As a polite gentleman, Klein naturally wouldn't stare at Allen's wife. He looked at the renowned surgeon and said, "Good evening, Allen. How should I address this lady?"
Allen's cold demeanor hadn't changed, but that didn't stop him from handing over a beautifully wrapped bottle of red wine while politely smiling. "My wife, Wilma Gladys. She's a teacher at a secondary school."
"It looks like you're going to be a father again. When's the due date?" Klein took the gift and smoothly asked.
He had originally prepared topics on a few new surgical techniques recently reported in the newspapers for Dr. Allen, never expecting him to bring his wife, who was heavily pregnant.
To him, this was a pleasant surprise, because the unborn child in Mrs. Wilma Gladys's womb was none other than Will Auceptin, the "Mercury Serpent."
Allen instinctively glanced at his wife's belly. A faint smile appeared on his face as he said, "Early July. If you don't mind, I hope I can invite you to the celebration of his birth."
As soon as he finished speaking, the gentle-looking black-haired woman, Wilma, suddenly clutched her stomach and let out a soft cry of pain.
"What's wrong?" Allen asked reflexively.
"He kicked me, but he's quiet now." Wilma's expression relaxed.
She then turned to Dwayne Dantès, formed a smile, and said, "Because of the pregnancy, it's been so long since I've been to a ball like this. Staying at home all the time was making me feel a bit stifled, so I made Allen bring me along. Even though I can't dance, I can chat with the other ladies, or even find a corner to play a few rounds of cards."
"Your presence is an honor." Klein replied sincerely. "I'll definitely attend his birth celebration in early July."
He wasn't affected by the little incident just now and still remembered Dr. Allen's invitation.
After a few more pleasantries, Klein handed the gifts to his valet, Richardson, instructing him to lead the two—no, three—guests into the hall.
Not long after, he welcomed his second pair of guests: Bishop Elektra, still in his black priestly robes, and his female companion.
She was a girl whose face still had a bit of baby fat, just a little over twenty, looking at everything with fresh curiosity and seeming full of energy. However, because she had already given birth, she also exuded a hint of maturity.
"Good evening, Bishop. My sleep has been excellent lately," Klein said, pretending not to know about the secret efforts of the Church of the Goddess of the Night.
Bishop Elektra immediately touched his chest four times clockwise and said, "This is the Goddess's blessing."
He then introduced his companion. "My wife, Shauna Johnson."
Since he frequently met with Dwayne Dantès and had visited his residence many times, there was no need for him to prepare an extra gift for this ball; it would have seemed too distant and formal.
"Hello, you're much younger than I imagined." Klein gave a half-flattering, half-joking nod to Shauna.
At the same time, he made a quick calculation in his mind: "I heard the Bishop got married two years ago... That means his wife was around eighteen or nineteen at the time... Quite an age gap... In a few years, maybe I should introduce him to Fat Chemist..."
Hearing Dwayne Dantès's joke and recalling their conversation during the last illness visit, Bishop Elektra felt a bit awkward. He coughed lightly and replied on his wife's behalf, "She's a sociable person. If she has the time, she doesn't want to miss any ball at all."
Klein didn't say anything more, because he saw Lady Mary stepping out of her carriage and heading toward the entrance hall.
After letting Bishop Elektra and his wife into the hall, Klein smiled at Mary. "Madam, perhaps we'll be working together next week."
The team of lawyers and accountants he had hired had finished their investigation. They concluded that the Coiem Company was perfectly fine and a very good target for investment. He had already reached a preliminary agreement with the gentleman selling the shares: 12,800 pounds for 3% of the shares. They were just waiting for the final confirmation next week.
Hearing this, Mary let out a soft laugh. "I already consider you my partner."
"This seemed like a subtle remark with a deeper meaning… Could it be she has a slight interest in Dwayne Dantès?" Klein's heart stirred, but he pretended not to understand. Instead, he extended his hand. "Looking forward to cooperating."
After a brief handshake, he told his butler, Walter, to escort the lady inside.
At this point, guests were arriving in greater numbers. Klein welcomed them enthusiastically and humorously while recalling the appropriate topics for conversation, receiving quite a few gifts in the process.
"If a 'Faceless' didn't have it as a professional instinct to remember people's appearances and traits, I would have completely lost track of who was who, let alone find the right topics... No wonder stewards are often needed at times like this..." Klein sighed inwardly as he saw Congressman Macht and his family entering through the gate.