The Law of the Silent Gentleman

Chapter 45 – Masquerade

Antoine jumped out of the carriage and tugged at his collar. The lace on the collar made his skin itchy. He sneezed in the cold air. A slender hand stretched out from the carriage behind, and punched Antoine on the back of the head.

“Mask!” The person in the carriage scolded, “You forgot to wear a mask! How rude! If you enter the venue without a mask, we will be treated as barbarians!”

“I…I don’t like wearing this kind of thing…”

“You have to wear it even if you don’t like it! It has nothing to do with your personal likes and dislikes!”

Aggrieved, Antoine took the mask from the person in the carriage and covered his face with it. He didn’t like masks, and something stuck to his face made him feel uncomfortable and awkward. But there is no way, who let them participate in the “Masquerade Ball”?

Constantia jumped out of the carriage. She wore a golden butterfly mask, a matching sea blue dress, and a gauze as thin as a cicada’s wings. Her arms were still wrapped in long gloves, studded with glittering embroidery and pearls.

Next to get off was her teacher, Theodora. This steady woman wears an unadorned white mask. Along with them are the rest of the scholars. They arrived one after another in three carriages. After everyone arrived, Antoine took Constantia’s arm, another scholar took Theodora’s arm, and a group of people filed into the mansion of the Infanson family under the guidance of a servant.

Antoine was so tense that his whole body was stiff and he couldn’t walk easily. The mansion was resplendent and magnificent, which made him suddenly feel that he was vulgar. He has visited the lord’s castle and the ruins of the ancient people, but they are all cold stones, how can they compare with the magnificent hall in front of him?

A gentleman wearing a golden mask greeted them in the banquet hall. Lady Theodora and her companion exchanged pleasantries with him. Constanzia whispered to Antoine: “He is the host of the ball, Mr. Fernando Infançon. Remember his mask. If he talks to you later, don’t be foolish not to recognize him.” Antoine nodded. Constanzia had made up for him with the etiquette at the banquet before, so he wouldn’t be at a loss and make a fool of himself.

Fortunately Fernando didn’t greet them all – he had too many guests. He politely invites his guests from afar to have fun, and then greets the next group of guests in a manner that is not offensive in the slightest.

Everyone else is used to flattering in this kind of social occasion, only Antoine feels that he is out of place. He looked around for a table, hoping to pass the evening by conquering food. However, a servant told him that the dining table was set in a small hall next to it. Now that the first dance music has not yet begun, if Antoine leaves Constanzia to eat alone, the female scholar will definitely make him look good.

He could only bite the bullet and hold on until the ball officially started. Couples of dance partners held hands and stepped onto the dance floor amidst the ringing of Qing Yue’s bell. Antoine is naturally among them. His partner, of course, was Constantia. Compared with the calm female scholar, he is like a toddler. Antoine didn’t know how to dance at all. Although Constanzia taught him in advance, he didn’t grasp the essence of it at all. He could only swing his legs stiffly to the music to ensure that he would not step on his partner’s feet.

Others joined hands, dancing gracefully on the dance floor like a pair of elegant swans. Antoine was clumsy as a… goose with a broken leg. He swore he heard snickering. He blushed with shame, luckily wearing a mask. He used to think that practicing sword is the hardest thing in the world, but now he just wants to go home and cry to apologize to the teacher, confessing that he was so wrong.

The first dance piece was not long, it ended in about ten minutes. Others still wanted more, but Antoine seemed to be pardoned. For him, this was tantamount to the end of a torture. Men and women bowed to their partners and left the dance floor to applause.

“How is it, teacher? Am I a good dancer?” Constantia asked Miss Theodora impatiently. The female scholar smiled and nodded, but when she turned to Antoine…it was hard for her to keep the same smile.

Antoine just wanted to find a crack in the ground to get in, and never come out for the rest of his life.

Constanzia noticed his embarrassment, and quickly changed the subject: “Well… I’m so tired from dancing! My legs are sore! Let’s go to rest, shall we?”

Antoine was so moved that he couldn’t speak, he could only nod repeatedly.

“Let’s go! The lounge is in the side hall over there! It is said that there will be entertainers performing! Teacher, are you coming too?”

“Hmm… that’s fine. I happen to be hungry too.”

The three left the lively grand banquet hall and entered the side hall under the guidance of the servants.

There is a long table in the center of the side hall, with a row of candles burning in the center, and the food is stacked from one end of the long table to the other, which looks extraordinarily delicious in the candlelight. White sofas are placed in front of the walls on both sides for guests to take a rest. Waiters in uniforms shuttled among the guests with trays full of wine glasses, like bees flying over flowers.

At the other end of the side hall is a stage. At the moment, a female singer in white is singing on stage, accompanied by several musicians. There were several guests around the stage, and more people were scattered around. Constantia stopped and listened curiously for a moment, then found a seat near the stage and sat down. Antoine has no research on vocal music, he just thinks the singing is very nice. It doesn’t hurt to listen anyway. So he sat beside Constantia, but his main purpose was not to appreciate the singer’s natural voice, but to destroy the food in front of him.

Ms. Theodora also listened for a while, then lowered her voice and whispered to her students: “It’s the singing style of the Rudiman school. I originally thought that there would be no outstanding singers in their school after Rosaledo. “

“In my opinion, this singer is comparable to Rosalie, and needs some time to polish…”

The conversation between the two was full of all kinds of esoteric terms, and Antoine couldn’t understand any of them. Fortunately, he is used to it. From Akdon to Zanodia, he walked with these scholars all the way, and he had already learned to ignore things he didn’t understand. He didn’t think it mattered, as long as Constantia and Theodora could understand each other’s words, they didn’t speak specifically for him.

The singing of the female singer came to an end, and warm applause and whistles sounded in the side hall. Many guests took off the corsages worn on their chests and threw them at the female singer. Antoine recognized that this seemed to be a local custom of showing affection. The female singer picked up a corsage under her feet, kissed it, and threw the flower back to the audience. The applause grew louder.

“The two ladies have studied music?”

A deep male voice sounded from behind.

Antoine stuffed his mouth with food, turned his head, and a man wearing a black panther mask appeared behind them at some point. The man was like the beast shown by his mask, tall and strong, full of strength, but his footsteps were terribly light, and even Antoine didn’t notice that he was approaching quietly.

Ms. Theodora smiled politely: “I just know a little bit, and I dare not make mistakes in front of experts.”

“Where, when it comes to music, I’m just a layman. I only know ‘good sound’ and ‘bad sound’, and I can’t explain why.”

A waiter happened to pass by. The man wearing the black panther mask took two glasses of sparkling wine from the tray in the hands of the waiter, handed them to Theodora and Constantia, and took another glass for himself, completely ignoring Antoine who was on the side, probably treating him as an irrelevant person Bar. Antoine angrily grabbed a glass of wine, drank it down, and flushed the food into his stomach.

The Panther Mask asked, “It’s still early, why don’t the two ladies go dancing?”

Ms. Theodora chuckled: “I am not suitable for dancing at this age, let the young people go.”

“I’m tired,” said Constanzia. “Besides, I prefer to see other people perform than to act for others.”

“Oh? Then this lady has come to the right place. Mr. Fernando Infonçon’s **** have always only invited first-rate entertainers. Miss can feast her eyes tonight.”

“For example, the singer just now?” Constanzia disapproved, “She is indeed a good singer, but if she is called ‘top-notch’, she is still a bit short.”

“It’s not only the singer, but the more exciting ones are yet to come. It is said that Fernando Infantson has invited the band ‘Frost Poetry’, which is now in the limelight…”

Constantia looked at him in bewilderment. The Black Panther mask let out a long “uh—”: “Haven’t you two heard of this band?”

Constantia shook her head.

“…That’s no wonder. This band has suddenly become popular in the recent period. It is currently the hot favorite in the Zanodian social circle. I don’t know how many people want to invite them to perform at their homes. However, it is said that the leader of the band has a very high vision. Ordinary He simply dismissed the invitation. Only a feast like this——the Yinfangsong family’s autumn ball can invite him.”

“Oh? It’s pretty big. I’d like to see what they are capable of. If they can’t sing well,” Constantia grabbed an apple on the table, “I’ll throw it in his face.” !”

The black panther mask laughed loudly: “Please take me with you, miss.”

Theodora pursed her lips and smiled: “This is someone else’s banquet, don’t come here for the real thing.”

Constantia took a bite of the apple: “I’m joking, teacher.”

“But having said that, the name ‘Poetry of Frost’ is very interesting. Don’t you have any impression of it?”

“I seem to have heard it somewhere…”

“You didn’t learn well.” Ms. Theodora sighed helplessly, “Did you forget that Emperor Darien once had a sword called ‘Poetry of Frost’?”

“I remembered!” Constanzia shouted, “It is said that the sword was cast by the dragon **** Reshtani with cold flames and quenched with dragon blood, and then presented it to Emperor Darion. It is a pity that it is in Pingding It was broken during the decisive battle of the ‘Heatheril Rebellion’. There seems to be a poem about it…The name of this band is ‘Poetry of Frost’, does it have a deep meaning?”

Black Panther Mask said: “I heard that this band is best at heroic poetry, historical legends and other ballads, maybe that’s why they took this name.”

The side hall was full of whispers just now, but suddenly, everyone stopped talking and looked at the stage together. Three people in white dresses and white masks stepped onto the stage and sat down one by one. They seemed to be filled with magical power, instantly attracting everyone’s attention.

The announcer rushed onto the stage, his voice changed due to nervousness: “Next… I’m asking the band ‘Frost Poetry’ to present to you—”The End of Hetherell”!”

He bowed deeply and stepped backwards off the stage. There was no sound in the side hall, and even the applause that should have been dedicated to the artists was inexplicably missing, because everyone was overwhelmed by an indescribable momentum and forgot about etiquette. The momentum comes from the bard holding a lute in the center of the stage. He was wearing a mask that covered his face, but it couldn’t cover his silver eyes and the terrifying coldness in his eyes.

For a split second, the ballroom was gone, the stage was gone, the band and the entertainers were gone. People seem to be in the vast wilderness suddenly, with the frosty barren land under their feet, the damaged battle flag rolled over their heads, thousands of comrades in arms behind them, and countless enemies in front of them. The cold wind cut across the face like a knife, and every breath exhaled a cloud of white air. Everything in the world is cold, only the scorching blood is boiling in the blood vessels! As long as the horn of attack sounds, they will launch a charge, sacrificing life and death, just to win. They must win. They will prevail. Because God is on their side…

The sound of the wind breaking with the beating of the giant wings swept across the sky, and the huge figure as white as ice flew over the battlefield…

The ringing of the strings woke everyone up!

The bard plucked the strings, and the clear music flowed from his fingertips. After the prelude, the slightly hoarse singing opened the door of time and space, bringing the ancient and tragic stories to today, and telling them to those who have never seen it. Everyone present at that battle.

The audience was fascinated and completely addicted to the singing. Antoine was the only one awake in the side hall—he didn’t have time to enjoy the music at all, because his brain was occupied by other more important things!

— Isn’t that Leixi and the others! !

Antoine thought in shock.

Yes, they wore masks, as if they thought they would be unrecognizable. But he will never admit his mistake! He will never forget the size of those three people, not to mention Lei Xi’s voice is very recognizable, it can be said to be unique, if you can’t recognize it, there is a ghost! Why did Rexi and the others appear in Zanodia, at the Masquerade Ball? Why do they form a band? Forget about Lei Xi, he was originally a bard, but Enzo and Giuliano are messing around! Which song is this song from?