The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 185: The Speculator

Lumián pulled a chair over and sat down, smiling at Count Pouillefer as he said:

"It would be my honor."

After saying that, he made a gesture as if he was going to invite Miss Élosse.

Count Pouillefer, dressed in a red shirt, waved his hand:

"Wait until she finishes this piece."

Lumián turned his head and took a good look at the piano, finally getting a clear view of Miss Élosse: her reddish-brown eyebrows were smooth, her bright eyes slightly brown, and her cheeks were a bit plump with soft contours. She appeared to be a girl under twenty, with no obvious traits of the Sauron family.

Based on Count Pouillefer's earlier introduction, Élosse's maternal side belonged to the Sauron family.

Lumián turned back around and picked up a tricolor cocktail of red, white, and blue from the coffee table. He casually chatted with Count Pouillefer, novelist Arnorí, and others about recent popular topics and gossip within their circle.

Recently, he had been purchasing newspapers like *The Weekly*, *The Debate Journal*, *The Youth of Trier*, as well as *The Grimace* magazine to improve his "self-cultivation" and prepare for such occasions.

The black-haired lady who had previously been crouched beside Count Pouillefer had now stood up and moved to another area, watching some editors play billiards.

Lumián knew she definitely wasn't Count Pouillefer's wife because Aurore had once told him that in Trier, at small salons and limited-scale parties like these, the host and hostess usually wouldn't appear together. Otherwise, it would give guests the impression that they were flaunting their affection in an undignified manner, which could tarnish their reputation if word spread. So, when one of them hosted a salon, their spouse would typically attend someone else's gathering.

When Lumián first heard this, he was not yet fifteen and thought Trier's customs were overly complicated. Now, reflecting on it, he had only one thought:

You Trier folks have developed such absurd and comical rules just to facilitate affairs, and everyone's happy to abide by them!

As the music piece ended, Élosse left the piano and joined the sofa area. After her cousin introduced her to Lumián, she pulled over a stool, sat down with her legs together, and quietly listened to the conversation.

As time passed, others gathered around as well. Laurent arrived, following a middle-aged man with a well-groomed mustache and dressed in a casual suit.

"This is Cornell, the editor-in-chief of *The Little Trier*," Count Pouillefer introduced Lumián.

Lumián had read that newspaper; the advertisement for the "Interstellar Bridge to the Red Moon" was published in it. Remembering that ad, he couldn't help but suspect it was either a scam or some sort of performance art by the people of Trier, with a possibility of being tied to certain evil cults.

"And this is Charles Dubois, General Manager of the Coastal Import and Export Company," Count Pouillefer introduced the false identity Gardner Martin had crafted for Lumián to Cornell.

Cornell was slightly surprised but extended his right hand:

"So young."

Lumián shook hands with him while smiling:

"It's the result of diligent study and hard work."

Poet Illet was just about to grumble that most people here worked hard too, but they hadn't become general managers of a major company at such a young age. Before he could speak, Lumián added self-deprecatingly: