Translator: Kris_Liu Editor: Vermillion
While Victor, Rhine and Lott were talking about Felicia’s family’s manor, Lucien was looking at the scenery outside the coach’s side window.
“Are you okay, Lucien? You’re not interested in Berne, the wine exclusively produced by Hayne family’s chateau?” Noticing Lucien’s silence, Rhine smiled to him and asked.
The wine named Berne was very famous in Aalto. The especial grapes produced in the manor’s field were of great quality. Only guests who were invited to the manor could have a chance to taste it.
“I’m fine, Mr. Rhine. Actually… I’m feeling a bit concerned, since I know nothing about dancing. It’s… it’s quite embarrassing.” Lucien found an excuse to disguise the load on his mind.
“I can teach you, although you’re not a lady,” Rhine joked, “You can take me as your beautiful lady.”
Lucien put an awkward smile on his face.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Lucien,” Victor comforted him. “We all know about your background. No one will purposefully invite you to dance to humiliate you. But if you want to learn how to dance, I’m sure many of the beautiful ladies there will be willing to teach you.”
Lucien gradually relaxed in this happy atmosphere, knowing that nervousness could not help his plan tonight at all.
The coach soon ran out of town and passed Belem River, heading for the manor sitting in the north of Melzer Black Forest.
Hayne’s family’s manor was magnificent. Built with fine granite, everything in the manor looked luxury.
Wearing a flame-red evening dress, Felicia was already waiting in front of the lobby, followed by two rows of servants standing behind her. The yellow flame of the six bronze torch holders lit up the evening at seven o’clock.
“Good Evening, Mr. Victor and Mr. Rhine. Good evening, Lucien and Lott,” Felicia welcomed them. Tonight she was the host, and her parents did not come.
Every noble lady must be able to host a ball or a party on her own.
“You look gorgeous tonight, Felicia.” Victor hugged Felicia a bit and smiled.
Dressing in red, Felicia’s red eyes and fair skin looked even more beautiful.
Felicia thanked her teacher in a noble lady manner, and then she turned to welcome the other many guests. Not only Felicia’s classmates were present, but also many of her noble friends.
Following Victor and Rhine, Lucien entered the lobby, which could accommodate more than a hundred people.
The long dining table was sitting in the corner of the lobby. There were wine, assorted salads and pies, sausages, beef, chicken, duck, fine bread, fruits and many good-looking desserts that Lucien could not even name.
The invited band was playing a nice song, making this evening rather tasteful.
Lucien picked up a plate on the dining table and loaded it with lots of food. Eating quietly in the corner, he was waiting for Felicia to announce the beginning of the ball.
“Thank you all for coming tonight. That’s my great pleasure and the great pleasure of our Hayne family!” Felicia said to all the guests in a decent manner, “Now, let’s dance and enjoy the night!”
As she was talking, the lobby dimmed a bit and the band changed the song.
The gentlemen walked towards the young ladies and they started to dance in a manner called Whirling from the palace of Tria. While Whirling was very popular among young nobles, the conservative elder nobles were denouncing it as “very improper”and “immoral” because of the intimacy in Whirling.
“Lucien, are you still eating? This is a ball!” After her opening dance with Mr. Victor, Felicia finally found Lucien in the corner beside the dining table.
Putting down the plate, Lucien shrugged, “I don’t know how to whirl, Felicia.”
Lucien always felt rather hungry after awakening the Blessing. In addition to that, a tough task was waiting for him tonight.
“I can teach you, Lucien,” Felicia said to him sincerely, “Dancing, along with appreciating music and hunting, is very important in social life. If you want to get along with the nobles, you have to know how to dance.”
“I don’t know… I’m not made for this.” Lucien was a bit nervous, and he did not want to act weirdly at the ball. He awkwardly reached out his hand to invite Felicia for a dance.
“You’re doing good.” Felicia put her hand in Lucien’s, “Don’t worry. First time can never be perfect.”
Slightly putting one of his hands on Felicia’s waist and the other on her shoulder, Lucien started to dance following her instruction, and he was mindfully keeping a distance from Felicia’s body.
Several minutes later, Felicia looked at Lucien with surprise, “You can dance very well… except you’re a bit stiff. Is this your first time practicing Whirling?”
“No… not really.” Lucien couldn’t tell her about his Blessing and quickly found an excuse, “The princess taught me a bit before.”
“No wonder. After all, the princess is a grand knight, and she must be a good dance teacher, too.” Felicia nodded, and then she suddenly giggled, “Her Grace is half-head taller than you, and she is a great knight. When you were dancing with her, you probably look more like a lady.”
Felicia definitely heard some gossip about the princess. After all, Natasha never hid herself in front of people.
Lucien was a bit speechless. Then an idea flashed into his mind.
Suddenly Lucien lost his balance and slipped on the floor. He gasped in pain.
“Are you all right?” asked Felicia with concern, “You need a doctor?”
“My ankle hurts. Can you just have someone to lead me to a guest room? I just need a rest.” Lucien shook his head.
Felicia nodded and asked a servant to walk Lucien to the guest room on the third floor.
…………
The guest room was clean and nice, and the blanket on the bed was light and soft.
Sitting on the bed on his own, Lucien took out the letter and wrote several words down on it:
“I need the ball.”
It was close to eight at night, and it was dark outside.
More than ten minutes later, the heretics replied, “Open the window.”
As Lucien opened the window, the lively music playing downstairs immediately drifted up to him. Together with the music, a small black ball was thrown into the room.
Lucien agilely caught the ball.
This time, instead of crumbling the ball, Lucien took a peek at the inside of the ball. Through the heavy smoke in it, he saw the same cabin.
Luckily, the kidnappers did not move.
Putting the ball back into his pocket, Lucien responded through the letter, “I’ll calm John down tomorrow morning when I meet him.”
“Your cooperation is appreciated,” answered the letter coldly.
Lucien folded the letter, put it back into the pocket of his black suit, and hung his suit on the rack.
In the following hour, a few people came to visit Lucien, including Victor, Rhine, and even some young nobles that Lucien did not know. Yvette looked a bit disappointed when she visited Lucien since obviously the injured young man could not do anything that night.
After nine thirty, the guest room finally quieted down. Lucien locked the door from inside, blew out the candles and lied in the darkness.
A while later, he finally stood up and poured himself a cup of water. At the same time, he secretly dropped one sapphire given by Camil into the water.
“You found anything, Lucien?” Camil’s voice directly sounded in his mind.
Lucien answered to Camil silently in his mind, “Southeast of Melzer Black Forest, close to Lubeck Mountain.” Then, pretending that it was an accident, he dropped the cup on the ground.
The direction was very inaccurate, and it was far away from where the cabin was located. Even if Camil was going to search the whole area, she would not be able to find the cabin.
Lucien swore a bit and went back to the bed. He stuffed the other two sapphires under the pillow and covered himself with the big and soft blanket.
The ball was still going on, and the noise of the party made the night feel even quieter.
Some random dogs were barking afar.
The silver moon was up, and the moonlight sneaked into the room. In the moonlight, the blanket covering Lucien slightly twisted a bit.
Lucien escaped again from the window that was left open by him purposefully.
With his sharp vision, Lucien saw a black figure hiding behind a big tree not far away from the manor. Taking the opposite direction, Lucien climbed over the wall of the manor and ran into the forest behind it.
In the forest, he put on the black sorcerer robe that he prepared in advance and then ran toward Larnaca Canyon.
