Part 1 The Joker Chapter 188 – The Prom
A firm nose, sparse eyebrows, slightly sagging cheeks, and pale blue eyes …… Zilingus looked at himself in the mirror and examined him up and down several times to make sure there was no difference from the unconscious man.
After comparing a few of the other man’s habitual movements, he bent down and dragged the man on the floor aside and shoved him into the closet.
Then, reaching forward with his right hand, he clicked and snapped the other man’s neck.
Pulling out a handkerchief and wiping his palms, Zillinger pulled the closet door closed.
He eased back to the dressing mirror, donned a black double-breasted tuxedo and tied a bow tie, then grabbed a bottle of amber-colored perfume and applied a few drops to his wrists, then rubbed them onto different parts of his body.
Looking in the mirror and combing his hair, Zillinger stepped out of his room, closing it with his hand as he did so, and addressed the butler waiting outside:
”Don’t let anyone enter my room, there are important items inside.”
”Yes, Baron!” The mottled-haired butler pressed his hand against his chest and bowed, “Your carriage and accompanying servants are waiting for you downstairs, and Duke Negan’s invitation is there as well.”
Tsilingus maintained his baronial demeanor, nodding lightly with a faintly unseen nod, and accompanied by the butler, he walked towards the stairway with a haughty demeanor.
Heh, a baron who carries quite a bit of debt and can’t even afford to hire ordinary security personnel, but maintains a butler, a valet, two attendants, two first-class maids, four second-class maids, two laundry maids, a coachman, a horse feeder, a gardener, a cook, a cook’s helper, decency really trumps everything for these stupid nobles! …… It makes me waste my time learning their odd pronunciation of certain words and their so-called aristocratic accents …… Zilingus thought in his heart with cold and disdain.
……
BECKLAND, JORWOOD DISTRICT Inside some narrow apartment.
Hugh Dilcha sat cross-legged on his bed, looking at Forsyth Waldau, who was reading a novel with the help of the window’s light:
”It’s so desperate, Zylingus hasn’t left a single clue, and it’s never been possible to find out exactly what he wanted to do in Bakerland.”
The women followed their predetermined planning and rolled over to the police, secretly sending letters to the receiving police department detailing the bizarre conditions at the murder scene and the suspected Zillinger’s culprit.
The police department’s response was not what they expected, but they were cautious and passed it directly to the “Punisher” team.
After a day of brewing, the story of “Hurricane Lieutenant General” Zillinger’s infiltration into Birkeland spread to all the “law enforcement squads”, and Hugh and Fowles left their original rented place and went into hiding to conduct a covert investigation.
They don’t want to be brought back to the police station to assist in the investigation, whether it’s the “substitutes”, or “night watchmen”, as well as the members of the “mechanical heart” team, all hostile to the non-official extraordinary people, as they regard them as the official All of them are hostile to the non-official Extraordinaires and regard them as potential criminals.
Therefore, Hugh and Voorhees were not only running away from the possible pursuit of Zylingus, but also avoiding the “enforcers”.
”If it was so easy for us to find out what he was up to, Zillinger would have been buried in the cemetery long ago, and there would have been thick weeds growing in front of the tombstone.” Forsyth replied unhurriedly, “What we need is to wait patiently, as long as this kind of intensity of elimination continues, Zylingus is bound to make a mistake, I have to say that the magical items that can allow people to change into different appearances are really enviable.”
Hugh clasped his hands on his knees and looked towards the window sill and said:
”I’m just worried that Zylingus will act in a short period of time, and then flee Beckland before everyone reacts.”
”That way, I don’t know when I’ll be able to promote to Sequence 8, let alone Sequence 6, Sequence 5 ……”
She paused for a few seconds and murmured in a dazed outburst:
”Even more so, I don’t know when I’ll get back what belongs to our family …… I haven’t seen my brother in almost a year ……”
Forsyth smiled broadly:
”When you have accomplished your heart’s desire, allow me to write a story about your experience, it will certainly be very exciting and very interesting.”
”Well, actually, I think that with Miss Audrey’s generosity, even if this is how it ends, she’ll give us a nice bounty, after all the time we’ve been busy, and after all the time we’ve made Zylingus show up of his own accord.”
”I hope so …… Hey, why can’t I have a strange encounter?” Hugh scratched his shoulder length blonde hair haphazardly.
Voorhees frowned slightly:
”In the transcendental world, strange encounters are often accompanied by dangers, I’m still not sure what that murmuring that occurs when there is a full moon actually represents, and whether it will cause any bad changes, huh, strange encounters without dangers also exist, but they are very, very rare, and it is really difficult for your wish to come true unless, unless we can get the favor of the orthodox deities or a certain friendly watchful eye of a hidden being, however, it is difficult for us to tell whether this is the disguise of an evil demon or not.”
Hugh straightened his back and drew a Crimson Moon on his chest and said:
”May the Goddess protect me!”
……
Inside Duke Negan’s mansion in the Queen’s Quarter of Birkeland, a grand ball was in progress.
It was divided into two parts, one was the hall where the dancing took place, it was located on the ground floor, paved with gorgeous stone slabs carved with intricate patterns, and in the corner there was an excellent band belonging to the Duke, and up the steps of the hall, there was the cloisters located on the second floor, which encircled the room in a circle, and the guests, with glasses of wine in their hands, stood in front of the railing, overlooking the dances below, similar to enjoying the fencing activities from the position of the grandstands, and from time to time there were gentlemen who came up to a young lady or a Madame, and, if permitted, they walked down the stairs and into the hall, both holding hands.
On the other side of the cloister, which was not near the hall, there was door after door, behind which were essentially guest lounges.
However, behind one of the doors that opened opposite the other was a corridor with different plaster statues standing on either side, all belonging to the Negan family’s forefathers.
All the way to the end, another part of the ball could be seen, which was also a hall, with long tables set up with all kinds of food and wine, and another band belonging to the Duke playing melodious and relaxing music for the guests.
Inside this hall, guests gathered in small groups, sitting or standing and communicating about various things, while those who wished to escape the hustle and bustle for a short time entered one of the balconies attached to the hall and looked out over the gardens and the red moon in the sky.
Audrey Hall, who had danced the opening dance, was standing on the second floor of the ballroom, staring blankly at the huge crystal chandelier that hung down from the roof and the candles on it, but after realizing that a number of people were eager to come over and invite them to dance, she wisely left the room and stepped onto the corridor leading to the “dining room”.
It’s so boring, but I can’t help but join in …… Hey, can’t they just let me be quiet and observe? I have to say, some people dance with a lot of expression, always remind me of those courtship animals …… Audrey looked down at her own toes, bored with the one-step.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure approaching, and she busily slowed down her steps, straightened her back, and instantly transformed back into the elegant and quiet Miss Hall.
”Hello, Baron Gramiel.” Audrey greeted with a flawless smile and etiquette.
Across the room, Baron Gramiel, with his thinning eyebrows and pale blue eyes, smiled and curtsied:
”Hello Miss Hall, you are the brightest and most dazzling jewel of this ball.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Baron Gramiel walked towards the ballroom, while Audrey continued to approach the “dining room” location.
After a few steps, she suddenly frowned, her turquoise eyes filled with confusion:
”Baron Gramiel is not quite the same as usual ah ……”
”In the past, when he saw the higher status than himself and more beautiful ladies and madams, his eyes would move to the side, not daring to look directly at them, and then constantly peeking …… But today, he seems very confident …… ”
”Also, the smell of his perfume is not right, when he used to participate in various parties, what he exuded was ‘Amber’ the tail note of this perfume, musk pure and light, not showy but noble, that is to say, he would spray the perfume a few hours in advance, so that the top note and the middle note could all evaporate before the party, but just now. The scent on him was the middle note of ‘Amber’, dense and thick and elegant ……”
Audrey’s footsteps were getting slower and slower, as a “spectator” who had thoroughly digested the magic potion, her keenness for details was by no means comparable to other extraordinary people.
Suddenly, she thought of a possibility, and her turquoise crystal eyes froze for a moment:
”It couldn’t be Zylingus in disguise, could it?”
”‘Creeping Hunger’ has the ability to make people change into different appearances!”
……
The more Audrey thought about it, the more she thought it was a possibility, and a heart lifted up in a sudden rush of tension and panic.
”If it’s really the ‘Hurricane Lieutenant General’, what does he want to do? It’s a pity that we can’t bring Susie to this ball, or we could have him secretly observe Baron Grammell just now …… No, I must warn Papa!” Between thoughts, Audrey quickened her pace and entered the dining room to find the Earl of Hall, who was exchanging words with the Chief Secretary of the Cabinet and others.
Crafting an impeccable smile, she walked over, took Earl Hall’s arm, and addressed the others:
”Gentlemen, may I borrow Earl Hall for a few minutes?”
”That’s your right, beautiful lady.” Several gentlemen responded in a friendly manner.
Audrey dragged Earl Hall to the nearest balcony, found a secluded corner, and addressed her middle-aged, blonde father:
”Papa, I have something to tell you.”
Earl Hall was originally wearing a doting smile, but seeing his daughter’s very serious expression, he also became serious:
”What is it?”
”I just met Baron Gramielmeier, but he was different from before in certain details, for example, the smell of the perfume he was wearing belonged to the middle note of ‘Amber’, which used to be the end note , e.g. …… “Audrey spoke of the differences she had observed, which were able to be explained by keenness and attentiveness.
After describing what had just happened, she added with deliberation:
”I heard Viscount Grelint mention that ‘Hurricane Lieutenant General’ Zilingus has the ability to change into other people’s appearance, and wasn’t he in Berkland recently?”
Earl Hall listened quietly, his expression becoming unusually grave.
However, he quickly revealed a smile and soothed his slightly flustered daughter, saying:
”I’ll take care of it, you go find your mom and stay with her, she’s inside the lounge in this hall.”
”Okay.” Audrey said with a good-natured nod.
On her way to the lounge, she glanced back at her father, only to see Earl Hall exchanging something in a low voice with a nobleman with a rather serious expression.
Audrey’s heart couldn’t help but hang in the air again, feeling that she had to do something before something happened to her father, mother, and brother.
Looking around the room, she changed direction and left the dining room, entering a corridor and familiarly finding the small prayer room of Duke Negan’s house.
She pushed the door in and locked it with her backhand, glancing at the Storm Lord symbol in front of her and subconsciously looking for a secluded, dark corner.
Audrey sat down, leaning forward and interlocking her hands in a prayer position against her forehead.
Then, she chanted in a low voice in Hermetic:
”O fool who does not belong to this age, you are the mysterious lord above the gray mist, you are the yellow and black king who reigns over good fortune.”