Chapter 311: Dance and the Interception
Chapter 311: Dance and the Interception
Lorne looked at the figure with black hair and green eyes not far away, feeling a bit dazed.
Why is this guy here? Did he chase me all the way from Tingen to Backlund?
Did he recognize me? That makes no sense. My current face is different from the one I had back in Tingen.
Lorne remained calm on the surface, holding his wine glass and occasionally greeting nearby guests, but the corner of his eye never left Leonard.
"Get a bit closer to him. The aura on him... is somewhat familiar," Pales's deep and aged voice suddenly rang out in Leonard's mind.
"Familiar? Is it someone we've met before?" Leonard asked in a low, hushed voice.
"Perhaps—" the aged voice came again, carrying a hint of uncertainty.
Hearing this, Leonard's expression became more serious, and his originally relaxed and lazy temperament dissipated slightly. He picked up a glass of champagne and moved inconspicuously toward Lorne's direction.
At the same time, the donation activity temporarily came to an end, and the gala entered a period of free social interaction.
"Sherlock, James Scott is over there." Director Charles patted his assistant's shoulder and gestured with his chin toward Lorne, who was not far away. "While there's no one beside him, go and talk to him about the investment."
I feel more like a valet than an assistant—Klein grumbled inwardly, but at the thought of that fieldwork allowance as high as 150 pounds, he chose to cast that negligible bit of resentment to the back of his mind.
Sigh—a valet it is, then. To make a living, there's nothing to be ashamed of.
"Understood, Director." He nodded, slightly adjusting his somewhat stiff formal bow tie, and headed toward Lorne with his wine glass.
"Mr. Scott, I am Sherlock—" He organized his words in his mind as he approached the target.
However, just as he got within seven or eight steps of the other party, a subtle chill crawled up his spine.
Due to playing the role of "Mr. Rastig," he had recently become particularly sensitive to various gazes.
Is he observing others? Or is someone observing him?
Klein almost immediately sensed something unusual in the surrounding atmosphere; several faint gazes seemed to be interlacing in this area.
Wait! Why is there a sudden bad feeling—his spiritual intuition as a "Seer" kicked in, and a premonition of trouble surged into his heart.
He instinctively followed the direction of James Scott's peripheral gaze and turned his head slightly. With just one glance, he saw the black-haired, green-eyed figure that made his scalp tingle.
Crap! Why is Leonard here too?!
No, this world is just too small!
In Klein's mind, memories of his intense confrontation with the other man while pretending to be a "Red Glove" instantly resurfaced.
That time I pretended to be a "Red Glove," I ran into you trying to catch me. Now, I'm just a tool at a ball, and I run into you again! Are you just never going to let go of your old comrade-in-arms?
?
"That person's back... looks a bit familiar." The approaching Leonard also noticed Klein, who was standing next to Lorne and preparing to speak.
"It seems... I've seen him somewhere?!" Leonard's brow furrowed slightly as he tried to recall.
Damn! He's coming over!
Seeing Leonard heading straight this way, Klein decisively turned his head away.
As a "Nighthawk," it was reasonable for Leonard to appear in plainclothes at such a gathering of the powerful for security duty. But of all the "Nighthawks" in Backlund, why did it have to be Leonard, the person most familiar with him!
Although he had made some disguises, changing his hairline and sticking on a beard, he ultimately hadn't used any professional Beyonder items. If—if he were seen through at close range, the consequences—the matter in Tingen, the matter with the Red Gloves—a drop of cold sweat seeped from his forehead.
No, I have to leave quickly—Klein had just started to move his legs when he suddenly stopped.
Leonard has likely already noticed me. If I turn and leave now, the action would be too deliberate and would be even more likely to arouse his suspicion!
Just then.
"Detective Moriarty? It's you."
A sudden greeting startled Klein slightly. He turned in surprise to find that James Scott had come to his side at some point.
"Why are you here?"
"I'm here with my boss," Klein replied.
"Boss?" Lorne's brows rose slightly as a code name flashed through his mind.
Could it be that Plum Blossom 5?
It's truly a case of the pillow being delivered just as one gets sleepy! Seeing Scott take the initiative to speak, Klein was overjoyed and immediately made a gesture to "step aside and talk."
Lorne also nodded immediately, following him toward a relatively quiet corner in the distance of the banquet hall. At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
Finally, I've temporarily escaped the gaze of that showy policeman.
"Old Man, what should we do? James Scott and that person left. Should we follow them?" Seeing the target leave his line of sight, Leonard lowered his body, covered his mouth, and asked softly.
"No," the aged voice in his mind spoke hesitantly, "I have some bad premonitions.
Tonight's gala is livelier than we imagined."
"If you keep observing like this, I'm afraid you'll be noticed by certain people."
"Certain people? Who?" Leonard pressed.
—
Pales did not answer. Seeing this, Leonard's expression became somewhat solemn. "But my mission isn't finished yet? Just like this—"
"That James Scott is definitely a Beyonder, I can be sure of that," Pales affirmed. "His Sequence should be a bit higher than yours."
"Higher than mine—" Leonard's brow furrowed even tighter. "Then what about the person next to him? Do you think he looks familiar?"
"Uh—a little."
"I understand about the investment. But right now, it's not very convenient to talk about it."
"Can we talk in detail after the party ends?"
"We can also talk about Dr. Allen's matter then."
In the corner, Klein briefly described Charles's intention to invest in the Foundation.
Lorne quickly understood; it was Sherlock's nominal superior, a director of a Detective Guild, who wanted to invest—
To be honest, he was still quite wary of the forces behind this detective. But a bit of contact wasn't out of the question. After all, if he could have such a large faction as a backer, his future situation would be much better.
Therefore, he did not directly refuse the request, only planning to wait a while.
"No problem." Klein nodded. His task was mainly to pass on the message; now that James Scott had nodded, his task was considered complete.
As for anything else, that wasn't something a "little assistant" like him should worry about.
At this moment, a melodious dance tune slowly began to play in the banquet hall.
So there really is dancing—although Captain Huntington had already gone over the schedule with him, Lorne still felt a wave of unease when the music actually started.
If it were a normal noble party, there might be an opening dance. But considering the special nature of this charity gala, only this free social dance segment was arranged in the middle.
What now? He hadn't brought a female companion. Normally, in this segment, gentlemen would choose to have the first dance with their wives or female companions—Lorne looked around and saw that many gentlemen had already locked onto their respective targets, preparing to step forward and invite them to dance.
He noticed that the most popular were undoubtedly those two Royal Family members; they were already surrounded by many guests eager to invite them for a dance.
However, Lorne also noticed that quite a few faint gazes had fallen upon him as well. He guessed that the matter of his ten-thousand donation earlier had given many people some ideas about him.
But—so far, no one had taken the initiative to come over and invite him to dance or strike up a conversation. Were they still waiting and watching?
He walked casually to the long table set with exquisite pastries, picked up a glass of red wine, and took a small sip to hide his slight sense of uncertainty.
"Should I... take the initiative?"
"Was Prince Edessak... just about to invite me to dance?" Audrey Hall stood slightly on the periphery of the crowd, her emerald eyes reflecting the figure of the prince. "However, he's currently tied up by Earl Hirai."
She tilted her head slightly; as a "Spectator," she could clearly discern the subtle emotional changes in others.
"Uh... I feel like the impression he gives me is a bit different from before. The way he looks at me—no, the way he looks at all the ladies—carries a hint of... annoyance?"
"How strange."
After glancing at a few other guests, she turned her gaze toward the other side of the banquet hall.
"James Scott is still alone. Is it because it's his first time attending such an occasion, so he's not used to it?"
It couldn't be helped; Audrey admitted she was truly a bit curious.
Back then, Fors and Xio had come to her for help, hoping she could get him out of the police station. Later, at the Tarot Club, Mr. World had also commissioned her, wanting to save him as well—
At first, she had suspected whether Fors and Mr. World had coordinated it. But thinking about it later, she felt it was impossible; there was no reason for two people to approach her separately for the same person.
The only possible explanation was that this James Scott knew both Mr. World and Fors in reality, and had a good relationship with both of them—
"I mentioned him to Glaint back then, wanting to see if I could help bail James Scott out through his channels," Audrey recalled.
She hadn't expected that after only a few days, he would be released, appear in the newspapers, and successfully establish a connection with the official.
Honestly, she thought there might be a bit of her influence in this matter, but to say it was entirely because of her was also unlikely.
"Presumably, the official didn't want to make things difficult for him either, and Glaint merely gave it a little push." She made a rational analysis.
"Audrey Hall... is no one inviting her right now?"
Lorne once again noticed that familiar gaze.
It seems the Pathway Miss Hall belongs to is the type adept at observation; no wonder she makes me feel a bit uneasy.
Hmm—it's somewhat similar to the Captain's scholarly, inquisitive gaze, yet different—Lorne recalled Iceberg Admiral's usual look.
"Should I take the initiative to invite her to dance?" Lorne pondered quietly. "I can use the dance as an opportunity to express my gratitude and, while I'm at it, talk about the matter of returning the favor."
It seems... not impossible? It's better than standing around like a fool.
Thinking this, he set down his wine glass, lightly adjusted his bow tie, and stepped forward, cutting through the scattered crowd and heading straight toward Audrey Hall.
"What's wrong? Hasn't James Scott come to invite you to dance?" Councilor Macht approached his daughter and asked in a low voice, seeing her slightly despondent expression.
"Yeah." Hazel pursed her lips and said no more.
In truth, it wasn't that no one else wanted to invite her to dance. However, her haughty attitude, tinged with condescension, caused every man who looked her way to shift his target.
In terms of social skills and emotional management, this young lady indeed had a long way to go.
"He hasn't come?" Councilor Macht was also somewhat surprised. The speech segment had ended, and there were no reporters taking photos now; a single dance wouldn't convey any particular political meaning. He had thought that with James Scott's shrewdness, he would know how to maintain this newly established good relationship.
"Where is he?" He tried to find the man's figure in the crowd.
"Ah, over there."
Hazel followed her father's gaze and saw James Scott walking over from a distance. Only
The direction he was heading
She traced Lorne's path forward until it finally settled on a young girl surrounded by several noble ladies, yet whose brilliance could not be hidden. It was Audrey Hall.
It looked like he was going to invite Miss Hall.
Hazel felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest.
Uh—no! You just comforted me, saying I could surpass her, and then the moment you turn around, you run off to dance with her? Is this right of you?!!!!!!!!
"It seems he's quite bold" Councilor Macht also noticed this, and his expression became somewhat awkward.
As a politician, he could understand the man's behavior. But—after all, his own daughter was standing right beside him—
Hmph ''—"
Hazel let out a very soft, deeply displeased snort from her nose and abruptly turned her head away, not wanting to look anymore.
She knew she had no standing to be angry, but that knot of irritation in her chest simply wouldn't go away.
"Sigh—" Seeing this, Councilor Macht didn't know how to comfort her for a moment. Seeing his daughter's "I need to be alone" look, he chose to quietly step back a few paces, leaving her some space.
"I'll still have to talk to James Scott later," he thought to himself.
Uh?
However, an incredibly surprising sight appeared. Hazel, his haughty daughter who never willingly showed weakness, actually walked straight past him. Looking at her direction, she was going to intercept James Scott! This—this was completely out of character for his daughter!
James Scott is walking toward me—
Audrey, who had been watching Lorne out of the corner of her eye, naturally noticed his movement as well.
Does he want to invite me to dance?
—
This thought flashed through Audrey's mind instantly. It was highly likely. He might want to take the opportunity to ask why I was observing him just now.
the official has always been harsh toward wild Beyonders. He's very famous now, so he must care about this. It wouldn't hurt to explain it to him while dancing. Incidentally—I can also indirectly ask about Fors and Mr. World.
Thinking this, Audrey maintained an elegant and proper smile on her face, slightly adjusted her posture, and prepared herself, waiting for him to come and issue the invitation.
However, just as Lorne was only a few steps away from her, a slender and tall figure suddenly cut in from the side, blocking his path right in front of him.
Ah? Audrey's perfect smile froze for an instant.
Was I just... intercepted?
Lorne looked in surprise at Hazel, who had suddenly appeared before him. He was stunned for a moment, then keenly noticed many curious gazes from the surroundings focusing on them.
He quickly adjusted his expression, put on a standard social smile, and performed an elegant, textbook bow.
"Beautiful lady, may I have the honor of inviting you to a dance?"
Hazel glanced at him, remained silent for a few seconds, and without saying a word, simply extended her hand.
Is she... angry? Lorne felt a bit strange, but he politely took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. As they danced to the soothing melody, Lorne soon noticed something was wrong. Hazel's movements seemed off. His own movements were slightly stiff due to lack of practice, yet she was always able to coordinate with him perfectly. Moreover—she seemed to know that little habit of his, the slight bending of his knees that he had developed to accommodate Xio.
"You're not Hazel," Lorne said in a low voice, audible only to the two of them.
."—" The person in his arms didn't speak, focusing solely on the dance itself, using precise guidance to compensate for Lorne's lack of skill.
"Hmm ''—"
Lorne pondered for a moment and asked tentatively, "Is it you, Teacher Sharon?"
Hearing this, the person in his arms looked up slightly and said in a cold, ethereal tone, "You noticed a bit late."
Is she blaming me—a flash of embarrassment crossed Lorne's mind. He gave a dry cough and followed up, "When did you get here?"
"I was here when you were comforting her ''—"