Just when Klein was feeling dizzy, Alice seemed to remember something and suddenly laughed cheerfully:
"Oh, I seem to have forgotten to suppress the side effect of the enchanting effect. You must hold on, my dear~" "You...
!"
Klein felt the temperature of his face rise suddenly. He didn't know if it was because he believed her half-true and half-false love token, or because he was ashamed of her unrestrained demonic charm that bewitched him, or if he should blame the intimate name with a rising tone at the end.
In desperation, he could only recite the activation syllables to unlock the leaf-shaped earring. Speaking of which, it doesn't seem right to always call this thing an "earring", and the original name is indeed too long and inconvenient to remember, so he might as well give it a name... Well, let's call it "Breath of Mind".
Thinking of this, after feeling the obvious sobering effect, Klein took advantage of the convenience of telepathy and "asked" Alice in his mind:
"Have you controlled that charm ability now? I don't want to be tricked like those people just now! That's too stupid!"
"Well, Breath of Mind Earrings... this name is okay."
Alice nodded first, mentioned the name that he first thought of, and then leaned into his arms with a smile on her face.
"Okay, don't be so nervous. I've… well, I've got it under control. I won't be as exaggerated as before."
Klein was still stiff. After shutting down the activated mind breath, he almost half-hugged the petite body that was as soft as boneless, and walked into the lounge that she had pointed out before.
"Well...what." He heard himself suggest in a relatively calm voice, "There's no one else here now, so... you don't have to be so dedicated to acting, right?"
With the considerate and gentle support of the man next to her, Alice sat down half leaning against the dark red leather sofa in the lounge.
During this time, she never let go of Klein's hand. She just kicked off her high-heeled shoes, turned sideways and half-lay on the long double sofa, smiling with a slightly dazed look in her eyes.
"No."
...No? Klein didn't react for a moment. He frowned and began to ponder what she meant.
"It's not acting... Well, I really don't feel well right now."
She took off the silver-white mask casually, chuckled, and threw it to some corner of the lounge.
As Klein looked at the girl in front of him, his heart skipped a beat, and a very bad premonition gradually emerged.
Could it be that she was... addicted to those things in the wine...?
"Well - I actually... have a very poor alcohol tolerance. I'll get dizzy after a few sips."
Alice sighed softly, closed her eyes in a trance, and her tone was so sticky as if she was about to fall asleep.
"If I drink more, I will... Well, I don't know if my alcohol tolerance has improved now... So, do me a favor. Help me, bring the hangover medicine..."
... Are you kidding me? You know you can't drink much, but you still drink? You're just like an old smoker who knows that smoking is harmful to health, but can't help but have a taste?
Klein was dumbfounded. He felt that the image of the girl in front of him began to collapse in his mind: what a mysterious and powerful star traveler, what an Oscar-winning actress with superb acting skills, what a calm and unpretentious evil witch who doesn't play by the rules...
She is just a greedy little wine lover who gets drunk as soon as she drinks, right?
Fortunately, she knew to bring the hangover medicine...
Wait, she didn't tell him where the hangover medicine is!
Klein suddenly jumped up and was about to shake Alice a few times to wake her up, but he stopped halfway and retracted his hand.
Shake her shoulders... No, her dress is bare-shoulder and it will touch her snow-white skin... ...
other parts? No, no, even less!
Pat your face? That's great,
let's do it. After making the decision, Klein took a breath, half-knelt down, and reached out to pat the rosy and lovely little face.
When he was about to touch the girl's delicate facial skin, the pair of emerald eyes that seemed to be flowing with life opened.
"Well...what do you want to do to me?"
Alice snorted with a soft nasal tone and looked at him as if in reproach.
"The sobering medicine is on the leg bandages together with other potions... um, it's the lavender bottle, don't make a mistake..."
After saying these two sentences in her last moments of clarity, she closed her eyes again, unable to bear the alcohol, and fell into a daze.
The lavender hangover medicine was on the leg bands... I see. Hiding the vial of medicine under the skirt would not be easy to be discovered...
under the skirt...
Klein was about to nod when he suddenly realized something crucial and his expression froze.
Good man, his fame ends here, right? Lifting up a girl's skirt?
That's such a coward… such a coward!
Klein considered himself a respectable man and couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.
…
…Well, Klein is a respectable man, but Edward is not.
If he says no, then it's not.
"Edward" took a deep breath, calmed himself, then reached out and grabbed the hem of his dress that was held up by several petticoats, and slowly pulled it upwards...
Just as he was struggling with those damn petticoats, there was a sudden knock on the door.
The visitor immediately turned the doorknob and looked into the lounge in a soft voice:
"Excuse me, is this Ms. Claire Sibley? Madam Beatrice would like to invite...ah, I think I disturbed your interest?"
Klein looked up from the hell of petticoats in a daze and looked at the maid dressed as a maid at the door; little did he know that in her eyes, he had a sinful face that just emerged from under his dress, just like most people in this manor, indulging in the short-lived happiness of charity from others.
"I'll leave Madam Beatrice's invitation here. You two can continue..." The
maid placed something that looked like a card on the low cabinet beside the door. She seemed to represent the will of Madam Beatrice, the host of the banquet. She only left an intriguing and ambiguous look in the room and left the room.
Oh no, someone saw us... Never mind, my name is "Edward" now, so if anyone sees me, then so be it.
Klein thought with some self-deprecation, and took some effort to remove the leather leg ring that held several bottles of potion. He then quickly pulled the hem of the girl's dress back on and pretended nothing had happened.
Fortunately, Alice wasn't completely drunk and unconscious. When Klein helped her up and tried to pour the light purple sobering potion into her mouth, she cooperated by opening her mouth and swallowing the potion in the small bottle with a slight frown.
Only about seven or eight seconds passed before Alice regained consciousness. The haziness in her eyes was no longer there, and her expression became lively again.
"It took a little time, but fortunately... well, Madam Beatrice's invitation has arrived, right? That's fine. Just as I guessed, she won't ignore someone who breaks the rules at the dinner party..."
God knows how Klein forced himself not to think about the previous things.
"So...are you going over now?" he heard himself asking in a relatively calm tone.
"Go now. What's the matter? Do you really want to walk around the garden with me? You might see things you shouldn't see."
Alice took the card with Mrs. Beatrice's invitation on it by the door and shook her head with a smile.
"Actually, I want to say…"
Meeting her smiling gaze, Klein gradually mustered up his courage.
"The steaks and goose at the dinner are pretty good. I'm going to try the roast lamb leg and dessert later... Well, what I mean is, you can eat something before going to find the witch. It doesn't matter if you spend some time eating, right?"
Klein became more confident as he spoke. After all, they were both misunderstood like that, so it would be reasonable to leave half an hour or even an hour later!
As for the delicious food in the hall...if you arrive any later, it will be taken away, dinner time is very precious!
"By the way, you better keep a low profile this time. I don't want to experience the feeling of being drowned in the crowd again. My appetite has even decreased…"
Thinking of his previous experience, Klein patted his chest with lingering fear and took a deep breath.
Alice seemed to be stunned for a moment and sighed helplessly, but ultimately did not refuse the sincere invitation of this foodie.
"...Okay."
The two of them returned to the banquet hall, like two drops of water merging into a river, without attracting any attention from others.
No one had ever noticed that the young man and woman who were walking around the long dinner table and enjoying various delicious dishes were the central figures who had caused a small riot before. Not only did they return to the hall as if nothing had happened, they even paid no attention to the discussions of the people around them. Their eyes were only on the roast chickens, roast geese, roast oysters, cakes and puddings.
"See, I told you the dinner here is good, it's a pity that the wine has been spiked..." Otherwise, he actually wanted to try those wines... After all, they were expensive drinks that he could not afford normally, so he might as well try something new and feel the taste of money.
Klein swallowed the cheesecake in his mouth and felt the simple happiness from his stomach that he hadn't felt for a long time.
Alice, who didn't have as good an appetite as him but actually took quite a few desserts, nodded slightly, finally remembering the reminder he had given her before.
"Added ingredients? What was added to the wine?"
After hearing Klein's hesitant answer, she shook her head and laughed softly as if she remembered something, her eyes curved into crescent-shaped arcs.
"Oh, you mean this... If you think about the nature of this dinner, it's normal to add something to liven things up. Besides, the other guests were also drinking, and there was hardly anyone showing any abnormalities. This shows that the amount of medicine added to the wine was not enough to cause an immediate... well, you should understand what I mean."
... Was she saying he was overreacting?
Klein expressionlessly chopped off a large piece of caramel pudding from the dessert plate and stuffed it into his mouth, pretending not to hear what she said.
After laughing, Alice quietly finished the last piece of strawberry pudding on her plate, and put the knife, fork and plate aside.
"I'm done eating, K... Edward, remember what I said, don't forget it."
As she spoke, she glanced at the tie clip on Klein's coat. If you look closely at his coat now, you can see that there seems to be something hidden underneath.
All the potions that were once hidden under her skirt had been handed over to Klein. Among them were recovery potions that could heal external injuries, antidotes, purification potions that could remove curse effects, and even a bottle of completely transparent invisibility potion.
As for the efficacy of these alchemical potions, she had already tested them on the prisoners of war last night, and the results were quite good, with no rejection reactions from the alien world.
This was also the reason why she was willing to hand over the potion to Klein without any worries.
Needless to say, Alice thought she had made sufficient preparations and provided enough safety guarantees for her companions - as long as he did not commit suicide on his own initiative, he would have a chance to save himself with those alchemical products.
What's more, if something unexpected really happens, they can communicate through telepathy to avoid information asymmetry.
"Well, go ahead… I wish you good luck."
Klein took the napkin and wiped his mouth, then nodded to her solemnly.
The two said goodbye for the time being. The girl, holding the witch's invitation card, left the banquet hall where the noise was gradually fading away, while the wheat-skinned young man turned around and looked for some hot soup to relieve his greasiness - he accidentally ate too much meat and sweets tonight!
...
Rui Si Lan Manor, second floor, in front of the Red Rose Hall.
Alice had untied her long hair from its elegant braid, letting it fall on her shoulders. Her demeanor had also changed a little from before, and she deliberately showed obvious interest and calm confidence.
Before entering the banquet hall where the witch was, she adjusted her state in advance, and her mood gradually became that of a real witch. Only then did she feel that the time was ripe, and she opened the two closed doors in front of her without delay.
As the solid wooden door opened, the scene in the Red Rose Hall unfolded like a scroll, reflecting Alice's eyes without reservation.
This is a room full of dreamlike colors.
The curtains in the distance were made of the finest thin red velvet, and the several gorgeous chandeliers above were loaded with a large number of burning red candles, which filled the space below with a faint scent of incense and gave it a hazy and ambiguous atmosphere.
The entire Red Rose Hall is covered with thick carpets, but there are not many furniture pieces. There are only a few sets of sofas that are wide enough to be used as beds. The flower stamens surrounding the round table in the center are blooming like petals, and each presents a variety of colors such as rose red, silver vermilion, coral red, and violet red.
Covered by layers of tulle veils, five pairs of beautiful eyes with different styles looked towards the girl outside the door.
After a few seconds that seemed like several minutes, a woman who was obviously in the main position stood up.
She has beautiful long, slightly curly black hair, charming facial features, deep blue eyes as bright as gems, and her graceful curves support the gorgeous bright red high-waisted dress, showing the unique charm of a mature woman.
This beautiful face appeared at the opening of the dinner together with the overweight Baron.
"It seems that our snack-loving guests have finally come over... How was it, did you enjoy your 'meal' at the dinner?"
Mrs. Beatrice walked towards Alice with a smile, her figure was enchanting and her expression seemed very friendly.
The remaining four beautiful women, some pure and lovely, some elegant and intellectual, said nothing. They were like beautiful snakes that were interrupted from eating, and they cast cold-blooded glances at the visitors.
Seeing Alice actively meeting their gazes, one of them quickly shifted his eyes and lowered his head to avoid her inquiry. After a few seconds, another person gave up looking at her. The remaining two were very calm and did not show any timidity at all.
However, when Alice looked at the five people in the Red Rose Hall, she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed:
Isn't it said that witches will become extremely beautiful under the effect of magic potions? In the end...
none of them are as pretty as her.Alice did not try to hide her expression and demeanor at this moment, and generously let all the "witches" present see her attitude clearly.
A bell-like laugh rang out, interrupting the strange silence lingering in the Red Rose Hall.
After easing the slightly stagnant atmosphere, Lady Beatrice took the initiative to turn around and introduced the other people in the hall to the new-faced blonde witch in a casual tone.
——However, when it was called an introduction, it was just a mention of the name.
The two women wearing the same color dresses and sitting intimately on the same sofa were named Miranda and Shafuli. They were the ones who had not looked away from each other before;
Stephanie, an elegant girl with a quiet temperament, was not as confident as the previous two, but she also persisted for a while under Alice's scrutiny;
as for the girl who was mentioned last and had always lowered her head to avoid her gaze, Alice simply did not remember her name seriously. She just glanced at her sweet appearance and did not care.
Madam Beatrice did not specifically point out the sequence levels of the witches present, probably because there was no need to mention it.
The "Assassin" and "Instigator" were not high enough, and clearly had no reason to be in such an occasion. As for the witch who was stronger than Sequence 5…
Alice intuitively felt that no one present had reached this level.
It seems that these people should all be "witches" or "joy".
But what would a group of witches like this do together? Attend a witch's meeting to discuss the organization's future direction of action?
But that's not right. Not to mention how Sequence 6 and Sequence 7 Beyonders rank in the Witch Cult...
According to her understanding of this kind of distorted secret society, the Witch Cult should be a relatively loose organization. The lower-level members can only contact the upper-level member who developed them in the first place, and most members of the same level are not clear about each other's identities...
Only in this way can such organizations maintain their own secret existence. With a mysterious, unknown, and irresistible absolute posture, they become a shadow shrouding the body and mind of the lower-level personnel, while the upper-level personnel will integrate into this shadow and play with their own power.
So like now, a carnival feast is held every month... Although there is a superficial cover-up and ordinary people who come to the feast are unlikely to know the true identity of this group of witches, this is undoubtedly a regular gathering.
It's totally illogical!
Aren't they worried about being targeted?
As if she could see Alice's doubts, the beautiful Lady Beatrice just smiled meaningfully:
"Forgive my limited knowledge, but you don't seem to be very active in this area. Would you mind introducing yourself to everyone?"
Her tone and wording were polite and appropriate, without any faults, just like her calm demeanor as the hostess of the dinner party.
"Claire. I think you all have ways of knowing the name written on the invitation."
The witch with long light golden hair was quite cooperative, unlike the condescending attitude she had inadvertently revealed before.
"As for not having heard of any deeds related to this name, it's not unusual: I have been in Ahowa County for less than two weeks."
"So, Ms. Claire...what is the purpose of your coming here?"
The tone was still as gentle as before, but as the words fell, Alice could almost clearly feel the subtle changes in the air, as if an invisible blade had been raised, and in just a moment there was a tense atmosphere of confrontation.
"You tried to find us. Now that you've found us, what are you going to do?"
The other witches were all silent and kept oddly quiet, like spectators enjoying a drama, or like scavengers gathering in the distance, waiting to pounce on their prey as soon as it fell down from exhaustion.
Alice was not frightened by the situation and just sighed slightly.
"Purpose, don't all those who embark on an extraordinary path have only one purpose? - To improve their sequence and get closer to the top... I have never seen this format of gathering before, but I don't think it will deviate from this. Of course, if you deny it, then I'll just say that I've come to the wrong place... I would rather go back downstairs and have some fun in the ballroom." "
Oh, what a bold and direct guest... Haha, don't be nervous, we just want to confirm your purpose."
Mrs. Beatrice curled her lips and showed a gorgeous and charming smile, and the sense of danger that was about to break out a moment ago dissipated like an illusion.
"Of course you can enjoy the 'various dishes' in this manor, but as a first-time guest, you can also choose... to try something completely new."
"What attempt?" Alice showed her interest just right.
Seeing this, Lady Beatrice's smile deepened again, and she warmly and politely invited her to walk into the Red Rose Hall.
"I'm glad you made this choice. Please follow me and join this joyful feast that belongs only to us."
... Joyful feast?
As Alice followed Lady Beatrice into the hall, she glanced at the particularly eye-catching sofa beds, and a vague guess flashed through her mind.
Were they going to do something colorful here?
No matter what Alice guessed, she was led to sit near a set of coral-red sofas.
On her right side were the two witches, Miranda and Saffri, who were cuddling in an intimate posture. There were two empty sofas on her left, and further on was the sweet girl who didn't dare to make eye contact with her. On her left sat the last girl with a quiet temperament, Stephanie.
On the right back side of the armrest of each person's sofa, there was a small round table with a bottle of red wine and one or two glass glasses on it - this was a detail that Alice failed to observe when she was at the door.
After showing her a seat, Lady Beatrice swung her long legs and soft waist and returned to the center surrounded by many witches. She sat down slowly on the round table-shaped sofa, smiled and raised her hand to signal.
"Although there was a brief pause in our 'joy', it doesn't matter. Come on, Stephanie, continue and share with everyone the follow-up of your story with the rich businessman. We are all very curious about what kind of friction will erupt between him and his little son who is infatuated with you... Hehe, remember to describe all the feelings during the joyful process in the most truthful words as before... This is also an important part of helping you master the power of the potion."
The young witch with a quiet temperament seemed a little shy and glanced elegantly in the direction of Alice.
"Madam, don't you need to remind her... Ms. Claire of the previous outline. And, and... you didn't seem to explain to her about us, the purpose of our party, and the rules that should be followed..."
"We can talk about these later, Stephanie. Let's continue now. Can't you see that Saffron and the others can't wait any longer?"
Mrs. Beatrice smiled seductively and charmingly, with a lazy look on her face, leaning on her arm.
After hearing what Mrs. Beatrice, who had the most say, said, Stephanie no longer refused and began to tell her about her joyful experience in a soft voice.
As for Alice, since she was arranged to sit next to the witch couple who were snuggling together, she could see from the corner of her eye how they were dealing with their waiting emotions.
As the erotic story progressed, the sounds coming from the two witches on her right were no longer just kissing sounds, but more ambiguous sounds spread out.
Lady Beatrice, who was not far away, was also smiling with her eyes hazy, and it could be vaguely seen that the hem of her dress seemed to be pulled up a little.
...Well, okay, she interrupted such a story before? No wonder the atmosphere was so weird at that time.
Alice was somewhat out of sorts.
She tried hard to pretend that she was somewhat interested in the story, suppressed an indecent yawn, and went over her next plan in her mind as if in a trance.
To be honest, she still doesn't quite understand the supernatural system of this world. She only knows that everyone who chooses his own supernatural path seems to be trying to behave more closely to the name of the potion at the stage he is in.
Like Crane, he said he chose the "Fortune Teller" potion and would occasionally go to a divination club to make a little money.
Although Alice once thought that he was going for the extra money, she dispelled this suspicion after accidentally learning from him the 8 pence charging price.
Then there was Danetali. Although she didn't know her before, Alice could probably imagine how the hunter who had a special preference for women chose her prey and how she provoked the anger of their former boyfriends...
Well, that's right, Danetali admitted to Alice frankly after her defeat. Before, she almost only targeted girls who had boyfriends or fiancés. It was not only challenging but also gave her a sense of accomplishment.
The only other person was Mr. Leonard, who she was not very familiar with... Because she was really not familiar with him, Alice could not draw any conclusions from him.
But anyway, her thinking direction seemed to be correct.
The "Fortune Teller" tells fortunes and solves puzzles for people, the "Hunter" hunts, and the "Provocateur" provokes opponents, so it is understandable that the "Pleasure Witch" seeks pleasure.
In this way, the "feast of joy" she was in now was obviously a caring little class jointly founded by the joy witches. Every witch could happily share her own joyful experiences with her companions, allowing everyone to feel the primitive happiness together...
Ha, how is this possible?
Alice sneered in her heart, thinking that only a fool would believe this absurd and ridiculous appearance.
As a result, it was not until the end of the story that she realized that she seemed to be the only smart person present...
Even the girl who seemed to be very timid and cowardly threw away her shyness before the plot reached its climax, and put her hand under the hem of her skirt in a slightly indecent manner.
"Well, that's all I have to say about Stephanie's experience... It seems our new guest hasn't let go of herself yet, haha. But the little 'witch' who is also participating in the banquet for the first time has done a good job..."
Alice saw Lady Beatrice regain her elegance and composure, so she clapped her hands and lazily praised the timid girl, who was hurriedly lowering her skirt to try to hide something.
"Witch? Why would a witch participate in such a gathering? I thought everyone was already having fun."
Alice finally found an opportunity to ask her doubts. She turned her eyes to the girl who always seemed a little timid. The meaning was self-evident.
She had long discovered that the girl's timidity did not seem to come from her personality, but rather from some more instinctive, profit-seeking and harm-avoiding choice.
She didn't dare to look her in the eye, nor did she have the courage to observe other witches alone. It must be due to the fundamental reason of her lack of strength.
Mrs. Beatrice did not give a direct answer, but smiled casually:
"Of course she has her own reasons for coming here... If you are interested in the little witch, you can have a good talk with her later. I think she will be happy to tell you this then."
After saying this, she did not care much about the "witch's" suddenly pale face, raised her pointed chin, and looked around.
"Well, although it's a little late, I will now explain some things to the new member, Ms. Claire. Don't worry, it won't take much time, and we'll be able to get back to the normal process soon."
As Mrs. Beatrice explained, Alice quickly understood what the other party meant by "normal process" and why such an irrational witch gathering was held.
Long before he had established a pleasant cooperative relationship with Lady Beatrice, the Baron, who had generously provided the venue for the banquet, was already a well-known "dinner party lover" in the relevant circle.
Now, after more than a year of careful preparation by the Baron and Lady Beatrice, this masked dinner held at the Ruislan Manor has attracted many guests to become supporters, including some prominent figures.
"Our Masked Banquet is famous for being 'clean'... haha, clean in the literal sense. The big shots all need and love such an occasion that simply provides a place for relaxation."
When she said this, Lady Beatrice smiled softly with her hands covering her lips with some pride.
Of course, she pointed out that occasionally there are guests who are concerned about the security of the dinner and want to bring bodyguards with them.
But the witches have their own countermeasures, so that in the past two years no one has discovered the many secrets hidden behind the dinner - correspondingly, all witches entering the manor must abide by the rules set by Mrs. Beatrice, not to provoke trouble, not to cause harm to the manor and the guests at the venue, etc.
"We proved ourselves harmless to those big shots, and those fools affiliated with the church couldn't produce any evidence or find any handle... How dare they risk angering the big shots and come to disturb this life party attended only by weak women?"
This is backed by the power of capital and the rich...
Alice roughly understood the appearance behind this prosperous and extravagant scene.
The rules built in this kind of gray area are themselves dangerous nests built on a silk thread. As long as the wind direction changes, there is a possibility of tilting or even collapsing.
Since Lady Beatrice was capable of doing this, it was impossible for her to be unaware of these subtle rules, but she still insisted on doing so. There must be some reason... some inside story that forced her to insist.
Or maybe she has already hooked up with someone powerful enough and is confident that she can avoid this risk.
...That's getting off topic.
But this also explains the attitudes of Lady Beatrice and the other witches.
——It seems that they did not seriously verify the witch identity of "Claire" from the beginning.
No verification necessary.
They did not mention their witch identities at all, and the entire party process was meaningless to the Beyonders who were not witches. It was just a waste of time and life...
Besides, not everyone could cause a small commotion like Alice did before, just by relying on half of her face and figure covered by a mask.
——Yes, the so-called "pleasure banquet" of the witches is very simple in its process, just like the tea party held by middle-class housewives on weekends, and the harmony is almost shocking.
Enter first and enjoy dinner according to the dinner process; wait until eight o'clock, the secret party in the Red Rose Hall will officially begin.
Afterwards, participants shared their recent experiences until Mrs. Beatrice summarized and gave the "Guiding Motto" for the month.
The party is now coming to an end, and participants will choose partners in pairs - of course, more than one person is fine if they wish - and then try out the mottos taught by Lady Beatrice with their chosen partners.
If the motto is practiced correctly, according to Lady Beatrice, the potion in their bodies will be the first to produce feedback.
"Well, it's almost time for the instructions for this gathering."
After explaining the general matters, Lady Beatrice finally put away her overly lazy posture, swayed her waist and long legs and stood up gracefully, glanced at the faces of several witches with different expressions, and finally stopped in the direction of Alice.
"Haha, since there are new guests joining the party this time, and Stephanie has already mastered the basics of love, I think we can try a whole new style, such as…"
The beautiful and enchanting witch raised her red lips and lowered her slightly hoarse sexy voice like a seductive enchantress.
"The culmination of inescapable pleasure is pain."