Chapter 74
White Dance Shoe Club
Eivass wasn’t actually surprised that Princess Isabel came to find him. Princess Isabel yearned for a true friend, but her curse, her status, and her own personality flaws made this very difficult. Others either didn’t dare to approach her or didn’t know how to. The few who dared to try and approach her, despite the curse, were mostly people with ulterior motives.
Extraordinary individuals with an affinity for The Path of Beauty possessed strong spiritual senses and perception. They were the kind of people who, even before embarking on their path, could vaguely sense others’ attitudes and the beauty in the details of all things. This wasn’t based on any reason, knowledge, or skill, but rather on a pure “intuition” that was hard to explain.
Those who wished to take advantage of Princess Isabel’s melancholy and loneliness for their own purposes would be easily detected by her. Even if someone’s disguise and acting were so superb that they could fool her intuition, she had Teacher Janis as an advisor. Eivass, having been recognized by Janis, had essentially passed a character assessment. Coupled with his Dream experience and a pleasant meal conversation, Princess Isabel was no longer nervous around him.
In other words, Eivass was now Princess Isabel’s only potential friend for normal interaction. Whether it was to show off a friend to others, to prove “I have friends too,” or simply to spend time with Eivass, Princess Isabel would definitely come. Compared to Eivass, Princess Isabel was more like the “transfer student,” and Eivass had become her only acquaintance in the unfamiliar school.
Eivass, however, hadn’t expected her to come so soon, and so urgently. What surprised him the most was: how did Princess Isabel know he was here? An hour ago, he himself didn’t even know he would be here! This wasn’t arranged by his older brother, Edward. After Haina received Edward’s mission, she realized she couldn’t constantly shadow Eivass. Therefore, she Temporarily Decided to use her influence to help Eivass become more familiar. In simple terms, it was a way of expressing “this child is under my protection.” It was an impulse decision.
The Royal Law University campus was vast. Walking from the Art College of the Sixth Faculty to the Seminary of the Fourth Faculty would take at least an hour. Without a clear purpose, Princess Isabel would never have wandered here. When Eivass asked, Princess Isabel’s face stiffened. After some stammering, she finally gave a hesitant but honest answer: “I knew you would be at school today, and I asked my teacher… and she said you were here. My teacher also said you were lecturing students. I was curious… so I wanted to come see.”
Princess Isabel said regretfully, “But I think I’m late. By the time I got here, your class was already over.” Eivass understood. So, it was Janis who saw it from the paintings. Indeed, the hallways and classrooms of the university were filled with portraits of famous people, and those paintings acted as her eyes. It was no wonder the Princess was hesitant. This was, in a way, peeking. She was worried that he would be angry or distance himself from her because of it. But these concerns were entirely unnecessary. How could he possibly get angry over something like this? Princess Isabel was too sensitive.
However, Eivass didn’t directly say, “I don’t care about that.” In this situation, even if he said it, she might not believe him, or she might interpret it as politeness to make her feel less awkward. While it wouldn’t damage Eivass’s image, it would make her feel more guilty and worried. Therefore, Eivass skillfully steered the conversation away from the topic, using his attitude to convey that he truly didn’t mind: “Your Highness, don’t you have classes this Morning?”
“I took leave,” Princess Isabel replied without hesitation. “This is a vocal music class… I’m doing very well in this subject, so taking leave once in a while is fine.” Eivass felt somewhat Helpless, “You didn’t have to do that…” Hearing their conversation, Professor Bard behind Eivass paused for a moment. Didn’t Princess Isabel love to sing the most? His gaze fell on his new student, filled with complexity.
“Oh, right!” Princess Isabel suddenly remembered something, her eyes lighting up. She interrupted Eivass and smiled at him and Lily, “That house I gave you… does it look okay?” “I haven’t moved in yet, Your Highness,” Eivass said gently. “I just arrived at school and haven’t seen it. But my luggage has already been sent there.” “Then after we eat, I’ll take you to see it?” Princess Isabel quickly added, “If you have plans for lunch, then we can go in the afternoon… or evening is fine too.”
She was truly afraid of being rejected and of causing trouble for others. Eivass clearly recognized this. So, he directly looked at his old classmate, John Aiden. Princess Isabel also followed his gaze. In an Instant, the other students who were watching also looked at young John. Suddenly being the focus of so many gazes, young John froze. He felt a chill run down his spine, immense pressure, and his body became rigid, unable to speak. At that moment, Aiden felt as if he could understand why Princess Isabel was usually so cautious in her speech and actions. Being stared at in silence by so many people with gazes whose meaning was unclear, yet whose thoughts could almost be guessed, he dared not move or speak rashly.
“By the way, Aiden…” In the profound silence, Eivass spoke, “You were looking for me just now, was there something?” “I…” Aiden hesitated, feeling the surrounding gazes intensify. “Do I have something? Or should I say I don’t?” Aiden scratched his head in distress, glanced at Princess Isabel’s expression, and hesitantly replied, “You could say there isn’t…” “Then there still is.” “Ah, no, no… it’s just a small matter I wanted to ask you about, something mentioned in a novel! It’s not urgent…” Aiden was sweating profusely. Princess Isabel clearly wanted to spend time with Eivass. If he said he *did* have something, wouldn’t it seem insensitive?
“Forget it. I’ll just tell him what Eivass taught in class tonight…” “Wait… why don’t I just ask Eivass to help me explain it?” Thinking of this, Aiden suddenly remembered what he should say, and his words became fluent, “I know a fun place. When you have time, I’d like to invite you to come with me!” Eivass raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond. Hearing “novel,” he realized which plot this was. This was John Aiden’s first mission. John Aiden was given a copy of “Dracula,” which sparked his interest in the existence of “Vampires.” He would appear after the Player obtained the Professor’s approval, requesting the Player to investigate whether vampires exist. He bet at the White Dance Shoe Club that vampires existed but did not have access to the library. After this mission chain was completed, the “White Dance Shoe Club” map and its faction favorability would be unlocked.
Yes, faction. Although the “White Dance Shoe Club” sounds like a dance club, it’s only vaguely related, and not by much. It’s called a club, but it’s actually a student association with a certain threshold for entry. It was originally established by a group of students who enjoyed ballet performances, taking turns treating and inviting the Iris Kingdom’s ballet troupe to perform at the Royal Law University, and also to promote their hobby to other students. As more people joined, it ceased to be just a circle for ballet enthusiasts. Besides, watching it frequently could become tiresome. Thus, it has now become a gathering place for enthusiasts of various performing arts, including drama, opera, and stage plays.
Every day, singers, bands, dance troupes, and theater groups are invited to perform. You can watch for Free, and there’s also Free food and drinks. You can also just treat the performance as background music and find a corner to chat with others over tea. If a band is performing, interested students can also enter the dance floor to dance. Although the club is located within the university, former students can still return to the club after graduation, provided they pay a membership fee again. Therefore, in a sense, it also functions as a permanent alumni association.
Because this kind of social interaction is private, joining the “White Dance Shoe Club” requires a member’s invitation. The inviter also acts as a guarantor, vouching for the character of the new member. If a member is expelled for doing something disagreeable, the guarantor will also be punished. Princess Isabel has always been interested in this club, but she could never find anyone to invite her, nor did she dare to enter such a closed social environment alone. She knew without guessing that her appearance would immediately make her the center of attention. It might even cause trouble for others, making their relaxed environment tense… and perhaps making her disliked.
Clearly, Eivass would not need to undertake any “trust missions” to join the “White Dance Shoe Club.” In fact, just now, several people had already invited him. In Eivass’s memory, the Minister’s secret had to be investigated through the “White Dance Shoe Club.” This is because judges, supervisory officers, inspectors, and civil servants also come here to relax – except for those in the Military System, almost everyone from other systems can be seen here.
With this in mind, Eivass narrowed his eyes. He would accept young John’s invitation. And he would bring Princess Isabel along. He hadn’t forgotten his previous intention. He wanted to help Princess Isabel build confidence and find good friends. This was a perfect opportunity. Eivass spoke softly, “I’m guessing the fun place you’re talking about is the ‘White Dance Shoe Club,’ right? Several classmates have already invited me, so it seems really interesting…”
Hearing this, Princess Isabel’s eyes lit up. She looked expectantly at Eivass, clearly hoping he would agree. That way, Eivass, as a formal member, could invite her too! However, Princess Isabel didn’t realize that Eivass’s approach was more direct than she thought: “I am free this afternoon. After my class, I can go with you.” Eivass smiled, glancing at Princess Isabel, then looked back, “But… do you mind if I bring two more people?”
