"Oh! Heavenly Father! Audrey!" Viscount Glaint finally remembered what he had forgotten!
Today, Audrey was supposed to meet that "lady-killer" at his house!
How could he have forgotten something like that?!
Had that Snow used some Beyonder ability on him?
Currently, Glaint felt like a man walking down the street in a dream only to realize he wasn't wearing pants,a sudden, jarring awakening. He snapped his head around, looking nervously at Audrey, only relaxing when he confirmed her posture and appearance were as flawless as ever.
He didn't even dare to ask where she had been, fearing he might receive an answer that would send his blood pressure skyrocketing.
But while he didn't ask, Audrey spoke up of her own accord, delivering a line that terrified him, "Glaint, the next time you host a salon or a ball, could you send Mr. Snow an invitation? It's too much trouble for him to keep borrowing invitations from other ladies."
...
While Viscount Glaint's blood pressure was spiking, Snow was humming a piano melody as he returned to the ballroom. He acted as though he had never left, withdrawing his "Unseen to All" ability and weaving through the guests to solidify his social network.
One had to admit that, negative side effects of pollution aside, the [Listener] ability "Whispers" was incredibly useful. it was practically a hybrid of the [Psychologist]'s Cold Reading, the [Instigator]'s Charm, and the [Swindler]'s Psychological Suggestion. It even contained traces of Hypnosis, Word Magic, and Cognitive Alternation.
With such powers, his effectiveness in social settings was arguably superior to that of a [Psychologist].
After all, [Psychologists] and [Spectators] merely accommodate others by changing themselves, while a [Listener] could change others.
Watching Snow flit like a flower-butterfly between guests, making group after group of ladies chuckle, Viscount Glaint felt a storm of complicated thoughts. Firstly, he envied the Beyonder for having such power; secondly, he was annoyed that the man had "hooked" Audrey at his own ball.
Yet, he couldn't refuse Audrey's request. It was impossible for him to truly ban Snow from his events.
It wasn't that Snow was particularly important, but if he wanted to, Snow could simply enter as any lady's dance partner. Banishing him from the invitation list wouldn't stop him.
Besides, he couldn't very well single out and blacklist a mere veterinarian, could he? That would make him the laughingstock of Backlund's entire noble circle!
'I hope Audrey's interest is just a passing whim.' Glaint was experienced enough to know that the more you tried to stifle a young girl's hazy infatuation, the more persistent it became. If left alone, she would likely soon realize the gap between them and see him for what he was,a pretty-boy who lived off women's money! At most, she would end up treating him as a plaything, like the other ladies did... wait, what if he used a Beyonder ability?
At the thought that Snow was likely a Beyonder, Glaint grew uncertain again. He waited until Snow had walked a safe distance away before leaning in toward Audrey.
"Audrey, you remember that Snow is a Beyonder, right?"
Audrey, now a [Psychologist], didn't need to guess what Glaint was thinking. she wanted to deny it, but knew that doing so would only make things worse. She simply smiled and said, "Of course I remember. You're worried I've been influenced by a Beyonder power? Don't worry, I pray at Saint Samuel's Cathedral every so often. if I were truly influenced, it would definitely be discovered."
"As long as you know." Hearing Audrey's words, Glaint finally relaxed a bit. Although he still faced Earl Hall's potential disapproval, as long as he could hold out until Audrey's adulthood, it should be fine... probably?
...
Snow, unaware of Glaint's inner turmoil, returned to Mr. A's villa after the ball. While Miss Justice wasn't yet a professional-grade pianist, her foundation in music theory was exceptionally solid. Under her tutelage, Snow had finally managed to connect the "tadpoles" on the sheet music to their corresponding keys and chords.
Though this was merely "Intro 101," it was a massive leap for Snow, who previously had to transcribe melodies entirely by ear in his mind.
He began to reorganize his formed conditional reflexes, re-editing the chaotic, noise-filled techniques into chord-based patterns. As his fingers rolled across the keys, Snow felt a noticeable increase in ease.
'Next time, I'll learn the fingerings... Hmm, maybe I should play it a bit dumb? Drag out the lessons for a few more sessions?'
Thinking of Miss Justice's sweet, healing smile, Snow suddenly wondered if he should feign a bit of slow learning to extend the course.
However, after reflecting on it, he simply smiled and let his fingers leap across the keyboard once more.
The tune of "Katyusha" echoed in the room. This time, however, the True Creator didn't seem inclined to join in. Instead, the rhythmic wails of Lanevus sounded like a vocal accompaniment to the piano.
'The True Creator really does have some "Artist Germs" in him...'
Snow adjusted his tempo slightly to match the rhythm of Lanevus's howling, making the wails and the music more harmonious.
...
While Snow was using music to please the True Creator and simultaneously torture Lanevus, Mr. Fool finally received his second large-scale commission,an investigation task worth five whole pounds.
Don't look down on five pounds. The monthly rent for the house Klein currently occupied was around four pounds. Completing this one job would cover his overhead for the month.
The current Klein wasn't like his original self fresh to Backlund. Having lived in this city for over half a month, he had spent over three hundred pounds while earning less than one. This made him eager to break even and gave him the idea of securing a pipeline of clients through this young man.
Watching the boy count the bills with an almost obsessive-compulsive precision, aligning every edge perfectly, Klein felt an inexplicable irritation. This, in turn, reminded him of another individual with mental issues,
Mr. Devil, who suffered from [Dilemmist] syndrome and bordered on loss of control whenever faced with a multiple-choice question.
Considering Mr. Devil's condition, Klein didn't try to mock the OCD youth before him. Instead, imitating the boy's style, he carefully folded the bills and tucked them into his pocket,an action that clearly brought a look of comfort to the boy's face.
"I'll finish the investigation as quickly as possible." Klein stood and made a gesture of dismissal. The boy gave a sincere bow of gratitude.
"Thank you for your help."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
T/N: " lady-killer" (贵妇杀手) - Literally "Noble Lady Killer," a term for men who are exceptionally charming to upper-class women.
T/N: "Artist Germs" (艺术细菌) - A pun/slang in Chinese for "Artistic talent" (艺术细胞 - Artistic cells).
T/N: "Dilemmist syndrome" - Referring to Snow's Paradox pathway sequence.