Having dealt with the mutated glass bottle, Klein took out his gold-cased pocket watch, clicked it open to check, and noted the current time.
He had to return here in three hours to separate the "Cross of No Light" from the "Slavery Bottle." Only then could he obtain the "Manipulator" Beyonder characteristic on its own, rather than a product that had merged with the characteristics of all the preceding Sequences.
"It feels like running an experiment…" Klein gave a slight nod, put away his pocket watch, returned to the real world, and truly began his afternoon rest.
At four in the afternoon, his personal valet Enuni knocked on his employer's door under the watchful eye of the butler,
"What is it?" Dantès, wearing pajamas and rubbing his temples, opened the bedroom door.
Enuni bowed and said: "Sir, you accepted Madam Lihanna's afternoon tea invitation the evening before last. It is today."
"Good. Give me fifteen minutes to get ready." Klein turned to the butler, Walter, and said.
Then he instructed his personal valet, Enuni: "Come in and help me change."
Once only he and his secret puppet remained in the room, Klein had the latter bring clothes suitable for afternoon tea while occasionally glancing at the wall clock.
After about ten minutes, with his bow tie tied and his coat on, he took four steps backward on the spot and headed above the
At this point, exactly three hours had passed since his last entry.
The mutated glass bottle, placed at the head of the long bronze table and held firmly against the "Cross of No Light" by the power of the Gray Fog, had lost the grid-like flickering glow it once possessed. It seemed to have transformed in an instant from a work of art into an ordinary household item one might find on the street.
From the bottom of the glass bottle, a large amount of grayish-white substance had precipitated out. It flowed on its own as if possessed of life, forming a heart-shaped object the size of a child's fist. The surface was covered in wrinkles and cracked with slit-like crevices that resembled eyes. As for the complex, three-dimensional patterns, sigils, and symbols that extended deep inside and pierced into the void — they were nearly identical to what Klein had seen when he obtained Hermann Rampisi's Beyonder characteristic.
Just slightly different… Klein released the Gray Fog's suppression and withdrew the "Cross of No Light" from the mouth of the bottle.
Only with this step did the precipitated item fully separate from the mutated glass bottle, becoming whole and independent.
Klein reached out with his left hand and picked up the object that resembled both a brain and a heart. He studied it for a few seconds, then tossed it onto the pile of miscellaneous items, where it was enveloped by the Gray Fog.
At that moment, a voice rose once more from within the mutated glass bottle, feeble and weak: "You, devil…"
Klein did not respond. He inserted the "Cross of No Light" held in his right hand back into the bottle, relying on the power of the Gray Fog to press it firmly in place.
And so, silence returned once more to the ancient palace.
Back in the real world, Klein put on his top hat, took his cane, and departed 160
…………
At Member Machet's residence, in the elegantly furnished drawing room, several guests sat around a delicate three-tiered tray stand, each with a cup of captivatingly colored black tea before them.
Klein picked up a small cucumber sandwich and took a light bite, half-jokingly voicing what he genuinely felt: "The desserts today all seem to be quite unique in shape — the carrot cake, and the cream scones, both of them."
Member Machet laughed heartily at this: "Daun, your powers of observation really are sharp."
This had nothing to do with observation — anyone who wasn't blind could see they were oddly shaped... Klein grumbled inwardly before saying aloud: "That sounds like a good thing."
"Of course. These were all made by Hazael herself. You'll get to taste them later. She still can't control the shape very effectively, but the flavor really is quite good." Member Machet said, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
Portland Montante, the president of Backlund Technical University who was seated nearby, immediately chuckled: "That doesn't sound much like the Hazael I know."
Member Machet glanced at Mrs. Liana, then said with satisfaction: "People grow, don't they?
"Hazael has truly matured recently. Not only is she willing to study those courses she used to reject — the ones for social graces and marriage preparation — and occasionally bake some pastries or play a piece of music for us, but she also proactively accompanies her mother to concerts, horse races, and department store outings, quietly listening in at various salons and banquets."
According to Miss "Justice," Hazael's treatment had reached the stage where she could recall the tremendous shock and pain she had once suffered. While it was only an intuitive emotional awareness and didn't yet involve the specific details of what had happened, it was enough for Hazael to periodically dream about losing her parents and most of her relatives... This had made her unconsciously begin to cherish her family, which in turn had led her to change herself to a certain degree? Klein nodded thoughtfully and smiled: "That's a good thing."
"Yes," Member Machet responded with genuine feeling. "I used to worry greatly about Hazael's personality — worried that she wouldn't be able to find a good marriage, that she wouldn't be able to interact normally with people in our circle, and that after we passed away, when she encountered difficulties, there would be no one to help her. Now, I can finally rest easy."
Member Machet revealed a heartfelt smile, openly voicing concerns from the past that he seldom spoke of.