The luncheon began promptly at ten in the morning. Although it was somewhat early, the reception inevitably required some pleasantries exchanged before the guests settled at the table while waiting for the dishes to be served. By the time this entire process had taken place, it was almost meal time.
Shiller descended the stairs at exactly ten o'clock. The living room was already gathering some people, each dressed in a black suit complemented by a dark gray tie. Their attire was void of any metallic adornment, which made them blend perfectly with the ambiance of the entire mansion.
Shiller, clad in a dark brown three-piece suit with a deep blue paisley-patterned silk tie, had a striking golden hummingbird brooch dazzling from the pocket square of his suit – standing out among the crowd like a peacock in full display.
The crowd's expressions turned slightly peculiar. If one were to describe them, they seemed to be containing schadenfreude. It was as if they held a mutual secret and were delighting in the anticipation of seeing an unsuspecting individual take a considerable fall.
Shiller did not make eye contact with any of them. Instead, he walked straight over to the dining room entrance of the living room, taking a quick glance inside, before turning his attention to the butler at the door.
Soon afterwards, Beihan came downstairs. He was dressed in a dark blue suit with a dark gold tie, embellished with a small emblem in the middle. Unfortunately, it was just the emblem of a seagull, not a bat.
He had taken off his face mask, his hair falling in front of his forehead. His facial stubble was not entirely clean-shaven but intentionally left sparse. He hadn't straightened his collar perfectly. Overall, his look leaned towards casual formal wear, showcasing a youthful and fashionable flair.
The atmosphere was now thick with the crowd's schadenfreude.
However, when Batman from the Prime Universe and Natasha walked down hand in hand, the room fell eerily silent.
If there was someone who best suited the colour black, it was certainly Batman. The black suit acted as his other suit of armour. The Gotham Dark Knight's intimidating aura remained as potent as ever despite being dressed in formal attire.
He wore a pure black suit, adorned with a similarly black wide tie with dark stripes. His muscles perfectly moulded the suit, and the dominating aura pulsating from his eye gaze sent everyone in the room looking away.
Natasha was wearing slightly conservative gown. Slightly conservative for her usually bold style, at least this dress did not bare her back nor have a plunging neckline. Instead, it was a European-style corseted dress with a large ruffled skirt. With the addition of a shawl, it only revealed a bit of her chest.
However, this did not detract from the allure of the female agent's extremely enticing figure. These conservatively dressed, stern-looking men in the hall were all stealing glances at Natasha under the pretext of studying Batman.
By now, Beihan had walked to a loggia not far from Shiller. He overheard Shiller saying: "So, that's how it is. I misunderstood. In that case, is that boy in the hall your master's son?"
"Yes, that is Young Master Henry. He is the second young master of the Nihelet family. The eldest is Young Master Owen, who is currently unwell. The young lady you saw causing an uproar is Miss Isabel, the third child, and she has a younger sister, Sherlock. These are all the children of the Nihelet Family."
Shiller sighed: "I feel ashamed for arriving here in such a rush and not inquiring in detail about the health of your master's son. Otherwise, perhaps I could have called upon my classmates and teachers to help with the diagnosis."
However, at this moment, the butler's expression turned somewhat peculiar. He muttered vaguely, "Of course, there have been several medical experts who already called, but... I didn't mean that, sir. You and your friends are people of good faith."
"I don't follow," Shiller said perplexedly, looking at the butler, "Are you suggesting that the elder son's illness is contagious? Although with measures for isolation..."
"No, if it were a contagious disease, Madame would have handled it by now, and wouldn't have invited you over. It is just that…" The butler glanced from left to right, and then, lowering his voice, said, "He may have been frightened by the frightful Miss Isabel, or it could also be possible that..."
At that moment, the voice of the steward echoed from a distance. The butler, somewhat frightened, turned his head to look and then bolted away.
"Quite peculiar, right?" Beihan approached, first sizing up Shiller's attire before jovially quipping, "I never thought your taste for suits would be so unique."
The moment Shiller turned his head, Beihan choked on his words as he noticed a not-so-friendly sentiment surfacing within those desolate grey eyes.
However, it quickly vanished, so swiftly that Beihan began doubting whether he had hallucinated. An uncanny instinct made him take half a step back and say, "Apologies, I just wanted to say... nice brooch."
Shiller's expression remained unchanged, but Beihan sensed that the tension in the surrounding atmosphere had eased.
This facade did not seem genuine, thought Beihan. It was as though he was looking at a perfect and resplendent human skin. But if something required such a human skin, then what could he be?
An impulsive curiosity led Beihan's heart to quicken its beat. Sensing this through their ability to check heart rates remotely, Batman and Natasha abruptly halted in the hall.
"He's a goner, I tell you." Natasha whispered to Batman, who didn't reject her closeness. The female agent added, "He's grown curious about Shiller. That could very well be his fatal flaw."