Mystery: Gray Walker

Chapter 66 The Banquet

Clarice Astrea?

Wasn't she in a coma?

Green opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words. The image of the white cat flashed through his mind.

"Thank you," he finally said.

"I know what you're thinking, but I'm sorry," Clarice said softly. "Praise be to the goddess. Praise be to the fool."

The final words of praise are common and a symbol of faith, but to Green at this moment they were interpreted differently.

Was it the goddess of night or the Fool who helped her break free from her slumber?

"Praise be to the goddess. Praise be to the fool." Green repeated, at least the fact that the other person was standing in front of him meant he could feel less guilty.

Anaïs stood beside Green, not understanding what had happened, but she could sense the subtle change in the atmosphere.

She instinctively moved closer to Green.

Clarice Astrea seemed quite pleased with Green's reaction. She slowly withdrew her hand, her gaze shifting between Green and Anaïs before finally settling back on Green's face, her smile unchanged.

"Mr. Maurice seems a little surprised. Don't be nervous, we are all guests of the Viscount tonight. We just happened to run into each other and were simply exchanging greetings."

She paused, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the champagne glass in Green's hand, then glancing at the swirling snow outside the window, her tone light and conversational:

"Attending a banquet on a snowy night always has a unique charm, doesn't it? I hope everything tonight can end as purely as these snowflakes."

This sounded like a casual greeting, but Green felt she was implying something...

About tonight?

This dinner party might be hiding... something impure?

Green composed himself and smiled:

"It's quite a surprise, Ms. Astraea. I never expected to meet you here. The snow tonight is truly beautiful."

Clarice Astrea nodded slightly, turning her gaze to Anaïs.

"It's beautiful, the necklace suits you well. Sapphire... is a symbol of wisdom and loyalty," she said softly.

Anaïs was surprised that this elegant lady would suddenly speak to her. She was about to lower her head when Henry's reprimand flashed through her mind, and she smiled gently and said, "Thank you, madam."

"You're welcome."

Clarisse smiled slightly, then nodded to Green and Olivier. "Well then, we won't disturb you any longer. The banquet is about to begin, and we still need to say hello to the others. Sorry."

After speaking, Olivier and Clarisse turned around together and quickly blended into the crowd, heading to the other side of the banquet hall.

The crowd entered one after another.

Suddenly, Green spotted three more figures. He quickly pulled Anaïs around and whispered, "Don't turn around."

Anaïs, though somewhat puzzled, did as instructed, and couldn't help but ask softly, "Mr. Morris...we...?"

Green glanced sideways to make sure his uncle, aunt, and Emily weren't paying attention to him, then breathed a sigh of relief and gestured to Anaïs with his eyes, "Let's try to avoid those three tonight."

Anaïs followed the gaze, and after confirming the face, nodded slightly, "Okay."

Just then, a butler in a smart uniform, holding a small silver bell, walked to the center of the banquet hall and rang the bell crisply.

Everyone's attention was drawn to it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the banquet is about to begin. Please take your seats in order," the butler said.

The guests began looking for their seat cards.

The banquet hall features a classic U-shaped layout, with pristine white linen tablecloths. Silver cutlery and crystal glasses gleam under the candlelight and chandeliers, and each seat is adorned with an exquisite menu and place card.

Green quickly found his and Anaïs's names on the right side, in the middle to rear section. They weren't particularly conspicuous, but the view was decent, allowing him to see both the main table and most of the guests.

It perfectly meets my needs.

He gentlemanly pulled out a chair for Anaïs, and after she sat down, he sat down beside her.

Not far to the left, the Hayes family was seated in a relatively forward position, and many young men around them were drawn to Emily.

It must be said that her light gold dress and radiant smile made her stand out among the many young ladies, making her a rising star in the social scene tonight. Several young gentlemen had already taken the initiative to come up and talk to her.

Meanwhile, Uncle Victor was smiling and chatting with others, seemingly having finally entered some high society circle, although most of the time he was just listening and agreeing.

"Where are those old men?" Green muttered to himself.

Finally, he spotted a few elderly gentlemen on the left-hand side, who looked rather like old scholars.

It must be them.

Green gestured to Anaïs with his eyes, and Anaïs understood immediately.

Once most of the guests were seated, the soft murmur of conversation subsided like a receding tide, and the banquet hall gradually quieted down.

All eyes, whether directly or subtly, were fixed on Viscount Linus Fairfax at the center of the main table.

Linus, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, stood behind the podium, exuding an air of aloofness and control.

His gaze slowly swept across the entire room, and the voices in the hall involuntarily lowered.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Linus nodded slightly, "welcome to Fairfax Manor on this snowy night."

The banquet hall fell completely silent.

Linus's voice was very magnetic, with the unique intonation of an old-fashioned aristocrat.

Of course, the content was nothing more than thanking the guests, emphasizing the importance of the development of Port Oberhafen, explaining that the funds raised at this charity gala would be used for poverty relief and some infrastructure projects, and finally appealing to everyone to donate generously.

His words were sincere, his logic was clear, and they were full of a sense of social responsibility.

But Green also noticed some details.

As Linus spoke, his fingers would lightly rub the edge of the podium.

Although his gaze seemed to sweep across the entire room and make eye contact with the guests, his gaze lingered on certain people for a slightly longer period of time.

For example, the positions of the old men from the History and Archaeology Society, some municipal officials, and... the positions of Olivier and Clarisse.

His eyes seemed earnest, but Green felt that something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"...Therefore, I firmly believe that with your joint efforts, Oberhafen will surely usher in a more prosperous and just future."

As Viscount Linus drew to a close, he raised his voice slightly and lifted his glass:

"To the future of Oborhafen, to those who need help—cheers!"

"Cheers!"

The guests raised their glasses in response, and the banquet hall was filled with the crisp sound of clinking glasses and cheers.

After the speeches, the formal dinner began.

The waiters began serving the dishes in an orderly fashion, wearing matching ruby ​​cufflinks, seemingly a symbol of Linus's wealth.

The table was quickly filled with exquisite appetizers, soups, and main courses.

A melodious string quartet played in the corner, adding an elegant touch to the banquet.

The guests began to continue their conversations in small groups.

"Eat something," Green said in a low voice to Anaïs, pushing a small plate of grilled cod fillet in front of her. "You should eat; we don't need to save money for the Viscount."

Anaïs nodded, taking small bites of her food, her gaze occasionally drifting towards the direction of the old scholars.

Green himself ate some, and it did taste quite good, but he focused more on observing.

He saw that Uncle Victor was trying to strike up a conversation with a municipal representative at the same table, while Aunt Sylvia seemed a little reserved.

Emily sat upright, sipping her soup, when suddenly her eyes met Green's. She widened her eyes in surprise, wondering if she was seeing things.

Green quickly looked down. "Oh no!"

"What's wrong?" Anaïs asked.

"We've been spotted." Green quickly covered his face with his hands, then secretly peeked through his fingers.

He should have looked away, for he saw that Aunt Sylvia and Emily were both looking at him with surprise in their eyes.

Seeing that he couldn't avoid it, Green simply smiled back at them, though his face was full of embarrassment.

They still found out...

Anaïs followed his gaze and noticed the stares coming from that table, especially the blonde woman's undisguised scrutiny.

"Should I...go over and say hello?" she asked softly, her tone uncertain.

"No, not now." Green withdrew his gaze, quickly regained his composure, and whispered to Anaïs, "Remember our mission."

He forced himself to stop looking at his uncle's table and instead focused his attention back on the old scholars of the History and Archaeology Society, observing their mannerisms and habits.

However, he could feel that the two gazes were still fixed on him.

Don't come any closer...! Beautiful goddess! Goddess, please bless me!

Green prayed silently in his heart.