Mystery: Gray Walker

Chapter 69 Victor's Persistence

Green and Anaïs quickly put down their cutlery and stood up to greet them.

"Good evening, Ms. Astraea," Green replied.

"A banquet on a snowy night always makes people lower their guard and become intoxicated by the illusion of warmth."

Clarisse leaned forward slightly and clinked glasses with Green. "But some fine wines, which may seem clear and tempting, may have been mixed with unwanted 'ingredients.' Especially those... drinks that are all served by waiters wearing ruby ​​cufflinks."

Ruby cufflinks!

Green immediately recalled the uniform decorations on the waiters' uniforms when they entered. He had previously thought it was just a reflection of the viscount's wealth, but now it seemed that it might be a mark.

"Remember, staying alert is more important than anything else."

Clarisse straightened up, her social smile returning to her face. "May the goddess bless you and may you enjoy this night."

She nodded slightly, then turned around and gracefully blended into the crowd, quickly disappearing behind a group of ladies who were talking.

Green and Anaïs exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

"Sir...is she warning us...not to drink the drinks the waiters offer?"

Green did not answer immediately, but fell into a brief moment of thought.

Why?

The word came to mind. All the guests were invited by the Viscount, and it was clear that his current status and wealth were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

If Clarice's warning is true, then what is his purpose?

Or are those problematic waiters not his people?

Do not,

He quickly dismissed the idea. A wealthy, powerful, and influential nobleman couldn't possibly be unaware of the problems that had arisen among so many of his subordinates.

But why? Why would the Viscount dare to go to such lengths for a public charity dinner that brought together political and business elites, and even members of the Night's Watch?

Unless... he doesn't care about being exposed at all, or... everything will be covered up after tonight?

But in the end, we still have to come back to the fundamental issue.

What is Viscount Linus Fairfax's purpose?

He looked toward the main table, where Viscount Linus was raising his glass to drink with the president of a major merchant guild. The glasses in their hands were filled with an amber-colored liquid that had just been poured by the waiter.

The viscount's face glowed with an almost excited redness.

He then looked at the table of the History and Archaeology Society.

The food and drinks in front of the elderly scholars seemed barely touched; they were more focused on their conversation and showed no interest in the waiter's service.

Mrs. Elliott had returned to her seat, with only a glass of water in front of her.

And at the Hayes family's table... Green's heart tightened suddenly.

He saw Aunt Sylvia smiling as she took a pink drink that looked like a fruit punch from a waiter.

Emily had a similar drink in front of her, but she didn't seem interested and was absentmindedly poking at the dessert on her plate with her fork.

"Damn it..." Green cursed under his breath.

He couldn't just rush over and tell his aunt not to drink it; that would cause even more chaos and might alert her.

"Anna," Green said quickly, looking at his aunt.

"Listen, we have to split up now. You stay here and observe the waiters' movements, especially who they approach and what they deliver. If you see anyone acting strangely, such as suddenly becoming unusually excited, becoming listless, or leaving their seat and heading in a certain direction, remember what they look like and where they go. But you yourself, don't touch anything, and try to stay in crowded and well-lit places."

"Where are you going?" Anaïs asked nervously. She had no idea what was going on, and a sense of panic instantly enveloped her.

"I need to remind my aunt and cousin."

Green turned to Anaïs. "At least keep them on their toes. You're relatively safe here. Remember, stay alert and don't touch anything."

Anaïs nodded vigorously. "I understand, sir. You...you must be careful."

Green took a deep breath and put on a smile.

He picked up his champagne glass and walked unhurriedly toward Hayes' house.

If there is danger, the safest thing to do is to leave.

His brain was racing, weaving reasons.

Emily isn't feeling well? Her period suddenly caused a headache? There's an emergency at home? But none of these seem appropriate; they're too fake.

But there was nothing he could do; he believed Clarice wouldn't lie to him.

When I reached the Hayes family's dining table, Aunt Sylvia had just taken a sip of her pink drink and was chatting quietly with a well-dressed lady at the next table.

Emily continued to chat and smile with a handsome young man, ignoring Green as he approached.

"Green? What brings you here?" Aunt Sylvia smiled as she saw him. "Did you finish discussing work with your colleague?"

"Well, that's all for now."

Green sat down in the empty seat next to Uncle Victor, lowered his voice, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke:

"Uncle, there's something I feel I need to tell you."

Victor put down his fork and smiled with satisfaction, "I heard from your aunt, that's great, keep up the good work. I believe in you."

Green looked at him without saying anything.

"What's wrong, Green?" Victor asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

Green licked his lips, glanced at the drinks on the table, and finally looked at Uncle Victor again.

"I...I overheard some waiters talking just now, and they were speaking a very rare dialect, but I happened to have learned a bit of it when I was an investigator."

"They mentioned...that some of the drinks tonight, to liven things up, might have...had some not-so-good stuff added. Not to everyone, but it's best to be careful."

He deliberately spoke vaguely, implying that the "drug" was some kind of lewd aphrodisiac, which was the most plausible reason he could think of that would convince Victor.

Because he values ​​dignity the most.

However, Victor's reaction was unexpected by Green.

His smile vanished instantly, replaced by a frown. He glanced around, making sure no one was watching, before turning to Green and lowering his voice:

"Green! How can you say such things! You must have misheard!"

He leaned forward. "Look at this! This is Viscount Linus Fairfax's charity dinner! Who are all here? City hall officials, presidents of major chambers of commerce!"

Victor gestured towards the main table and the Night's Watch table. "What is a viscount's status? He's a true nobleman, one of the most prestigious and wealthy figures in this city!"

"How could such a despicable thing happen at his banquet, right under his nose? If even a whisper of this got out, the Viscount's reputation would be completely ruined! What would he be after?"

Victor's logic is sound and without flaws. This is what Green can't understand.

In his view, the possibility Green described was not only absurd but also dangerous—a danger that could ruin the Hayes family's future.

"What if..." Green was still willing to give up.

"There's no 'what if'!" Victor interrupted Green before he could finish speaking.

He had put in countless efforts to get a ticket to this dinner party; it was a significant step for Hayes in transcending social class.

If Emily could marry into a noble family, the Hayes family wouldn't have to put all their eggs in one basket with the Green and Winston families.

Although Winston was also an aristocrat and had once enjoyed unparalleled glory, that was in the past.

Moreover, Green's last name is Morris, not Hayes.

Victor looked at Green and said slowly:

"Green, I know you mean well and are worried about us. But young people sometimes tend to overthink things, or they take rumors as gossip."

"At a banquet of this caliber, the service staff are of extremely high quality, and the management is very strict. The situation you described is absolutely impossible."

He leaned back in his chair, picked up his wine glass, and said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. It must be a misunderstanding. Let's just enjoy the banquet and not scare ourselves unnecessarily."

Emily pursed her lips, clearly thinking Green was making a fuss over nothing, and agreed with her father's point of view.

How could such a sordid thing happen in such a top-tier social setting? She even felt that Green was a bit ashamed for making such disrespectful speculations in a place like this.

"You're overthinking it, Green," Aunt Sylvia suddenly said.

Green looked at his uncle's resolute expression, and at his aunt's uneasy but ultimately chosen-to-believe-her-husband attitude, even though Emily didn't believe him.

All the prepared advice and warnings stuck in his throat.

"...Alright, Uncle." Green frowned. "Maybe...I really did mishear. Have fun."

I also hope Clarice is wrong.

Victor seemed to realize he had been too harsh, softened his expression, and added:

"Be careful yourself, don't wander off. In situations like this, it's always best to be cautious in your words and actions."

This admonition sounds incredibly ironic now.

Green nodded without saying anything more, but as he turned to leave, he saw several guests shaking hands with Linus to say goodbye, just like Mrs. Elliott.

He remained silent, which suggested that some others had also noticed something was amiss.