After sulking for a while, Leonard pretended to take a sip of red wine, lowering his voice as he asked,
"Old man, did you sense anything just now?"
Though he had failed to invite the young lady for a dance, he had indeed gotten close enough to her.
Pallez Zoroast did not answer immediately. After nearly half a minute of silence, he finally chuckled and said,
"After becoming a demigod, that Viscount Ebner Bryan's aura has become more and more like that of an old friend of mine.
"When you met him last time, it wasn't that obvious… I've no idea what he's gone through in the past week or so, but now he no longer feels like someone who merely inherited my friend's legacy—he feels as if my old friend himself is awakening!
"If it's truly his 'return'… then yes, you can't compare to him. Back in the day, compared to you, he was…"
Pallez suddenly stopped himself, then changed his tone. "Forget it. In any case, losing to him in certain aspects isn't shameful—you don't have to feel bad about it."
Leonard's expression turned serious at those words. He stopped caring about who was more handsome and asked in a low voice, "Your old friend? The one you mentioned before—the Solomonic noble, Count of Silver Eyes, Rhine Karendia?"
"Rare of you to remember. Yes, him." Pallez chuckled softly.
Leonard fell silent for a moment before asking gravely, "But didn't you say he had already fallen?"
"It's very difficult to truly kill an angel. Even if its characteristic separates, its soul may still survive, waiting for a chance to return." Pallez sighed.
Leonard had little real sense of what an angel truly was. Hearing suddenly that one might be reviving naturally made him tense up. But his nerves soon calmed, and he lowered his voice again.
"What should I do? Should I report him to the Church?"
"You'd have to sell me out first." Pallez replied irritably, then added, "Though most of the Solomonic nobles were cold and cruel, Rhine was… unique. He was gentle, fond of making 'friends'—you don't need to worry too much. Even if he really is revived, he won't cause destruction.
"Besides, even if you report him to the Goddess of the Evernight, the result may not be what you expect…"
"Why?" Leonard asked instinctively.
Pallez didn't answer. Instead, he changed the topic. "Though you failed to complete your 'approach' mission, I still managed to see something about that young lady.
"The 'parasite' on her really is a trap—but not one laid by Amon. On the contrary, it's a trap for Amon."
Leonard's attention was instantly drawn away. "Who would dare scheme against Amon?"
"How would I know?" Pallez snorted. "I only recognized the mystical art bound to that 'parasite.'"
"Mystical art?"
"Yes. It's called the Rhine–Solomon Raven Noose—something His Majesty and my old friend developed together."
…
The Rhine–Solomon Raven Noose…
Meanwhile, as Ebner danced gracefully with Emma, he repeated the name silently in his heart.
Having studied the second half of Feast of Blood, Ebner was far more familiar with that mystical art than Pallez was. Even without activating his Pure White Eye, he had already discerned the truth of the "parasite" without alerting it.
Other than me and Solomon, only Roselle—because he read the second half of Feast of Blood—would know how to construct this…
So, was this the work of one of Roselle's subordinates?
The "Man in Black"?
He must be using this as bait… to fish for one of Amon's avatars.
And besides the 'parasite' in Emma's body, there's definitely another high-sequence presence nearby!
Just as that thought passed through his mind, Emma smiled and said, "I should thank you for 'saving' me. I believe I won't have to endure my mother's nagging for quite some time."
Ebner returned to himself, smiling slightly. "Aren't you worried she might misunderstand?"
"Wouldn't that be better? You know, you're quite the catch these days. If I wanted to get engaged to you, my mother certainly wouldn't object." Emma spoke casually, then her tone dimmed slightly. "Pity—you wouldn't agree anyway."
Inherited title, immense wealth, youth, good looks, a legendary life story—any one of these would attract admirers, let alone all of them combined.
Ebner muttered inwardly. He could tell Emma didn't mean it seriously; she merely disliked socializing and wanted to use him as a convenient "shield." Thinking so, he quietly simulated the ability of a Manipulator, splitting off a "virtual persona" to infiltrate the mind of the "parasite" within her, while replying with a polite compliment,
"Honestly, with your qualities, as long as you don't keep performing 'eccentric acts,' you'll have no shortage of suitors."
"I'm destined to become someone great in the world of mysticism—why should I cater to others?" Emma frowned in irritation. "I'll be the master of my own fate."
So dramatic… Miss, who filled your head with this nonsense? You were pretty reasonable when we met half a year ago.
As a Beyonder on the Marauder path, acting like this will only draw Amon's attention!
Hmm… perhaps that's exactly what her 'backer' intends.
While he mused, the "virtual persona" had already breached the parasite's mind.
Ordinarily, manipulating a demigod wasn't easy—but this "parasite's" psyche had been tampered with before, full of cracks. Ebner met little resistance as he slipped through and completed his infiltration.
Now, I can counterattack—use this to trace and trap the high-sequence Beyonder lurking near Emma, removing the hidden danger around her.
After all, she's Fanny's best friend. For Fanny's sake, I should lend a hand.
Thinking thus, Ebner said nothing more, simply focused on the dance, guiding the girl through the elegant music.
The pair—one handsome, one beautiful—moved in harmony, their youth and grace making them appear a perfect match.
Watching from the side, Lady Norma whispered to her husband, "I think this Viscount Bryan is quite a fine young man… and Emma seems to like him."
Viscount Horatio, dressed in a naval uniform, frowned slightly. "I heard he's not exactly restrained in his private life…"
Lady Norma snorted. "And yours is? Just because I don't say it doesn't mean I don't know!"
Lord Horatio looked puzzled. "What rumors have you heard? I've never done anything to betray you."
"You talk in your sleep—murmuring the name of the 'Pale Admiral' so tenderly! Do you dare say there's nothing between you two?" Lady Norma shot him a glare.
"'Pale Admiral'? Maria? That's impossible!" Horatio looked genuinely baffled. After all, she was the one responsible for his dismissal—how could he possibly call her name sweetly in his dreams? Grinding his teeth would make more sense!
Yet, despite himself, the viscount realized something unsettling—he truly couldn't muster any hatred toward that pirate admiral…
…
The night deepened, the clouds veiling the moon. Before the Horatio family's garden villa in the Queen District, a figure moved swiftly through the shadows.
One hand held down his top hat; the other held a mirror as dark as obsidian.
His slightly curled brown hair framed blue eyes gleaming with depth and amusement. A faint smile played upon his lips.
It was Ebner Bryan—having left the ball, he'd come to deal with Emma's problem and, incidentally, study the "parasite's" mythic form.
(End of Chapter)