Part 4 The Undead Chapter 27 The First Dance
Saturday evening, eight o’clock.
Crane arrived at Senator Macht’s house at 39 Birklund Street in two and a half minutes in his own high-class carriage.
Glancing at the fountain pool, whose water clattered and reflected the lights, he buttoned his tuxedo formal dress as he stepped out of the carriage and walked slowly to the front door of the house.
Richardson, on the other hand, followed his employer with a beautifully wrapped bottle of Southwell red wine.
Entering the front door, Crane caught a glimpse of Senator Murray Macht and his wife, Lady Liana, welcoming him.
The former wore an olive-green Army officer’s uniform with an orange ribbon and several medals on his chest – in the Kingdom of Ruin, active or retired officers preferred to wear military uniforms at balls.
The latter was dressed in a long, yellow, non-stand-up collar dress with more ruffles and less delicate lace, as distinct from an unmarried lady, though, again, it showed off a pale neck and half a shoulder.
Klein took the bottle of Southwell red wine from his valet Richardson and handed it to Councilor Macht, then curtsied:
”Sorry for being a few minutes late.”
This was actually a common situation at Rune banquets, where guests would rather be a certain amount of time late than early, as the host might still be busy making the final preparations for the banquet, and it would be inappropriate to entertain the guests at such a time, and of course, tardiness would have to be kept to ten minutes or less as much as possible.
If Vahana hadn’t been specifically taught common sense in this regard, Klein would certainly have politely arrived some time early.
”It’s okay, the ball hasn’t officially started yet.” Macht glanced at the Southwell red wine in his hand and nodded with a smile while handing it to his personal manservant.
In the upper class social scene of Ruin, the first time one attended a party held by the other party, one must give the host a small gift, of which, alcoholic beverages were the most popular, but one must remember that for the first time, one had to pick a domestic one.
After greeting the hostess, Klein looked again at Lady Liana, and seeing that she raised her right hand slightly, stepped forward, took her palm, and bending over, kissed it in vain, saying:
”Your light illuminates the whole ball.”
Compliments to the host before the party began were one of the few places in Ruin’s social scene where subtlety was not required, and unlike Intis, Ruin’s kiss of the hand had to be a sign from the lady before the man could proceed down the line, or it was a serious breach of etiquette.
”The same goes for your arrival.” Lady Liana responded with a smile.
Then the couple led Dawn Dantes through the portico and into the hall, where the lilting melody had long since echoed.
A few steps forward, Morrie Macht pointed to a young girl in a sky-blue gown:
”My daughter, Hazel.”
Klein then looked at the young girl, and his eyes suddenly contracted!
He knew this young girl!
To be precise, he had seen the other party’s image!
When he asked Aroldus where he could get a magical item that could steal other people’s extraordinary abilities, one of the scenes shown in the “Magic Mirror” was a haughty young girl wandering in the sewers, and this was none other than Hazel Macht, a young lady with long dark green wavy hair and dark brown bright eyes!
She has a magical item that corresponds to the Fire Thief? How did she end up in the sewers, given her family’s circumstances? Is that her own adventure? What is she looking for or waiting for in the sewers? She’s become an Extraordinary? How? Is there an old man inside her? Could he be able to detect the gray mist like Amon the Blasphemer? Klein, who was wearing the “skin” of Dawn Dantes, instantly thought of a lot of questions, but on the surface, he did not move and saluted by pressing his chest:
”Good evening, Ms. Hazel.”
During this process, he quietly scanned Hazel Macht’s face and found that the young girl had a flat expression and haughty eyes, and only responded with a polite smile:
”Good evening, Mr. Dantes.”
She did not react abnormally, which means that at least she is unable to detect the gray mist breath …… As for whether she has the old grandfather parasitism, it is not possible to determine for the time being, and we have to continue to observe …… Klein pivoted his body, and took a glass of light gold from the tray carried by the waiter next to him champagne and turned to talk to Councilor Morrie Macht:
”I didn’t realize you were once a Major, Councilman.”
That was judging by Senator Macht’s shoulder patch.
If the other man had been a colonel, Klein would have to suspect that the gentleman was also extraordinary, but a major was hard to tell.
”Haha, it’s nothing, there are too many opportunities to build merit in East Byron.” Murray Macht responded modestly, “Of course, the climate there is also very uncomfortable, I’ve been suggesting to the upper echelons of the Army to design special uniforms for East and West Byron, eschewing the traditional dark colors, otherwise the officers will feel like beef on the grill.”
As for the soldiers, they are mostly red on top and white on the bottom.
”Yes, the climate there is completely different from home, even Dixie Bay, it’s not that hot.” Klein, if anything, indicated that he had been to the southern continent, to one of the East and West Byron, corroborating with the hunting experience mentioned a few days ago.
After a few minutes of pleasantries, Councilor Macht apologized and led his wife, Liana, towards the stairway and up to the second level, where he raised his glass with red wine at the fence facing the gate and said:
”Thank you all for attending this ball, and first, let us praise the gods, the source of all good.”
He and Lady Liana whirled and nodded four times on their chests, whispering praises to the goddesses, and the guests each praised the gods of their faith in a corresponding manner.
Councilor Macht, still holding his cup without setting it down, continued with a smile:
”Secondly, praise the Kingdom, the cornerstone of stability.”
”Praise the Kingdom.” Klein raised his champagne-filled glass and followed the guests around him.
Then Councilor Macht looked around the room and asked wryly:
”Finally, what shall we praise?”
Klein laughed aloud at the thought:
”Praise for the better air in Birkeland.”
Councilman Macht froze for a moment and could hardly contain his smile as he responded:
”Very well, that’s a good suggestion.
”Let’s praise the air in Birkeland for getting better, it’s a symbol of our better life, cheers!”
Combating air pollution has always been his political philosophy as a member of the House of Commons, and he has always pushed for the enactment of the corresponding bills on various occasions, and played no small role in environmental improvement, so praising the air in Birkeland for getting better is tantamount to praising him, and it’s more subtle and more honorable.
The guests responded warmly to him, sipping the alcoholic beverages in their hands.
Immediately afterward, Senator Macht took Mrs. Liana by the hand and descended to the first-floor hall for an opening dance to a soft melody.
While the men in the room began to look for the first dance partner they wanted to invite, Klein reclaimed his glass of champagne and leisurely surveyed the guests.
Hey, Mrs. Mary also came …… He swept through with a glance and found an acquaintance: the major shareholder of the Cowiem Company, worth tens of thousands of pounds, once commissioned Sherlock Moriarty to catch an adulterer, Mrs. Mary.
She was a member of the Air Pollution Inquiry Committee, and it was normal for her to be close to the MP who supported the matter …… Crane didn’t try to go over and ask the other side to dance, because he was now Dawn Dantes, and didn’t know any ladies from blocks away.
He withdrew his gaze and looked elsewhere, seeing Hazel Macht standing off to the edge with a glass of white wine and a slightly detached smile as she watched the men individually lock up their subjects and prepare to ask for a dance.
This young lady is actually very good-looking, atmospheric and soft, should be the star of the ball, the crowd competing for the invitation to dance, but her kind of condescending attitude with the implication of condescension, so that one of the men who cast their eyes on her have shifted the target.
This kind of look, I have seen it in certain extraordinary people, they think they are no longer mortal, and when they face ordinary people, they will have a strong sense of superiority …… Oh, this shows that Miss Hazel probability is an extraordinary person ah …… Also right, if it is not an extraordinary person, how would she dare to be in the If not, how would she dare to wander in the sewers …… She is the “stealer” way? But how can she play the role of “thief” and “swindler” with such a haughty look? It’s hard to imagine …… Klein saw that the opening dance of the congressman and his wife was coming to an end, and began to seriously consider which lady to invite.
Dawn Dantes was in her early forties, and it wasn’t quite right to invite a teenage girl for the first dance, unless that was a confirmed late bloomer, whereas the first dances of the ladies should all go to their husbands …… Well, one should invite a familiar face or the host of the ball …… Crane’s gaze swept the dance floor and found only one lady that Dawn Dantes was familiar with: the etiquette teacher, Vahana.
Invite her? No, the previous secret help, she should already know, this kind of time and then invite her to dance the first dance, it is easy to let her misunderstand, maybe it will affect her couple s feelings, and give Dawn Dantes this identity to cause a lot of unnecessary trouble …… I’m not a great emperor who is addicted to people s wives, no, he’s addicted to everything, in short, it’s time to avoid suspicion. To avoid suspicion …… While Klein s eyes were moving, he heard the music change, from soft to light and fast.
This is a kind of music popular in the countryside of central Rouen, loved by the nobles, often used to match the first dance.
As the melody changed, the men moved toward the chosen lady or ladies, and Klein noticed that no one moved closer to Hazel Macht.
She was one of the hosts of the ball …… and could be observed at close quarters …… Oh, if she was really an extraordinary person in the way of the “Stealer,” it meant that the Gray Mist had no influence on the “Diviner” similar pathway also has a certain “convergence” ah …… Klein held a gentle smile, quickly and slowly walked towards the haughty girl.
”Ms. Hazel, may I ask you for a dance?” Dawn Dantes, who had gray sideburns, saluted with standard movements.
Hazel glanced at him and said after a few seconds of silence:
”It would be an honor.”
She extended her palm with it.
Klein politely pulled her into a light and lively dance to the melody as they entered the dance floor.
Glancing at the other woman’s soft but expressionless face, Klein smiled with a tentative mind:
”I just noticed that many young gentlemen wanted to ask you to dance, but couldn’t muster the courage.”
Hazel lifted her head slightly and said with a sweep of her eyes:
”Mr. Dantes, this is not a polite subject.”
…… Klein choked for a moment, not knowing how to follow up.