Mansion comprised a towering central building with two other buildings facing each other on either side.

Numerous tall, multi-paned windows were arranged symmetrically across the mansion, with a highly decorative, wrought-iron balcony supported by sturdy columns that extended across the central projection, offering a commanding view of the courtyard.

"So, this is our new Demon King," a lady standing on the staircase leading to the mansion’s entrance said. freewēbnoveℓ.com

"He’s as handsome as the rumors say," another lady walking by her side added.

Lily stepped forward and stood beside one of the ladies with striking orange hair, styled in voluminous curls that cascaded around her shoulders.

"This is my master, Lady Beatrice," Lily announced.

Beatrice’s attire was a dark green gown, its bodice intricately detailed with gold and emerald embellishments. Around her neck, a necklace showcased a large green gemstone.

"Welcome to château de Cerise," Lady Beatrice welcomed us.