Chapter 178 : Party!!

8:00 p.m. on September 7, 1998.

The upper-class nobles, gentry, musicians, painters, writers, and others from the Kakin Empire were all dressed up, entering the luxurious mansion of the fourth prince in pairs.

The dance began right on time.

The fourth prince, Tserriednich, said a few words before handing the stage over to the orchestra.

After a while, beautiful music filled the venue, and many gentlemen and ladies danced in the center like butterflies.

However, Tserriednich remained the focus of the party. Wherever he went, it felt like a spotlight was on him, drawing everyone's attention.

He didn't dance on stage but stood outside the main area, greeting guests with a friendly smile. He listened carefully to their conversations, making everyone feel excited.

Tserriednich paid attention to almost everyone, making each guest feel at ease.

A group of six people, who had just finished talking to the Fourth Prince, stood together in a corner, pointing at him as if he were a moon surrounded by stars.

They were Tserriednich's classmates and friends from military school. After graduation, they joined his private army and were naturally invited to the ball due to their close relationship.

"Tserri is still as busy as ever," said Otocin, who wore a suit and had his hands behind his head. "Just like in military school, there's always a crowd around him trying to get on his good side."

"Shh—"

Borksen, with a bob haircut, put her index finger to her lips, signaling Otocin to be quiet. She looked around cautiously, then patted her evening dress in relief.

"Otocin, why don't you learn? You should use honorifics when speaking to His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince. Never call him by his name, especially not his nickname!"

Otocin opened his eyes wide and defended himself, saying, "But we used to call him 'Tserri,' and he never complained. You guys are just overreacting."

Borksen frowned unhappily and looked at the other four, who all shook their heads and shrugged.

One of the women, Momolly, with black bangs and a cold expression, said, "Even in the Royal Military School of Kakin, only Otocin calls His Royal Highness Fourth Prince 'Tserri' like that. Please don't drag us into this."

Borksen pointed at Momolly and glanced at Otocin, as if to say, "Just watch."

"How cold," Otocin said, putting his hands on his hips. "We're friends. What's wrong with me calling him 'Tserri'? Don't you see? Tserri sees us differently."

The other five exchanged glances.

"Still don't get it?" Otocin explained, looking exasperated. "There are too many flatterers around him. We're the only true friends who care about him."

"Didn't you notice? When Tserri talks to others, he wears the 'proper prince's smile.' But with us, he shows the 'smile of relief.'"

"That's because he feels way more relaxed with us!"

The other five looked at each other again, and Momolly shook her head.

Borksen pursed her lips and decided to warn Otocin: "Listen, Otocin, things are different now. School is school, and society is society."

"Plus, we are now the private soldiers of His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince. We need to show respect. If we call him by his nickname, how can he maintain his authority in front of the other soldiers?"

"This..." Otocin thought for a moment and finally said, "Okay, okay, at least in front of outsiders, I'll call him 'His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince.'"

Finally, this stubborn bull was persuaded. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and secretly gave a thumbs-up to Borksen for her cleverness.

Borksen smiled smugly, but when she turned around, she bumped into someone walking next to her without noticing.

"Ah!"

She almost fell but was caught by someone who helped her up.

Borksen then heard the person ask with concern, "I'm sorry… are you okay?"

Looking up, Borksen saw a tall waiter in a tuxedo. He had slicked-back hair that shone, a mustache, and eyes as deep as black agate. He looked mature and heroic, probably over thirty.

Borksen subconsciously assessed him, like it was second nature. She then brushed her short hair back and said softly, "I… I'm fine. Don't worry. I was just careless."

The man smiled gently at her and replied, "I'm glad you're okay. If everything's fine, I'll get back to work."

He gestured to the plate in his hand, which held several wine glasses swaying slightly, reflecting the crystal chandelier above.

"Okay, go ahead and get busy," Borksen nodded in response.

She watched the man in the tuxedo leave with a tray of glasses.

Otocin, Momolly, and others checked if she was hurt, and she replied that she wasn't made of glass, so she wouldn't break from a slight bump.

Soon, the six of them talked about other things and completely forgot about the incident.

The waiter had moved near the fourth prince, Tserriednich, and while serving those around him, he seemed to listen in on Tserriednich's conversations with others.

Occasionally, he touched his beard. While the disguise on the rest of his face was good, the beard felt a bit off.

He looked about the same age as Chrollo, Knuckle, Shoot, and the nearby Tserriednich, but because of his disguise and the beard, he appeared at least seven or eight years older.

Still, he wasn't dissatisfied. After all, with disguises, a bigger change from the original appearance was better.

Germain began to eavesdrop.

He is a Nen user, and his physical condition is exceptional. Even from this distance, he can hear what Tserriednich is discussing with others.

Tserriednich is talking about philosophy, mentioning philosophers like Kant and Hegel, showing that he is deeply engaged in this topic.

Everyone else is smiling and applauding, praising the Fourth Prince's knowledge. This isn't just flattery; the Fourth Prince does have his own insights.

Germain has grown accustomed to hearing names like Kant and Hegel, and terms like Goldbach's conjecture, La Liga, and Serie A don't surprise him either.

This world is a parallel version of his previous world, where many things seem true but aren't.

Germain listens for a while but doesn't catch any important information, so he casually looks around the ballroom and spots the "two ladies" in evening dresses.

Shizuku and Kurapika have undergone more disguises; now, Shizuku has long black hair, and Kurapika has blonde hair cascading over his shoulders.

They both look beautiful, and their good looks make them appear as "two beauties."

At that moment, a man in a suit approaches them.

The man gestures toward the Fourth Prince, Tserriednich, and whispers something with a smile before handing them a business card.

Shizuku and Kurapika take the card, glance at the Fourth Prince in the distance, look at each other "awkwardly," hesitate for a moment, and then nod.

The man then points in another direction, intending to lead "them" away.

Shizuku and Kurapika follow him obediently.

As they begin to leave the corner of the venue, Kurapika quickly turns and makes eye contact with Germain before following the man out.

********

Support me on my patreon and read upto 15 early chapters.

https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer