Chapter 4088: The Charm Lady Club

After dinner, Xia De and Viog prepared to set out. Of course, not everyone else was waiting at the Fragrant Residence for the outcome; to prevent any accidents, Yi Lu Na, Vanessa, and Flora would be waiting outside the club to back up Xia De and Viog.

Yi Lu Na was a Chosen One, Vanessa was Thirteenth Order, and Flora mastered multiple transformation forms—everyone agreed this would be very useful in an urban environment.

Before departing from the Fragrant Residence, Xia De of course did not forget to put on the white mask with pink floral patterns given to him by "Desire." This mask was a Relic derivative, but Xia De planned to return it to that mermaid after using it this time and would not keep it on hand.

As for Viog, she had prepared for herself a lace half-mask with a feather tucked into the side. Both Xia De's mask and Viog's half-mask only covered the upper half of the face—after all, at a masquerade ball no one would cover their entire face, as that would interfere with the many functions of the mouth.

An unmarked carriage carried the two of them in secret from the Fragrant Residence; the two then switched to another carriage in the Lower City before returning to the Upper City.

The "Charm Lady Club" was not actually a club open to the public. The club was located at Hazel Manor, and the manor was situated on the eastern edge of the city. The manor's owner had long resided in the Northern Kingdom, so rumors of hauntings had circulated for years—in fact, those were the club's nighttime activities being glimpsed by passersby from time to time.

The manor house itself had been closed year-round, while the club's activities mostly took place in the conservatory at the northwest corner of the gardens behind the manor.

The conservatory was enclosed by dense yew and ivy, and could only be reached from outside through a concealed iron gate and a private carriage road. The conservatory was always in full bloom year-round, and its interior was extremely spacious, suitable for balls, dinners, and many other events.

Of course, the conservatory also had hidden doors connecting directly to many of the rooms inside the manor, so that men and women could conduct private activities in those private rooms when needed.

All of the above information was told to Xia De by Viog in the carriage; her local connections were sufficient to let her investigate this surface-level information. As for who the true owner behind the club was, even the Astley Family did not know—Viog suspected the other party was a big shot in Verlondell.

She wore a black dress tonight, and before leaving the Fragrant Residence she had deliberately applied a cosmetic powder that made her skin appear dull, to prevent her powerful charm from causing trouble for tonight's operation.

The hired carriage was stopped outside that concealed iron gate behind the manor; Viog then presented the invitation Xia De had obtained, and only then did the carriage continue forward with the two of them, following the dim illumination of the gas lamps until it stopped in the center of the garden.

It was no longer raining tonight, and the garden after the rain had cleared was more full of life than usual. Although the manor's owner was rarely present locally, this garden was kept in excellent condition.

After Xia De stepped down from the carriage holding Viog's hand, he looked around, and then saw not far ahead on the path the glass conservatory half-hidden behind hedges and rose bushes.

"Rose bushes..."

Xia De shook his head—there was no way Mr. Asmond could possibly appear at a place like this.

Cast-iron frames covered with frosted glass meant that from their current position only a corner of the conservatory could be seen, and the frosted glass made everything inside the conservatory—lit by gas lamps—appear hazy and indistinct. But Xia De could already hear music and laughter, which formed a sharp contrast with the cold, quiet night.

He did not bring 【Night Watchman】, but he did have the leather item belonging to the opera troupe's "Female Third Lead," while the leather item used by Viog's mother was carried by Viog herself—she actually did not particularly enjoy touching that sort of thing.

As the two walked hand in hand along the path toward the conservatory, Xia De reminded her in a low voice:

"In a little while, you need to act as if we have had a very intimate relationship, so that it won't seem strange."

"Understood. It's just acting—very simple. I even specially asked Miss Jia Lin Na for advice... But if I say anything improper, you must not think any less of me for it."

"Of course not. Our primary objective is to find the Leatherworker, so let the performance begin."

Two attendants in steward uniforms, who looked even younger than Xia De's outward appearance, stood guard outside the door; they checked Viog's invitation once more before allowing the two of them inside.

Once the glass door was opened, there was a narrow oak vestibule hung with heavy dark-green velvet curtains blocking the view from outside. And the moment the curtain was lifted, the previously muffled music and laughter suddenly became clear, and at the same time a faint, refreshing floral fragrance came rushing toward them. The fragrance was not at all pungent—even Xia De found it very pleasant.

And upon entering the interior of the conservatory, the situation was not nearly as... debauched as Xia De had imagined.

The lighting inside was quite ample; the gas-lamp shades on the cast-iron brackets were stained glass, and several brass chandeliers suspended in mid-air created just the right balance of light and shadow. Silver candlesticks stood in the corners and between the flower stands, and the candles were made of beeswax, giving off a faint sweet fragrance as they burned.

The conservatory was oval in shape, with tiered flower stands along the walls; Xia De could only recognize a small fraction of the riotously colorful blooms. In the center of the conservatory was a water-lily pool, its rim carved from pure white marble with half-nude maidens and vine motifs, while large white and pale-pink water lilies floated on the surface.

Around the water-lily pool and the flower stands along the walls, seating of mismatched but stylistically unified design was scattered about. Deep wine-red velvet sofas were placed here and there between the flower stands, and sitting down one would sink halfway into shadow. Beside the chairs and sofas by the water-lily pool, small round side tables held silver ashtrays, porcelain teacups, and slender-necked crystal decanters.

The air was a blend of floral fragrance, beeswax, faint whisky, ladies' perfume, leather, and a touch of damp earth. Several small oil paintings in ebony frames hung on the walls, their subjects mostly mythological nude fairies, Dionysian revelry, and trysts beneath the moon.

The place was both like a noble's leisure conservatory and a semi-public secret boudoir—gorgeous, refined, cultured, yet with a sense of indulgence and transgression seeping through everywhere. Although the outlander had never been to a similar occasion before, he had to admit that this place was indeed extremely professional.

By the water-lily pool, a young woman with closed eyes was playing the violin in rapture, while masked and blindfolded men and women sat or stood chatting and frolicking, without any overly transgressive behavior. It was worth noting that the maids and manservants in the conservatory did not cover their faces, but the young woman playing the violin also wore a black lace eye mask, so she too was an invited guest.

Xia De casually scanned the people in the conservatory, but found no vampires, pseudo-humans, or anyone suspected of being the Leatherworker—nor any ring mages at all.

The scene was far more normal than Xia De had imagined. Viog noticed the subtle change in Xia De's expression, and as she led him by the hand toward the sofa in front of the flower stand, she asked intimately in a low voice by his ear:

"What did you expect to see? Shameless people, disrobing right here on the spot?"

She put it very elegantly, but Xia De had indeed been thinking exactly that at first.

Although both wore masks, to the club's hostess Xia De and Viog were still strangers. So not long after the two sat down on the sofa between the flower stands, a noblewoman wearing a butterfly mask that covered half her face and holding a feather fan came over.

"Madam, and this young, handsome gentleman—good evening."

She greeted the two of them in a light, cheerful tone, then sat down directly beside Viog:

"You may call me Madam Butterfly; tonight's activities are hosted by me. I notice you two seem to be new guests, and you are holding quite an unusual invitation. So, may I have the honor of getting to know the two of you?"

The woman who called herself "Madam Butterfly" was merely an ordinary person, and Xia De did not sense her wearing any leather item. Viog had drunk blood-brewed wine in advance, and was in good condition at the moment; wearing gloves, she shook the woman's hand:

"Of course. But the lady who gave me the invitation said this place does not verify formal identities, does it?"

Madam Butterfly laughed:

"Of course not, but I would like to know the purpose of your visit. And, if convenient, the relationship between the two of you. Please rest assured—the Charm Lady Club has a history of one hundred and fifty years, and it has never leaked anyone's privacy."

Viog then produced the cover story she had prepared on the way:

"This gentleman is the... lover of a certain important figure in the capital. He recently came to Arcadia City to relax and happened to meet me, and I met him. What a delightful time it has been—the young are fortunate, and spring is a fine season as well."

As Viog spoke, she also pinched Xia De's arm:

"Later, to seek some excitement, the lady we know gave us two interesting... leather garments. I wanted to try something different and play games with him. The first time I pretended to be a stranger and struck up a conversation with him, and after he brought me to an apartment for the night, when he discovered the next day that it was me—that expression of his was simply too amusing."

Viog giggled, while Xia De put on an awkward expression.

"So, is it that a special garment of that sort was damaged, and needs repair?"

Madam Butterfly asked inquiringly, using her feather fan to cover her smiling lower face. Her mask only covered the left side of her face, so Xia De could tell she was probably around thirty years old.

"You two play quite boldly—such garments are not like those expensive fabrics from Verlondell; they don't easily have quality issues."

Viog shook her head:

"No, no, I don't want it repaired—I want it... damaged."

She cast a shy glance at a certain part of Xia De:

"I want him to put on that special garment and play games with me, but once it's on, the source of joy is gone. The lady who gave me the invitation said not to damage that special garment oneself, so in order to open an opening of the right size in the right place, I came here with him."