The incense in the temple was burning vigorously.
Isabelle pulled Darius inside to kneel and pray devoutly to the Bodhisattva, hoping to bless Sylvia and Franklin with a baby.
“Preferably twins, so they can have both a son and a daughter!”
Darius found his wife incredibly adorable and couldn’t help but pat her head. “It’s not that easy. As long as it’s a baby, it doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl.”
“Of course, I want Sylvia to be happy!” Isabelle knocked her head three times before the Bodhisattva. “I hope Sylvia and Mr. Maskelyne are blessed with happiness, health, and many descendants.”
After making her wish, Isabelle stood up and placed a donation in the offering box.
As they were about to leave, three nuns in robes approached them. Isabelle respectfully greeted them, “Master!”
“You seem to have a connection with our temple. It looks like you are here to make a wish for a friend,” said the leading nun, who appeared to be in her forties and had a kind face. “Unfortunately…”
Isabelle’s heart tightened. “Unfortunately what?”
“Unfortunately, your friend has a difficult fate despite being destined for greatness… Life is full of hardships, and one cannot have everything go smoothly. To achieve what you desire, you must endure the storm before seeing the rainbow.”
The nun sighed deeply, as if she knew Sylvia’s destiny.
This shocked Isabelle. “I… I didn’t mention anything about my friend… How did you know?”
“There is a predetermined order in the universe. I naturally know,” the nun replied, bowing slightly to Isabelle. “Please tell your friend to be cautious and not take unnecessary risks. She must be careful in her actions and travels.”
The nun then placed a talisman in Isabelle’s hand. “This talisman is for your friend. I hope she doesn’t mind it.”
Isabelle quickly thanked her and firmly remembered the nun’s words. “She will definitely appreciate it. Thank you, Master.”
As the couple walked away, the nun sighed again. “Call my senior and tell him I’ve done it.”
“Yes,” her disciple responded immediately.
Reginald was about to enter seclusion when he received the call. “I understand. Revealing heavenly secrets is taboo. Your master helped me this time; I will repay the favor when I have the chance.”
He was skilled at divination but couldn’t predict his own fate, though he could for others.
He foresaw that Sylvia and Franklin would face great danger soon, but revealing such predictions would bring backlash. He thought of his junior sister, hoping that if she conveyed the message, the backlash would be less severe.
Indeed, it wasn’t long after the temple’s reputation spread that Isabelle, Sylvia’s good friend, came to visit.
He hoped Sylvia and Franklin could turn misfortune into fortune.
It was also a small repayment from the Gentry family to the couple.
Although he predicted danger for them, he couldn’t determine the exact nature of it.
He felt very sad but helpless.
The evening banquet before the Fire Dance Festival’s opening ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace.
The old president had suffered a stroke some time ago. Although he had recovered, he was not as spirited as before.
He looked somewhat haggard and weak.
He wore traditional attire from Middle Evroya and received blessings from guests attending the Fire Dance Festival from various regions.
The current president, Harold, also wore traditional attire. He looked energetic and stood in stark contrast to the old president.
Guests from other regions wore glamorous outfits, making the banquet a scene of elegance and splendor.
Franklin and Sylvia arrived hand in hand.
When they appeared, almost all the guests were stunned by their beauty. The man was handsome, and the woman was stunningly beautiful! Especially since people from Middle Evroya generally had darker skin tones, Sylvia’s fair complexion drew envy and admiration from many women present.
“Is that President Aettosa’s son? The heir of Aettosa?”
“And that’s his wife? She’s so beautiful!”
“What a perfect couple! I heard his father doesn’t acknowledge her status…”
“So what? She’s still accompanying him to such important events.”
“Wait! Isn’t his wife best friends with our Prime Minister? She saved the Prime Minister when she was in trouble years ago.”
“Really? Oh my gosh!”
…
Harold exchanged a few words with Franklin and Sylvia, feeling nostalgic. “Time flies so fast; I’ve been president for over a year now.”
Sylvia and Franklin had greatly influenced him. He smiled and added, “No matter what, I must thank you both.”
Darius and Isabelle also approached. Isabelle wore traditional attire and looked very dignified. She handed Sylvia a small blessing pouch. “This is a talisman I got for you at the temple today. You must wear it well, okay?”
She then pulled Sylvia aside and repeated everything the nun had said.
Sylvia frowned after hearing it. “That nun… sounds quite mysterious.”
How could she know without seeing her?
It didn’t feel right.
“It’s very effective; they say it’s especially good for fertility. You must remember what I said. Better safe than sorry. Once some time has passed safely, we’ll talk again,” Isabelle advised Sylvia like a little fortune teller.
Sylvia smiled. “Thank you.”
She took out the talisman from the pouch and wore it around her neck.
The talisman seemed to be made of gold, not some cheap material.
Surprisingly generous of the nun to give away a gold talisman.
When she returned to Franklin’s side, he immediately noticed the gold talisman around her neck. It complemented her white dress beautifully, making her neck look even more slender and graceful.
“Isabelle gave it to you?”
“Yes! She’s worried something might happen to me,” Sylvia said with a smile.
Meanwhile, numerous small bonfires were set up in front of the Presidential Palace. Once the banquet ended, the Fire Dance Festival would officially begin.
The first lucky person to perform the Fire Dance would be chosen at the banquet. This person would kick off the festival, followed by everyone else joining in around their own bonfires throughout the region.
Every year, this first lucky performer received much admiration because it was considered an honor.
In recent years, these lucky performers often became internet celebrities for a while, enjoying some benefits from their fame.
Therefore, everyone was eager to know who this year’s first Fire Dance performer would be.
The banquet featured many local dishes from Middle Evroya and fine wines.
Amidst laughter and joy, everyone awaited the start of the Fire Dance Festival.
The selection of the Fire Dance Festival’s lucky performer was simple: passing a flower while drumming.
Harold’s cousin Joy was a triple-threat entertainer with some local fame but not much beyond that.
She wasn’t exceptionally beautiful-not enough to stand out in an industry full of beauties.
She relied on family connections for opportunities.
She had arranged everything so that she would be this year’s lucky performer. She planned to capitalize on this moment to boost her popularity online.
She imagined herself becoming a household name, attracting top directors and resources, winning numerous awards-just thinking about it made her excited and flushed with anticipation.
Since the banquet was being live-streamed, she had also arranged for extra camera time from the staff managing the stream to increase her presence.
She even bought an online trending topic: #JoySmilesSweetly#.
She had resources, family support, and connections but lacked audience appeal and often faced criticism online for being a nepotism baby.
This time she was determined to seize this opportunity to become famous.
She watched eagerly as the drumming began for passing the flower.
The drummer was ready with a large red drum and two drumsticks.
Harold stood up with his wine glass and gave a brief thank-you speech before expressing gratitude to all guests.
By then, it was already ten o’clock at night.
Every year, the Fire Dance Festival began at 10:10 PM!
The countdown started quickly.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six… three, two, one!”
At Harold’s command, the drummer began drumming.
A bright bouquet of roses started being passed around by guests as they followed the rhythm of the drumbeats that grew faster and more urgent like a sudden downpour.
Everyone passed the flower with increasing tension.
Joy sat there nervously excited; she had to get that flower.
But as time ticked away and she hadn’t received it yet despite arrangements being made for her to get it at just the right moment-the drummer grew anxious too because if he didn’t stop when Joy got it-he might lose his job!
Just as he feared losing his job-Harold announced time was up!
Everyone turned their attention to see who held the bouquet now-Joy stood up angrily-what went wrong?