Saturday night, 8 pm.
Klein arrived at Congressman Macht's house at 39 Böklund Street in two and a half minutes in his own luxury carriage.
He glanced at the fountain pool reflecting the lights with its splashing water, then stepped down from the carriage while buttoning his tailcoat and walked slowly toward the front door of the house.
Richardson, carrying a beautifully packaged bottle of Southville red wine, followed closely behind his employer.
Upon entering the gate, Klein immediately saw Congressman Mauri Macht and his wife, Ms. Liana, coming to greet him.
The former wore an olive-green army officer's uniform with an orange sash and several medals on his chest. In the Kingdom of Loen, active or retired officers like to wear their uniforms to balls.
The latter wore a long yellow dress without a stand-up collar, with many ruffles and little delicate lace, unlike an unmarried woman. However, it also revealed her fair neck and half of her shoulder.
Klein took the bottle of Southville red wine from his personal valet Richardson, handed it to Congressman Macht, and then bowed, saying:
"Sorry I'm a few minutes late."
This is actually a common situation at Loen banquets. Guests would rather be a little late than early, because the host may still be busy making final preparations for the banquet, and it is not appropriate to entertain guests at such a time. Of course, being late should be kept within ten minutes.
If Vahana hadn't specifically taught him this basic knowledge, Klein would certainly have arrived earlier, out of courtesy.
"It's alright, the ball hasn't officially started yet." Macht glanced at the bottle of Southville red wine in his hand, handed it to his personal valet, and nodded with a smile.
In the high society of Loen, when attending a banquet for the first time, it is customary to present the host with a small gift. Among these gifts, alcoholic beverages are the most popular, but it is important to remember that the first gift should be a domestic one.
After greeting the master of the house, Klein looked at Madam Liana and saw her slightly raise her right hand. He stepped forward, took her hand, bent down, and gave it a light kiss, saying:
"Your radiance illuminated the entire ball."
Before the banquet begins, compliments to the host are one of the few occasions in Loen social settings where subtlety is not required. Unlike Intis, in Loen, the kiss on the hand must be made by the lady first before the gentleman can proceed; otherwise, it is considered a serious breach of etiquette.
"The same goes for your arrival," Madam Liana replied with a smile.
Then, the couple led Dawn Dantès through the portico and into the hall, where the melodious music was already playing.
After taking a few steps forward, Mauri Macht pointed to a young woman in a sky-blue dress and said:
"My daughter, Hibbert."
Klein then looked at the girl, his eyes suddenly narrowing!
He knew this girl!
To be precise, he had seen what the other person looked like!
When he asked Arrodes where he could get a magical item that could Stealing other people's extraordinary abilities, the scene shown by the " Magic Mirror " included a haughty girl wandering in the sewers Hibbert Macht, a young lady with long, wavy dark green hair and bright, deep brown eyes!
She possesses a magical item corresponding to the " Fire Stealer "? Given her family's circumstances, why would she wander in the sewers? Was it some kind of extraordinary encounter? What is she searching for or waiting for in the sewers? Has she become Beyonder? How did she become Beyonder? Is an old man also Parasitism within her? Could that old man, like the " Blasphemer " Amon, also sense the aura of the Gray Fog? Klein, disguised as Dawn Dantès, instantly thought of many questions, but outwardly remained calm, placing his hand on his chest and bowing:
Good evening, Miss Hibbert.
During this process, he subtly glanced at Hibbert Macht's face and noticed that the young woman had a calm expression, haughty eyes, and only responded with a polite smile:
Good evening, Mr. Dantès.
She showed no unusual reaction, which meant she was at least unable to detect the Gray Fog... As for whether the old man Parasitism, it was still uncertain and required further observation... Klein sat up, took a glass of pale gold champagne from the tray held by the waiter, and began to speak with Councilor Mauri Macht:
"I never imagined you, Congressman, were once a major."
This can be seen from the epaulets on Macht's shoulder straps.
If the other party were a colonel, Klein would suspect that this gentleman was also Beyonder, but it's hard to say with a major.
"Haha, that's nothing. There are plenty of opportunities to make a name for yourself in East Balam," Mauri Macht replied modestly. "Of course, the climate there is also very difficult to adjust to. I've been suggesting to the army leadership that we design special uniforms for West Balam, getting rid of the traditional dark colors, otherwise the officers will feel like beef on a grill."
As for the soldiers, most of them wore red tops and white bottoms.
"Yes, the climate there is completely different from that in China. Even Desi Bay isn't that hot." Klein subtly indicated that he had been to the Southern Continent and to one of the West Balam, which corroborated his hunting experience mentioned a few days ago.
After exchanging pleasantries for a few minutes, Congressman Macht apologized, and led his wife, Liana, to the stairwell. Reaching the second floor, he stood at the railing directly opposite the entrance, raised a glass of red wine, and said:
"Thank you all for attending this ball. First, let us Goddess of Beauty, the source of all goodness."
He and Madam Liana immediately tapped their chests four times and whispered praises to the goddess, while the guests also praised their respective deities in their own ways.
Congressman Macht, still holding his glass, continued speaking with a smile:
Secondly, praise the kingdom, for it is the cornerstone of stability.
"Praise be to the kingdom," Klein said, raising his glass of champagne and joining the other guests.
Then, Representative Macht looked around and asked with a touch of humor:
Finally, what should we praise?
Klein had an idea and laughed loudly:
"Praise for the improved air quality in Backlund."
Congressman Macht paused for a moment, then responded with an uncontrollable smile:
"Very good, that's a good suggestion."
"Let's toast to the improved air quality in Backlund, a symbol of our better lives! Cheers!"
Combating air pollution has always been a political principle for this Member of Parliament. He has consistently promoted the enactment of relevant legislation on various occasions, playing a significant role in environmental improvement. Therefore, praising the improved air quality in Backlund is tantamount to praising him, and in a more subtle and aboveboard way.
The guests responded enthusiastically and drank their alcoholic beverages.
Immediately afterwards, Congressman Macht took Madam Liana's hand and led her down to the lobby on the first floor, where they danced the opening dance to a soft melody.
The men present began searching for their first dance partner, while Klein picked up another glass of champagne and leisurely surveyed the guests.
Oh, Mrs. Mary is here too... He glanced around and spotted a familiar face: Mrs. Mary, a major shareholder of Coim Company, worth tens of thousands of pounds, who had once commissioned Sherlock Moriarty to catch Mary husband in adultery.
She was a member of the Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Commission, and it was normal for her to be close to the senator who supported the matter... Klein didn't try to go over and invite her to dance because he was Dawn Dantès now and didn't know any ladies outside the block.
He looked away and saw Hibbert Macht holding a glass of white wine, standing on the edge of the room with a slightly aloof smile, watching the men each select their partners and prepare to invite them to dance.
This young lady was actually quite beautiful, with a graceful and elegant appearance. She should have been the star of the ball, with everyone vying to invite her to dance. However, her haughty attitude, which carried a sense of superiority, caused the men who had their eyes on her to shift their attention elsewhere.
I've seen that look in the eyes of some Beyonder. They consider themselves no longer ordinary and have a strong sense of superiority when facing ordinary people... Heh, this means Miss Hibbert is most likely Beyonder... That makes sense, Beyonder how would she dare to wander in the sewers... Is she a " Marauder "? But how can such an arrogant demeanor Acting of a " Marauder " and a " Cryptologist "? It's hard to imagine... Seeing that the opening dance of the congressman and his wife was about to end, Klein also began to seriously consider which lady to invite.
Dawn Dantès, in his early forties, inviting a young girl to his first dance is rather inappropriate, unless she is a confirmed junior. Ladies usually give their first dance to their husbands... well, they should invite someone they know or the host of the ball... Klein's gaze swept around the dance floor, finding only one lady Dawn Dantès recognized: the etiquette teacher, Vahana.
Invite her? No, she should already know about my previous secret help. Inviting her to dance the first dance now would easily lead to misunderstandings, potentially affecting her relationship with her husband and causing unnecessary trouble for Dawn Dantès... I'm not an emperor who has a thing for married women, no, he has all sorts of things. In short, I should avoid suspicion... As Klein's gaze shifted, he heard the music change, from gentle to lively.
This is a type of music popular in the central countryside of Loen, favored by nobles and often used to accompany the first dance.
As the melody changed, the men walked toward the ladies or young women they had chosen, and Klein noticed that no one went near Hibbert Macht.
She was one of the hosts of the ball... and I could observe her up close... Heh, if she really was Beyonder of the " Marauder " pathway, then it means that the Gray Fog also has a certain "aggregating power" on the similar pathways of the " Seer "... Klein walked towards the proud girl with a gentle smile, neither too fast nor too slow.
"Miss Hibbert, may I have this dance?" Dawn Dantès graying, asked with perfect form.
Hibbert glanced at him, paused for a few seconds, and then said:
"It's my pleasure."
She then extended her palm.
Klein politely took her hand and led her onto the dance floor, where they began to dance a light and lively dance to the rhythm.
After glancing at the other person's beautiful but expressionless face, Klein smiled tentatively and said:
"I just noticed that many young gentlemen wanted to ask you to dance, but none of them had the courage."
Hibbert raised her head, her gaze sweeping over the scene as she said:
"Mr. Dantès, this is not a polite topic."
... Klein was momentarily speechless, unsure how to continue...