Audrey blinked her emerald-like eyes, seemingly expecting Sno to look embarrassed after being called out for dressing as a woman. To her disappointment, however, Sno merely nodded and said:
"You know, it was part of the advancement ritual. I even came to you for psychological counseling before."
"I see..." Seeing how frank Sno's answer was, Audrey became a little embarrassed instead. However, Sno clearly had no intention of giving her a chance to continue the topic. Reaching into the air, he pulled a finely ribbon-wrapped gift box from another dimension—
"Dear Miss Audrey Hall, happy birthday."
"Ah!" Upon seeing the gift box, Audrey immediately stood up and accepted it politely. The box was not large, roughly the size of an adult's palm, and it was very light in her hands, which made Audrey rather curious.
"May I open it?" Audrey's eyes brimmed with anticipation. Compared with the expensive yet unremarkable gifts from the guests downstairs, Mr. Devil's Extraordinary gift was clearly far more worth looking forward to.
"Of course." Sno nodded and even took two steps back. Audrey gently pulled apart the ribbon. As a layer of wrapping came undone, the exquisite gift inside the box was revealed.
It was an exquisite ladies' folding fan. Its fan guards—the largest ribs on either side of a folding fan—were decorated with gemstones and openwork patterns. They appeared to be made of metal, yet were lighter than wood.
Audrey took the folding fan from the box, and the moment she held it in her hand, even the slight summer heat became cool and pleasant.
Opening the folding fan, Audrey saw a silk fan leaf. The front depicted an elegant, beautiful white dragon soaring through cloud-wreathed mountains, while the back was blank. Yet the moment that thought arose, the Loenese word corresponding to "blank"