When the serene, shadowed gaze of the golden retriever came into view, a barely perceptible twitch passed across Caine’s temple, a subtle acknowledgment of his surprise. His eyes then naturally shifted, turning toward the group of the "Justice" lady. Truly startling—this dog, seemingly unbothered, had been sitting quietly in a corner, hidden in shadows, as if silently observing everyone in the hall. Ah, the "Justice" lady must have been feeding one of the "audience" potions to an animal, having once consulted with the "Hangman" gentleman about it. Could it be this very golden retriever? With one "audience" potion visible in the light and another in the shadows, which "actor" could possibly hold on? In high society, the "audience" surely extends beyond the "Justice" lady—she joined the Psychological Alchemy Circle under the influence of other nobles, reportedly the sister of the Duke of Negan. While mentally noting these observations and reflections, Caine walked toward the Machet family, casually asking, "The several guests who just arrived—seem rather distinguished, don’t they?" Machet glanced at Doun Thantès and chuckled, "The Earl of Eastchester family—you may simply call him Lord Hall; you've probably heard of him. 'That's his wife, Lady Catriona; that's his eldest son, Lord Hibert—you've already met him...' Hearing Machet's introduction unfold this way, Caine suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment, for he had indeed seen Lord Hibert Hall at one of the events hosted by the family, yet he had completely overlooked him just now—otherwise, he would have been puzzled about which noble family this belonged to. Startled by the sudden appearance of Miss Justice... Caine maintained a warm, attentive smile. Machet continued, "That's his daughter, Miss Odile Hall. In the past two years, she has earned the reputation of the most brilliant gem in the social scene of Beckettland—doesn't that sound quite accurate?" "Before Dautremer de Thénardier could respond, he gently added: 'She has princes, ducal heirs, and numerous distinguished gentlemen and lords among her suitors.' The unspoken implication of Mahaut's remark was clear—given your broad interest in women, you should now desist from pursuing this lady; she is beyond your reach, both in aspiration and in reality." What was running through Crane’s mind instead was a different set of thoughts: “So, Miss Justice is the daughter of Lord Hall—no wonder she’s so well-off, no wonder she never negotiates prices. Lord Hall is one of the most prominent banking magnates in the kingdom, a leading peer and hereditary noble, and his wealth is only slightly greater than that of Baron Sindralas. “Even if Miss Justice doesn’t inherit the title or the estate, the portion of assets she receives would still amount to at least a hundred thousand pounds. “Combined with her beauty, noble lineage, and personality, she truly is an ideal match for royal and high noble marriages. “Yet, her consistent purchases of magical items suggest a financial standing far beyond what one would expect from a fortune of only a few hundred thousand pounds—this seems like something that could be fully reimbursed. I, too, would like to leverage my family’s connections.” As his thoughts flashed through, Crane smiled in response to the peer’s reminder: “I had heard various stories about Miss Audrey before, but today I realize they weren’t entirely exaggerated. "Unfortunately, I am neither a prince nor a heir to any ducal, marquisial, countship, or viscountship title—otherwise, I could have been one of her suitors." He was thus subtly indicating his awareness of his own status and standing. The Lord Mahert did not pursue this topic further, but instead introduced Don Tancrede to the guests he knew, truly guiding him into the upper echelons of society. Of course, the greatest enabler of this effort was the Night Church, without their charity gala for the scholarship fund, Mahert would not have been able to bring Don Tancrede directly before those distinguished figures. The Marquess of Lorsent, the Count Gros, the Viscount Lavran, and others—each a noble devotee of the goddess—greeted Don Tancrede warmly and cordially. Before Mahert had finished his introductions, an elderly man entered at the door. He wore a long cassock of black with red accents, bearing five dark holy emblems on his chest. His face was clean-shaven, serene, and his eyes deep and quiet, darkly still. Everyone, including Lord Horb, turned to face the elder with respectful bows, saying, "Good evening, Brother Saint Anthony." This elder was Saint Anthony Stevenson—one of the thirteen archbishops of the Church of Night! He was the head of the Beckland diocese and a true leader at the highest level of the Church. As soon as Caine saw this archbishop, his body and spirit involuntarily trembled—unable to suppress or conceal it, as if he had returned to his childhood, walking along a rural path in a village where streetlamps were rare and graves occasionally appeared. Surveying the other guests, who showed no such strong reaction, he immediately understood that Saint Anthony’s presence evoked a sense of fear that grew more vivid and profound with greater spiritual sensitivity. He promptly began meditating, striving to calm himself. When Saint Anthony had initially steadied his trembling, he smiled, glanced around, and tapped his chest four times in a clockwise motion: "Hail, the goddess." "Hail, the goddess." The guests attending the charity gala responded in unison. With the arrival of the archbishop, Senator Mahet no longer needed to introduce the remaining guests, as the evening had officially begun. By custom, everyone sat quietly and prayed to the goddess for three minutes, after which the church choir moved to the altar's forecourt and sang a serene, clear hymn of praise to the goddess. Following the religious ceremony, Bishop Elektra, appointed by Saint Anthony, proceeded to the side of the stage where the choir had stood—there, a raised wooden platform stood ready, upon which various books and manuscripts could be laid out. "Thank you all for being here—your character is like brilliant stars shining in a quiet night..." The Bishop Elektra began with a few polite remarks, then continued, "Our initiative to establish a scholarship fund specifically for the lower-income population stems from the proposal of Mr. Daven Tanats, a truly noble gentleman whose piety and character are beyond reproach, setting a perfect example. Please allow Mr. Daven Tanats to deliver a brief speech." Although克莱恩 had prepared thoroughly, he still quietly cleared his throat as he heard the final sentence. This was no ordinary occasion—there were now two, or even more, 'audiences' present, not simply people he could impress with his usual flair. The speech had to be authentic, grounded in truth, with no obvious falsehoods or fabricated anecdotes. Holding his clothing against his abdomen, he quickly rose to his feet, walking toward the tall wooden platform while swiftly fastening the buttons of his suit. Standing firmly behind the raised wooden platform, he surveyed the circle of nobles, members of parliament, clergy, and senior government officials, and smiled: "I'm a bit nervous—I've never been so directly observed by so many distinguished individuals before." "I once lived in the poorer neighborhoods and thrived amidst the chaos of the southern continent, where I witnessed countless stories. There was a young girl who, since she was six years old, had been helping her mother pack firewood boxes. If she didn't do so, after paying their rent, the family would have no money left to buy black bread. The black bread they ate contained a lot of bran, and occasionally, they could even bite into small stones or gravel—so hard that they could be used as sticks to strike others." He could clearly see that the ladies, to some extent, all bore expressions of sympathy and compassion, with a few young women's eyes even sparkling, such as Audrey Hall. Such a child is truly easily moved… My performance came from the depths of my heart, and even moved me myself—how much more so could it move the audience? Nevertheless, most of the gentlemen were not deeply touched; some likely already had a clear understanding of the poor's condition, while others simply belonged to a category that didn't care much for people of lower status. Klein glanced at them and continued: "Our industry is growing, and the future will certainly require more literate workers. Our voting qualifications are being relaxed, and in time, the majority of educated individuals will be eligible to vote. Out of compassion for these poor children and with hopes for the kingdom's future, I have decided to donate all my shares in the Coym Company to the Church, establishing a scholarship fund specifically for the poor so that, after attending free evening schools, they may have the opportunity to enter the true halls of knowledge." The Earl of Hall, with his neat, well-groomed mustache, nodded thoughtfully and was the first to raise his hands, gently clapping. With热烈 applause, Crane returned to his own seat, while Bishop Elektra stepped forward to announce: "Mr. Doun Tanats' donated shares are valued at fifteen thousand pounds. We will establish a 'Rune Charitable Scholarship Fund' with this contribution, ladies and gentlemen. If you endorse his vision and sympathize with children eager for knowledge, please join this fund." As he spoke, he pointed to the donation box beside him. Audrey then shifted her gaze, gently pressed her eyes, and turned to her father: "Father, I'd like to donate one thousand pounds. What about you?" As she spoke, she quickly summarized what she had observed: "Dunne Thonstad must have lived a life at the lower levels—his compassion, his empathy, his speeches all felt genuine... those poor children truly were pitiable. When the bishop mentioned the share worth fifteen thousand pounds, his mouth slightly curled up, clearly showing he was deeply concerned about the amount. Yet his sincerity in donating didn't seem staged—this indicated a gentleman who loved money, but who loved kindness even more. What then caused his surprise and attempt to conceal it when he first saw me? Had he seen me before, yet not recognized me? That seemed unnecessary to conceal. Was it because he recognized my necklace as something magical that caused his surprise, and then tried to downplay that very aspect?" "If that's truly the case, then he must be an exceptional one, and his rank certainly won't be too low... 'Hmm, I'll ask Suzy when I get back. Maybe she's noticed some other details—hiding in the shadows, unobserved, she might have spotted more.' As her thoughts raced, Audrey saw her father, Lord Holbeach, smiling and pulling out a checkbook and a pen. The amount he wrote down was: £10,000!"