My Secret Cult Life with Points Added

Chapter 46 The Banquet

Viscount Rhodes's residence is located in the Georgian district on the outskirts of the West End.

This neighborhood was a semi-open upscale residential area planned by the city of Hull during the last round of urban expansion, specifically for declining nobles and emerging wealthy businessmen.

Although it's just two streets away from the city center, the land price is almost half that of the previous location.

This allows residents to retain their status as members of high society without going bankrupt in the process of maintaining a respectable image.

Lucius stepped down from the public carriage and looked ahead.

The entire street was transformed into rows of detached three-story villas, each with its own courtyard enclosed by a wooden fence covered in wisteria.

The villas are separated by stone-paved paths, and their walls are not shared with other houses.

Lucius walked onto the porch, which was wide enough for three people to walk side by side. To the left was a large courtyard with a lawn, small linden trees, and swings, while to the right was just a small lawn.

He stopped in front of the main entrance, took out the invitation and handed it to the maid at the door, and was then led into the banquet hall.

The banquet hall was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside, with a long table on the left filled with dinner delicacies.

Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, black truffle mashed potatoes... and a big plate of wraps that everyone will love.

Lucius arrived early, and a few other guests who had also arrived early were standing in the hall.

The men held wine glasses, while the women half-covered their faces with folding fans, their conversation revolving around job opportunities, business partnerships, and the latest social gossip in the city.

He stood by and listened for a couple of minutes. It was nothing more than a knight looking for a respectable, sinecure for his nephew who had just graduated, and a shipping company needing a nominal consultant to deal with the port authority's new regulations.

Occasionally, someone would turn the conversation to a few young women on the other side of the banquet hall, which would immediately elicit a flurry of jokes from those around them.

Lucius shook his head and turned his gaze to the food on the long table.

He took a small plate of roast beef and two tarts, and carried the plate to a relatively quiet window in the corner of the hall.

As Lucius cut into the roast beef with his fork, he mentally planned out the division of labor for the entire dinner.

Professor Anthony and Charles will arrive a little later, which is determined by their status.

He was unfamiliar with none of the people here, so the task of finding out clues about Marcus had to be left to Charles.

Lucius swallowed the cookie, and a surprised female voice came from the side:

"Hey Lucius, I didn't expect to see you here again!"

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Daisy walking briskly toward him through the crowd.

Daisy abandoned her "academic style" today, wearing a light apricot off-the-shoulder dress with a waist-cinching design that accentuated her well-developed curves.

Her long hair was pulled back, with only two strands of curly hair falling across her cheeks, making her look gentle and elegant.

Lucius put down his plate, looked at the girl in front of him, and was about to ask, "What are you doing here?" when he realized it was a stupid question.

Professor Anthony himself had invited them, so Daisy, a formal student, would naturally accompany him.

"Has Professor Anthony arrived?" he asked, his gaze sweeping across the hall past Daisy's shoulder.

"He was taken to the second floor by Viscount Rhodes," Daisy explained, pointing to the side door at the back of the hall.

"As soon as we arrived at the door, Viscount Rhodes came out to greet us personally, saying that several local scholars were waiting upstairs."

The professor told me to wait on the first floor for a while, and I was just standing in the dessert area, hesitating whether to get a piece of chocolate mousse, when I saw you.

She chuckled as she said this, then changed the subject and asked curiously:

"Lucius, how's life after graduation going?"

"It's more exciting than I imagined," Lucius recounted, adapting some of the interesting cases he encountered at the police station yesterday, which made Daisy look on with great interest.

She then told him that she would begin her formal studies for an honors degree next semester, but Professor Anthony asked her to join the group early on graduation day.

I just met with the other three members of the research group the day before yesterday: two PhD students and a visiting scholar from Elon.

When she discovered that she was the least senior member of the research group and the one who was most frequently ordered around, she knew that her life as a "workhorse" was over.

Lucius concluded with a smile, "Daisy, don't you write to me?"

"Hehe." Daisy turned her gaze to the corner of the hall, then shifted the blame to Professor Anthony, saying in a serious tone:

"It's all the professor's fault for giving me so many religious history documents these past few days; I was so busy that I forgot about writing the letter."

"That's a good thing," Lucius laughed. "It means you didn't encounter too many difficulties while translating the tracer language."

"No, not exactly," Daisy said, blushing slightly. "They were all translated historical accounts, unofficial histories, and biographies. I was so engrossed in reading them."

Lucius couldn't help but smile after hearing this. So... this is the real reason?

The conversation between the two continued for a while until a noticeable commotion came from the direction of the stairwell.

Viscount Rhodes came down from the second floor; he was a middle-aged man with a round nose and a noticeably plump figure.

As soon as he spoke, he drew everyone's attention to the two distinguished guests beside him:

"Ladies and gentlemen, let us give a round of applause to our two leading figures tonight, Anthony Thorne from the Royal Society for the Advancement of Natural Knowledge, and Charles Williams, heir to the Earl of Williams!"

As he announced this loudly, he took the lead in clapping, eliciting gasps of surprise from the crowd below:

"Didn't Viscount Rhodes lose? How could he still allow these two to attend his banquet?"

"Don't forget the legacy of the old aristocracy, and the upcoming auction."

……

They stepped forward, trying to exchange a few words with Anthony and Charles, hoping that even if they didn't gain any real benefit, they would have something to brag about to others when they got back.

Lucius could see clearly that Professor Anthony was polite yet distant to everyone, and his answers to questions were concise and accurate.

Charles was surrounded by impoverished nobles and merchants trying to find connections, and he dealt with each person who approached him with an arrogant expression.

"Hopefully Charles can find out Marcus's hiding place." Lucius looked away and led Daisy toward Professor Anthony.

"Professor," Lucius greeted with a smile as he approached.

Anthony's gaze fell on the two students, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.

He turned around, shielding the two students in front of him, and then introduced them to the surrounding guests in a more authoritative tone:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce my most promising student, Lucius Anderson. His achievements in history, linguistics, and religious history are outstanding. I believe that in the near future, he will become one of the youngest scholars in Hull."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Daisy again, "This is also my student, Daisy Ophelia, who is currently pursuing an honors degree."

Those present, especially the young women, turned to Lucius upon hearing this.

Anthony's introduction made them think he was an excellent target, coupled with his handsome appearance...

Before Lucius could react, a young lady in a royal blue off-the-shoulder dress stepped out from the side.

She gave her name and background, and politely asked him if he would stay late for the ball.

As soon as she finished speaking, another woman in a gold-brown dress handed over her business card, emphasizing that she had recently established a foundation in Hull specifically to fund archaeological expeditions.

Lucius was so surrounded by the ladies' invitations that he couldn't move.

As for Daisy...

Okay, she's still a student.