Mister Curtis's eyes lit up slightly. The voice was just too pleasant to hear. Through the gauze curtain, he looked at the beauty inside, his heart stirred with excitement.
He was about to step closer.
"Mister, please stay where you are," Aenwyn said. It was fine for Indigo to dress as a woman, but imitating a woman's voice was no easy task.
"This little lady greatly admires you," her voice turned soft and shy. Yet her expression stayed calm as she gently warmed the wine on the table.
"But it is not proper to meet you in private like this."
"Would it be alright if you just stood there and chatted with me for a while?" she asked gently.
The lakeside air tonight was heavy with moisture. The curtains fluttered under the dew-filled night breeze. Mister Curtis, though not drunk from wine, felt drunk from the moment. His heart melted into a soft haze.
If he were not still somewhat clear-headed, it would all seem like a dream.
At first, Mister Curtis suspected someone was pretending to be the lady to lure him out. But now, seeing the side profile of that stunning beauty in the pavilion, and hearing her sweet, gentle voice, even if she asked him to strip and swim across the lake, he would not hesitate.
Standing in the cold wind was nothing.
"Of course, I will. It was rude of me to come too close," Mister Curtis said.
Aenwyn let out a soft chuckle. Indigo shot her a sideways glance.
Hearing the beauty laugh, Mister Curtis's lips curled into a big smile.
"Mister Curtis, your Geographic Records of Qianchu Counties is truly excellent," Aenwyn began to flatter him.
"Your writing is elegant, your words and phrasing skillful. I admire and long for the world you described."
So she was a fan of his book. "Miss, you flatter me. Haha."
Men always like to be praised, especially by a delicate beauty. Mister Curtis's face flushed red with joy and pride.
Indigo watched Aenwyn praise Mister Curtis so eagerly and felt a bit annoyed.
"Sadly, as a woman, I can't personally experience the grand sights you described," Aenwyn said with a hint of regret.
A beauty's soft sigh always stirs pity.
Mister Curtis felt deeply moved.
"Miss, may I ask which family you serve? I am willing to pay any price to have you," he said excitedly.
He had completely forgotten he already had a lady companion. Though he shared her with other families, with his status, having another was not allowed.
Aenwyn had looked into Mister Curtis's background. What a scumbag.
But she was only here for a recommendation letter. Whether he was good or bad had nothing to do with her.
Aenwyn let out a gentle sigh. "Thank you for your kindness, but I..." her tone showed she didn't want to say more.
What could she even say? Accuse him of saying anything just to flirt?
Indigo was already losing his patience. He glared at her, urging her to get to the point.
Aenwyn changed her tone.
"But there is one matter I do need your help with."
"What is it?"
"A younger relative in the family needs a recommendation letter for the Huashu Society. Would you be willing?"
So it was just a small favor. Mister Curtis immediately agreed. "But there's no ink or brush here."
"Xiao Aenwyn," Aenwyn said, calling herself and fully enjoying the roleplay.
It was her turn to step forward. She pulled out the brush and ink she had prepared earlier and respectfully handed them over.
Mister Curtis wanted to show off his literary talent. He wrote the letter in a flamboyant and elegant style.
Once done, he didn't hand it to the servant girl Aenwyn, but instead intended to give it personally to the beauty in the pavilion.
Mister Curtis was thrilled. To be this close to such a beauty and not try to interact more would be a great regret in life.
No, this would not do. Indigo would definitely get mad.
Just as he was about to hand over the letter, Aenwyn acted out of desperation. She snatched the letter and tripped him with her foot.
Mister Curtis wasn't watching his step and fell into the lake with a splash.
Oh wow, that was accurate.
At that moment, Indigo stepped out. Dressed in a woman's gown, tall and slim, his hair loose and flowing like ink, half of his face covered. At a glance, one could not tell if he was male or female.
"Mister, how could you be so careless?" Aenwyn called out with a worried tone, though smiling.
"It's late, I can't stay long. Goodbye!" She let Indigo drag her away as she shouted.
Mister Curtis was dazed from the fall. He wiped the water off his face and looked up just in time to see the beauty leaving. Her figure was graceful and elegant.
But… she looked kind of tall.
Still, it was a romantic encounter. He decided to write about it in his next travelogue. Even if the ending was a bit embarrassing.
Mister Curtis had a feeling the little servant might have tripped him, but maybe the beauty's companion did it by accident. He wasn't sure.
"Miss, you haven't told me your name," he shouted.
No one answered. They were long gone. Mister Curtis stood there in the shallow water, sneezing loudly.
…
"Haha! Got it!"
Sneaking past the inn's people, they made it back to the room. Aenwyn happily grabbed Indigo and spun in circles.
"Was it fun?" Indigo asked.
"Wasn't it?"
"You're so mischievous," he shook his head, his eyes full of affection.
Aenwyn blushed a little. Clearly, he was still just a boy himself.
Anyway, they finally got what they needed.
The next day, Aenwyn brought the recommendation letter to Huashu Study.
"Why are you so late?" the person in charge of registration asked.
"Got delayed on the way," Aenwyn replied, handing over the letter. Just then, an old gentleman walked over and took the letter.
"Manager Ye," the registrar stood up and said. Manager Ye glanced at it. Seeing it was from Mister Curtis, he nodded kindly at Aenwyn.
The registrar recorded her identity badge and handed her a token with the number fourteen on it.
"Come back tomorrow at the hour of the dragon. We won't wait if you're late," he said.
With the registration complete, Aenwyn finally had time to look around this ancient-style library.
Huashu Study had a great location, quiet in the midst of a busy area, and it covered a large area. Rows of bookshelves looked elegant and grand, the smell of books thick in the air.
The entire Huashu Study was divided into three zones, blending activity, quiet, and liveliness. The active area was a place for scholars to meet through writing, where conversations were filled with talent and no one was unlearned.
The quiet area was like a study hall, filled with people buried in books. In this world where offspring were tied to social rank, reading did not just change your fate, it also decided whether your family line would continue.
The noisy area was completely different, bustling and crowded with people from all walks of life.
Aenwyn curiously went over to take a look. The books sold here were not cheap, yet there were so many people.
Records of Mandarin Ducks, Peerless Beauties, Eighteen Styles of Romance, Floral Moon Embroidery. The titles were all very refined. She casually picked one up.
They were all spring-themed illustrated books, each with a different style and beautifully printed.
Aenwyn had long been curious about the paper quality in this world. The printing techniques far exceeded the development level of the era. Maybe it was because of the shortage of women, and the demand for visual stimulation pushed the industry forward.
Either way,
For someone like her who lived off the cultural industry, this was a good thing.
Aenwyn smiled as she looked through it, then put it down.
"Hm? What's this?"
"Brother, these are all portraits of noble ladies." A pale-faced scholar kindly explained as he picked up a book beside him. "The Ten Great Lady Monarchs of the Capital."
"That one's the best-selling volume," Scholar Li said proudly. The person in front of him was clearly an outsider. If he didn't look so refined and polite, Scholar Li wouldn't have bothered talking to him.
Today, Aenwyn was dressed like a scholar. Her shoes had been padded to add a few inches. She was originally 165 cm tall, and now nearly 170. In a group of men, she did not look out of place.
Her skin tone was darkened, and she had reshaped her eyes. Her naturally large almond eyes had been turned into narrow ones. But her pupils were still big, and no matter how she changed them, there was still a trace of her original appearance.
Overall, she looked like a refined scholar. Aenwyn was satisfied and planned to use this look when dealing with others in the future.
"This one is by Artist Oxalis too?" she asked after checking the signature.
"No, this one was painted collaboratively by the masters at Hua Studio. Artist Oxalis only painted one of the ladies," Scholar Li replied. "It's sold out in other cities. I'm surprised there's still one here."
The Ten Great Lady Monarchs of the Capital?
"They're all real people? Not made up?"
"Of course they're real. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a collaborative piece." After all, noble ladies were not easily seen by the public.
Aenwyn was intrigued. She also wanted to see what the capital's lady monarchs looked like.
"You don't want it?" she asked him.
"No need. I already have several copies at home." Normally people bought two, one for regular viewing, one for collecting. As for how they were used, that's not to be discussed.
Seeing her interest, Scholar Li handed the book to her. "Here, take it."
Just as Aenwyn reached for it, someone snatched it away.
"This young master wants it," the person said.
The one who took the book was dressed in lavish clothes, looking arrogant and loud, even worse than Haozhou from Citong Town.
His face was full of rough lines, and he had a clear knife scar on his temple.
Because Aenwyn stared at his face a few seconds longer, Ragnar became furious and grabbed her collar. "What are you looking at?"
"If you weren't looking at me, how would you know I was looking at you?" she said calmly. Though being grabbed by the collar did look a bit awkward.
"Are you looking to die?" someone behind Ragnar said. In moments, four or five young men surrounded her.
Aenwyn kicked Ragnar away, forcing him to let go.
Scholar Li tugged at her from behind and whispered, "Let's go. He's the son of the Danyang Prefect."
"Trying to leave? Did I say you could go?" Ragnar said.
"What do you want?"
"Crawl between my legs and kowtow three times, hahaha," he said. His group laughed loudly with him.
Aenwyn rubbed her forehead, her eyes cold. She knew fighting was common in this world, but she did not expect her first real street brawl would happen like this.
Shopkeeper Ye saw the situation and ordered people to clear the area. Fights in the market were normal, nothing surprising.
He figured the person recommended by Mister Curtis might not be able to attend tomorrow's Hua Book Gathering.
But a moment later, the ones lying on the ground groaning were all from the Zhou family.
Aenwyn dusted off her hands and stepped on Ragnar's head. "So soft, yet you still want to act tough." Someone nearby could not help but laugh.
However, no one in Danyang City had ever dared treat Ragnar like this. This girl was probably in trouble. Scholar Li even moved a little farther from her.
"You wait and see!" Ragnar yelled hoarsely. With his face being stepped on, he could barely speak clearly.
She ground her foot down. "Whose father are you? So rude." She took the Ten Great Lady Monarchs of the Capital book from his hand. "First come, first served."
The place fell silent. Everyone thought she had a death wish.
At that moment,
"Hahaha, good one!" someone clapped and cheered.
Aenwyn looked up. A group of people had just come out of the quiet area of Hua Studio.
What a coincidence. Wasn't that the big sucker who had spent forty thousand gold on her?