Chapter 28: Fourth Episode: Chapter 1 (1/2)
Chapter 28: Fourth Episode: Chapter 1
Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation
On 31 Penelope Road, there stood the official residence of the Governor of the East Border of Titan Empire - Duke Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel. It was agreed that at this current moment the mansion was at its liveliest since the day it was built.
Nearly half of the high status cabinet ministers and prominent families of the capital’s aristocrats gathered in the massive mansion tonight. Although the aristocratic families in the capital have their respective friendships and social network within the upper class society, these people were all assembled here tonight at this once-in-lifetime ball organised by the Andrew family.
Similar to the Duke’s mansion, Penelope Road itself has not been so lively in a very long time. A squadron of high-ranked knights were specifically dispatched here to maintain the order in front of the Andrew Family mansion.
Happiness and positivity were indeed contagious. The citizens living along the streets of Penelope Road collectively decorated the front of their houses with colourful ornaments. The bright and vibrant decorations filled up the busy street like a night sky crowded with millions of stars, it was as if they were beautifying their houses for the festive season.
The Lady Duchess of Andrew was not very good at dealing with guests. The ball has just commenced but the smile on Celia’s face was already stiff. Although she personally thought that the Italian carpenter made her house into a big mess and secretly despised his style, her guests seemed to appreciate the various arrangements in the residence.
The Lady Duchess hesitated each time before she extended her hand to the guests. She lost count of the times her beautiful soft hand was kissed by the strangers. The noble lady even thought of the terrible idea of her hand being infected by virus in those strangers’ saliva.
”May the God of Light blessed you, the noble and beautiful Lady Duchess of Andrew!”
”Here it goes again!” Celia thought to herself. She turned toward the source of the sound and threw at his way one of her fake, stiff smiles. As predicted, her hand was gently lifted by the other person. Another disgusting peck landed on the back of her white hand.
”Oh! May the Duchess always stay young and beautiful, and that the blessing of God of Light will constantly be with you!”
Celia secretly rolled her eyes as the person lowered his head to kiss her hand. She felt like on this night alone she has collected all the praises she would ever receive for the rest of her life.
”Thank you, sir. On behalf of the Andrew family, I would like to welcome you and hope you have an enjoyable time at my ball.”
The minister seemed like he had something more to say, but before he had the chance he found himself pushed aside by a group of people. Amidst the noise he heard the exact same compliments being said to the Lady Duchess again.
Just when Celia felt like she was drowning in the sea of saliva and fake compliments, big man Ferry stumbled his way through the crowd and whispered something to the Lady Duchess.
Celia immediately adjusted her dress and gave the crowd her best smile. ”I beg your pardon, ladies and gentlemen, the front desk just informed me that all invited guests have arrived. I think it’s about time for me to give the boring speech?”
”Of course, we are all eager for the Lady Duchess’s speech!” Someone in the crowd echoed Celia's words.
Celia smiled at the support and walked slowly to the back garden of the extravagant mansion with Ferry by her side.
Shortly after the guests took their glasses of champagne from the waiters, they moved their way towards Lady Duchess.
The Lady Duchess of Andrew Family stood on a temporary stage set up in the garden. Under the light, her bright red hair fluttered like a fire, and her tiny nose and faint dimples made up for her stiff smile.
The lady spent a great deal of effort to calm down the surrounding crowd. Standing on the stage, she finally got a perfect eagle view of the aristocrats gathered under the stage. The lady sighed softly, she felt extremely unfamiliar with these faces. She could not even recall their names! God knows how she would deal with these nosy people for the rest of the evening.
Celia cleared her throat slightly. She knew that opening remarks were extremely important to making good speech.
”Oh well, oh well! My honorable guests, I believe that some of you have started to complain, why the old woman of Andrew family prepared only champagne for the guests?” The crowd finally became quiet, it seemed that they were all interested in this issue.
”That’s because you bought all the fine wines from Dulin and sent them here to me as gifts, but I have not had time to open those presents!”
The crowd burst into loud laughter. Apparently the Lady Duchess succeeded in making a great opening.
”But I want to say thank you. Thank you all for coming to the house of Andrew family to celebrate the bestowment of my youngest son O’Neil. Can I then have the honor to make a toast to all of you? To the blessings of the God of Light, to the health of His Majesty the Emperor, and also to my youngest son.”
”Yes! But also to the Andrew family! A generation of heroes!” One of the aristocrats echoed aloud.
The words of this gentleman apparently got approval from the crowd. Numerous voices shouted unanimously, ”Yes! For the heroes of Andrew family!”
”Cheers!”
Wine glasses were lifted high up in the air, then fell quickly.
Celia passed her empty wine glass to Ferry who was standing by her side. She then held her breasts lightly. Mixture of excitement and alcohol filled up the lady’s entirety with a burning sensation.
”So my dear friends, what are you waiting for? The ball has already begun! Do you really think the Lady Duchess of Andrew is an old woman?”
Immediately, the conductor moved his baton swiftly at his band and a lively waltz melody followed.
”Oh God!” It seemed as though his natural voice was not loud enough, the finance minister Almodovar Godzilla shouted with his hoarse voice. ”Honorable Lady Duchess of Andrew, forget about the others, may I have the honor to be your partner for your first dance, please? Or do you think I have not the weight?”
Before the aristocrats could react to the sudden play of music, the minister who resembled a sea monster quickly dashed to the stage.
Celia gracefully positioned her hand to Marquis Godzilla’s with a smile. ”Of course, the honorable finance minister. No one else among my guests can I find that has more weight than you!”
In the midst of laughter, the first dance of the two bloomed like a flower on the stage. The dance set a perfect opening ceremony to the ball. Gradually, noise from dance invitations filled the whole garden.
In fact, all of this was arranged beforehand. In balls hosted by high status noble families, every agenda had to be written in detail in their invitation cards in advance in order for the guests to know what they should and should not do when they are present in the ball.
Take the first dance as example, it should be a privilege entirely allocated to the host of the ball and no one could object the host’s selection of dance partner. The aristocrats of Titan were the earliest bunch to set up this level of class in the social hierarchy of the whole Westland. The ladies and gentlemen of Titan have long developed the ball culture and managed to spread it around like a nation’s tradition.
The ball hosted by Lady Duchess of Andrew could be considered one with typical Titan style. First it starts off with a toast from the host family, then by the host’s first dance, followed by a more leisurely meal time. It was usually at meal time that guests begin to gossip, because once people get together they create a lot of discordance. Next up would be the time for performances. Sometimes the performers would be famous poets, singers, and even circus troops or magicians. It would also usually be at this time that the lords display their generosity by tipping the performers. Of course, this kind of reward would have to depend on the situation.
If the ball was still lively after all these activities, then the host would pass the floor to the young people, where young ladies and gentlemen gathered to immerse themselves in a traditional group dance. However, according to the way this trend developed over time, it has become an excuse for the young aristocrats ladies and gentlemen to make acquaintance with each other, because the group dance required the dancers to constantly change their dance partners as they rotate to the next person on the dance floor. Finally, after the dance would be a chance for the young people to go up to the other person whom they thought is attractive and get to know them a little better.
As to why Lady Marquise chose Almodovar Godzilla as her first dance’s partner, it was actually Oscar’s idea. He thought that Marquis Godzilla was the perfect choice because an option like him would not bring much criticism or gossips among the other people, and also it would make no sense for the lady to pick a random old man or some young man of an eminent family.
Oscar was smiling the whole time he watched his Mam Celia dance with the sea creature. He did not make an appearance on the dance floor. Instead, he sat on the large balcony on the second floor of the huge mansion with three beautiful ladies, overlooking the view of the garden from above.
”I think Mam Celia must be really regretful right now to have agreed to my suggestion. Ha ha, the way Almodovar held her waist resembled a perverted hairy bear.”
Countess Antonia Horman smiled and filled her little man’s cup with hot tea. Although the lady’s actions were not necessary different from before, Oscar noticed that Annie’s behavior has undergone a subtle change, at least in the eyes of outsiders they never would have guessed the intimate relationship between the two. The young man knew that this was actually the most peculiar part, since after he returned to Dulin after his short trip away Annie has not been affectionate to him anyway.
His Imperial Highness Prince let out a slight sigh at the thought of that. He turned to his younger sister and lovingly patted her head, ”My young lady, why don’t you go to have some fun down at the garden, I notice you seem quite eager to participate in the dance.”
Sasha drank the sweet fruit liqueur in the glass in one shot. ”Oh no! You’re wrong this time my brother, I cannot wait to get out of this boring place. My God! I almost suffocated in the crowd just now, I was so grateful that Her Imperial Highness Princess came to my rescue.”
Princess Alanis Alfa Morisette held Sasha’s hand lovingly and said, ”Sasha, as I mentioned before you can just call Alanis, I’ve always treated you as my dear friend.”
”Of course, Alanis, but do you not think those creepy guys are so annoying? Looking at them is enough to irritate me.”
The prince did not intend to comfort his sister, as he saw a guy on the dance floor gesture to him. His Imperial Highness waved his hand in return, and sank himself into the sofa once again. The young man thought that was how life was supposed to be, because for the little fatty, another dance has already begun.
The atmosphere in the lair tonight seemed to be somewhat different from the past. Almost everyone in the slum has been informed that the best for them tonight was to stay in their respective homes after dinner, if not, the cruel men of the Baron would be merciless to them.
The gang leaders of the lair have long been in isolation. The foreign guys from other provinces have left them no choice but to beg for a living on the streets. However, the situation seemed to have improved a little since two weeks ago, at least now their gambling houses and opium parlors could get some business after midnight.
But this was still not enough for them. They realized that if they do not completely expel these people out of Dulin, their careers would be over sooner or later. Just like the old Hordak, not only did he fail to achieve the desired results, he also lost his own life because he battled against the people. It was said that his whole family was killed too, only his youngest son managed to escape from Dulin.
Although their patience was limited, they were aware of how powerful their enemy was, because even the Underworld forces of those other provinces with whom they had a good relationship had all chosen to remain silent this time. The only few remaining gang leaders in the capital had no better choice other than to stay united. If things really were as rumored, it would not be possible to reverse the situation if they fight individually.
Initially when the battle in the lair just started, a rumour spread like an infectious disease in the Underworld, saying that the arbiter of Titan had his eyes on Dulin. It was also said that this person in power hoped to take control of the whole of Titan’s Underworld by virtue of a special heraldry he possessed, and Dulin would be the first sacrifice.
The gang leaders believed the rumor, but they did not know who was the important person holding the King's Heraldry. It all happened too sudden, so sudden that they did not have the time to organize a counterattack.
The situation was not the same as before. Those outsiders appeared to have met with some trouble and they withdrew into stronghold. Only God knew what they were planning in there. According to some sources, these people seemed to be under great pressure from the Ministry of Justice. Born and having spent their whole life in Dulin, these gang leaders naturally were clear of the things the ministers were capable of doing. Hence, it would be best to just step aside and let these two parties fight among themselves.
It was already eight o’clock sharp in the evening. There was only fifteen minutes left to the meeting of the gang leaders and Baron Thomas.
The guarantor who arranged for the meeting was Old Yoel. He used to be the boss of more than half of the gambling houses all over Dulin city. If it was not for his powerful background he would have been among the first few targets of Baron Aulet’s eradication mission.
The meeting was set to take place in one of Yoel’s gambling houses. The main reason the other gang leaders who were timid as mice finally agreed to the meeting today was because the specific gambling house was located at another leader’s turf and not Yoel’s. That was because they were worried that Yoel and the Baron would set up some secret traps if the meeting was held at Yoel’s domain.
Ten minutes before the meeting, the basement of Hotel Waldorf was already hot and stuffy. In order to win the trust of the gang leaders, Old Yoel even demanded his men to put away the usual gambling devices and later sent all the staff back home. That was why at the moment, the entire gambling house, and even the entire Waldorf Street, was full with only the men of these gangs.
Ten minutes past ten, the Baron was still nowhere to be seen.
Beads of sweat rolled down on the face of Old Yoel, he assumed that the meeting would not happen after all.
”Boss! Boss!” One of the gang member cried hurriedly at the door of the basement. ”Dear big bosses, the condition outside is terrible! The patrol from Ministry of Justice is setting up road blocks along Waldorf Street! Perhaps they heard of what we’re up to!”
The leaders encircling the round table were terrified at the sudden bad news. Although they did predict the chance of getting wiped out when all the gangs are gathered just like today, they obviously had not thought that it would be the old man from the Ministry of Justice to do the honor.
”Gentlemen! Gentlemen! I don’t think this is the best time for us to have internal conflict! Can you all please calm down your men!” One leader shouted amidst the panic voices, at least one of them was sensible.