Chapter 46 Have a heart-to-heart talk

London, August 1896 Tonight's banquet was very quiet.The circus had only recently left Berlin and was preparing to set up near London for a while, so there were several performers among the guests. Most of the meal time, Celia.Bowen talks to Mrs. Padwa, who sits on the left and is dressed in sapphire blue silk. Celia is wearing a dress designed by Padwa, originally intended for her as a performance costume, but later felt that it was not suitable, because every fold and curve of the silver fabric reflects light, which is too distracting .This dress is quite attractive to wear, and Celia is reluctant to give it up, so she keeps it as a daily wear.

No one can take their eyes off you, my dear.Mrs. Padwa commented, holding the wine glass slightly towards the door, Marco was standing silently on one side, with his hands clasped behind his back. He may be admiring your handicraft.Celia said without turning her head. I bet he was more interested in what was inside the gown than the gown itself. Celia could only smile, but she knew that Mrs. Padwa was right. All night long, she felt Marco's gaze was burning on the back of her neck, and it was getting harder and harder to ignore it. The only time he took his attention away from Celia was when Chandrash overturned the heavy crystal goblet, which nearly hit the candlestick, spilling red wine on the damask gold tablecloth.

But before Marco had time to react, Celia had already stood up from the opposite side of the table and straightened the wine glass without touching it. Only Chandrash, who had a perfect angle, noticed this detail.When she removed her hand, the glass had been refilled and the tablecloth was spotless again. I'm so clumsy.Chandrash grunted, casting a wary glance at Celia before turning to continue talking to Mr. Barris. You should go to ballet, Mrs. Padwa commented to Celia: You are so flexible when you stand. I'm just as good lying down.Celia said.Mrs. Padwa laughed so much that Mr. Barris nearly knocked over his glass.

Celia kept an eye on Chandrash for the rest of the dinner.He spent most of the time discussing improvements to the house with Mr. Barris, occasionally repeating old tunes, but Mr. Barris pretended not to notice.Chandrash didn't touch his glass again, and when he cleared the table after the meal, it was still full. At the end of the banquet, Celia was the last guest to leave.When they were about to leave, she couldn't find her shawl, but she didn't want them to wait for her to find it, so she waved them off into the night. It was so difficult to find a length of ivory lace in the strange chaos of the Lefevre mansion.Although she followed the route she had taken through the library and the restaurant, she found nothing.

Finally Celia gave up the search and returned to the front hall, where Marco was waiting by the door, the shawl draped casually on his arm. Are you looking for this, Miss Bowen?he asks. He walked over to drape it on her shoulders, but the lace disintegrated between his fingers and turned into specks of dust. When he looked up at her again, the shawl was wrapped around her perfectly, as if it had never been taken off. Thank you, Celia said: Good night.She hurried past him and stepped out the door before he could react. Miss Bowen?Marco shouted, running after her as she descended the front steps.

Um?Celia responded, turning around when she reached the sidewalk. I originally hoped that I could find you to fulfill the wine talk we made in Prague.Marco said.While she was thinking about it, he kept staring into her eyes. The intensity of his gaze was even stronger than the one focused on the nape of her neck before.Celia sensed the aggressiveness of that look (her father always liked to use it), but also felt that there was something sincere, almost pleading, in it. In addition to that point, Jia was also curious, so she nodded in agreement. Smiling, he turned and walked back into the house, leaving the door open.

A moment later, she followed, and the door swung shut behind her, locking itself. In the house, the dining room has been cleaned up, but the standing candles dripping with wax are still burning in the candlesticks. Two glasses of wine are on the table. Where did Chandrash go?Celia asked, picked up a glass and walked around the table across from Marco. He's back on the fifth floor, said Marco, picking up the rest of the glass, because he likes the river view so much that he's keeping a few rooms there private, though I'm sure when the Tower Bridge was under renovation, his The interest is even higher.He won't come down until morning.The rest of the staff have left, so most of the house is left for us to roam.

Do you often entertain your guests after he's back in the room?Celia asked. there has never been. Celia stared at him as she sipped her wine.There was something about his appearance that disturbed her, but she couldn't say what. Did Chandrash really insist that the flames in the circus be all white, so as to echo the color style?she said after a moment. Indeed, Marco said: He asked me to contact a chemist or something, and I chose to handle it myself.He brushed the candle on the table with his fingers, and the flame turned from warm gold to cool white, with a slight silvery blue in the center.His fingers flicked in the opposite direction again, and they returned to their original shape.

What do you say about such things?Marco asked. Celia didn't need to ask what he was referring to. Manipulation, when I was younger, I called it magic.It took me a while to get out of the habit, but my dad never liked that title.He calls it bewitching, and when he doesn't want to be succinct, he calls it coercive manipulation of the universe. Cast a spell?Mark repeats: I never thought about it that way. Nonsense, Celia said: This is what you did.You can cast spells, and you're obviously very good at it.So many people are in love with you, Isobey, Chandrash, there must be others.

How do you know about Isobe?Marco asked. Although there are quite a lot of members in the circus, they all talk about each other, Celia said: she seems to be loyal to someone that none of us have ever met.I noticed right away that she paid special attention to my movements, and at a certain stage I even wondered if she was my match.You show up in Prague, and she's waiting for someone, and then it's easy to figure out what's going on.I don't think anyone else knows.The Murray twins have a theory that she fell in love with the object of her dreams rather than the real person.

The Murray twins sound quite smart, Marco said: If from a certain point of view, I am demagogic, I am not necessarily deliberate.With only one reference and no work experience, it was very helpful to find a position with Chandrash.However, it doesn't seem to be working for you. Celia put down her glass, still not sure what to make of him as a person.The flickering light cast by the candle intensified the hazy quality of his countenance, and she turned her head away before answering, turning her focus to the contents of the mantelpiece. My dad used to do something like that, she said: just that gripping and alluring seduction.I spent the first few years of my life watching my mother haggard and desperate for him.Until he lost that little bit of interest in her, he was still infatuated with him for a long time.Until one day when I was five years old, she committed suicide.When I was old enough to be sensible, I swore to myself that I would never suffer so much for anyone.To seduce me, you have to work far beyond that charming smile. But when she looked back, that charming smile disappeared. I'm so sorry you lost your mother like that.Marco said. That was a long time ago, Celia said, and she was surprised by the other party's sincere sympathy, but thank you anyway. Do you remember a lot about her?he asks. I remember more impressions than facts, I remember her crying and crying, I remember the way she looked at me as if I were something to be frightened of. I don't remember anything about my parents, Marco said: I have no memory of the time before the orphanage.I was suddenly taken from the orphanage for meeting some unspecified criteria.I was made to read a great deal, and while I was traveling I read, and on the whole were bred for some kind of secret competition.I've lived like this for most of my life, and then added accounting, bookkeeping, and whatever Chandrash asked me to do. Why are you so frank with me?Celia asked. Because it is rare to be able to talk directly with people, it feels really refreshing. Marco said: If I tell you a lie, maybe you will see it right away.I wish I could expect the same confession from you. Celia nodded after thinking about it. You kind of remind me of my dad.she says. How to say?Marco asked. It's your way of manipulating perception. I've never been very good at that kind of thing. I'm more good at dealing with substance.By the way, you don't have to play that trick on me.Finally realizing why his appearance disturbed her, she added. What to do to you?Marco asked. Put on that look.Works great, but I can tell it's not 100% true, it must be annoying to have to look like that all the time, right? Marco frowned, but then his face slowly changed.The goatee gradually faded away, the sharp and angular facial features became softer and younger, and the eye-catching green eyes faded into greenish gray. That's right, that fake face was quite handsome, but it was a bit deliberate, as if he was too aware of how attractive he was, which made Celia feel less attractive. There was something else, a certain sense of emptiness, probably the result of a hallucination, the impression that he wasn't quite in the room. But standing beside her now was a different person, much more present, although the distance between them had not changed, and his face was still quite handsome. The intensity of his gaze increased with the pair of eyes. Now that she looked at him, she could see more deeply without being distracted by the color of the eyes. Celia felt the hot air rushing up her neck, and managed to control it so that the flush would not be invisible in the candlelight. Then she realized why she still felt a certain familiarity. I've seen you like this before, she said, finding out what he really looked like in memory, you've seen my performances with that look. Do you remember all the audience?Marco asked. Not all, said Celia, but I will remember people who looked at me the way you did. What kind of vision is that? As if they couldn't decide whether they were afraid of me or wanted to kiss me. I am not afraid of you.Marco said. They stared at each other silently for a while, the candlelight flickering around them. Just a small change seems to require a lot of effort.Celia said. It has its benefits. I think you look better without that.Celia said.Marco looked surprised, so she added: Didn't I say I would be very frank? You flatter me so much, Miss Bowen, he said: How many times have you been to this house? At least a dozen times.Celia said. But you never visited. No one has ever offered to take me. Chandrash didn't feel the need to, preferring to keep the house a mystery.If the guest does not know where the boundaries are, it will give the impression that the house extends infinitely.There were originally two houses here, so it can be easy to get lost. I had no idea.Celia said. Two connected townhouses, one of which is a mirror image of the other.He bought two buildings and renovated them into a single apartment, so several places have been decorated and refurbished.I don't think we have enough time to see them all, but I can show you some of the more secluded rooms if you want. I want to visit, Celia said and put the empty cup on the table next to his cup. Do you often violate the ban and show people around the employer's house? Only once, and it was because of Mr. Barris's insistence on the relationship. They set out from the dining room, passing under the shadow of the elephant-head statue in the lobby, and stopped in front of the twilight stained glass that stretched the entire height of the wall as they crossed the library. This is the game room.Marco pushed while talking, and the glass unscrewed to another room. quite suitable. For this room, games are more of a decorative theme than an actual function.There were sets of chess with several flags missing, and chess pieces with missing boards lined up along the window sills.Targets without darts hang next to a half-played game of chess. The pool table in the center was covered with blood-red velvet. One wall was covered with a collection of weapons, arranged in pairs and rows.Sabers, pistols, and Western swords, each with a pair, ready for dozens of possible duels. Chandry Xuman likes antique ordnance. While Celia looked up and down, Marco explained: There are other rooms, but most of the collections are here. He studied her carefully as she walked around the room.When she looked at the well-arranged game equipment around her, she seemed to be trying hard to suppress her smile. You are smiling like you have some secret.He said. I have so many secrets, Celia turned her head to glance at him, then turned back to face the wall, when did you know that I was your opponent? You were a mystery for many years, and I didn't know until you auditioned.You surprised me then, you must have noticed.He paused before adding: Knowing early is actually not an advantage.How long do you know? I found out in the rain in Prague.You clearly knew that I knew it at that time, Celia said: You could have let me take that umbrella away in a daze, but you came after me.Why? I wanted to get the umbrella back, Marco said: I like that one a lot, and I'm tired of always avoiding you. I doubt anyone, Celia said: Although I do think it is more likely to be a member of the circus, I should have known it was yours. Then why?Marco asked. Because you pretended to be inferior to your strength, she said: You can see it at a glance.I admit, it never occurred to me to cast a spell on my own umbrella. I've spent most of my life in London, says Marco: "As soon as I learned to charm things, one of the first things I did was spell umbrellas. He took off his jacket and flung it towards the leather chair in the corner.He took a deck of cards from the shelf, not sure if she would give in to him, but he was too curious to give it a go. Do you want to play cards?Celia asked. It doesn't count either.Marco shuffled the cards and answered.When he was satisfied with the shuffle, he put the whole deck on the pool table. He turned out a card, which was the King of Spades.He tapped the board, and the King of Spades turned into the King of Hearts.He raised his hand to pull the card back, spread his fingers to cover the face of the card, and welcomed her to make the next move. Celia smiled.She undid the shawl from her shoulders, hung it over his discarded jacket, and stood with her hands clasped behind her back. The K of Hearts rolled over to stand up, leaning on the side to maintain balance, and after standing there for a moment, it was slowly and carefully torn in two.The two pieces continued to stand apart for a while before collapsing, with the patterned back facing upwards. Celia tapped lightly imitating Marco's gesture, and the cards returned to their original shape.She pulled her hand back, and the card turned itself over into the Queen of Diamonds. Then the whole deck of cards was suspended in the air for a moment, then collapsed on the table, and the cards were scattered all over the red velvet surface. Your manipulation of objects is better than mine.Marco admits. I have an edge, Celia said: what my father called talent.It's hard for me not to interfere with my surroundings, I broke things all the time when I was a kid. How much impact can you have on living organisms?Marco asked. It depends on the condition of the creature itself, Celia said: Items are easier.It took me years to get my hands on biology, and using a baby bird of my own will do a lot better than a random old pigeon off the street. what can you do to me I might change your hair color, I might change your voice, Celia said: without your full consent and perception, there is no way to do more.However, it is more difficult than you think to actually allow others to lay hands on you.I can't fix the damage.The shocks I bring are often temporary or superficial.It's easier to do with someone a little more familiar with me, but it's never easy. What about yourself? In response, Celia strolled to the wall and pulled a thin Ottoman dagger with a jade-inlaid hilt from where it hung from the mating dagger.She held the short blade with her right hand, and put her left palm down on the pool table, pressing down on the scattered cards.Without hesitation, she stabbed the blade into the back of her hand, piercing through the skin, flesh, cards and the flannel underneath. Marco recoiled, but remained silent. Celia pried the short blade off the table, the blade still piercing the hand and the two diamonds, and blood began to drip down the wrist.She stretched out her hand and turned it slowly, performing a gesture so Marco would know it had nothing to do with illusion. With the other hand, she moved the short blade away, and the blood-stained cards scattered.Then the drops of blood began to roll back, seeping into the wound on the palm, and the wound shrank and disappeared, and finally there was only a bright red line on the skin, and then even the red line disappeared.She tapped the card, the blood disappeared, the slash left by the blade disappeared, and the card was now a two of hearts. Marco picked up the cards and ran his fingers over the patched surface.Then he turned his hand slightly, and the cards disappeared out of thin air, and they were firmly stuffed in his pocket. Good thing our challenge wasn't a physical fight, he said: Otherwise I think you'd have the upper hand. My dad used to cut my fingertips until I could get ten fingers back in no time, Celia said, putting the short blade back in place on the wall, a lot of it was down to what to do with everything. The visceral feeling of each doing his job, I've never been able to do this to anyone. I think your course is much less academic than mine. But I'd rather read more books. It is obviously the same challenge, but we have been prepared for it very differently.Marco said. He looked at Celia's hand again, and there was nothing abnormal at this time, and there was no sign of being stabbed a few minutes ago. I suspect that's part of the point of the contest, she said: two schools of thought operating in the same environment, but pitted against each other. I have to be honest, Marco said: I don't quite get the point, even after all this time. I couldn't help it either, Celia admitted: I doubt it's quite right to call it a challenge or a competition, and I've since thought of it as a double showcase.What else can I see on this tour? Would you like to see something going on?Marco asked.It was a pleasant surprise to him to learn that she thought of the circus as an exhibition, since he himself had stopped thinking of it as an instrument of hostility years earlier. Well, said Celia, especially if it's the case Mr. Barris was raving about over dinner. Exactly. Marco escorts her out of the game room through another door.The two hurried across the hall and into the wide ballroom at the back of the house, where moonlight streamed in through glass doors that ran along the back wall. Outside the house, the space beyond the terrace was originally a garden, this area was excavated to lower the ground level and sunk into the ground.At this time, most of them are tall walls built with compacted soil and stacked stones, which have not been considered. Celia walked down the stone steps carefully, followed by Marco.At the bottom, the walls form a maze, allowing only a small glimpse of the garden at a time. I thought it would be good for Chandrash to have a case to work on, Marco explained: he rarely leaves the house these days, and gardening seemed like a good place to start.Do you want to see what it looks like when it's finished? OK, Celia said: Do you have a floor plan over here? Marco responded by raising a hand and pointing around. What had been a mere random stack of rough stones a few minutes ago was now in place, with ornate arches and pathways carved out, and little bright lanterns covered in creeping vines strewn here and there.Roses hang from a trellis above, and the night sky is revealed through the gaps between the flowers. Celia covered her lips with her hand, suppressing the sudden gasp.From the scent of roses to the warmth radiating from the lanterns, the whole scene is breathtaking.She heard the gurgling of water from a nearby fountain, and followed the now grass-covered path in search of the fountain. Marco followed her as she explored, and the two of them traversed the winding trails and rounded corners. A central fountain cascades down carved stone walls into a circular pond filled with koi.The scales of the fish glistened in the moonlight, white and orange in the dark water. Celia stretched out her hand and stuck it on the cold stone under the fountain, letting the running water wash her fingers. Is this something you made up in my head?she asked when she heard Marco behind her. You let me do this.He said. You know, maybe I can stop it.Celia turned to face him as she spoke.He leaned on the stone archway and stared at her. I'm sure you can.If you're really resisting, it won't work as well, and almost everything will be blocked.Of course, being up close is key to fully immersing the viewer. You can't do that to a circus, can you?Celia said. Marco shrugged. It's a pity that the distance is too far. He said: This is one of my specialties, but I rarely have the opportunity to play it.I'm not very good at creating illusions of this type for more than one person at a time. It's incredible, said Celia, looking at the koi swimming slowly at her feet, even though they call me a conjurer, I can't make something this intricate.You live up to that title. I think the title of a beautiful woman who can control the world with her mind is too cumbersome. I figured the name wouldn't fit into the sign outside my tent. He let out a deep and warm laugh, and Celia turned her face away to hide the smile, and continued to focus on the swirling water. I have a specialty that is useless, she said: I am good at manipulating cloth, but Mrs. Padwa is so versatile, it seems unnecessary for me to do it myself.She spun in her gown, and the silver fabric reflected the light, making her glow like a lantern. I think she's a witch, said Marco, and I say that with the utmost flattery. I think she'll take that as a compliment, too, Celia said: Do you see all this as clearly as I do? More or less, Marco said: If you get closer to the viewer, you can see more subtle details. Celia walked around to the other side of the pond, closer to where he was standing.She looked at the carvings on the stone and the vines wrapped around it, but her eyes frequently slipped back to Marco.He followed her eyes repeatedly with his eyes, which made Celia's original restraint and introversion all in vain, and it became more difficult to look away every time. You're brilliant at using a campfire as a stimulus.Try focusing on the glowing mini lanterns, she says. I'm not surprised you'll see that, Marco said: Since I can't walk with the circus, I've got to find a way to stay in touch.The moment the campfire was lit seemed like the perfect time to establish lasting dominance.After all, I don't want you to have too much control. When the campfire was lit, some things in the surrounding area were affected.Celia said. What do you mean? Let's just say it's not just the hair that stands out about the Murray twins. You're not going to tell me what it is, are you?Marco asked. A lady cannot reveal all her secrets.Celia said.She plucked a rose from a dangling branch, closed her eyes and inhaled the scent, the petals soft as velvet against her skin.The sensory detail of this illusion is so gorgeous it's almost dizzying.Who thought of letting the garden sink?she asked. Chandrash, the inspiration came from another room in the house, if you want to see it, I can take you there. Celia nodded, and they followed the same path through the garden.As they strolled forward, she moved closer to him, close enough to touch, but his hands remained clasped behind his back.When they reached the terrace, Celia glanced back into the garden, and the roses and lanterns had all turned back to dust and stones. Inside, Marco leads Celia across the ballroom.He stopped in front of the far wall and slid open a dark wooden panel to reveal a winding staircase descending. Is it the cellar?Celia asked as they went down. Not really.Marco said.When they reached the gilded door at the end of the stairs, he opened it for her.Be careful with your steps. The room is small, but the ceiling is quite high, and a golden chandelier covered with crystals hangs in the center.The circular walls and ceiling are painted a vivid dark blue, dotted with stars. A pathway shaped like a ledge runs along the edge of the room, though most of the floor is sunken and filled with large, colorful throw pillows covered in embellished silk. Chandrash insists that the room is modeled after the boudoir of a Mumbai lady-in-waiting, and Marco says: I personally think it's a good space for reading. Celia giggled, a lock of curls falling down her cheek. Marco tentatively tried to help her brush the hair away from her face, but before his fingers touched her, she fell from the ledge and landed on the stack of pearl-toned throw pillows, her silver dress like a flower. It swelled up like a cloud. He stared at her for a moment before imitating her, then sank into the middle of the room beside her. They lay looking up at the chandelier, whose crystals reflected light so brilliantly that it turned the ceiling into the night sky without any illusions. How often can you go to the circus?Celia asked. Not as often as I like.As long as it's not too far from London, of course.If it was anywhere else in Europe, I'd have to wait long enough to escape from Chandrash before trying to get there.Sometimes I feel like I'm on two boats.For me, the circus has a lot of familiarity and familiarity, but it will always hide surprises. Which tent is your favourite? Want me to be honest?yours. Why?She turned to look at him and asked. I think it's because it suits my personal taste.You do in public what I was taught secretly and maybe I appreciate it on a different level than most.I also really like that maze, I wasn't sure you'd be willing to work together on it. It was for that collaboration that I was given a hard time, Celia said: My father called it a depraved juxtaposition, it must have taken him days to come up with that powerful insult.He saw something vulgar in the union of skills, and I never knew why.I really like mazes, and adding rooms was a real joy for me.I especially like the snowy tunnel you created so you can see the footprints left by people exploring around. I've never thought of collaborating in such an obscene way, says Marco: I'm looking forward to visiting again with that vision.But I have the impression that your father shouldn't be able to give an opinion on those things. He's not dead, Celia said, turning to the ceiling, hard to explain. Marco decided not to force it, but returned to the theme of the circus. Which is your favorite tent?he asks. ice garden.Celia answered right away, without even pausing to think. Why?Marco asked. Because of the way it feels, she says: like stepping into a dream.As if it were somewhere else entirely, not just a tent, maybe just because I like snow.How did you come up with it? Looking back on that process, Marco was never asked to explain the origin of the idea. I thought it would be fun to have a greenhouse, but of course it wouldn't be colourful, he says: I considered a lot of options before deciding to build everything out of ice.I'm glad you thought it was like a dream, and that's where the core of the idea came from. That's why I made the wishing tree, Celia said: I wanted to cover the whole tree with flames, and that would complement the tree made of ice. Marco mentally replays the first time he saw the wishing tree.There was a mixture of irritability, surprise, and melancholy at the time, which in retrospect seems quite different.He wasn't sure he could light the candle, his own wish, and wondered if it was against the rules. Will all those wishes come true?he asks. I'm not sure, Celia said: I can't keep track of everyone who made a wish there.What do you think? Maybe. Did your wish come true? I'm not yet entirely sure. You must let me know, Celia said: I hope it will come true.I think, in a way, I launched the Wishing Tree for you. You didn't know who I was then.Marco turned to look at her and said.Her attention had been on the chandelier, but the seductive smile that she refused to reveal the secret returned. I didn't know your identity at the time, but I was surrounded by things made by you, and I vaguely felt what kind of person my opponent was, so I thought you might like it. I do.Marco said. The silence between the two is comfortable.He longed to reach out and touch her, but he resisted, afraid of destroying the friendship they had gradually built.He sneaked a few glances at the way the light fell on her skin.Several times he caught her looking at him in a similar way, and when her eyes met his, it was a sublime moment. How do you keep everyone from getting old?After a while, Celia asked. Be careful, Marco replied: they are still getting old, even if very slowly.And how did you move the circus? Use the train. train?Marco asks in disbelief: move the whole circus with just one train? The train was huge, Celia said: It was magic.she added, making Marco chuckle. I must admit, Miss Bowen, that you are not what I expected. I assure you, I feel the same way. Marco stood up and walked back to the ledge by the door. Celia held out her hand to him, and he caught it and helped her up.That was the first time he touched her bare skin. The air reacted immediately, and an electric current suddenly rushed through the room, bright and brilliant, and the chandelier began to shake. The feeling of flowing over Marco's skin was intense and intimate, starting from the place where his palm touched her, and even spreading beyond the palm, farther and deeper. After Celia steadied herself, she pulled her hand away, took a step back and leaned against the wall.As soon as she let him go, that feeling started to fade. Sorry, she said quietly, obviously out of breath, you caught me off guard. I should be apologizing, Marco said, heart pounding in his ears, her voice barely audible, though I'm not sure what just happened. I am very sensitive to energy. Celia said: People who do things like us will have a certain kind of energy that is easy to perceive, and I am not used to yours. I hope that feeling is as pleasant to you as it is to me. Celia didn't answer.In order not to hold her hand again, he opened the door and led her up the stairs the same way. Their footsteps echoed as they strolled across the moonlit ballroom. How is Chandrash doing?Celia asked, trying to fill the silence with something to talk about, anything to distract her from her still-shaking hands, as she recalled the overturned wine glass during the banquet. He was up and down, Marco said with a sigh: since the circus opened, his spirits have become more and more slack.I'm trying to keep him steady, but I'm afraid it's having the opposite effect on his memory.I didn't mean to be that way.But after what happened to the late Miss Burgess, I think it is the wisest course to take. She was in a special position at the time, participating in all the affairs but not in the circus. Celia said: I believe that viewing perspective is not easy to deal with.At least you can observe Chandrash's condition. Indeed, Marco said: I wish there was some way to protect the people outside the circus as the campfire protects the people inside. campfire?Celia said. A campfire serves several functions at once.It's mostly my connection to the circus, but it also acts as a sort of protection.I was ignorant of the fact that people outside the fence are not covered. I forgot to even think about protection, Celia said: I don't think I thought at first that there would be so many people involved in our challenge.She stopped and stood in the middle of the ballroom. Marco also stopped but said nothing, waiting for her to speak first. What happened to Tara, she said quietly: It's not your fault.No matter what you or I do, the same situation may end up happening.You can't take away free will from anyone, and that was one of the first lessons I learned. Marco nodded, and he took a step closer to her.He reached out to shake her hand, and slowly brushed his fingers over hers. It felt as strong as when he had touched her before, but a little different.The air changed, but the chandelier on the top was steady and still. What are you doingshe asked. You just mentioned the energy thing, Marco said: I am using my energy to focus your energy so that you don't break the chandelier. If I break anything, I might as well fix it.Celia said, but didn't let go. Instead of worrying about how you might affect those around you, you can relax and let yourself be in that feeling without fighting it.That feeling is quite delicate.She had had this feeling in several of his tents, the thrill of being surrounded by something strange and fantastic, only magnified and focused directly on her.The feeling of his skin against hers reverberated throughout her body, even though his fingers remained intertwined with hers.She looked up at him and was caught again by his greenish gray eyes, but she didn't look away. They stood and stared at each other in silence for minutes that seemed hours. The hall clock rang.Celia jumped up.As soon as she let go of Marco's hand she wanted to take it again, but the whole evening had been overwhelmingly exciting. You are really good at hiding, she said: I feel the same energy radiating like heat in each of your tents, but you are completely hidden when you show up. 誤導是我的強項之一。Marco said. 現在有我盯著，你做起來就不會那麼容易了。 我喜歡有妳盯著，他說：謝謝，謝謝妳留下來。 我原諒你偷了我的披巾。 他噗哧一笑的同時，她綻放笑容。 接著她便平空消失。儘管擺脫不掉停留更久的誘惑，但這招簡單的把戲就足以讓他分神，給她足夠的時間穿越大廳溜出屋外。 馬可發現她把披巾留在了遊戲室裡，依然披在他的夾克上。