Chapter 108: The Well-Trained Dog, "Miss Justice"
When Alice saw Viscount Glaint, she was momentarily stunned.
*How could this person be an Extraordinary?!*
However, considering he was a noble, it wasn't too surprising for him to be curious about mysticism and a bit rebellious...
Alice greeted him with a bewildered heart and began to ponder what she should do next.
Unlike some people who came here for social purposes, Alice... Alice was genuinely curious about what parties in this era looked like. To put it bluntly, she was here to have fun.
The fact that Viscount Glaint was an Extraordinary reminded Alice of something. She glanced around and, after locating the area with snacks, drinks, and desserts, she picked up some ice cream and a piece of pudding and left.
Next, Alice found a quiet corner and started observing the number and levels of Extraordinary individuals in the crowd.
*There's a low-sequence one over there... Hmm, and another one there... Hmm...*
*Who is watching her?*
Alice's gaze swept across the hall, bypassing writers and musicians trying to blend into high society, and finally landed on a dog.
It was a rather beautiful golden retriever, with smooth, shiny, and fluffy fur. At that moment, it was sitting in a corner of the hall, watching the hosts and guests of the party like a true spectator.
*"Spectator."*
Alice suddenly laughed. She quickly finished the remaining pudding, then, holding her ice cream, walked through the crowd towards the golden retriever.
Seeing Alice approaching, Susie finally realized that her observation had been noticed.
*Should she stay here or leave? No, maybe she shouldn't do anything. After all, she's just a dog.*
So, Susie watched as Alice approached her, then squatted down unceremoniously in front of her, and after staring at her for a while, curiously asked:
"I remember that ordinary dogs can't eat chocolate. Can you?"
Susie couldn't help but ponder.
She had never thought about this issue before, and now that it was mentioned, she was indeed a bit curious...
Thus, Susie and Alice faced each other in contemplation until Audrey, who had some free time, sensed something was wrong and looked towards Susie.
*Susie is at it again... Wait, who is that next to Susie?*
Audrey's eyes widened in shock. She quickly glanced around, then tried to approach Susie as inconspicuously as possible.
Sensing something, Alice looked up and saw Audrey walking towards her.
This was a blonde, blue-eyed noble girl, whose attire and accessories indicated she was either wealthy or of high status. Most importantly... she was also an Extraordinary.
Before Audrey could speak, Alice asked, "Is this your dog?"
"Yes," Audrey almost instinctively replied.
"She's very pretty—can I pet her?" Alice tilted her head.
The pronoun Alice used left Audrey in a state of confusion. She asked, "She?"
"She seems like a dignified and elegant lady, doesn't she?" Alice blinked.
Audrey realized that the girl in front of her was clearly lying. A bad premonition arose in her heart, but she still replied, "Thank you for the compliment, miss, but I think Susie might not like being touched by strangers."
After speaking, she realized she had instinctively used "she" as well. Trying to correct it now would only make it more obvious, so she tried to act nonchalant.
Unfortunately, Susie didn't cooperate. She showed a human-like hesitation, then rubbed her head against Alice.
Thus, Alice happily petted Susie's beautiful and soft fur, much to Audrey's chagrin. After a few excited strokes, Alice asked Susie a question that made Audrey's scalp tingle:
"You don't seem to know if you can eat chocolate... Hmm, what about other human foods? Do you have any favorites? Or have you never thought about trying human food?"
Audrey felt she should say something to ease the atmosphere, but it seemed useless—this girl had clearly figured out that Susie was unusual! She was already talking to Susie as if she were human!
Susie, of course, sensed her owner's subtle breakdown. She decided not to answer Alice's questions, lowered her head, and rubbed Alice's hand, pretending to be just an ordinary dog, even though all three present knew it was futile.
Alice wasn't disappointed by the lack of response. After petting the dog, she stood up happily, smiled at Audrey, and said, "The dog is well-trained, 'Miss Justice.'"
Audrey's pupils contracted.
Seeing Alice's triumphant and amused smile, Audrey realized that Alice had just confirmed her identity from her reaction.
Audrey was very frustrated. She saw obvious delight and mischief in Alice, along with curiosity. But Alice's words made her instinctively believe that Alice had confirmed her identity.
As Alice was about to leave, satisfied, Audrey finally reacted and stopped her: "Wait a moment!"
"What's the matter?" Alice obediently stopped.
Audrey put on a standard smile and asked, "Hello, miss. I'm Audrey Hall. May I know your name?"
"Um..." Alice tilted her head and answered with a smile, "The invitation says Briel Rose."
This answer made Audrey realize it was probably not a real name. She recalled information about the name and remembered it was the author of a recently popular comic.
She had flipped through that comic, but unfortunately, the plot hadn't really unfolded yet... Hmm, if she was the author, maybe she could ask about the protagonist's identity...
So she smiled and asked, "Is that your pen name?"
"I think we should find a more private place to chat," Alice suggested seriously, blinking.
...
A moment later, Audrey led Alice into a music room she had just borrowed from Viscount Glaint and left Susie outside to guard. She then eagerly asked, "You, you are...?"
Actually, Audrey felt Alice's tone and style were very similar to "Miss Destiny" from the Tarot Club, but... "Miss Destiny" should have dazzling blonde hair.
"I'm 'Destiny,'" Alice replied lightly, "Briel Rose is both my pen name and my current name."