Bai You woke up, instinctively rubbing her reddened cheek as she blearily opened her eyes.
She found that, at some point, she had buried her entire face in the crook of Varesa's neck. There was a little dampness at the corner of her mouth, too.
Varesa's face was red, and she looked utterly bashful, but she didn't blame Bai You.
Bai You hurriedly sat up straight and discreetly wiped her mouth. The tips of her ears turned red in an instant.
"A-are we there?" Her voice was hoarse, and she didn't seem fully awake yet.
"Mm, we're here." Varesa stood up and took Bai You's hand. "Come on, stop spacing out."
Bai You let her pull her to her feet. Her legs were still a little weak, and her head felt heavy.
Varesa led her toward the carriage door, and she rubbed her eyes with her free hand as they walked.
She thought that she really had just had a dream-in it, she had kept leaning against Varesa, the train had never stopped, and the aurora had stayed in the sky forever. It had been so nice.
The moment she stepped out of the carriage, she was fully awake.
It wasn't the cold wind that woke her, but the sight before her.
All of Snezhnaya City was filled with vast stretches of light, as if someone had pulled the Milky Way down from the heavens and spread it across the ground.
Huge buildings lined both sides of the broad streets, one after another. Spires pierced the night sky in succession, their illuminated tips like needles stuck into a black curtain.
The streetlights were shaped like old-fashioned gas lamps, warm yellow light burning inside their glass covers. They stretched along the streets as far as the eye could see.
In the distance, a palace towered into the clouds.
It stood far taller than every building around it, its pointed rooftops almost touching the stars.
The palace's outline stood out against the night. Its layers of domes and towers tapered upward, like a frozen iceberg or a giant crown.
Bai You gazed up at it for quite a while. Varesa followed her gaze and glanced at it, her expression turning a little peculiar.
"That's Snezhnaya Palace," she said. "It's where Her Majesty the Tsaritsa lives."
Bai You couldn't help exclaiming in wonder. The city was unbelievably magnificent-she couldn't begin to say how many times better it looked than it had in the game.
The station itself was a magnificent building, too. Its dome rose high overhead, covered in murals.
Though the murals had faded somewhat with age, they still looked grand beneath the enormous crystal chandelier.
Varesa gently shook Bai You and said:
"Let's hurry. The Korolevsky Theater isn't far from here, on the other side. That's where I usually live."
Varesa kept having a bad feeling. She hadn't returned to the theater this late lately. Could Odette be getting impatient from waiting?
Varesa thought about it and decided she was probably overthinking things. Odette was aloof to begin with, and this was a good opportunity for her to practice dancing.
Bai You nodded, coming back to her senses, and followed close behind Woyanisha.
"This way." Varesa didn't take the main exit, instead turning into a side corridor.
The side door opened onto a broad avenue. It was completely dark, but Snezhnaya City was as bright as day.
There were many pedestrians and many fairies on the road, as well as all kinds of stalls along the roadside...
Just as Bai You was enjoying the sights, Varesa raised a hand and pointed ahead.
Bai You looked where she was pointing, and her breath caught.
At the end of the street, an enormous building rose from the ground. Eight stone columns stood tall, adorned with all kinds of exquisite reliefs, looking solemn and magnificent beneath the beams of the searchlights.
Above the main entrance was a row of floor-to-ceiling windows, each one lit up. Deep red curtains and the silhouettes of crystal chandeliers were visible inside.
Wide steps led all the way from the ground to the entrance. Neatly trimmed yews stood on either side, wrapped in little lights that looked like stars scattered across their branches.
Quite a few people had already gathered at the entrance. Men in formal suits and women in long dresses stood in twos and threes, talking quietly, the programs in their hands fluttering slightly in the wind.
"This is the Korolevsky Theater. I'm its lead singer, you know."
When Varesa spoke its name, there was something different in her voice, as if she had returned to her own territory.
Bai You opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.
"Come on." Varesa patted her shoulder. "Don't just stand there."
"Let's hurry inside while hardly anyone's noticed us. Otherwise, a whole crowd will be asking me for autographs in a minute."
Bai You nodded gently and followed Varesa.
Not seeing Odette, Varesa breathed a sigh of relief.
That scared me to death. Looks like Odette's still practicing her dancing.
Just as they reached the top of the steps, a young woman stood beneath a pillar beside the main entrance.
She wore a white ballet dress and a delicate silver chain with a diamond-shaped ornament across her forehead.
She had long white silk gloves on both hands, and her hair was arranged in an immaculate bun, exposing her slender neck.
She wasn't talking to anyone. She just stood there with her back perfectly straight, like a birch tree in the wind and snow.
Her gaze passed over the moving crowd, looking straight at them-or rather, at Varesa.
Bai You got a clear look at her face. It was very pale, her features as delicate as if carved from ice. Her lips were a pale pink, pressed into a thin line. Her eyes were light purple, and her gaze was aloof.
Bai You could feel the cold aura around her, like a block of ice that would never melt.
Is this Odette? She's even more aloof and elegant than she appeared in the story.
Varesa seemed to have spotted the young woman too, and her steps faltered.
"Odette, why are you at the theater entrance?" Varesa asked in surprise.
The young woman-Odette-moved the corners of her mouth slightly. It might have been a smile, or it might not have been.
She raised a hand and gave a gentle wave. The movement was graceful, her fingertips glowing a cool white under the lights.
The wind swept snow down the steps. Bai You drew in her neck and instinctively looked at Varesa.
At last, Odette slowly spoke.
Her voice was clear, yet carried a hint of concern, like a tap on a sheet of ice sounding through the wind and snow.
"...Varesa, why did you come back so late?"
Thank you all for the gifts! Here's an extra chapter ahead of schedule, hehe.