The spacious villa was surrounded by a high wall. Black iron railings formed the outermost gate. Two soldiers in silver mail armor were guarding the gate. They were opening the gate for a luxuriously decorated noble carriage.
"A ball is going on?" Lucien was not a crazy sorcerer who did not know the common sense of nobles. Considering the bright lights in the villa, he could tell what was going on inside.
After hesitating for a moment, Lucien soon made up his mind. Since he was already at the gate, what was the point of worrying about?
Magic waves flashed on his body, and Lucien walked to the gate unhurriedly.
Because nobles valued dignity and manners, no matter how close the ball was to their home, they would come by carriage. Therefore, Lucien, who was approaching like a commoner, was obviously not an invited guest. The two soldiers looked at each other and were about to stop him.
However, at this moment, they suddenly felt that Lucien was full of dignity and elegance. With the badge of the Hoffenberg family on his chest, it was obvious that he was a noble of high status. Therefore, they lowered their heads and opened the gate to welcome the honorable guest.
"Simple spells can get past the guards …" Lucien slightly shook his head as he entered the gate. Knight squires could only stop ordinary people. Fortunately, there were still Knights from the intelligence department of the kingdom in the dark, but they knew him without a doubt. "I have to find a chance to set up some alarm magic traps in case the Church attacks Uncle Chorre."
Although the Church was not as unscrupulous as the Argent Horn cult, it was always better to be prepared. There was no shortage of lunatics among the night watchers.
It was July, and the weather was hot. However, Renstadt, which was only a few hours away from the seaside, was still relatively cool at night. Bathing in the evening wind, Lucien walked on the garden avenue and smelled the strong fragrance of flowers. He seemed to have melted into the shadows, so the few noble carriages behind him did not notice him.
The garden was not very big. Soon, Lucien arrived at the three-story villa. Inside the villa, all the magic crystal lamps were lit up, making the building look even more magnificent.
The night scene that was commonly seen on Earth revealed a magnificent aura here.
On the steps of the villa, Alisa, who was still as muscular as ever, was holding her Aalto -style long dress tightly as she welcomed guests one after another with a few maids.
"There are more noble ladies than usual …" Lucien muttered to himself in confusion. Then, he took a light breath and walked directly to Alisa.
Alisa's face was full of smiles as she looked at the noble ladies who had come to the ball and greeted them warmly.
After years of living as a noble, she was no longer as restrained as before. Her son, John, was a great Knight brought by the queen from Aalto. He was obviously in charge of the affairs of the Sword of Truth's Knight Legion. Naturally, the nobles thought highly of her and felt honored to attend her ball.
"Viscount Turner, my lady, Miss Katherine, welcome to the ball." Alisa welcomed the new guests with a smile. She was particularly enthusiastic about the tall, slim, and gentle girl who had blonde hair and blue eyes that were different from the style of Holm.
Knowing the purpose of Alisa's ball, Viscount Turner nodded with a smile. "It's our honor to attend your ball, my lady."
Katherine also responded with the etiquette of nobles.
"There's still some time before the ball begins. Take Viscount Turner and his family to the small hall for a rest." Alisa instructed the servant next to her.
After the Turner family entered, Alisa was ready to welcome the new guests with a smile again, but the familiar black-haired and black-eyed man on the stairs stunned her. The smile on her face froze, and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief, as if she were still in a dream.
She had never seen him in a double-breasted suit before, but it was so fitting and matched his vibe. The child in her heart seemed to have turned into a mature man. Alisa's feelings were surging. Her eyes suddenly turned red, and she mumbled, "Little Evans?"
"Aunt Alisa." Lucien calmed himself down and walked to Alisa with a smile.
Alisa shook her head in disbelief as if she were still in a dream. The surprise of meeting him again was mixed with the shame of having told on him before. "Little Evans?"
"What's wrong? Aunt Alisa, don't you recognize me? "Lucien chuckled.
Lucien's friendliness and non-alienation made Alisa's other feelings disappear, leaving nothing but excitement and delight. She forgot the nobility that she had spent years on and cried as if she were in the slums.
While rubbing her eyes, she spoke quickly, "Little Evans, have you really come back to visit us? I thought that you hated me for betraying you. "
"That's what I asked you to do, isn't it?" Lucien hugged Aunt Alisa with a smile. "In my heart, you are like my family."
"Oh, that's — that's great." Alisa looked at Lucien up and down excitedly. "Little Evans, you've grown taller. You're so much taller than before!"
She compared Lucien's height with her trembling right hand. Years of depression and self-blame were finally released. Before Lucien replied, she pulled him and walked inside. "I … I have to tell Chorre and Little John that Little Evans is finally back!"
The servant next to the hostess curiously looked at the tearful face of the hostess. He did not dare to remind her that she still had to welcome the guests, so he could only go to the butler to support the situation.
On their way, Alisa complained while crying, believing that Lucien was taller but thinner and more haggard. Many guests looked at her and wondered what had happened.
It was not until they were close to the living room that Alisa finally stopped crying. She wiped her eyes with a white handkerchief and patted her forehead. "I … I forgot that Little John is still on duty in the Nekso Palace. Chorre has been invited by the Musicians' Associations and hasn't returned yet!"
"It's okay. I'll wait for a second …" Before Lucien finished, Alisa had already started pacing around on the spot. She said excitedly and in a panic, "I have to tell them that you're back. Tell them right now! Little Evans, take a rest in the living room. I'll call them! "
After that, she rushed to the library in a hurry, completely forgetting to lead Lucien to the living room.
Seeing that Aunt Alisa was so excited that she did not know what to do, Lucien did not mind that he was "forgotten" by her. Instead, he shook his head with a smile, feeling warm in his heart. He should've returned a long time ago.
Without any restraint, Lucien felt that he had returned to his own home. He walked into the living room precisely and saw Viscount Trenna's family and a few other noble guests. They were communicating with each other and observing Lucien, a stranger, with curiosity.
At the center of the living room, a strange and delicate machine was spinning a black disc and playing melodious and clear music, filling the room with a romantic and elegant atmosphere.
Nodding his head and greeting them, Lucien walked to the wall and opened the hidden magic fridge. The chandelier inside was illuminated, reflecting the refrigerated drinks such as champagne.
Lucien unplugged the champagne and poured half a cup for himself. Then, he put the ice cubes from the top of the magic fridge. When he was about to close the door of the magic fridge, a male voice came from behind him. "This is the magic fridge, an alchemical item invented by the great Lucien Evans. It allows us to enjoy the coolness in the hot summer."
Huh? Lucien felt weird when his name was mentioned in such a way. For a moment, he did not know how he should respond.
The thirteen-year-old boy in the tuxedo behind him had the typical look of Holm. He had black hair, blue eyes, and chiseled facial features. Seeing that Lucien did not reply, he thought that he did not know the origin of the magic fridge. So, he introduced it to him enthusiastically, "Such a magic fridge is rarely produced. Only the great nobles and the few regular noble families can enjoy it. It's the product of popularizing alchemical items. I've only seen it in other parties."
"Well, popularizing alchemy items is the idea put forward by the great alchemist, Mr. Lucien Evans. It has changed our lives fundamentally, hasn't it?" Lucien nodded.
The boy seemed to admire Lucien very much. He was also quite cheerful.
"Of course. I like such a life." Lucien looked at the boy with a smile.
The boy was very happy to be acknowledged. "Viscount Wellesley is one of the most valued Knight of Her Majesty. So, his family has a lot of novel alchemical items that only belong to the great nobles for now. My cousin likes the magic phonograph very much. It allows us to enjoy all kinds of wonderful music without a band. We can even fall asleep with music."
When he spoke, he pointed at Kalie. The cousin he was talking about seemed to be her, and Wellesley was John's surname.
Seeing that Lucien's eyes followed the boy's gesture, Kalie smiled politely, "The magic phonograph was just invented. It's the first time I've seen it, too. I like it very much."
The boy added delightedly, "It's also the design idea proposed by Mr. Evans."
Lucien nodded. He knew it much better than the boy did. A few years ago, he told the leadership of the Will of Elements about the idea of the magic phonograph, hoping to simplify the magic circles that stored sound. However, he never succeeded because of the lack of good storage materials. It was not until a few months ago, when Gaston's Life Matter Synthesis Laboratory accidentally discovered a natural resin material that could be used for simplification, that the magic phonograph really appeared in this world.
"In fact, Viscount Wellesley has a special alchemical item in his family." Kalie seemed to like the magic-based life too. Her interest was piqued by the boy's incessant narration. Pointing at the silver box hanging high in the room, she said, "I once saw it in the banquet of Duke James' family. It's called a magic air conditioner. It can make summer cooler, and in winter, it can drive away the coldness together with the fireplace."
"Is that so?" The boy had never noticed the 'magic air conditioner' in the high room before. He looked at it with his eyes wide open, as if he were quite excited.
Kalie smiled and said, "You can feel the cool breeze from it. Also, it's the masterpiece of Mr. Lucien Evans, the grand arcanist."
"Oh, really? That's awesome! " The boy ran around in excitement. "Cousin Kalie, I'm definitely going to learn magic in the future. I'm going to become a great sorcerer and a great alchemist!"
Viscount Trenna teased his nephew, "Hawk, try to win the Holm Crown prize."
"Well." The boy shook his finger proudly. "The Holm Crown prize is not my goal; the Lucien Evans prize is! In the future, when somebody asks who he is in the party, you will be honored to introduce him to them. This is Mr. Hawk, the winner of the Evans Prize in Arcana. Uncle, let me tell you, cousin Kalie also wants to win the Lucien Evans prize, but her goal is the Evans Medical Prize. "
"If there are two winners of the Evans Prize in our family, it will be so honorable." Trenna looked at his daughter in amusement.
Exposed by Hawk in front of a stranger, Kalie was somewhat shy. She changed the topic and asked Lucien, "Sir, how should I address you?"
Lucien scratched his chin with his right hand. "You can call me Lucien Evans."
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