Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 762: Is this something you don’t want outsiders to know?
Because of an unexpected incident, the atmosphere of the party seemed a little stagnant. The crows' cries did not stop, and they were still echoing. The guests also came to their senses and began to discuss in a low voice what had happened. Ling Ge was keenly aware that perhaps something unexpected had happened to Nevile, so he decided to leave the main hall and go out to see what was going on.

It was definitely not possible to go directly through the main gate, because many people were staring in that direction, and the young man did not want to be the focus of their attention. In this case, he could only leave from other roads: the main hall of the party was a very spacious space, and on the west side there was a row of huge French windows leading to the garden and courtyard, from which they could take a detour back to the boulevard they passed when they came, which was very hidden. And there was another advantage, even if it turned out to be a false alarm, Lingge could explain that he was a little annoyed by the crows, so he went to the garden to relax, which would not arouse Professor Heinrich's suspicion.

After making up his mind, Linger whispered his plan to Gloria, who did not object. So, the two took advantage of the time when the guests in the main hall were distracted by the crows and quietly entered the garden from the French windows on the west side. The lights were on here as well, but many places were not within the range of the lights. It must have been deliberately created to create a quiet and elegant atmosphere. This made it easier for the two to move. Linger was in front and Gloria was behind. They walked along the cobblestone path in the garden, bypassing the lush flowers and tall old trees, and headed towards the tree-lined avenue with a better view, trying to find out what happened.

However, the young man and Her Royal Highness the Third Princess thought their actions were secretive, but that was only true for the guests whose attention was not on them. Some people were observing their movements from beginning to end.

That's Michelle.

He felt that the silver-haired young man looked familiar from the beginning. Although it turned out to be an illusion, his instinct as an arbitrator of the Balance of Order made him still pay attention to him. He saw him whispering to his female companion and then leaving the garden without anyone's sight. All this happened right after the disturbing crow's cry. Michelle never liked to use his brain, but he could tell that there was probably a connection between the two.

He turned back to look for Professor Heinrich. After all, he was the professor's guest. If he wanted to take any action, he had to ask for his opinion first. But Michel saw neither the professor, nor the captain and Agil. They were supposed to be waiting in the chess and card room on the second floor. Sally saw him looking around and asked out of curiosity, and said sarcastically: "What are you looking for, Michel? Doesn't it make you feel uneasy to not see the captain, like a child who can't find his mother?"

"Stop talking nonsense and don't forget our mission."

Michelle replied coldly and told her about her discovery. When it came to business, Sally's expression became serious. After thinking for a while, she said, "Are you sure they are heading towards the garden? I remember that there is also a tree-lined avenue leading to the mansion, which can directly leave Xiaoliang Palace."

"It can't be wrong." Michelle couldn't find where Professor Heinrich was, so she simply looked away and nodded, "They look a little weird. Although they look normal, they are... too low-key."

He actually sat there honestly admiring the ancient relics on display instead of trying to squeeze into the social circles of the upper class or showing off his knowledge in front of strange ladies. This was not like what a young noble of Lunwitting should be like.

Michelle didn't realize that it was quite rare to find a customer like him who was only concerned with eating.

"That's a little strange indeed." Sally showed a thoughtful expression: "Then let's catch up and see, Michelle."

This time, Michelle was surprised: "What are you thinking? We can't act without the professor's permission..."

"But the professor also said that if we feel it is necessary, we can make our own judgment." Sally's lips drew a cunning arc: "Even if it is finally proved that the two guests are not a problem, we can also explain that they were a little annoyed by the crows' calls and went to the garden to relax. I believe the professor can understand."

Michelle: “…” Although the two are sworn enemies, one has to admit that Sally is indeed better at this kind of thing.

Having made up their minds, they no longer hesitated. Taking advantage of the time when other guests were not paying attention to them, they quietly entered the garden from the French windows on the west side, wanting to find out where the two mysterious guests came from.

……

At the same time, inside the Crimea Palace, the originally peaceful night became restless. The maids, attendants and guards coming in and out made the atmosphere particularly tense and busy. Although some people did not know what they were busy for, in this case, being busy is always better than not being busy, right?
Unlike those who were clearly staying out of the matter but pretending to be involved, the palace guards were the ones who were really busy. They turned the Third Princess's bedroom upside down before finally finding some plausible clues, which they reported to Her Majesty the Queen without stopping.

After learning where her youngest daughter might be, Queen Victoria II couldn't help but frown. Then she raised one hand and gently rubbed her brows, looking a little helpless: "Xiaoliang Palace, the party of the Institute of Prehistoric Heritage... I told Heinrich a long time ago that this habit will bring him big trouble one day."

But it was no use talking about this now. She said to the deputy commander of the palace guards who came to report the situation, "Contact Xiao Liang Palace and ask them to keep an eye on Gloria's movements and find a way to keep her here. Also, try to limit the scope of the spread of the good news and don't let too many people know about this."

"I understand, Your Majesty." The deputy commander had an understanding expression and did not question the decision. After all, this matter could be considered a royal scandal, and it was normal for Her Majesty the Queen not to want outsiders to know about it. For the sake of sales, the tabloids in Lunwitting would not care whether you were a royal family member or an aristocrat. They even dared to make up stories about the union of religious orders, so it was common to be physically silenced after touching on sensitive topics.

The cults can easily shut down or bankrupt those tabloids and control public opinion in this way, but the royal family and the government cannot do so because the ruling attributes of the two sides are fundamentally different. For this reason, Her Majesty the Queen can only eradicate the problem from the source.

Queen Victoria II knew what her deputy commander was thinking at a glance. She felt even more helpless. She wanted to explain, but she didn't know how to express her concerns. Besides, there was someone waiting to see what was going on in the study. She simply put these worries aside and said with a serious expression, "Forget it. Ask someone to prepare the communication device. I will contact Professor Heinrich myself."

Some things are better discussed face to face.

Looking at her deputy commander's hurriedly leaving back, and thinking of the special guest who was waiting for her in the study, Her Majesty the Queen sighed silently, facing the noisy and boiling night of the Crimea Palace, and murmured to herself: "You really gave me a big surprise."

"Dear Miss Gloria."

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)