After saying that, he stood up and left first.
Su Cheng gathered her thoughts, pondering her next plan, and slowly stood up as well.
The ballroom on the other side of the corridor was already open. People were gradually gathering from the banquet hall, and the music was just starting to play.
It was a dance track with a tight rhythm and intense drumbeats. The entire hall seemed to vibrate to the strong tempo, and the gathered crowd surged like a tide.
Countless swirling dresses and crossing arms blurred into swaying silhouettes of light and shadow under the glow of the lamps.
"...Miss Kahn."
The black-haired man walked out of the crowd with a smile. His shirt buttons were already fastened, and a well-tailored vest outlined his lean waist.
His attire was elegant and aristocratic, yet he still maintained that leisurely and relaxed posture. His excessively beautiful face was half-hidden by metal and feathers.
"Let me say this first, I'm not very good at this either."
Su Cheng sighed and reached out her hand to him.
"...You might gradually realize that there are too many things I don't know how to do."
The moment the two glided onto the dance floor, the beat of the music suddenly quickened, the drumbeats vibrating like continuous strikes of lightning.
Countless men and women around them spun to the rhythm, but the person in front of her was like an unrestrained hum of static, drawing her into another world all on his own.
"Actually, it's quite the opposite," Lusha said. "When I spend time with you, I always discover more of the things you possess."
Su Cheng's steps were still a bit rusty.
Fortunately, her dance partner was quite skilled. He loosely wrapped one arm around her waist and intertwined the fingers of his other hand with hers.
They spun, dipped, and rose within the crowd.
The force with which he led her turns was precise and elegant, always stopping at just the right moment.
"...Really? Like what?"
The two constantly drew close, separated, and then reunited. Their heels stopped at a distance close enough to collide, before avoiding each other.
"Well, I'm not talking about some kind of skill. You can understand it as beautiful qualities."
Su Cheng quickly became familiar with the tune and began to synchronize with the music.
"Goodness, Your Highness, you're starting again."
She familiarly leaned back, stepped, and leaped, spinning in the air before landing, her layered skirt blooming like sea foam in the wind.
Her stamina was much better now. She didn't feel tired at all from jumping and moving back and forth, and even her breathing was barely disturbed.
"Moreover, you are a good student."
The pleasant male voice chuckled softly by her ear.
At the moment the melody became even more intense and the drumbeats began to vibrate the air—
The deity let go of the hand guiding her.
They side-stepped past each other, their suspended arms hovering near each other's waists, yet never falling.
Su Cheng suddenly looked back, her falling braid almost touching the man's cheek.
The latter returned the gesture with a crisp pivot, his knee driving into the empty space between her legs, the resulting breeze lifting her just-fallen skirt.
They came infinitely close and then separated during their missteps, almost kissing each other countless times, but always controlling that final bit of distance.
"...I'm a little curious," Su Cheng asked as she fell into his arms, "What is your identity right now? It seems those nobles know you too?"
"Just an apothecary," Lusha said nonchalantly. "Not everyone is as busy as you. Many people with nothing to do need some tools to spice things up."
Spice things up.
Considering his clients all seemed to be nobles, she didn't need to ask what kind of spicing up it was.
Su Cheng immediately understood.
Nobles were never stingy with their expenses in this regard, and the advantage of magic potions was that as long as the quality of the ingredients was up to standard, there would be no side effects.
Therefore, they usually wouldn't control themselves.
"You created an apothecary's body and identity... to infiltrate the Northern Continent? Do those heretical Divine Graces have anything to do with you?"
"...Huh?" He seemed to process it for a moment. "I never get involved in those matters. I just want to find some things in the Northern Continent."
Saying so, he pulled her up to complete one last vigorous spin, then suddenly lifted her high and set her down.
Amidst the strong concluding notes of the music, the two ended their embrace and separated.
Many people around were looking at them.
Su Cheng noticed some people staring at Lusha, looking dazed and confused, as if their souls had been snatched away, their eyes losing focus.
But after a brief moment of distraction, they seemed to forget what had happened and resumed their previous activities.
That made sense.
If he caused too much of a disturbance, he would definitely attract the attention of the deities on the God of Light's side.
"...Miss Kahn."
A waiter holding a tray approached and held an invitation up in front of her.
Su Cheng took it and found it was an unsigned invitation, merely inviting her to Box No. 3.
She flipped the invitation over to show it.
Lusha said seemingly casually, "As far as I know, the boxes with the early numbers are reserved for members of the royal family."
Saying that, he waved his hand and disappeared into the crowd.
With a complex mood, Su Cheng went downstairs, stepping into the auction house along the spiral staircase. It wasn't time to start yet, and the tiered seats below were almost empty.
Above was a circular corridor with dozens of suspended luxury boxes, obviously reserved only for specific guests.
This corridor was quite quiet. A few people stood at the entrance, seemingly wanting to enter, but were stopped by the guards.
Disgruntlement was written on their faces. Someone was introducing themselves, saying a certain duchess was their aunt, seemingly trying to prove something.
However, the guards remained stern and unyielding.
When Su Cheng followed the waiter over, they all cast envious and jealous glances at her, their faces screaming why her.
"This way, please."
The waiter stopped at the entrance of Box No. 3.
The box was quite quiet.
She could feel that various magic arrays were concentrated here, and a faint humming of energy echoed in the air.
On a luxurious leather sofa sat a young man in splendid clothes, with vibrant rose-red curly hair.
Two guards stood a little further away.
A few other young nobles were standing to the side. They had been chattering away but suddenly all fell silent.
They scrutinized the newcomer with a somewhat critical gaze but said nothing, merely bowing and taking their leave one after another.
"Ah, Miss Kahn, good evening—"
The seated person nodded to her, "You may not know me, I am Aquila Alserian."
"Good evening," Su Cheng bowed slightly, "Your Highness the Prince."
Aquila smiled, his eyes looking her up and down, "Forgive my presumption, but what is your relationship with Mr. Lusha?"
Su Cheng blinked, "We are not close. He seems to have some questions about the things pursued by the society I belong to."
A look of boredom immediately appeared on the Prince's face, and then he seemed to think of something, "Miss Kahn, who is your invitation from?"
"Mr. Loki."
"Oh," the Prince understood, "Then I suppose you also have some influence with Mr. Loki, right?"
Su Cheng shook her head cautiously, "I don't think so. Actually, I just bribed him with some bread, and he probably doesn't even remember my name."
The Prince chuckled, "Aren't all you research maniacs like that? What else can you remember besides your own projects?"
She pondered for a moment before speaking again, "If I were to say that I want him to tutor my children, do you think he would refuse?"
"I don't know," Su Cheng replied, feeling a bit exasperated. "How about... I ask him for you the next time I see him?"
Judging from the Prince's expression, this was clearly exactly what she wanted.
"Excellent, Miss Kahn," the red-haired woman smiled with satisfaction. "You are much more reliable than the Silencers I've dealt with before. They are far too immersed in their own worlds, forgetting whose territory they live in—"
Su Cheng silently forced a smile.
"Sit down," the Prince pointed to the seat beside her. "Miss Kahn, there are no outsiders here, so let's be frank. Are you exceptionally good in bed?"
Su Cheng: "......No, I don't think so?"
The Prince frowned. "Well, I heard that Mr. Lusha is very picky. Many people have offered all sorts of terms just to get a taste of him, but it seems he has rejected them all. Although he isn't my type, I am still a bit curious. If you really have that kind of skill, even I'd want to give it a try."
The red-haired woman tilted her head and looked at her. "Hmm, you are quite cute yourself."
"Uh," Su Cheng felt a bead of sweat drop down her face. "You are also cute—well, I mean, you are very charming, but I'm really not good at that. I would severely disappoint you."
"Alright," Aquila said, losing interest. "The auction is about to begin. Darling, you mentioned to someone before that you wanted Shadow Moss. There is some among the consigned items this time, but the purity is somewhat unsatisfactory, so it won't be put up for auction. After this is over, I'll have someone deliver a few pounds to you."
Su Cheng: "...Thank you."
That stuff was worth dozens of gold coins per gram, and this woman was just giving away a few pounds of it like it was nothing.
The Prince nodded. "Is there anything else you want? I can have the Aulu family send it directly. Although they are two-faced opportunists, it's exactly for that reason that they tend to show us some respect."
Su Cheng showed a confused expression. "Actually, I came here specifically for the moss. As for anything else, are there any rare materials suitable for crafting a magic staff? Or perhaps something that could help me complete some of my research—"
A bell suddenly echoed through the auction house.
One wall of the VIP box was completely transparent.
The inside couldn't be seen from the outside, but from within, the entire auction floor was clearly visible.
People were gradually entering. In just a few minutes, the seating area below slowly filled up, and soon only a sparse few seats remained empty.
"...There are quite a few of those, actually," Aquila seemed to remember something. "Plus, I bought it and haven't used it yet. I only did it to piss off Cassiopeia."
Su Cheng looked at her blankly.
"Oh, please," the red-haired woman glanced at her. "You were standing right behind that door. Even though you masked your breathing, I could hear your heartbeat, so you definitely heard our conversation, right? Or do you still not know that it was me? You shouldn't be that stupid."
Su Cheng: "...I did hear it. I didn't step out because I wanted to avoid an awkward encounter in a narrow hallway. I wasn't waiting there in advance for you to pass by."
The Prince scoffed, seemingly accepting the explanation. "I originally wanted to find Mr. Lusha to discuss a business deal, but since he had a guest and I had other matters to attend to, I let it go. Well, so did you understand what you heard?"
"Yes," Su Cheng nodded gently. "You don't really need the dragon bone; you just didn't want the other Royal Highness to get it."
"Exactly. Especially a dragon bone from the Lightless Ruins, which is considered a top-tier crafting material."
The red-haired woman slightly raised her chin. "Ancient dragons resonate with all attributes. Their blood and bones have an extremely high compatibility for any elemental mage—"
Su Cheng's heartbeat quickened.
The Prince smiled. "You're tempted too, aren't you? How about this: you do one thing for me, and I'll give the dragon bone to you."
