Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 1077: Blood and Snow

Chapter 1077: Chapter 1077: Blood and Snow

The princess under the streetlight softly asked, glancing at the suitcase Shard was carrying.

Shard shook his head slightly, the white breath slowly dissipating as he breathed through his nose:

"In fact, when I saw you in Midshire Fort during autumn, passing on information and distracting MI6 at the train station, that person was me."

He still held the princess’s hand, to prevent this big liar from getting slapped. But she didn’t do so, just pursed her lips and looked at Shard:

"So?"

When she spoke, there was also white mist, a scenery only seen in winter.

"Actually, I am Gray Hawk. Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m not the old Gray Hawk, I’m..."

He paused, staring into the princess’s eyes. But out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see the figure of Sparrow Hamilton in the darkness behind her.

[Your own imagination.]

"Strictly speaking, I am Gray Hawk II."

He had never voluntarily admitted this to anyone, even to Dr. Schneider, who learned it from Detective Sparrow’s lost soul.

"I... inherited everything from Sparrow Hamilton, yes, truly everything. His identity, his property, his house... the cat wasn’t his, it was from the client Miss Gawder, but indeed he accepted this commission... so, for my own convenience and to repay him a little, I did some things for him."

He laughed at himself:

"Although I say I did things for him, it was just to cover up my own actions."

Margaret’s eyes were fixed on him, not caring as the snowfall piled up on her shoulders:

"So, you’ve been deceiving me from the start, you’ve always been concealing that we met before... was it also you who left the note for the bombing case?"

"Yes."

Shard nodded, feeling he did the right thing:

"There was no better way to notify you at the time, although the bomb’s specifications couldn’t hurt you, if someone else got hurt because of your visit, you’d be very passive in public opinion."

Shard knew he was defending his actions, also wanting to gain Margaret’s forgiveness through words. She looked at him, the two of them stood up in the snow, under the gaslight, the swirling snowflakes hovering above them.

They still held hands, Shard felt the princess’s hand was exerting force, her heart was not at peace:

"Why?"

She looked into Shard’s eyes, as if wanting to see into his soul:

"Why tell me these things before I leave?"

Shard honestly replied:

"That lady just now, although from the Truth Society, indeed she’s wise. She was right, some things can’t be delayed. Tonight is your last night in Tobesk, I don’t want to deceive you anymore. After saying goodbye to Miss Maid and her fiancé at the docks, I felt we are already friends, and very good friends at that. I think, I shouldn’t hide this matter anymore."

He said seriously:

"Even if I’ve taken on someone else’s identity, I haven’t done anything wrong, nor do I owe anyone anything. I should tell you about this, rather than send you off with a lie. Margaret, I don’t like deceiving anyone."

He also looked into the princess’s eyes under the gaslight, her eyes were very beautiful:

"I don’t want to hide this matter anymore, even if it relates to my initial identity, even if it’s the secret of my settling down in Saint Delan Square... Margaret, I think, I should tell you this tonight, instead of hiding it all the time... yes, you are about to leave here, and I and you, don’t need these secrets... oh!"

He suddenly cried out in panic, as the princess suddenly pulled out her hand held by him, then pushed Shard into the darkness.

Like the climax of an opera, as the snowflakes splashed overhead, the young knight stumbled backward, finally being pushed by the princess to the low wall at the side of the road not illuminated by the gas streetlights.

As the suitcase thudded and bounced upon hitting the ground, left alone in the light, in front of that red brick wall, Margaret Anjou used her body to forcefully press Shard between her and the street side wall, one hand bracing against the wall, then bit his lips and kissed hard.

The suitcase packed with a thousand pounds in banknotes was left alone in the light, snowflakes quickly covering the case, and the small shadow along the box’s edge was so quiet and unnoticeable.

In the darkness a few steps away, the two entangled closely. Shard had kissed many girls, knew the taste of lipstick, the taste of tears, the taste of perfume, but now was the first time he knew the taste of snow and blood.

Snow covered his shoulders, the moon behind the clouds was so gentle. Until his lips began to tingle, Margaret Anjou finally let go of Shard, whom she had pressed tightly against the wall.

She pursed her lips, tasting the blood of Shard in her mouth. As for Shard, whose lips were bitten through, he also pursed his lips and looked at her:

"Margaret, I hope you know what you’re doing."

He remained calm:

"I’ve been involved with more than one lady, I admit, you are a very beautiful lady, but... yes, I do have some fondness for you, but the girl I like isn’t the only one... Actually, there are some things I haven’t said..."

He was referring to his identity with MI6 and his relationship with Miss Sylvia. Shard genuinely hoped the Princess before him could understand, rather than doing something irrational due to the atmosphere.

[You don’t have feelings for her?]

"She" asked with a smile.

Shard certainly had feelings for the Southern Nation’s princess, even if these feelings couldn’t rival those he had for Luviya and Lecia, but Shard would not deny it. Therefore, as he said, he needed Her Highness the Princess to understand clearly what she was doing.

The Outlander may be greedy, but he would never deceive any feelings.

The girl with pale golden long hair showed an expression of wanting to laugh and cry, very unladylike, she spat to the side, the color of lipstick and blood spreading over the snow:

"Of course, I know exactly what I’m doing. I will not become your concubine, my Carsonrick’s princess!"

Shard said nothing more, raising his hand to brush off the snowfall from the princess’s shoulder. But somehow the snow grew heavier, it whitened their hair, trying to remove it was futile.

He wanted to take the suitcase under the gas lamp, but the young girl again forcefully pushed him back with her shoulder and kissed him again.

Patrolling policemen, holding gas lamps, complained about the weather as they passed by. They glanced at the suitcase, hurriedly walked a bit faster, saw the two young people by the wall, and quietly exchanged a smile, signaling not to make a sound, and quietly left.

"You, Shard Suren Hamilton."

Her hand rested against the wall, her face blushing, but her eyes shone as if with light looking at Shard:

"Disloyal Gray Hawk, impure Knight."

She caught a glimpse of the wound on Shard’s lips but continued to stare into Shard’s eyes:

"I know the love life of this handsome gentleman, how... but, you are still the Gray Hawk, and must be the Gray Hawk, I need you."

She needed the important Agent "Gray Hawk" as her political capital.

"No problem."

Shard nodded.

"It’s not you who chose me, but I who chose you. The noble Anjou Family Princess won’t become anyone’s lover... I, Margaret Anjou, want you to be my lover. Yes, it is I who have chosen you!"

She breathed heavily, the taste of iron still lingering in her mouth:

"I have grander goals, so you will not be my lover for life, you may leave at any time. And I can only kiss you. Knight, Gray Hawk, Detective, Shard, are you willing to be my lover with whom I can only share kisses? Until, until I abandon you?"

The white mist dragged like a long dragon in the wind, the final voice having a somewhat hysterical meaning. Shard knew how complex the princess’s inner emotions were. But he couldn’t reveal his uniqueness, at least not before greeting the witches.

"Yes, only a lover to kiss..."

Shard embraced the girl before him, he knew what he wanted, futile entanglement meant nothing to him:

"Even if the girl I like isn’t the only one..."

"I can’t do to you what other princesses can do, can I."

Noses nearly touching, neither cared they stood in the heavy snow, nor did they care that perhaps someone in the Canary Estate’s banquet hall was looking for them.

"Shard Suren Hamilton... I’m leaving tomorrow."

Beautiful eyes locked onto Shard, so this time, Shard took the initiative, kissing the girl before him.

They did not immediately return to the Canary Estate, nor did they go to Saint Delan Square, nor did they remain on the street in the cold winter night to continue watching the snow; instead, they followed their original plan, taking a carriage to the public cemetery outside the city.

Along the way, Shard embraced Margaret, told the story of Gray Hawk and "Gray Hawk II," explaining his current situation. It began in the summer this year, not particularly exciting, but enough to capture the attention of the Foreign Princess.

When they arrived at the cemetery, the heavy snow covering the entire Tobesk Region had already covered Mr. Sparrow Hamilton’s grave.

They did not disturb the Tomb Guardian, instead quietly finding the location of the grave in the dark.

Shard did not visit here often, but it seemed that every time he came to visit the former detective, he had a completely different state of mind.

"Before his death, he was still loyal."

Shard bent down by the tombstone, placing the two bouquets he pilfered from the Canary Estate before leaving, as it was hard to find fresh flowers this season.

"In the autumn, for special reasons, I saw Detective Sparrow’s spirit through necromancy. He asked me not to disturb him again."

Upon saying this, Shard smiled. He stood up again, standing beside Margaret. The night was a bit cold, and she draped a cloak over her as she gazed at the snow-covered grave before them.