Lloyd had struggled with the strength of nine oxen and five tigers before he finally clawed his way out of that sea of blossoms and silk. The mingling perfumes and the endless chatter of bright voices formed something close to torment—a pink-tinted hell.
Bending low and using the crowd as cover, Lloyd pulled Selyu with him toward the rear garden. And even there, extravagance had been taken to its limit. The lamps failed to fully banish the darkness, leaving figures drifting through the shadows. At the center lay a quiet pool, its surface scattered with vivid flower petals.
Lloyd could not quite understand the pleasures of the wealthy. In the dead chill of winter—did they truly intend to swim in that water?
Soft music drifted through the air. A poet leaned against the dense branches of a flourishing tree, singing gently, as if weaving a veil of mystery over the resplendent night.
For a fleeting moment Lloyd found himself distracted. Beneath the dim shadows, the poet's face was indistinct.
"I never expected there to be a poet here," he said after a brief pause, a relaxed smile forming.
Yet this was not the sort of poet who merely wrote verses. The man before them was something rarer—a bard. It was a profession long abandoned by the age. In the days when news traveled slowly, wandering bards had been fascinating figures, singing of ancient deeds and forgotten heroes. But the world had changed. With the birth of telegraphs and telephones, no one needed such oral traditions anymore. Even newspapers carried stories faster and farther.
"What is it?" Selyu asked, a little surprised that Lloyd would show interest in such a profession.
Lloyd shook his head. "Nothing."
Beneath the quiet night, the garden felt refined and strangely serene. Lloyd and Selyu sat beside the pool on a narrow bench. Even now, no one had recognized Selyu—the first-prize guest of honor. For some reason, Lloyd felt a faint trace of disappointment.
But before long, the peaceful courtyard began to stir with noise.
Lloyd looked up.
Surrounded by a retinue of nobles, a middle-aged man was slowly entering the garden.
Though the distance was considerable, Lloyd could still sense the man's bearing. His clothing was modest—calm, restrained—like a finely forged blade without ornament. Compared with the gaudy nobles around him, the simplicity was almost refreshing.
Flattering words and humble greetings drifted across the courtyard. With the sharp hearing of a demon hunter, Lloyd quickly pieced together the man's identity.
The host of this grand ball—Duke Salicado.
Lloyd knew little about the duke. Only one thing had reached his ears: the man was an economic titan. His family had risen during the Glorious War through the wealth of war profits, and now controlled several vast enterprises. Their factories stretched across the whole of Inlveg.
Which, naturally, explained the staggering luxury of tonight's celebration.
The duke was truly, unmistakably rich.
In Lloyd's mind, he had already formed quiet judgments about figures of such stature.
Including the one sitting beside him.
The Stuart family, in truth, held very little power or industry. The previous generation had spent their lives in the Southern War Zone—and most of them had died there. Even Selyu herself had been rescued by Lloyd from Gaulnalo. Without her, the Stuart line would have vanished entirely.
Though the family had also risen through war, it was nothing like the Phoenix house. The Phoenix bloodline had endured, expanding steadily through the years. The Stuarts, however, had been battered again and again by fate, until nothing remained but the hollow glory of past honors.
In essence, Selyu was something of a symbol—a living emblem. A figure of honor. A thread that tied together the many families who had risen through wartime commendations.
Yet such a "symbol" held surprising power.
Those war-born houses still honored the old oaths they had sworn. They might not be wealthy, but when it came to influence and connections, nearly every gate in Inlveg would open for her.
"So," Lloyd said, glancing at Selyu, who seemed lost in thought beside him,
"aren't you going to greet him? Not that it's some grand political alignment—but he did invite you."
Selyu shook her head.
"There are too many people right now. I'll go when it's quieter."
The nobles swarmed around Duke Salicado like wolves circling a fat sheep, nearly ready to kneel and declare themselves his long-lost offspring. After all, not every noble was truly wealthy.
During the Glorious War, Queen Victoria had pushed through a number of harsh regulations aimed at curbing noble authority. At the time, no one cared much—the enemy had already reached the gates of Old Dunling, and everyone hastily approved the laws.
But then the tide of war turned.
Inlveg pushed the counteroffensive deep into Gaulnalo's territory. The nobles who had once been ready to flee suddenly found themselves staying put, happily sharing the spoils of victory.
Only afterward did they realize what those cursed regulations truly meant.
After all… who could have imagined they would actually win the war?
And so now, many nobles lived in quiet poverty, clinging to the fading wealth of their ancestors. Securing an invitation to this ball had taken great effort. To them, this was a lottery pool of fortune—if a powerful patron happened to notice them, all their troubles would vanish overnight.
Most maintained the illusion of elegance.
Only Lloyd remained completely himself.
He showed no restraint in his appetite, deliberately choosing the most expensive dishes available.
Truthfully, he would have behaved even more shamelessly—if not for the fact that the formal suit was painfully tight. He feared that one more bite might send the buttons flying.
"So what now?" Lloyd said, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. "We can't just sit here all night."
Selyu remained the same—silent, motionless, like a sculpture carved from ice.
Ordinarily, someone so cold would attract attention. Like frost in winter, the chill would be felt immediately. Yet Selyu rarely drew notice from others. Sometimes her stillness felt less like coldness… and more like lifelessness.
"Do you want to dance with me?" she asked, raising her head slightly, the corner of her lips lifting.
Lloyd shook his head.
"And tomorrow's newspapers run some ridiculous headline?" he muttered.
Honestly, sitting here unnoticed for the entire evening sounded perfect.
But just as Lloyd was congratulating himself on this quiet fortune, footsteps approached.
Another man hurried in from the rear path. He appeared to be heading toward Duke Salicado as well, yet as he passed by the bench he suddenly noticed Selyu—and stopped in visible surprise.
"I didn't expect to see you here tonight," the man said with a friendly smile. "I thought you would refuse the invitation again."
He seemed to ignore Lloyd entirely. Strangely enough, Lloyd felt relieved about that. He hadn't done anything wrong—well, technically he hadn't—but for some reason he now desperately wanted to leave.
"Good evening, Duke Phoenix," Selyu replied with a polite smile.
As the last surviving member of the Stuart family, Selyu had inherited the name but little else. A young girl could hardly manage what remained of the family's affairs. In those early days, Duke Phoenix had given her considerable assistance, and the two had grown familiar through it.
"Why are you sitting here?" the duke asked kindly. "Everyone is waiting for you."
"I… I'm not very familiar with those people," Selyu said. "I suppose I'm a little nervous."
Her expression, however, remained as calm and cold as ever.
Duke Phoenix chuckled softly and did not press the matter.
He was fond of Selyu—not merely because of her title or influence. She was about the same age as his daughter, and sometimes when he looked at her, he saw not a duchess, but simply a child.
Of course, it might also be because Selyu possessed none of the imposing authority one would expect from someone bearing the title of duke.
As he spoke, Duke Phoenix cast his gaze to the side. It was obvious that the man standing there was a friend of Seriu. To be honest, that surprised him. With the temperament of this future duchess, she rarely kept friends.
The duke studied the man with suspicion. If he proved to be someone of decent character, he would not mind Seriu having another companion. But if he turned out to be one of those opportunistic nobles who smelled profit in every corner… well, Duke Phoenix would not find it troublesome to deal with him personally.
Then a familiar face came into view.
Though the fellow wore a polite smile and was dressed so differently from before that he seemed like another person entirely, the unmistakable scent of a stray dog still clung to him—an instinctive warning that stirred deep within the duke.
Almost reflexively, Duke Phoenix reached toward his waist—only to grasp empty air. It was a ball, after all; he had not brought a gun.
His voice came out a little hoarse as he extended a hand and clasped Lloyd's.
"Long time no see, Mr. Holmes."
The words slipped through clenched teeth.
"Yes, yes. It has been quite a while."
Lloyd nodded vigorously, though their last meeting had not even been a week ago.
At this point, it was no longer a matter of old grudges or new ones. Duke Phoenix ground Lloyd's hand with brutal force. A witch hunter's grip could easily have crushed back in retaliation, yet Lloyd made no effort to resist. The last thing he wanted was to provoke this man any further.
"You two know each other?"
Seriu possessed eyes that seemed almost magical. The tone between the two men could not deceive her. At once she sensed their familiarity—and perhaps… some lingering resentment?
This time she regarded Lloyd with fresh curiosity. The incident with the Saturday housewife had already surprised her enough. Now it seemed he even knew Duke Phoenix. This detective, she realized, was far more peculiar than she had imagined.
"Of course we know each other," Lloyd answered with a smile, though his hand had already turned red in the duke's grip. "We've even had some dealings through work."
"But hold on—you're not a noble, are you? What are you doing here?"
Duke Phoenix was already beginning to regret bringing Eve to the ball.
After the incident in Ender Town, Eve had been confined to the manor, shut away to study etiquette and knowledge day after day. Wherever she went, someone followed. In time even Duke Phoenix himself felt he might have been overprotective. So he had decided to bring her out tonight—to meet people her own age, perhaps make a few friends.
And yet, of all people… Lloyd, that bastard, was here too.
"I'm her dance partner. What of it?"
Lloyd could not resist casting the duke a smug glance.
"You've got more luck with women than I imagined."
The duke spoke slowly, his smile brimming with murderous intent.
"Oh, not at all. When you wander the roads as I do, you've got to have a few friends, right? Boyfriends, girlfriends—it's all the same in the end. Friends are friends, aren't they?"
Lloyd shrugged with reckless sarcasm, as though he had already given up trying to behave.
At last Duke Phoenix drew a long breath and stared coldly at him. He still had serious business to attend to tonight. Better to finish that first… and deal with this bastard afterward.
"Well, well—look who's all gathered here."
At that moment, Duke Salicado spotted Duke Phoenix from across the hall and came over with a greeting. Trailing behind him was, naturally, a small procession of nobles.
In the blink of an eye, Duke Phoenix's expression transformed. If one wished to see what "changing faces" truly meant, this was it. A moment ago his smile had hidden blades; now he looked every bit the warm old friend.
"It has indeed been far too long."
The change was so swift that even Lloyd glanced sideways in amazement. Leaning slightly toward Seriu, he whispered,
"See that? That's what filthy adults look like."
He made no effort to hide his voice. Duke Phoenix clearly heard him but chose not to respond. Duke Salicado, however, noticed something and said with a hint of surprise,
"I never expected Duke Stuart to attend. Given your usual style, I thought you wouldn't come."
He looked toward Seriu, seated nearby, and extended an invitation. Yet judging from the girl's temperament, he had never truly expected her to accept.
"One cannot refuse forever," Seriu replied as she rose gracefully to her feet. "It is a pleasure to see you, Duke Salicado. Though, of course, I am not yet a duchess—please wait until I inherit before addressing me so."
In an instant, the frost around her seemed to melt. With perfect etiquette and a gentle smile, she spoke as though she had rehearsed the moment a hundred times.
To Lloyd, it felt as if some cold, lifeless statue had suddenly come alive.
Well… that's it. Seriu's becoming one of those dull adults too.
Watching her elegant gestures and that flawless shift in expression, Lloyd sighed inwardly. But before he could dwell on the thought, Duke Salicado's gaze turned toward him. Lloyd quickly introduced himself.
"Lloyd Holmes. A detective."
The duke nodded politely but said nothing more. Lloyd might as well have been invisible.
Which, come to think of it, made sense. These were dukes. Only dukes stood shoulder to shoulder with dukes. And him? What was he, really?
The three great figures began chatting about matters large and small. Lloyd sat quietly to the side like a piece of furniture—an audience member who scarcely mattered.
"Enjoying yourself?"
A familiar voice suddenly whispered beside his ear.
On a white chair nearby, Watson lounged lazily, stretching out a foot to test the cool water of the pool.
"You'd better prepare yourself," she said, turning toward Lloyd with a soft smile. "Because this brief happiness is about to end."
"What do you mean?"
Lloyd's expression sharpened instantly. The cheerful atmosphere evaporated the moment Watson appeared.
This woman was like a wandering ghost—liable to materialize at his side without warning and utter some cryptic prophecy. And because of who she was, Lloyd had no choice but to take her words seriously.
Seeing the wary expression she so enjoyed, Watson rose and stepped closer. She cupped his face gently in both hands, gazing into those gray-blue eyes.
"Lloyd… haven't you noticed yet?"
A dreadful chill seized his heart.
It was not Watson's words that frightened him.
It was the future he could not see.
Something was about to happen—something inevitable—and he had sensed none of it.