Mrs. Willis glanced at Dawn Dantès ' face and smiled without any sign of unease:
"Your past, your experiences in Desi Bay Southern Continent, are more fascinating than any novel I've ever read, making me yearn for the same experiences."
Of course, this is based on a true story, thanks to Anderson Hood, a Hunter who was always on the go... Klein chuckled as he glanced at the cream cakes:
"Because I only mentioned the interesting parts; there are many things I don't want to remember."
He made a simple remark and began to enjoy his dessert. But upon hearing these words, Mrs. Willis and the other ladies inexplicably thought of the title of a bestselling novel, " A Man with a Story." In their eyes, Dawn Dantès was just like that—seemingly calm on the surface, but with an unfathomable bottom, hiding many surprises as well as much pain.
At 9:40 p. m., the dinner ended. Some of the gentlemen and ladies went to the card room to play Texas Hold'em for two hours, while the remaining men went to the living room to chat for a while. This was not excluded from the ladies joining in, but because there were many smokers and the inevitable emergence of suggestive topics, no ladies participated. They either went downstairs to the piano, listening to the performer play and singing softly, or played chess and other games in twos and threes.
Klein chose to go to the second-floor living room, where he could chat with fewer people and hopefully be accepted into the circle sooner.
Upon entering the room, he surveyed the surroundings, went straight to the window, opened it, and then pulled up a high-backed chair nearby to sit down.
Just as Klein finished this series of actions, he saw Portland Moment, the host of tonight's dinner, holding a pipe and laughing heartily:
Men always need some personal space.
He was a loud-voiced, tall, ruddy-faced old man, around sixty years old, with fairly thick hair, though completely white. His facial features were very typical of an ordinary Loen person, with nothing particularly special about him.
"Yes, when the ladies are around, you have to consider your image and their feelings. I've been wanting to kiss it for an hour now." Hibbert's father, Congressman Macht, then took out an ornate silver metal box and lit a cigarette.
The other men who came into the living room did the same, magically producing pipes or cigarettes in their hands.
As the firelight flickered, wisps of smoke curled out, giving the room the feeling that yesterday's smog had not yet dissipated.
After closing his eyes and enjoying the moment for a few seconds, Portland Moment turned his head to look at the guest by the window and said:
" Dawn, don't you smoke?"
Klein clenched his fist, covered his mouth, and coughed twice, saying:
"I'm not fully recovered yet, Doctor told me not to smoke recently."
To be honest, he's about to choke, but thankfully he wisely chose a seat by the window.
These heavy smokers... Klein bent his right index finger and rubbed it in front of his nostrils.
He longed to use his " Magician's" extraordinary abilities to create invisible, thin air tubes that would extend outwards, drawing in fresh air and eliminating the harm of secondhand smoke. However, considering that there might be Beyonder among the men present, he rationally abandoned the idea.
Upon hearing this, Portland Moment laughed heartily and said:
"I heard from Bishop Electra that your illness, Dawn, is not without reason; you lack a wife!"
The professor himself was a believer in the " God of Steam and Machinery," but his wife was a believer in the " Evernight Goddess." So they settled on Böklund Street near Saint Samuel Cathedral, where bishops often visited and exchanged ideas with them.
Is this a joke about me thinking about women while I'm sick? I really can't believe Bishop Electra is such a gossipmonger... It's all " Magic Mirror " Arrodes's fault! Klein muttered to himself, then shook his head and laughed:
I respect marriage, but I'd rather stay single than not have a suitable partner.
At this moment, Mr. Willis, a senior employee of the Backlund City Hall, exhaled a smoke ring and said:
"Actually, I envy Dawn's current single status, which means I can pursue any type of woman."
He deliberately emphasized every type, causing everyone in the living room to burst into ambiguous laughter.
Has word already spread throughout the neighborhood that Dawn Dantès has a wide range of tastes and is unfazed by any type of attractive woman? Klein controlled his right hand, preventing himself from unconsciously rubbing his temple, and felt a subtle shift in his image as a sophisticated, charismatic, handsome, and articulate newcomer to the wealthy community.
He initially suspected that it was Bishop Electra, that big mouth, who had spread the word, but then he felt that it was his steward, Walter, who had the servants spread it.
Because a man with no flaws and great charm will always be unconsciously ostracized by other men in the same circle, but when he has flaws and becomes a topic of teasing, he is more likely to be approached.
Klein wasn't annoyed by the slightly suggestive teasing; instead, he gracefully gave a wry smile:
That's why I have difficulty making choices and am still single.
"Haha." Portland Moment, and the others laughed out loud at the same time.
Congressman Macht then said:
"What you need is a bit of decision-making ability. A good marriage and a good family are extremely helpful to a man."
He stopped joking and offered a serious piece of advice.
It seems that no matter which world you're in, you can't escape the Fate of being pressured to get married... Klein nodded slightly, casually glancing out the window to admire the night view of the Portland Moment family's garden.
Just then, he saw a figure: Hibbert Macht, dressed in a dark green dress, walking alone along the path into the depths of the garden, pausing occasionally to look around, as if searching for something.
Wasn't this young lady just playing the piano? How did she suddenly end up in the garden? When Klein looked away, Hibbert's figure was already hidden by a cluster of flowers.
When guests attend a banquet or ball, it is not considered impolite for them to leave the hall and enter the garden, as a moonlit stroll and the fragrance of flowers in the night breeze are considered very elegant. However, this often implies a clandestine rendezvous.
Who was Hibbert meeting with? No, it didn't seem likely. None of the people who came today could truly command her respect. Although the fright she experienced in the sewers had made her seem less arrogant, and even occasionally melancholic, deep down, she still seemed to look down on ordinary people... Dealing with the negative effects of magical artifacts? That didn't make sense. Finding a lounge or going to the bathroom would be better than going to the garden; it would be more discreet. Besides, during her family's ball, she went to the third floor, not the garden... Klein eliminated all the impossibilities and began to form a preliminary guess:
Judging from Hibbert's posture, as if she were sensing or searching for something, she seemed to have noticed something unusual and was preparing to observe and deal with it more closely?
Does this mean there are supernatural circumstances in Professor Portland Moment household?
If it's true, this professor or someone in his family is quite extraordinary... The bishops of Saint Samuel Cathedral often visit, yet they haven't discovered anything!
Hmm, the " Marauder " must have some unique senses and observational abilities...
Klein had no intention of interfering in outside affairs, because any problems that Hibbert could detect wouldn't be too dangerous. Besides, this place was very close to Saint Samuel Cathedral, so if there were any Concealment, no one would want to make a big fuss and would be very restrained.
At this moment, Congressman Macht, having recovered from the effects of the previous vulgar joke, looked at Portland Moment in the living room and said:
"I heard you're leaving Backlund University?"
Professor Portland Moment took a puff of his pipe and said:
"Yes, the Higher Education Committee wants me to serve as the president of the newly formed Backlund University of Technology. Heh, although most of my wealth comes from those alloys, my forte is mechanical engineering."
"They promised to build better labs there and give us more funding. Ha, at my age, more autonomy and better helpers are definitely more important."
Mr. Willis chimed in with a laugh:
"And Backlund University will have one more full professorship vacancy, giving those senior associate professors who have been waiting for decades another opportunity."
In the Loen higher education system, a full professor is not only a title but also a position, equivalent to a department head, so there can only be one.
Backlund University of Technology... Klein listened with a smile, refraining from speaking on topics he didn't understand.
In the garden, Hibbert came to a dark and deserted corner.
She had just noticed an unusual gathering of ants and other creatures on the ground, and her Spirit Intuition told her that something was hidden here.
This is a talent inherent in her natural Sequence; she has never made a mistake before.
She could pick out the box containing the valuable item directly from several sealed boxes without any additional assistance. Of course, she couldn't identify what it was, only that it was definitely more precious than the others.
Just like Mr. Dawn Dantès, he must have very valuable items on him... Hibbert slightly curled the corners of her mouth and turned her attention to the somewhat soft soil in front of her.
She sensed a gathering of Spirituality below, creating an attraction for insects and ghosts.
It wasn't a human body, but some used, Spirituality materials... They should have been discarded separately, but they were buried together, causing unnecessary changes... Hibbert's eyes darkened slightly as she deciphered the situation beneath the soil from the undisguised Spirituality characteristics and changes.
She slightly raised her chin, glanced back at the small building, and concluded that at least one person in the Portland Moment family possessed supernatural abilities.
If this problem in the corner of the garden isn't addressed, in a few more days, this place and several nearby houses will be haunted!
Hibbert withdrew her gaze, extended her left hand, aimed at the soil in front of her, gently grasped it, and twisted her wrist.
The Spirituality that had gathered there vanished suddenly, as if it had been stolen.
P. S.: Please vote during the double reward period!
P. S.: Regarding the physical book, the publisher has communicated with me and they are aware of everyone's opinions. They will be changing the editor in charge starting with the third volume, because the second volume needs to be handed over. All the parts that need to be revised are highlighted in red on the electronic version for my review and confirmation.