Alice's movements paused for a moment. She suddenly realized that Klein so far hadn't even reached Sequence 5. Her gaze wavered slightly, and she quickly began to shift the blame:
"It was you who asked first!"
"…Okay then," Klein very reluctantly nodded, "Next, don't randomly pop out in front of other people… that's not a problem, right?"
Alice solemnly nodded her head.
The credibility Alice showed was not enough for Klein to have trust in her, but her serious attitude at least gave Klein a bit of psychological comfort—at least for now she truly took this matter to heart.
After being relatively silent for over ten seconds, Alice decided to do something to make up for her earlier mistake:
"Um, do you want talismans for the 'Fate' pathway?"
Klein froze for a moment, while Alice spoke as she calculated in her heart:
"If you can use Sequence 1-level talismans, I can make a few for you… but only for your personal use! Gifts aren't allowed to be casually given to others!"
"Alright," Klein nodded, amused and exasperated, but thinking of Alice's earlier bizarre request, he didn't fully agree, "I understand. When I need them, I'll come to you."
Though he said so, Klein silently swore in his heart not to take talismans from Alice unless absolutely necessary—who knows when she might suddenly get a weird idea again!
Looking at Klein's expression, Alice said thoughtfully, "So does that mean your words just now can be understood as… 'Next time for sure'?"
…It really was.
Klein choked for a moment, hesitating over whether he should admit it, but then Alice stared at him with a chilling, hair-raising look—before disappearing on the spot.
After hesitating for a bit, Klein touched the "Law of Ninth" talisman in his pocket, re-adjusted his height and facial features, then left the storage room through another door.
Klein walked along the quiet corridor toward the main building of the Governor's Mansion. Occasionally, attendants and maids passed by. As soon as they saw the navy admiral's uniform, they quickly stepped aside and bowed their heads in greeting.
Alice looked thoughtfully at the bowing attendants and maids. On the silent path, came a light "clack."
—The admiral's belt had come loose.
The good news was, the pants hadn't fallen to the ground just yet, but were precariously hanging on his waist. That faintly-there sensation made Klein fully understand the meaning behind Alice's last glance.
…Lunatic!
Klein nervously sensed his about-to-fall pants.
On the one hand, he felt Alice wouldn't let the matter end so easily—that didn't match her personality.
On the other hand, he thought Alice might really suddenly change her mind and let the pants fall…
Fortunately, no one had noticed his abnormality yet. Eyes forward, keeping that serious posture, Klein walked unhurriedly toward the black-stone-tiled corridor.
He didn't need to think to know Alice was probably watching him right now with a look of amazement… maybe even wanting to clap.
Elegant and beautiful music came from the banquet hall, but Klein was in no mood to appreciate it. His expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he was eager to find a lounge room.
As he approached one lounge, the door suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man walked out.
The man had black hair and blue eyes, his facial features somewhat resembled Admiral Amyrius by five or six parts, only with a slightly high forehead, slight eye bags, and corners of the mouth not yet drooping.
Klein immediately realized he was Admiral Amyrius Leavitt's younger brother, Austin Leavitt.
He looked like he'd been waiting for a long time. After confirming no one else was around, he asked Klein, "That matter—how have you thought about…"
He couldn't finish his sentence, because something both of them didn't want to see happened.
Klein swiftly but expressionlessly pulled up his pants, quickly buckled the belt—the whole process didn't take more than five seconds.
Only after completing that series of actions did he ask in a tone without emotional fluctuation, "What did you say just now?"
Austin's gaze dropped slightly downward. After a few seconds' pause, he said, "Nothing, forget it."
After speaking, he left without waiting for Klein to reply.
Klein looked at Austin's retreating figure, grinding his teeth, suddenly having the urge to drag Alice out and give her a good beating.
He walked coldly to the dining table, lingering for a moment on the roasted baby chicken, Backlund-style roast goose, and other dishes, then took a bit of steak, pan-fried dragonbone fish, and creamy cheese-fried Oravi lobster.
Admiral Admiral Amyrius liked fish, beef, and lobster… Klein silently recited this in his mind as he looked away, carrying the tray away from the long table.
Taking advantage of no one noticing, he stuffed a piece of steak into his mouth, pleasantly surprised to find it was still hot.
This really was… Just as Klein was moved in his heart, a small portion of Backlund-style roast goose and a cup of grape juice suddenly appeared on his tray.
He looked up in shock and quickly realized that even so, he wouldn't be able to find Alice. After a few seconds of thought, he swiftly finished the roast goose, then contentedly took a sip of grape juice.
Klein happily decided not to fuss over what Alice did just now.
Although it wasn't enough to fully fill his stomach, Klein was no longer hungry. Holding the tray, he chatted with various people to maintain the image of Admiral Admiral Amyrius, while eating a little without breaking character.
During this time, Klein noticed a young man in a tailcoat always staying not far behind him.
The man had neatly slicked-back blond hair, a slightly high hairline, bluish eyes that leaned toward the sides, a delicate face, and a gentle, cultured demeanor.
Exactly like the photo—Admiral Amyrius's secretary, Lueran… Klein restrained himself from observing further, so as not to reveal any oddities.
Leaving the Governor's Mansion, Klein boarded a carriage protected by the General's Guard, sitting beside the liquor cabinet.
The blond-haired secretary Lueran followed in, leather boots silently stepping on the thick, soft carpet as he moved across from Klein.
He turned his back to sit down. It should have been a flawlessly practiced motion—only a third of his buttocks would touch the seat, to show respect to the superior while being ready to stand at any moment.
It was the standard secretary sitting posture, but today, Lueran unexpectedly missed and fell straight to the floor.
There was carpet on the floor, so even an ordinary person wouldn't get hurt from falling.
But the point of this matter clearly wasn't that. Klein inwardly clenched his teeth again at Alice, wherever she was hiding.
Looking on the bright side—at least the one who fell on his butt wasn't me… Klein used his "Clown" extraordinary ability to control his expression, face unchanged as he looked at the fallen Lueran, not saying a word.
(End of Chapter)