What happened? Klein tensed up immediately.
He had gone through too many accidents and knew well that Beyonder incidents tended to occur around him. When confronted with a similar situation, he would subconsciously be on high alert, feeling as though he had post-traumatic stress disorder.
Watching Helene Macht’s back disappear at the stairway landing, Klein noticed that she was only hurried, not panicked.
This seemed to mean that she had the situation under control… Moreover, Macht was a member of the House of Commons, part of the upper class second only to the nobility, and she was likely protected by Beyonders. Hmm, the eldest son of Earl Hall was also here, his bodyguards were certainly Beyonders… Besides, Saint Samuel Church was only about ten minutes away from Berkeland Street by carriage. If there was any problem, the Nighthawks and clergy could come at any time… Unless someone was determined to die, no one would cause trouble at this ball… Klein gradually calmed down and had another guess about Helene’s situation:
She had rushed to the third floor to deal with the negative effects of a mystical item!
Earlier, when Klein had asked Arrodes where to find a mystical item that could steal others’ Beyonder powers, one of the answers from the “magic mirror” was Helene Macht!
Recalling the scene during the dance, Helene’s image quickly reconstructed in Klein’s mind, and he focused on the different ornaments she wore.
Hair ornament, earrings, necklace, brooch, sheer gloves… Which one could it be? Klein looked away, feeling thirsty. He took a glass of water and gulped it down.
Just as he set down the glass, he saw the etiquette teacher Vanna Hayson approaching with a tray.
The lady was wearing a red gown that did not look vulgar at all. She smiled lightly at Dwayne Dantès and said:
“I noticed you don’t really like alcohol.”
“I once missed something very important because of drinking.” Klein casually fleshed out Dwayne Dantès’s image as an experienced and profound man.
Of course, he had enough restraint not to use his Faceless ability to change a finger to show how determined he was.
Hearing this, Vanna smiled contemplatively and said:
“Your past is full of mystery. To many young ladies, that is fatally attractive.”
She did not continue this topic but instead said:
“I forgot to tell you, my husband’s trouble has been resolved.”
Klein took a glass of champagne, raised it slightly, and said with a smile:
“That is really good news. Congratulations.”
He did not mention at all that he had secretly helped.
Vanna gave him a deep look and raised her glass of red wine as well, saying:
“Cheers.”
After clinking glasses and taking a sip, Klein politely apologized, set down his glass, and turned to walk to the restroom.
This was not because he wanted to go above the Gray Fog, but simply because of the negative effect of the “Death Knell” revolver—he had drunk too much water and needed to relieve himself.
When he came out of the restroom, Klein again looked up at the stairs leading from the second floor to the third and saw Helene Macht coming down step by step, no longer in a hurry, her expression calm.
Sure enough, nothing serious… It must be the negative effect of her mystical item… I wonder what it does… Klein breathed a sigh of relief, glanced casually at the dance floor, and during a pause in the music, he walked over to a lady and invited her to dance.
And with Dwayne Dantès’s appearance and demeanor, he was, of course, not refused.
And so, with dancing, eating, chatting, and more eating, the ball gradually came to an end, and the guests took their leave one after another.
Klein, who had already completed his task of exchanging business cards, did the same, but he was neither the first nor the last to leave.
The hall soon became quiet, and Lady Liana, while supervising the servants cleaning up, waved for her daughter Helene Macht to come over.
“Mr. Dwayne Dantès performed much better than I expected. Several ladies have already asked me about him in private,” Lady Liana said subtly. “Helene, you danced and talked with Mr. Dantès earlier. What do you think of him? You are more mature than other girls your age, so I trust your judgment.”
She knew her daughter well, so she deliberately added the last part, otherwise Helene might not be interested in giving a detailed answer.
When facing her mother, Helene was not so haughty. After thinking for a moment, she said:
“He is not very familiar with this circle and tends to bring up topics that might offend, but he is quite knowledgeable.”
“Quite knowledgeable…” Lady Liana repeated her daughter’s words with some surprise.
Knowing Helene, she knew this was a pretty high evaluation.
She couldn’t help feeling a little worried, afraid that her daughter might take a liking to Dwayne Dantès.
Helene looked down on the eligible gentlemen around her because they were too young, too shallow, not capable enough? Dwayne Dantès was exactly the type that a precocious girl would like… Lady Liana suddenly regretted inviting the gentleman to the ball.
She knew that given Helene’s personality, if she fell in love against opposition, she would be perfectly capable of eloping.
Helene seemed to sense her mother’s thoughts and said without much emotion:
“I only like men who are strong enough.”
“Phew…” Lady Liana breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and no longer worried, because Helene was a girl who disdained lying.