After breakfast, the ladies went to meet Queen Diana, while Shade checked his "gift list" at home once again for any omissions. It would be far too awkward if he only realized he had forgotten someone's gift when it was time to give them out.
According to the itinerary the Witches had announced in advance, Megan and Audrey, as well as Sivie and Illustrious Miss, would all arrive in the city today. Bella, meanwhile, would not come until tomorrow, after delivering her Year-End Festival speech at the City Council.
However, Shade had no idea exactly when they would arrive today. Since the maids at home could receive guests, he continued making the rounds to visit friends.
Yesterday, he had already visited most of his friends who lived elsewhere. Today, he needed to visit friends in Tobesk itself, as well as important out-of-town connections and family members such as Grandma Cassandra and Vanessa.
Having come to this world a year and a half ago, Shade had made quite a wide circle of friends locally. But because his social standing had risen considerably now—mainly thanks to Galina—he did not need to visit many of those friends personally. They would probably come to visit him in accordance with etiquette.
Thus, after leaving home, he first took a carriage to the University District to visit Professor Tiris Manning, who had always given him all sorts of help.
It was not only the Core Urban Area where Saint Derain Square was located; in fact, the entire Steam Capital had already entered the pre-festival atmosphere.
The morning mist had yet to completely disperse, and snowflakes drifted slowly down through the hazy fog, covering the city in a tranquil silvery white. The carriage moved gradually along the cobblestone road, the soft crunch of its wheels over snow