"Gius, are you coming into the city with me, or are you going to pay your respects to Lady Isolde first?" Alfred asked, his eyes still heavy with sleep. The long journey had been monotonous, and he had spent most of his days dozing.

Gius replied. "Before I left, His Highness mentioned that he had sent a letter to Her Ladyship. Someone will be waiting for me at the dock, so I won’t trouble you, Master Alfred."

Alfred chuckled. "That’s fine. You’re unfamiliar with Eldora, so having someone to meet you will save you from getting lost. If you were to go missing, I wouldn’t know how His Highness would reprimand me."

Gius smiled in agreement. After spending fifteen days together on the ship, Alfred had been quite courteous to him. Gius knew this courtesy was directed more at the prince and Lady Isolde than at him personally.

According to Alfred, the Chandlier family had shops in Eldora as well. Though Brambleford was thousands of miles away, the prince couldn’t oversee everything, so sometimes the Chandlier family had to invoke Lady Isolde’s name for protection.

As they were talking, a young maid in a pink palace dress approached them and asked. "Is this the merchant ship from the Chandlier family of Brambleford?"

"Yes, it is." Alfred replied respectfully. The maid’s attire clearly indicated she was from the palace, so he didn’t dare be careless.

The maid glanced at Alfred and then at Gius, who was dressed as a servant. After Lady Isolde received Simon’s letter, she had instructed the maid to wait at the dock every day. When she saw a ship bearing the Chandlier family’s flag docking, she immediately came over to inquire.

"Are you Gius?" The maid asked, now certain it was the Chandlier family’s ship.

Gius bowed and spoke. "Yes, that’s me."

"Ah, wonderful! I’ve been waiting here for three days. I’m Agnes, a maid serving Lady Isolde. Her Ladyship sent me to wait for you here. Now that you’ve arrived, follow me into the Castle." The maid said, visibly relieved.

Gius nodded, his face reddening as he avoided looking directly at Agnes.

Both Ysabeau and Joan were considered top beauties in Brambleford, but Agnes was equally stunning. Gius couldn’t help but think to himself: No wonder His Highness was willing to risk his life to return to Eldora. It seems all the beauties of the world are gathered in the resplendent Crystal Castle.

"Then I’ll trouble you to lead the way." Gius said politely. "But His Highness has asked me to bring quite a few things."

"That’s simple. I’ve brought people to help you load them onto the carriage." Agnes said with a light laugh, leading Gius toward Eldora. "You look a few years older than me, yet you call me politely?"

"Please, you serve Her Ladyship and are far more noble than a lowly servant like me. It’s only right to call you politely." Gius flattered.

Agnes had a peach-blossom face, and her smile was as radiant as a blooming flower. She spoke. "His Highness mentioned in his letter that you have a silver tongue, and it seems he wasn’t wrong. But in the castle, you’ll need to be more restrained. Be careful with your words, or you might lose your tongue."

"Ah!" Gius shuddered in fear.

The Crystal Castle was the emperor’s residence, and even the thought of it made Gius nervous. Agnes’s warning only heightened his anxiety, making him feel like he might lose control of his bladder.

Seeing Gius’s reaction, Agnes couldn’t help but smile mischievously. "But don’t worry too much. Just follow me, don’t speak out of turn, and don’t look around carelessly."

Gius quickly said. "For His Highness’s sake, please look out for me."

Mentioning the prince, Agnes frowned slightly. Truth be told, she wasn’t particularly fond of that troublemaker either.

At the edge of the dock, a carriage was waiting. Without answering Gius’s plea, Agnes simply said. "Get in."

Once inside the carriage, Agnes began asking about Ysabeau and Joan. Learning that they were doing well in the prince’s castle seemed to lift her spirits, and she started telling Gius about Eldora.

The carriage left the dock and, after about half an hour, reached the city gate. The guards at the gate checked Gius’s servant registration before allowing them to enter Eldora.

Sitting inside the carriage, Gius couldn’t resist pulling back the curtain to peek outside at the bustling sounds of the city.

"There are so many people in Eldora." Gius remarked, looking out at the throngs of people crowding the wide avenue leading from the gate. It was even busier than the busiest market days in Brambleford.

Agnes said. "This isn’t even the busiest time. By noon, the streets will be so packed that carriages won’t be able to move."

Gius was awestruck. He continued to look out and saw that, aside from their carriage, the fifty-meter-wide stone-paved avenue was filled with luxurious carriages adorned with gold and jade. Inside the carriages were officials in purple, red, and green robes, wealthy merchants in fine silks, and occasionally, behind beaded curtains, the strikingly beautiful faces of noblewomen.

Glancing down at his own coarse blue clothing, Gius suddenly felt a pang of inferiority. Even the common folk in Eldora dressed better than he did.

"No wonder His Highness says Eldora is the most prosperous place in the world." Gius sighed.

"Of course." Agnes said. "But why didn’t His Highness prepare you with more presentable clothing for this trip? This..." She had easily recognized Gius earlier because of his shabby attire.

Gius scratched his ear. "His Highness said I had to dress like this. Otherwise, how could I ’cry poor’?"

"Cry poor?" Agnes looked puzzled.

"It means being so poor that you cry." Gius explained.

"Is that a Brambleford saying? How amusing." Agnes laughed, her beauty making Gius blush again.

He was about the same age as the prince, and at that age, thoughts of romance were never far away.

As they chatted, the carriage travelled for another hour before reaching the gates of the Crystal Castle. Here, everyone, from high-ranking officials to commoners had to proceed on foot.

After getting out of the carriage, Gius gazed in awe at the magnificent, golden-roofed mini castles within the Crystal Castle complex.

Agnes explained that Eldora stretched sixty miles from north to south, with three hundred and sixty residential wards, three times the size of Brambleford. This gave a sense of the city’s wealth and prosperity, and the splendid Crystal Castle was the crowning jewel of Eldora.

Entering through a side gate, Agnes led Gius into the castle.

"The main gate leads to the Imperial Court, where the emperor and his ministers discuss state affairs. We can’t go there." Agnes explained as they walked. "This side path will take us directly to the inner palace."

Once inside the palace, Gius grew visibly more nervous. The passing maids and eunuchs kept glancing at him, making him increasingly anxious. He could only nod repeatedly.

They were now walking through a narrow alley between two high walls. At the end of the alley was an arched gate, beyond which lay a red-painted wooden corridor.

On either side of the corridor were large lotus ponds. At this time of year, the lotus flowers had withered, but many carp swam lazily in the water.

Gius didn’t have time to admire the scenery. After passing through the hundred-meter-long corridor, they turned onto another long hallway that curved westward. He looked up and saw that the hallway twisted and turned, with various palaces lining its path.

Above the palaces were golden plaques, but Gius couldn’t read the characters inscribed on them.

As they went deeper, the number of maids bustling along the corridor increased. Some carried delicate pastries, while others held incense burners or hot water.

"Up ahead are the living quarters of the consorts. Don’t look around carelessly." Agnes instructed.

Gius nodded again. The corridor suddenly opened up into a large garden. On one side was the lotus pond they had seen earlier, with a stone bridge arching gracefully over the water like a crescent moon.

On the other side of the bridge were numerous pavilions and courtyards, each marked by an arched gate. This was the area Agnes had mentioned, the residences of the imperial consorts.

Crossing the stone bridge, Agnes stopped in front of a courtyard with a plaque that read "Golden State." She spoke. "This is Lady Isolde’s residence. Follow me inside."