Chapter 282: Yeah⦠it shouldnât beâ¦
âHello, are you Miss Alice?â
The man took a moment to confirm. The name âAliceâ had only started circulating in the cityâs elite circles over the past year, but by now, it was practically legendary.
There were different levels of invitations, and the one he held in his hand was undoubtedly the highest tier. As far as he knew, only two had been sent out.
One went to the cityâs top legitimate businessman, and the other to Alice.
Businessmen are driven by profit, and the means of obtaining that profit often donât matter much to them. This is why their dealings with certain people in the underworld tend to be quite close.
This wasnât Gotham, where gangs like the Riddlerâs and Jokerâs clashed. In this cityâs underworld, Alice was the undisputed queen.
The girl standing before him looked exactly as people had describedâelegant, refined, and strikingly beautiful. Especially her eyes, which seemed to freeze anyone who dared to meet her gaze.
But why was the queen of the underworld clinging so intimately to the arm of an unknown young man? And so closely, too, like a delicate girlfriend?
âYes, thatâs me.â
Alice noticed the shock in the manâs eyes and also felt Ryan tense up when he realized they were being watched. But to her, all of this was just amusing.
The man, having received confirmation, quickly moved on to the next step. From start to finish, he didnât dare glance at Ryan again. Somehow, he had the distinct feeling that he needed to treat Ryan with even more respect than Alice. If he showed even the slightest hint of disrespect, he was done for.
While outwardly conversing with Alice, the man discreetly informed the true host of the banquet about the situation.
Alice was the kind of person who, even if she didnât attend the event, no one would dare criticize her for it. So, the banquet hadnât even been prepared with the expectation that she would show up.
Alice seemed to notice the manâs nervousness but wasnât in any rush. She simply stood quietly beside Ryan, subtly taking in his scent.
After about a minute, the man finally gave a response. He bowed and personally led Alice and Ryan into the banquet hall.
âMiss Alice, our host has prepared the best seat for you. He also requests a private meeting with you in the garden after the banquet.â
âSure.â
Alice felt no particular emotion toward the hostâs enthusiasm. She had seen this kind of thing too many times to be surprised.
Ever since she had risen to this position, many people had set their sights on her. Some wanted to collaborate, while others were plotting to take her down. Whatever their intentions, she had dealt with them all.
She hadnât planned on stirring up any trouble tonight, but since she had brought Ryan along, she figured she might as well take care of a few things.
This was Ryanâs first time attending such an event. He had never imagined that someoneâs home could be as opulent as a palace. It really made him realize how limited his imagination had been by his own poverty.
But that was just a minor detail. Soon, Ryan noticed something off.
âMiss Alice, the way theyâre looking at us seems⦠strange.â
It made sense that Alice would be well-known in these circles, but Ryan was just an ordinary nobody.
Then again, considering what had happened earlier that morning, maybe that wasnât entirely true. In a way, Ryan was now a bit of a celebrity himself.
There was no mask policy at the banquet, so Ryanâs face was fully exposed to everyone in attendance. Many had already recognized him as the person who had appeared on TV.
âItâs fine.â
Alice coldly scanned the room, her presence as the underworld queen radiating outwards, searching for anyone with ill intentions in their gaze.
Fortunately, the people here were smart enough to know better. As soon as Aliceâs eyes swept over them, they quickly lowered their heads in apology. No one dared to keep staring.
No one wanted to provoke a disaster, especially when the disaster in question could burn the entire city to the ground.
Ryan, too, was deep in thought. Aliceâs intimidation was certainly effective, but even without her, these people probably wouldnât dare do anything.
The upper class was far more shrewd than the average person. They wouldnât underestimate Ryan just because of his association with the underworld. After all, how many of them were truly clean themselves?
Now that he had been labeled as part of the underworld, anyone with half a brain could guess that he was working for Miss Alice. With that connection, no one would dare make a move against him.
That was a good thing, of course, but it also made him feel like he was getting more and more entangled with Aliceâ¦
Guests slowly began to fill the banquet hall, and the room gradually became more lively. However, Ryan and Alice remained apart from the hustle and bustle.
Alice preferred a quieter atmosphere, so she retreated to the second-floor lounge that had been specially prepared for her, waiting until the event officially started before engaging with anyone.
Ryan stayed close by her side, partly because Alice had asked him to, and partly because they were still in the middle of a âDangerous Event.â Staying near Alice was the safest option for both of them.
You had to give credit to the hostâhe had put a lot of thought into the arrangements. The second-floor location offered a perfect view of the entire banquet hall below, while the angle ensured that those downstairs couldnât easily see up. It provided a good level of privacy.
Ryan stood by the railing, watching as people below began to mingle in small groups.
A man and a woman were chatting happily, but as soon as the man turned away, a flash of disgust crossed the womanâs face. If it werenât for business, she wouldnât want anything to do with him.
The man, on the other hand, looked completely at ease. He grabbed a glass of red wine from a passing server and made his way toward another woman standing alone.
âWhat do you think?â
Ryan was observing this world he had never been a part of, while Alice, her beautiful eyes slightly raised, was watching him.
The person watching the scenery from the bridge is also part of the scenery for others.
âNot much, really. It just feels like, in this world of fame and fortune, everything seems⦠magnified.â
All kinds of desires were playing out right beneath their feet in the banquet hall. Men were conspiring with other men to take down their competitorsâthat was greed. Women, dressed provocatively, were clinging to wealthy men, acting out lust.
Here, it seemed like everything had a price tag. As long as you could afford it, anything was up for trade.
After spending so much time with Alice, Ryanâs initial sympathy for her had gradually evolved. A girl like her shouldnât have to live in such a complicated world, so sympathy alone wasnât enough.
Maybe it wasnât just because of his mission, but Ryan found himself wanting to bring Alice back to a more normal life, the kind of life a girl her age should have. But was he capable of doing that?
âItâs normal, but it shouldnât be.â
Looking at the bustling crowd below, Ryan let out a sigh. It was as much a summary of the people as it was a reflection on Aliceâs life.
People will always tell you, âThis is just how the world works.â Itâs normal. But somewhere along the way, people seem to have blurred the lineâjust because something is normal, does that make it right?
âYeah⦠it shouldnât beâ¦â
Alice repeated Ryanâs words, her hand resting on her chin, as if she were pondering the deeper meaning behind them. She wasnât sure how much of his sentiment she had truly grasped.
There was always a certain tension when the two of them were alone. Alice was trying to express her emotions, but after being closed off for so long, it wasnât something she could easily do.
Ryan, on the other hand, was still confused. Unable to make a better choice, he opted to avoid the situation.
Just as the atmosphere was starting to shift into something more ambiguous and strange, a voice broke the silence, temporarily diffusing the tension.
âMiss Alice, long time no see!â