The prototype of the Masked Banquet is the Masked Ball, a social event that is still popular in the Republic of Intis. Naturally, guests are required to wear masks to enter.
After realizing this, Klein looked at himself in the mirror, who looked a little unfamiliar, and suddenly felt a little indescribable frustration.
For the first time, he realized that he actually had great potential if he dressed up. It was a pity that such a handsome face had to be covered with a mask after entering the banquet venue...
What a pity!
"Well, in order to differentiate it from your original appearance, I slightly modified your face shape, mainly by applying more shadows to your chin and nose, and the same goes for your eye sockets..."
Klein listened to Alice's reinterpretation of the phrase "slightly modified" and took what looked like a business card from her.
Looking down, I saw a name printed in large font on the card, as well as an identity introduction in small font: "Edward Barton, Department Manager, Cage Barton Trading Company, Desea County".
Thinking of his wheat-colored skin, he looked at the girl with understanding: "Is this my fake identity this time?"
Alice nodded, and showed him the card with another name on it, but did not hand it over.
Klein saw a female name written on it, "Claire Sibley," but there was no introduction to her identity.
He was puzzled at first, but soon realized: If Alice wanted to disguise herself as a witch to sneak in, then it would be normal for her to conceal her identity and interpersonal relationships in ordinary society.
However, as his mind became more active, Klein soon considered another problem.
"People in Disi speak Loenese with an accent... I'm afraid I won't be able to imitate it and people will suspect me."
Alice just shook her head:
"You don't need to imitate the local accent. If you encounter a situation where you have to socialize, you can explain that you completed college courses in Ahowa County and haven't been home for many years, so your speaking habits have changed a little... Of course, I'm just giving an example, you can also find other excuses."
It seems to make sense... but there are still some hidden dangers.
Klein thought for a few seconds and then pointed out another point:
"The position of department manager is a bit awkward... What if someone who has trade dealings with this company comes to chat with me, I can't be ignorant of everything, right?... No, if there is a connection between Edward Barton and Cage Barton Company, for example, if my father is the boss, it will be even more difficult to explain at that time, right?"
Alice held up the business card in her hand, covered her mouth and chuckled:
"Not to mention that the guests in the venue are all wearing masks... Who do you think would talk about business during the dinner if it was really a dinner hosted by the witch? Even if there is such a person, you can send him away in a mask before revealing this fake identity. However, Klein, you have to be careful. If you meet a man who is very interested in you at the dinner, don't drink the wine handed to you by him... Well, the same goes for women."
Boys have to protect themselves when they go out... I know this! Klein complained silently in his heart and nodded woodenly with no expression on his face.
"Also, because I'm still unsure about certain issues during the dinner, Edward and Claire's relationship is temporarily defined as a couple who haven't held an engagement party yet. As for whether they should act affectionate or just pretend to be in love, that depends on the situation... What do you think, Klein?"
... Play a couple with her?
Klein thought, in the eyes of Benson and Melissa, he and Alice don't need to pretend to be a couple, so how difficult can it be...
However, no matter how much he thought about it, when he actually heard her request, Klein still felt as if his heart skipped a beat, as if it had been tickled.
"It depends on the situation. Which situation?" He finally asked reluctantly.
"Well, you'll understand when the dinner starts… If you don't have any other questions, I'll start explaining the next part."
Seeing that Klein didn't object, Alice turned around and walked to the cart, took out a square box and placed it on the desk, then motioned for Klein to go over and open it.
He opened the box as he was told, and was not surprised to see a black half-covered mask and a small, exquisite silver-white leaf-shaped ornament. He didn't know what it was used for.
"These two items are magic props from 'the other world'. Hmm, if you translate them into your understanding, they are probably magical props with extraordinary powers..."
Similar to a sealed item?
"Are there any side effects?" Klein interrupted her subconsciously.
Alice didn't seem to understand what he meant, but still replied:
"Based on my own current usage, no."
According to Alice, the function of the black mask is to blur the user's facial features to a certain extent and dilute the sense of presence. The overall effect is similar to the spells she usually maintains on her body, but it is relatively weakened. It can only blur the impression of others within a range of five meters at most.
Additionally, the mask's wearer can control the intensity of the effect with two simple casting syllables: "parantta" or "tymine."
The second item, a silver-white leaf-shaped prop that Klein thought was a hair accessory, was actually an earring.
As for its function -
"It can keep the wearer awake and calm, resist external mental interference, and exempt from most negative mental states, including but not limited to charm, fear, madness, deterrence, mental control, and other such effects?"
Klein looked blankly, turned his head to look at Alice and repeated what she had just said.
And she nodded as a matter of course.
"Can it calm the madness?" he asked again.
As if she finally understood what he meant, Alice nodded first, then slowly shook her head:
"If this madness comes from the wearer's heart, then as long as he takes off this earring, he will still not be able to escape the fate of being out of control... Furthermore, most magic props have a service life. If the madness continues, this earring can only support him for five or six more days at most."
Is that why it is emphasized that it is to resist external mental interference... Klein nodded silently to show that he understood.
"In addition, this is just a side effect of this earring. Its most important function is to conduct telepathic communication..."
Alice explained to him how to turn on and off the casting syllables of telepathic communication, then turned her long hair to the side of her head, motioning for him to look at her right ear - where she was also wearing an earring of the same style.
The clock's hand gradually approached six o'clock. Alice said that she should change into her dress, so she left Klein alone to study how to use the two magical items and went to another room.
Does it take a lot of time for women to dress up? Don't be late for the dinner party later...
Klein thought to himself. Putting aside other effects, just looking at the communication function of this earring, it is quite similar to the wireless walkie-talkies before the time travel. Press a button to start a call, and release the button to end the call... However, now the button has become a casting syllable. No other movements are required, just move your mouth.
Come to think of it, Alice seemed to have no doubt that he could activate these items. Why? Because she knew that he was a Beyonder and could mobilize spiritual power?
Then think boldly, if spiritual power is roughly equal to the magic power or mental power in her world... In short, no matter which statement is used, even if the form of power is not exactly the same, there are similarities. Does that mean that he has the opportunity to learn magic from another world?
Klein returned to reality after having a lot of wild thoughts in his mind. He first used the gold coin divination method to determine that there were no safety hazards in these two items, and then he was ready to try the telepathic communication function of the earring.
I don't know if it uses some kind of black technology from another world, but the silver leaf-shaped earring does not require the wearer to pierce their ears, and it can be firmly attached to the earlobe.
Klein put it on and felt his condition for a while. He indeed felt that his mind seemed clearer and his thoughts seemed to be clearer.
After adjusting his state, he recalled the opening syllable Alice told him several times, and then chanted it in a low voice:
"avoin."
No, the tone was not the same as when she chanted...
He frowned slightly, trying to recall Alice's speaking speed and tone at the time, and tried several more times.
"Avoin."
After chanting for the fifth time, Klein clearly felt a mysterious power that made his ears and eyes clear surging from the place where he wore the ornament.
Along with a refreshing feeling that could wash over his soul, his mind became very calm, and it seemed that his judgment could no longer be shaken by things beyond reason. His entire spirit seemed to be lighter, freed from the constraints of the mortal body.
What a magical feeling. This is the "on" state that Alice mentioned. It will activate the original mental protection function exponentially, and at the same time open up mental communication with others... Eh, I wonder if different calls will be cross-talked if multiple people wear this kind of earrings at the same time...
Wait, it has entered the on state now, right? Then didn't Alice hear everything I just thought about?
"Yes, I did hear it. Klein, I find that your inner activities seem to be quite... lively, which is not usually noticeable."
The calm and pleasant female voice that seemed a little more ethereal than the real world resounded directly from the depths of his heart, and it also shocked him subconsciously and opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
"Well, you are too honest. You just said in your heart that my voice is ethereal and pleasant... Because it is the truth, I have to admit it - you can praise me a few more times, I don't mind."
...
Can you be more shameless, this witch?
...Uh, this sentence, was also heard by, right?...It's over, I can't stop the thoughts in my head at all!
Huh, calm down, stay calm... Wait, the essence of the mind protection function of the earrings is to ensure the quality of calls and allow people to express their ideas in a stable mood?
The voice of Alice that reached deep into his heart had a little more cheerfulness and interest.
"So, in your heart I don't even need to act, I'm already a witch... As for being shameless, I have to deny it, because this is a corridor for telepathy, all lies and pretense are useless, after all, thoughts cannot be false... Of course, there is also telepathy magic that can create a false personality, but that is a special case and will not be discussed now. Besides, I just like to hear other people's compliments, what's wrong with that?
Finally, about this earring, it has a name called 'Breath of Glopertel'... Well, it's a bit difficult to pronounce and not easy to remember. You can give it a simpler name... I've gone off topic. It's similar to what you guessed, telepathy is just a side effect, and covert communication regardless of distance is its most useful function. After all, if you really need the telepathy effect, you can choose other more professional products... Well, similar props are not cheap."
... Indeed, this kind of cheating-level stuff is really useful in conveying messages.
It's rare for Alice to explain in such detail. Is it because she is in the spiritual world? She is so considerate that she is a little nagging...
Stop! I can't think about it anymore!
I should remind her to pay attention to the time. It's almost six o'clock. If she doesn't put on her dress and go out, she will be late!
"I'll be there in a minute...five minutes at most!"
Alice's voice didn't sound at all urgent.
When the woman said five minutes, who knows how many five minutes she was referring to?
Ah, thoughts always appear so quickly that reason can't catch up... If he was the kind of person who said whatever he thought in real life, he would have been beaten to death long ago...
Stop, stop, don't think about it anymore! What is the syllable to close the telepathic call? Su...
Sule?
"It's sulje." Alice reminded him with a smile, and then said, "It's normal to feel a little uncomfortable when using it for the first time. Once you become proficient, you won't convey unnecessary thoughts to me."
Klein tried to recite the syllable to close the telepathic call three times, suppressing his embarrassment and successfully ending the telepathic call. Most of the strange energy that kept the mind clear and calm also dissipated, and the refreshing feeling that cleansed the soul almost completely disappeared.
Fortunately, I didn't think of anything weird… Otherwise, it would be bad enough for me to be socially disfigured, but if my identity as a time traveler and the mysterious luck-changing ritual were exposed, who knows what serious consequences there would be.
Well, but with this earring, it seems that it can indeed resist the charm of Alice. At least after the earrings were fully functional after the spellcasting syllables, he could feel that his mind was somewhat close to the state after being "disinfected" in the gray fog, and he was very clear and rational.
This thing is pretty good. If Alice is willing to give him one, he won't have to make those anti-enchantment amulets anymore.
No, forget it. She will definitely ask for an equal exchange, and he obviously can't afford the price she wants... He can't pay off the debt with his body, right? He has to have some dignity.
In the following time, Klein picked up the black mask and pondered it again. However, due to the lack of test subjects, he only mastered the control of the tone and pronunciation of the syllables and did not try any further.
Later, the familiar butler came over and asked him to go downstairs and take the carriage.
Klein was slightly stunned and subconsciously took out his pocket watch to check the time.
"It really took five minutes..."
...
On the way to the suburban manor, Alice briefly mentioned some issues that she had not had time to elaborate on before, such as the potion she promised, and the activities that Klein could freely choose as the dinner progressed:
when the two of them acted together, since Klein's tuxedo could not hide anything too obvious, Alice would be responsible for carrying the small bottles of potion - when she said this, Alice glanced at his pocket and didn't say anything, but Klein knew that she was looking at the bottle of energy potion that he was reluctant and didn't dare to drink.
When they go their separate ways, Alice goes to investigate the witch, and Klein can wander around the dinner party, tasting food and wine from all over the world. If he's interested, he can also go dancing with others, but it's best to decline those more ambiguous invitations...
In short.
Klein's task during the dinner was to accompany Alice in the opening stage of the pretend play and slack off on the sidelines. Afterwards, he was free to move around and eat, drink, and have fun as he pleased, as long as he didn't get targeted by the real witch.
Is this what it feels like to be a human pendant... It's pretty good and not difficult at all. Unfortunately, I don't know how to ballroom dance, so I'll forget about dancing.
After thinking for a while, Klein asked another question:
"However, you said that the dinner was hosted by witches. Can the food there be eaten normally?"
Although he had limited knowledge of witches and the witch sects behind them, judging from the Nighthawks' information and the simple description revealed by Captain Dunn, basically every witch had experienced the stages of being an "assassin" and "instigator", was a member of an extremist organization, and often planned tragedies. Sequence 6 witches were even "joyful"...
The nature of this dinner would not be just a place for eating, drinking and having fun.
"To be on the safe side, it's definitely better not to touch the food inside, but if you want to taste it, that's fine. I have prepared antidotes and purification potions that won't let you die suddenly."
Alice said so bluntly.
Well, that makes sense. Alice must have prepared a backup plan, but we can't rely entirely on her... Oh, he can use divination to confirm whether the food is safe and can be eaten normally!
As Klein thought about this, he gradually relaxed. He no longer felt nervous when facing Alice, who was dressed up in her gorgeous attire, and his heart rate slowly returned to normal.
——The premise is that he does not look at the large expanses of snow-white skin exposed on her shoulders and chest, but only stares at the lace tulle and ribbon decorations on the light navy high-waisted dress, concentrating on emptying his mind.
There is no way, the feeling of oppression... is too great... I can't bear it.
Perhaps because he didn't get enough rest last night, the shaking of the carriage made him particularly tired, and Klein took a nap without realizing it. It was not until the vibration from the seat under him gradually weakened that he woke up from the drowsy state of his nap.
He quickly checked his appearance to make sure he hadn't behaved in a disrespectful manner and that he looked presentable overall.
At this time, the coachman in front had handed the invitations to the servant at the entrance of the manor. The two servants serving the owner of the manor then separated one of them and looked inside the carriage.
This is to confirm whether the guests sitting in the carriage are wearing appropriate attire for the banquet, and whether there are any suspicious people other than guests in the carriage.
Seeing this, Klein quickly reached out and took the black mask next to the seat, put it on his eyes, and then raised his eyes to meet the eyes of the beautiful "witch" who was holding a folding fan to cover the lower half of her face and wearing a silver-white mask.
Only her pair of turquoise eyes were visible, her light golden hair was elegantly braided with a few strands falling to the sides of her ears, and her slender snow-white neck was adorned with an exquisite necklace made of dark amber cat's eye gemstones, exuding a noble, beautiful and soft temperament.
But those gorgeous eyes seemed to be able to speak. Even if she just looked at him without saying a word, he seemed to be able to see the smile in her eyes, see the curve of her lipstick-painted lips through the folding fan, and recognize her changing mouth shape, as if saying...
"Distinguished ladies and sir, please come in."
The servants at the entrance of the manor chanted the polite words of greeting like calling out their names, interrupting his further imagination.
The carriage moved forward a little further and reached the end of its range.
Klein got off the carriage first, then turned around to help the girl in a complicated dress, asking her to hold his hand before slowly getting off the carriage.
After she adjusted the light blue cocktail hat on her head, which was the same color as her dress, Klein walked with her to the entrance of the banquet hall. He maintained good manners throughout the whole process, behaving like a true upper-class gentleman.
"Edward." Alice put away the folding fan she had used to cover her face and called outSmoked beef with vegetable and fruit salad, cream vegetable soup, roast chicken with sauce, tender steak fried in apple juice, roast lamb leg with spices and honey, golden roast goose, jam mousse, Black Forest cake, milk and blueberry pudding...
The luxurious dinner in the style of Intis finally began. Klein had no intention of paying attention to what the fat baron and the beautiful woman beside him were saying in the center of the main hall. He only listened to the general idea and looked at the rows of long tables in the hall. His attention was drawn to the various delicacies on them.
Thank you Intis, thank you Emperor Roselle!
The dinner was served in a buffet style "invented" by the emperor. The guests did not have to sit neatly in their seats or observe a lot of dining etiquette. They just had to pick up their own plates and knives and forks, go to the food they wanted to eat, and enjoy it to their heart's content!
And if the gentlemen or ladies in fancy dress and masks want a glass of Southwell red wine or Intis's Olmire wine, they can wave to the servants in brightly colored vests who are walking around the hall and ask them to fill the glass with wine.
Klein was actually quite uncomfortable with this kind of situation.
The hall, which accommodated nearly a hundred people, was filled with lively yet not chaotic voices and noise. The sterling silver cutlery reflected bright light under the jewel-encrusted chandelier. The aroma of food, mixed with the scent of perfume from the gentlemen and ladies nearby, created an extremely extravagant and decadent aura.
He pretended to be uncomfortable and adjusted the position of the mask, but actually took the opportunity to tap his brows twice, opening his spiritual vision and glancing at the guests around him.
There were no particular abnormalities, and most people's auras were fairly healthy. Some individuals had minor ailments in their digestive systems or in the areas of excretion and detoxification. Their emotions were basically red, orange, and yellow, which symbolized positivity, and there were almost no unsociable individuals.
Sure enough, it's not that easy to spot the problem...
Klein thought so and quietly closed his spiritual vision. He looked at the girl beside him who had asked the waiter for a glass of light golden champagne.
"What do you want to eat first?"
"As long as you're happy, I don't have much appetite for the time being."
Alice said this, but she also cooperated by placing the wine glass on the waiter's tray beside her, and followed Klein to the long table with food.
The amount of food on the long table obviously exceeded the combined appetite of all the guests present. Or perhaps it was because of the decency and reserve engraved in the bones of the Loen people that they would not actively choose dishes that were surrounded by too many people.
Klein quickly stopped in front of a dish that smelled of meat and did a divination with a gold coin without avoiding other people's gazes. His name was Edward Barton now, not Klein Moretti, so he was not afraid of embarrassment at all.
The gold coin fell and the number was facing up, which meant negation. This piece of tender steak that was grilled to perfection did not contain any substances harmful to the body.
To be on the safe side, Klein changed the way he asked the question and tossed the gold coin up again.
This time the result is still an upward number, which means negative: no substances that can affect the human body have been added here either.
——Considering the title of "Witch of Pleasure", Klein felt that he should take some low-grade drugs into consideration.
But now it seems that he was just being too suspicious.
The smell of steak had already aroused his appetite, so he finally let go of his worries, cut off a large piece of meat without hesitation, put it back on his plate, then cut off another small piece before starting to taste it.
When the tip of your tongue touches the tender beef in your mouth, your taste buds seem to be stimulated by the fragrant and juicy wonderful taste. The mellow sauce is paired with the tender and smooth texture. If you taste it carefully, you can also taste the profound aftertaste of the blend of various spices.
As a time traveler from a country of big foodies, Klein has never forgotten his yearning for delicious food.
However, due to the poor conditions, he has not had the chance to eat a delicious meal after traveling for so many days. The most he can do is cook some home-cooked meals...
until today! He finally rediscovered the meaning of food!
It's not just to fill his stomach,
but also to reminisce about the delicious food from the foodie country that is gradually drifting away from him! Thinking of this, he even felt an indescribable feeling of emotion welling up in his heart.
With such emotion in mind, Klein wielded his silver knife and fork, quickly eating the steak on the plate, and then cut a larger piece from the large plate on the long table.
After eating steak, it's time to change the taste... Well, the roast goose over there looks good, but don't forget to use the gold coins to confirm whether there is any problem...
By the way, what about Alice? I should let her try the steak here, and tell her that the witch she is looking for should not be among the crowd nearby. They can walk to other directions of the hall, eat some other food, and continue to observe.
Klein had a good plan, but when he turned around and found the familiar silver-white mask, he was stunned.
One, two, three...
at least five or six people surrounded the girl with a slender waist, and there were no less than three male servants providing wine pouring service - waiters in vests of different colors provided different types of drinks to the guests, and now on the three wine glass trays surrounding her, there was a glass of wine that had only been drunk one or two sips at most.
Klein could imagine her nonchalant expression as she raised the glass, took a sip of the wine in it, and then threw it aside.
In addition to the male waiters who were diligently serving the girl, there were also male guests who were also dressed in formal attire and wearing masks, approaching her in groups, introducing themselves in a familiar tone, followed by blatant compliments. The intentions behind their words and actions were obvious to almost anyone with a discerning eye.
"The one over there… yes, the one in the light blue dress…"
From the long table on Klein's left, he could even vaguely hear others' comments about her, with subtle, slightly obscene laughter mixed in from time to time.
"Ha, I bet she's definitely not wearing a corset... That waist, those breasts, they're definitely sexy..."
"Let's go over and try later? See if she will accept our invitation."
"Don't wait, you can go over now... Let's follow the old rules, I go first?"
...
What's going on?
Klein was even confused for a moment: Shouldn't she be ignored by the people around her and have her appearance forgotten as usual, and then quietly advance the investigation of the witch? So she gave him this mask prop with similar functions...
Was he wrong?
But Klein soon understood Alice's intention.
She was afraid that she had lifted the spells that usually weakened her presence and blurred her impression!
She will show the charm of a witch at the dinner party, attract the attention of others, attract the attention of witches, and let the other party come to her actively!
At this moment, Klein "heard" a voice deep in his heart that did not belong to him, calmly narrating:
"Klein, I'm starting a one-way call now. Please listen carefully. You don't need to reply. As you can see, I have removed the illusion spell on my body and slightly relaxed the suppression of the enchantment effect. I should have attracted a certain amount of attention by now. I believe that the witch's people will come to find us soon... Listen carefully, more than half of the guests at this banquet are here to seek pleasure and excitement. So be careful in places with few people. You might run into people and things you shouldn't see..."
Although he vaguely felt that the nature of this dinner party was not very good, Alice's blunt statement of the shame hidden under the neat clothes still made Klein feel a little uncomfortable.
But at this moment, he also understood why Alice said before they set off that they should "determine based on the situation" regarding the intimacy of their fake relationship.
Because if it was a more normal dinner party, there would inevitably be more etiquette constraints. Klein, who was not familiar with this kind of social activities, would need someone close enough to be by his side, both as a cover and to avoid unnecessary trouble.
But now, Alice has determined that behind the so-called masked feast is an opportunity for some men and women seeking pleasure to indulge themselves.
In this way, they can also behave in accordance with the rules of the game and blend in...
No one will care whether "Edward Barton" and "Claire Sibley" who are attending the banquet together are close to each other, so they no longer need to bother to put on a show.
...Well, he was thinking of helping her find the witch since he had nothing to do, but this woman just wanted to send him aside during the dinner.
Klein knew that he was feeling very strange. He knew clearly that he didn't need to help Alice, and Alice herself had never asked him for anything. But just looking at her from afar surrounded by the crowd, he felt an indescribable sense of depression in his heart, which even reduced his appetite.
But what could he do?
Even if he didn't pay close attention, he could find that Alice had become the focus of almost everyone in the area.
She was like a witch who was well versed in playing with people's hearts. Even though half of her face was hidden under a silver-white mask and the other half was occasionally covered by an open folding fan, there was some kind of strange demonic charm about her that could capture the attention of others with a glance, making everyone who saw her brief smile lose their mind.
No wonder Alice said before that she was worried that people attending the dinner party would mistake her for a real witch.
...This doesn't seem to be an exaggeration.
Recalling the "Madam Beatrice" whom he had caught a glimpse of at the beginning of the dinner, she was indeed an extremely beautiful lady, but if compared with Alice at this moment...
Klein shook his head and cut off a piece of roast goose meat with the leg attached. He felt that if Madam Beatrice was really a witch, then his conclusion might offend the witch community...
After using the same method to confirm the safety of the food in front of him, Klein suppressed his emotions and ate a few pieces of the fragrant goose meat. Somehow, he suddenly felt that he had lost his appetite.
He then put down his plate, waved to the waiter to pour wine, and asked him to bring him a glass of Southwell red wine - thanks to the black mask Alice gave him, he now had to work hard to find someone to pour wine.
After pouring him a glass of wine, the absent-minded red-vest attendant moved closer to a certain girl, with an expression on his face that showed he was expecting her to wave him over. Klein was speechless for a moment.
Okay...at least it shows that Alice is really low-key in her daily life.
He sighed and loosened the silver chain around his left arm, letting the topaz pendulum hang over the wine glass to confirm the safety of the wine.
Klein was familiar with the two divination questions, which were the same as before, and he quickly came up with the results - but this result surprised him a little.
There are no harmful substances such as toxins in alcohol, but substances that can affect the human body are added!
Considering that alcohol itself would also have an impact on the human body, Klein directly assumed the worst case scenario in the third pendulum divination: aphrodisiacs were mixed into the drink.
When the chain connected to the topaz was pulled and began to rotate slowly clockwise, he felt as if his brain had crashed for a moment.
Klein took a breath silently, quickly calmed himself, wrapped the pendulum back into his sleeve, and then slowly turned around and looked at the center surrounded by various colors.
The girl held a fan in one hand, a small handbag on her wrist, and in the other hand she held a wine glass that was almost half empty, with a little deep crimson Southwell red wine sloshing in it.
The next few seconds seemed like a century to Klein, but he finally made a decision.
Huh—
exhaling silently, he straightened his tuxedo jacket to keep it straight, then calmed his mind and entered the acting state.
"Please make way… Please make way!"
Klein unceremoniously pushed aside the crowd that was swarming around the flowers like worker bees, and forged a path through them, heading straight to the girl who was surrounded by layers of enemies.
With a completely desperate attitude and without caring about other people's eyes, he snatched her wine glass and put it aside, then pretended to be calm and held her empty hand.
"Stop drinking. You promised me before you came that you would accompany me to the garden. Are you planning to renege on your promise now that you're drunk?"
The familiar tone of voice stopped several male guests nearby, who felt like they were being snatched away from their food, from stepping forward to question him.
"Hmm…" The pair of eyes that were much more hazy than usual looked at Klein, and there seemed to be a lingering mist of emotion in them, "Honey? Why are you here…"
! ! !
Klein was almost shocked by her address and lost his acting state. Fortunately, he managed to keep his expression in the end. He raised his hand slightly stiffly and caught her soft body leaning towards him.
"Uh, I... let's go out for some fresh air. This hall is too stuffy, and it's full of the smell of food and various perfumes. You know, I don't really like this kind of occasion."
Please, don't let me down at this time! Please get his signal and leave here quickly!
...Hiss, I seem to have forgotten that I can use the telepathic function of the earring to tell her that something strange was added to the drink.
"Are we going out now? I haven't had enough fun yet..."
Alice perfectly played the role of a girl who was a little vain and enjoyed being pursued by others. She leaned on him with a little willfulness and pleaded in a tender voice.
"Wait a moment, dear, the main courses for the dinner haven't been served yet. Don't you want to try the grilled prawns from Balam..."
It sounds good... No, this girl is just thinking about letting the witch come to her on her own initiative, and she doesn't cooperate with his shameful rescue operation at all!
Helplessly, Klein could only lower his head slightly, put on an intimate gesture and leaned close to her ear, and reminded her in a low voice:
"There is something wrong with the wine. Don't think about the witch for now. Follow me out of the hall first."
Alice didn't react after he finished speaking. She just moved her body weight towards him more and more like a spoiled child, forcing Klein to put his arm around her shoulders to help her stand.
He turned his head and saw that the girl had half-closed her eyes as if she had lost all strength, her fair cheeks were faintly flushed, and her pink lips were half-open as she breathed lightly.
…Calm down and stop looking at her.
Klein made up his mind and knew that now was his chance to take Alice away, so he struggled to disperse the crowd and walked to the edge of the hall.
Regardless of whether Alice acquiesced to his actions or had really been tricked and was unable to resist, her search for the witch would obviously have to be delayed.
However, she knew that it was best not to touch the food and drinks at the party, so why did she take the initiative to drink...
"Well, go left, go back to the corridor, then go straight past three forks and turn right. There should be a lounge for guests over there..."
The girl, who was almost half-held in his arms, suddenly spoke and gave unusually clear instructions.
Klein subconsciously turned left and left the banquet hall. He came to a red-carpeted corridor. The walls on both sides were covered with geometrically symmetrical patterned wallpaper.
"...Are you okay?"
Was that weak and delicate look before just an acting...I have to say, it was so realistic that even he almost believed it.
Klein sighed in his heart, and at the same time waved away a maid who seemed to be leading the way for them. He acted as if he was familiar with the place and walked straight forward.
"Luckily, those people didn't catch up with us when we left... I was worried that I would be caught and beaten up. It was terrible."
After passing the maid standing at the corridor, Alice slightly adjusted her posture leaning against him and moved closer to him at a more comfortable angle. At the same time, she hugged his left arm, ignoring the sudden stiffness of the young man beside her.
"They won't stop you... Do you know why?"
"...Why?" Klein mechanically repeated her question, trying his best to ignore the soft touch on his arm.
"Look at your tie clip. Um, look at my necklace... I thought it was obvious."
At this moment, Klein didn't dare to glance at her neck. He could only lower his head and stare at the blue-green gem on his tie clip for a while.
"I think you really don't understand."
The girl seemed to sigh.
"It seems that there is also a tradition here to use gemstones shaped like the color of a lover's eyes as a symbol of love tokens, so as long as you are by my side, others will know that we are together."
"Is that so?"
Klein was still a little dazed, but after thinking about it carefully, the dark amber gemstone on her necklace corresponded to his brown eyes, and the emerald gemstone on his tie clip that was biased towards blue obviously represented her eyes...
It seems, it seems to be true?
Then... it really is a love token?