Smoked beef with vegetable salad, creamy vegetable soup, roasted chicken with sauce, tender steak pan-fried with apple juice, honey-roasted lamb leg with spices, golden roast goose, jam mousse, Black Forest cake, milk and blueberry pudding…
The lavish banquet, in the epitome of Intis style, finally began. Klein paid no attention to what the plump baron and the beautiful woman beside him were saying in the center of the main hall. He only caught the gist of what they were saying before his gaze was drawn to the rows of long tables in the hall, captivated by the various delicacies laid out on them.
Thank you, Intis! Thank you, Emperor Roselle!
The banquet was served in a buffet style, "invented" by the emperor. Guests did not need to sit neatly in rows or adhere to numerous dining etiquette rules. They could simply pick up their own plates and forks, go to the dishes they wanted, and enjoy the meal to their heart's content!
If any of the elegantly dressed gentlemen or ladies wished for a glass of Southville red wine or Intis's Olmir wine, they could simply wave to the brightly colored male servants moving through the hall and have them fill their glasses.
Klein was actually quite uncomfortable in this setting.
The hall, accommodating nearly a hundred people, was filled with lively yet orderly voices and chatter. The sterling silver cutlery reflected brightly under the jewel-encrusted chandeliers, and the aroma of food mingled with the perfumes of the nearby gentlemen and ladies, creating an exceptionally decadent and extravagant atmosphere.
He feigned discomfort, adjusting his mask, but actually took the opportunity to lightly tap his brow and scan the surrounding guests with his spiritual vision.
There was nothing particularly unusual; most people's auras were relatively healthy. A few had minor ailments in their digestive or excretory systems, and their emotions were generally positive—red, orange, and yellow—with almost no one being antisocial. "
It wasn't so easy to spot the problem after all... "
Klein thought to himself, quietly deactivating his spiritual vision and glancing at the girl beside him who had already ordered a glass of pale gold champagne from the waiter. "What would you like to eat first?" "Whatever makes you happy, I don't have much of an appetite right now," Alice said, but she still obediently placed her glass on the waiter's tray and followed Klein to the long table laden with food. The amount of food on the long table was clearly far beyond the combined appetite of all the guests present, or perhaps it was the inherent sense of propriety and reserve ingrained in the people of Loen that prevented them from actively choosing dishes already surrounded by too many people. Klein quickly stopped in front of a delicious dish that wafted with the aroma of meat, and without much concern for others' gaze, he performed a coin toss—he was now called Edward Barton, not Klein Moretti, so he wasn't afraid of losing face. The coin fell, the number facing up, representing negation; this perfectly grilled tender steak did not contain any harmful substances. To be on the safe side, Klein changed his question, tossing the coin again. The result was still heads up, indicating a negative: no substances that could affect the human body had been added. —Considering the title of "Pleasure Witch," Klein felt he should consider some underhanded drugs. But for now, it seemed he was being overly cautious. His appetite, already whetted by the aroma of the steak, finally disregarded his concerns, unceremoniously cutting off a large piece, forking it back onto his plate, then cutting off a smaller piece before beginning to taste. The moment his tongue touched the tender beef, it was as if his taste buds were being ignited by the fragrant and juicy flavor. The rich sauce paired with the smooth texture, and upon closer tasting, one could discern a profound aftertaste from the blend of various spices. As a transmigrator from a land of great food lovers, Klein had never forgotten his yearning for delicious food. However, unfortunately, due to limited resources, he hadn't had the chance to eat a proper meal in all these days since his transmigration; at most, he had cooked some simple home-style dishes… until today! He had finally rediscovered the meaning of food! It wasn't just about filling his stomach, but also about reminiscing about the delicacies of the great food-loving nation that were gradually fading away from him! Thinking this way, a strange sense of emotion welled up within him. With this feeling, Klein wielded his silver knife and fork, quickly devouring the steak on his plate, then cutting an even larger piece from the large platter on the long table. After the steak, it was time for a change… Hmm, the roast goose over there looked good, but he shouldn't forget to double-check with the gold coins to make sure everything was alright… Right, where's Alice? He should let her try the steak here too, and while he's at it, tell her that the witch she's looking for shouldn't be among the crowd nearby. They could wander off in other directions of the hall, eat something else, and continue their observation. Klein's plan was quite good, but when he turned back and saw that familiar silver-white mask, he was somewhat stunned. One, two, three… at least five or six people surrounded the girl with the slender waist. Among them were no fewer than three male servants serving drinks—waiters in different colored vests, each offering different types of beverages to the guests. On the three trays of wine glasses surrounding her, each glass held only a sip or two. Klein could easily picture her casually taking a small sip and then tossing it aside. Besides the attentive waiters, male guests dressed in formal attire and wearing masks approached her in groups, introducing themselves with familiar tones, followed by blatant compliments. Their intentions were obvious to anyone with eyes to see. "That one over there… yes, the one in the light navy dress…" From the long table to Klein's left, he could even faintly hear others commenting on her, occasionally punctuated by slightly lewd laughter. "Ha, I bet she's not wearing a corset…that waist, that chest, absolutely stunning…" "Shall we go over and try? See if she'll accept our invitation." "No waiting, we can go now…same as always, me first?" … What's going on? Klein even felt confused for a moment: Shouldn't she be ignored and forgotten by those around her as usual, quietly advancing her investigation into the witch? That's why she gave him this mask prop with similar functions… was he wrong? But Klein quickly understood Alice's intention. She probably dispelled the spells that usually faded her presence and blurred her image! She wanted to display the allure a witch should have at the banquet, attracting the attention of others, attracting the attention of witches, and making them come to her! Just then, Klein "heard" a voice deep within his heart that wasn't his own, calmly narrating:
Klein, I've initiated a one-way call. Listen carefully, no need to reply—as you can see, I've released the illusion spell and slightly loosened the suppression of that allure effect. I should have attracted some attention by now, and I believe it won't be long before the witch's people come looking for me… Listen carefully, more than half the guests at this banquet are here for pleasure, to hunt for thrills. So be careful in secluded areas; you might stumble upon people or things you shouldn't see…"
Although he vaguely sensed that the nature of this banquet wasn't good, Alice's bluntness in exposing the unsavory aspects hidden beneath her neat clothes still made Klein slightly uncomfortable.
However, at this moment, he understood why Alice had said before they set off that they should "decide based on the situation" regarding their intimacy as a fake couple.
Because if it were a more normal banquet, there would inevitably be more etiquette constraints, and Klein, unfamiliar with this type of social activity, would need someone close enough to him by his side, both as cover and to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Now, Alice had deduced that the so-called masquerade feast was merely an opportunity for certain men and women seeking pleasure to indulge themselves.
In this way, they could easily conform to the rules of the game and blend in…
No one would care whether "Edward Barton" and "Claire Sibley", who were also attending the feast, were close, so there was no need for them to bother with acting.
…Well, he had even thought he could help her find the witch since he had nothing else to do, but this woman was trying to get rid of him during dinner.
Klein knew his emotions were strange. He knew he didn't need to help Alice, and Alice herself hadn't asked anything of him, but just watching her surrounded by the crowd from afar, an indescribable sense of oppression settled in his heart, making him lose his appetite.
But what could he do?
Even without deliberately observing, he could see that Alice had become the focus of almost everyone's attention in the area.
She was like a witch adept at manipulating hearts. Even with half her face hidden behind a silver mask and the other half occasionally obscured by a folding fan, she possessed a strange, bewitching charm that could capture the gaze of those around her with a flick of her eye, leaving everyone who saw her fleeting, ephemeral smile mesmerized.
No wonder Alice had previously expressed concern about being mistaken for a real witch by those attending the banquet with her companions
… This didn't seem like an exaggeration.
Recalling the "Madame Beatrice" he had glimpsed at the beginning of the banquet, she was indeed an extremely beautiful woman, but to compare her to Alice now…
Klein shook his head, cutting off a piece of roast goose with a leg attached. He felt that if Madame Beatrice were truly a witch, his conclusion would likely offend the witch community…
After confirming the safety of the food in front of him using the same method, Klein suppressed his emotions and ate a few pieces of fragrant goose meat, but for some reason, he suddenly felt a loss of appetite.
He put down his plate, waved for the waiter to pour him a glass of South Wales red wine—thanks to the black mask Alice had given him, he now even had to go to great lengths to get someone to pour him a drink.
The absent-minded waiter in the red vest poured him the wine and then moved closer to a certain young woman, his face full of anticipation that she would wave him over, leaving Klein speechless.
Well… at least it shows Alice is usually quite discreet.
He sighed, simultaneously loosening the silver chain wrapped around his left arm, letting the citrine pendulum suspend above the glass to check the wine's safety.
Klein answered the same two divination questions as before with practiced ease, quickly arriving at the result—which, however, surprised him slightly.
The wine didn't contain any toxins or other harmful substances, but it had been adulterated with a substance that could affect the human body!
Considering the effects of alcohol itself, Klein assumed the worst-case scenario in his third pendulum divination: the drink was laced with an aphrodisiac.
As the chain connected to the citrine began to slowly rotate clockwise, he felt his brain momentarily freeze.
Klein silently took a breath, quickly calmed himself, rewound the pendulum back into his sleeve, and then slowly turned to look at the center surrounded by a kaleidoscope of colors.
The girl held a fan in one hand, a small handbag on her wrist, and a nearly empty wine glass in the other, containing a small amount of deep crimson South Wales red wine.
The next few seconds felt like an eternity to Klein, but he finally made his decision.
*Hoo*
—he silently exhaled, straightened his tailcoat to keep it crisp, then composed himself and entered acting mode.
"Excuse me...excuse me!"
Klein rudely pushed through the crowd that swarmed around the flowers like worker bees, carving a path to the girl who was surrounded.
With a completely shameless and reckless attitude, disregarding the stares of others, he snatched her wine glass and placed it aside, then calmly took her free hand.
"Stop drinking. You promised me you'd take me for a walk in the garden. Are you trying to renege on your promise now that you're drunk?"
His familiar tone made several male guests who felt they'd been robbed hesitate to confront him.
"Hmm..." Her eyes, more misty than usual, looked at Klein, seemingly filled with a tender, lingering mist. "Darling? Why are you here...
! "
Klein was almost stunned into losing his theatrical state by her address, but thankfully he managed to maintain his composure, stiffly raising his hand to catch her soft body as she leaned against him.
"Uh, I... let's go outside for some fresh air. This hall is too stuffy, and it's full of the smells of food and perfumes. You know, I don't really like these kinds of occasions."
Please, don't mess things up now! Hurry up and get through this!
...Oops, I forgot, I could use the telepathic communication function of that earring to tell her that something was wrong with the drink.
"Are we leaving already? I haven't had enough fun yet..."
Alice perfectly played the role of a somewhat vain girl who enjoyed being the center of attention, leaning against him with a slightly willful plea.
"Wait a little longer, darling, the main courses of the dinner haven't even been served yet. Don't you want to try the grilled prawns from Byron..."
Sounds good... wait, this girl is just hoping the witch will come to her, completely uncooperative with his humiliating rescue attempt!
Helpless, Klein could only lower his head slightly, adopt an intimate posture, and whisper in her ear, reminding her:
"There's something wrong with the wine. Don't think about the witch for now. Let's leave the hall together first."
Alice didn't react after he finished speaking, but instead, as if she were being coquettish, she shifted her weight more heavily onto him, forcing Klein to put his arm around her shoulder to help her stay upright.
He turned his head and saw that the girl's eyes were half-closed, as if she had lost all strength, her fair cheeks flushed with a faint blush, and her pink lips parted slightly as she breathed softly.
...Calm down, don't look at her anymore.
Klein made up his mind, knowing that now was his chance to leave with Alice, so he struggled to disperse the crowd and walked towards the edge of the hall.
Whether Alice had acquiesced to his actions or was truly powerless to resist, her search for the witch would obviously have to be postponed.
However, she clearly knew that it was best not to touch the food and drinks at the banquet, so why did she still drink them on her own initiative...?
"Hmm, go left, back to the corridor, then go straight through the three forks and turn right, there should be a lounge for guests over there..."
The girl, who was almost being held in his arms, suddenly spoke, giving an unusually clear instruction.
Klein instinctively turned left, leaving the banquet hall and entering a corridor carpeted in red, with geometrically symmetrical wallpaper on both walls.
"...Are you alright?" Was
that previous weak and helpless demeanor really just acting...? He had to admit, it was so convincing that he almost believed it.
Klein thought to himself, waving away a maid who seemed to be leading the way, and walking straight ahead with an air of familiarity.
"Luckily, those people didn't chase after us when we left... I was worried we'd get beaten up, it was terrifying."
Passing the maid standing by the corridor, Alice slightly adjusted her position against him, moving closer to him at a more comfortable angle, and casually wrapped her arms around his left arm, completely ignoring the sudden stiffness in 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, and then look at my necklace… I thought it was obvious enough."
At this point, Klein dared not glance at her neck, so he could only look down, staring blankly at the blue-green gemstone on his tie clip.
"I think you really don't understand,"
the girl seemed to sigh.
"It seems there's a tradition here of using gemstones resembling the color of a lover's eyes as tokens of love, so as long as you're with me, others will know we're together."
"Is that so?"
Klein was still somewhat dazed, but thinking about it carefully, the deep amber gemstone on her necklace corresponded to his brown eyes, and the bluish-green gemstone on his tie clip clearly represented her eyes…
It seemed, it seemed, that really was true?
Then… it really was a token of love?
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