Entry 04: The Gala (Part One)

The Gala is one of the biggest events here in Lincoln. Only held once a year, it is an event that celebrates the foundation of the Lincoln Museum, the biggest museum in the world. Many personalities from all over the world will be honored to be invited to this prestigious event. From what I know, those invited are personalities who have an influential impact on the world of politics, the arts, entertainment, fashion, and sports. By the way, this event requires formal attire based on the theme the organizer requires.

In other words, this event is a glorified fashion show.

Before we went to the venue, we picked up the guests who were waiting for us outside the headquarters. The theme for this year's gala is red flames, and all of us inside the car are wearing red. The three of us decided to wear formal attire with a tint of red in it. Lord Albert wore a black shirt with black pants; only the red robe with lily patterns and white accents fit the criteria, while Kouga wore the traditional Izanagian attire that is suited for formal occasions. What I noticed is the cherry blossom pattern on his red coat, which again fits the criteria of tonight's theme.

"It's called a haori, Anna," he said while I asked him about changing coats to a more formal one. "This is the way we dress formally in Izanagi, and I love the design."

I decided to keep quiet and opened the device instead. The screen provides us with information about the museum's interior, the number of people attending, and the seating arrangements for the dining gathering later. Before this day, we checked the museum for possible entrances that the vampires would enter in case the guards heightened the security at the event. Weapons were not allowed inside the gala, but we made an exception since we told the organizers that the person we were escorting was a VIP.

"Anna, have you asked the organizers about the food that we were eating during the event? "Lord Albert asked me while looking at the screen of my device.

I looked at him and replied, "Oh, about that, don't worry. I asked the organizers if they preferred sweet delicacies on your table." And they will have a hard time thinking about what dishes they will serve you. Sorry, chefs.

"Here we are," Patrick announced our destination as the car stopped in front of a huge building. We stepped out of the car and were amazed at the sight: the museum was decorated with red roses on each edge, with a long red carpet laid out in the middle section of the stairways leading to the entrance of the museum with ropes attached that serve as barriers on each side, keeping the journalists and paparazzi at bay. It is teeming with people, and you can see the flashing of cameras everywhere.

"It's already teemed with people now," I said as I stepped out of the car, and the others followed suit.

"With the number of people attending this gala, this will be an easy target for vampires to attack," Patrick said as he and Lena took out the case that had our weapons in it. "By the way, Lena and I will guard Lord Lilitus while you and General Igarashi enjoy your date."

My face was flustered as I turned my head toward Patrick. "Wait, what did you mean by—" I stopped and did a double take on what Patrick and Lena were wearing. The heck? They wore black suits with red accents like they were the bodyguards, while I was wearing a red dress in this group like I was attending the gala.

"Sorry, Annie!" Lena clapped her hand in apology before I could open my mouth to speak. "Pat said that you received an invitation to the gala a week before, and since we are not on the list, we decided that we would become the bodyguards instead so that you could enjoy the gala."

True, I received an invitation to the gala a week prior, but the recipient intended it for my dad. I told him that I didn't want to go to the gala just to socialize with other people and that I was only there for the mission, but he insisted that I go in his stead because he had a scheduled meeting the following day, so I have no choice but to accept his suggestion. "But that doesn't mean that I'm excluded from this mission!" I retorted.

Patrick sighed. "Think of this as a gesture of acceptance in your father's stead while doing the mission," he said. "Lena and I suggest this idea, and we have the approval of the Chief. So, while we're at it," He and Lena grabbed Lord Lilitus by the arm and dashed off at the speed of light before I could speak further. I swear I could see Lord Lilitus' look that he felt sorry for me. (In fact, he said'sorry' to me in a low voice.)

Kouga and I are now alone while watching the three of them ascend the staircase, which greets them with the flashing of cameras. He looked me in the eye and reached out his hand. "Shall we go, milady?"

I sighed in defeat as I took his hand as a response.

*

Inside the museum, waiters go around to serve guests drinks while waiting for the dining gathering. I took a glass of wine from the approaching waiter while looking at the painting in front of me. The painting consists of a beautiful red-haired girl wearing a white gown with gold and yellow accents on it, and she is standing at the center of the hill. Surrounding her are rose petals that are wreathed in flames, and her hand is reaching out to one of their petals. Below the frame is the name of the painting: Rose Flames.

I was mesmerized by the painting itself since it was done during the 19th century. From what I know about the painting, it was created by a painter named Jonathan Anderson, who only became famous after his death.

"Oh, you're looking at the painting? "A voice beside me spoke out as I was jolted out and almost spilled my drink to the floor. It was a man in his early forties with dark brown hair and sharp, light brown eyes covered in his rectangular glasses. He was wearing a beige suit with a red accent on it, beige pants, and black shoes. He also has a deep red scarf around his neck. To be fair, he looks good in that outfit, and he doesn't look like he was in his forties at all. "I'm sorry that I scared you." He apologized in a deep gentlemanly voice that was soothing to the ears.

"I'm fine." I put my free hand on my chest to breathe out. "Are you standing beside me the entire time, sir?"

"I recently came here to admire this painting," he said as he looked at the painting. "Jonathan Anderson was a prodigy. He was born into a noble family and started painting at the age of five, studied at the Elizabeth College of Arts at the age of sixteen, and painted a lot of famous paintings at the age of twenty-five."

"Wait, are we talking about the painter here?"

He smiled. "Of course."

I was curious. "If he painted a lot in his entire lifetime, why did he become famous after his death?"

The man's head went down, and he was silent for a while before he lit his head up and adjusted his glasses. "He suffered a lot of difficulties throughout his entire life. His mother died from an incurable disease when he was thirty, and his father was killed in an accident years later. His brother became the head of the estate, but their fortune soon dwindled due to his brother's gambling addiction. As a result, the estate fell apart, and the family suffered from poverty. Anderson later suffered from depression after hearing the news that his supposed fiancée was married off to another man who was a respectable member of society. After he painted his magnum opus, Rose Flames, at the age of forty-" he stopped.

My face was grim as I knew what happened next. "He killed himself, then?"

He nodded. "Several days after his death, another painter who is a friend of his discovered his painting, and he honored his friend's memory at the first gala. The Rose Flames are the center of attraction at this gala. This represents the longing of the painter's fiancée, and his love for her is like rose petals wreathed in flames."

"Oh, so that's why the girl in red is looking at the flame-covered rose petals representing his fiancée," I realized. "I never thought that this painting had so much meaning in it."

"There are a lot of other paintings created by Anderson displayed here." He turned around, looking at the paintings that other people looked at, and praised them with awe. "They said that most of the paintings were created when he was still in depression." Then he whispered in a low voice that I could hear clearly but pretended that I couldn't hear it. "But no matter how famous he is, he can't bring his fiancée back to him."

I looked at him directly. He has a sad look on his face, like he remembered something in his life. I reached out my hand to try to comfort him.

"Anna, I was looking for you." Before my hand touched the man's shoulder, Kouga arrived behind me. The man and I turned around as he approached us. "The dinner is about to start in five minutes," he said, looking at the man beside me. "Who is he?"

"You have an escort tonight, miss?" The man asked me, and I nodded. "Shame, as I was about to offer myself to be your escort to accompany you for the rest of the night."

"It's okay." I declined his offer, then I looked at Kouga. He looked at the man with a stern gaze, like he was giving a warning to the other man. "Shall we go now?" I asked him while grabbing his arm.

"Let us be off," he sternly said as we walked farther away from him.

"Nice knowing you," he said as he adjusted his glasses while his other hand was on his back.

*

"Anna, where have you been? "Patrick was worried that I was about to get lost around the building. "Lena was agitated earlier that you were going to run into one of the ESEH's agents here."

"What?! "I exclaimed angrily in a voice that would not attract a lot of people. "Those guys are here as well?"

"We ran into Yuri as well." Lena pouted angrily. "He asked us if you are here as well since he knows that your father was invited to this gala prior."

"I forgot." I angrily facepalmed. "The Maximus family owns a company that is focused on science."

"Forget this; where's Lord Albert?" Kouga asked the two.

"Don't worry, he's on his assigned table with two other guests," Patrick answered while pointing his thumb toward one of the tables where we saw Lord Albert chatting with two of the guests. As I wanted to speak further, we heard the announcement from the MC that formal dining was about to begin and called all the guests to take their respective seats. "The formal dining is about to get started. I think Lena and I should be in our positions now while you two should be seated in your respective seats." And by that, Patrick grabbed Lena by the arm and dragged her away to where Lord Lilitus was.

Kouga looked at the stub that he took out of his sleeve. "It seems like we're in the same seat."

"Huh?" I took out the stub that was given to me by the receptionist earlier and compared it to the stub number that the old man had in his hands. "What the heck?"

"Seems like we're completely stuck to each other," he smirked at me. "Well, shall we go then, milady?"

Oh, I'm so going to kill him while I have the chance!

*

As he heard the announcement that formal dining was about to begin, the brown-haired man with whom Anna had interacted earlier returned his empty glass to one of the approaching waiters, then took a detour left. The hall in that area has fewer people, and there are no guards patrolling the area. The man took the right wing and ended up in a darker section of the area, where no one noticed that he opened a door towards one of the most guarded areas in the museum.

The room inside is one of the displays that recreate the living rooms of the 19th-century Elizabethan noble household. All the things displayed, from the long sofa set to the fireplace leaning against the wall, as well as the utensils displayed, are all replicas. Sitting on the long sofa is a woman in her thirties with curly blond hair, red eyes, and voluptuous red lips. She is wearing a sleeveless V-neck deep-red dress that has a slit on one of its sides. She crossed her legs and motioned to the brown-haired man to come closer. As he approached her, his feet collided with a dead body, and he saw two well-built guards lying on the floor, lifeless. Their necks had two large holes, and blood oozed like red fluid.

"Looking at my masterpiece?" The woman asked the man with her seductive voice. "There will be more to come."

"The formal dining has started. Our creations are now waiting for your signal," the man said in a serious tone. "But we have several problems in front of us."

"Let me guess: Albert Lilitus is here, correct?" The woman knows the problem before the man can elaborate further. "That man never misses a social gathering. Once we eliminate him, we don't have any problems attempting to invade this country."

"Also, one of the Vampire Generals as well as some agents from SECTA are also here. They are guarding him and never leave out of their sight of him," he said while removing his glasses with one hand, revealing his crimson eyes. "Judging from their appearance, they are low-ranked agents and easy to deal with."

"Hah!" The woman was amused. "It's either SECTA has run out of their higher-ranked agents to assign to guard him, or they are fools running themselves to their early deaths." The woman stood up and approached the man. She stopped beside him and asked. "Did something catch your fancy while you're observing?"

He remembers Anna and the conversation that they had earlier. He decided that he should forget about it. "It's nothing."

"Well then, now that's settled, let the real show begin." The woman looked at the man with a wicked smile on her face, showing her fangs. "Are you ready to paint this whole place red in blood, Jonathan Anderson?"