Cyberzaun, Machinarium

"Thank you all warriors for your heroic fighting. Please allow me to express my highest respect to you." After a grand award ceremony, Enoch handed the reins representing the dragon bird to Sislia.

However, the champion looked a little annoyed. Although getting a dragon bird did meet his expectations, it was hard to describe what it felt like to be chased around like a rabbit in front of his captain.

My original plan was to fight bravely, defeat all challengers, deservedly win the dragon bird, and then ride it to the Fearless Vanguard's base to show off. It's better to be idle. You can imagine how badly I performed just now.

After taking the prize and making a simple gesture, Sislia turned and walked out of the stadium. She really didn't want to listen to the cheers. She decided to take a look at her dragon bird first, which might make her feel better.

"Please wait a moment, Ms. Champion," Enoch, who was waiting in the corridor, called out to Sislia who was leaving.

"What's the matter? I'm going to take my prize now and will never participate in your farce again. Do you want to go back on your word?" Sislia glared at Enoch angrily.

"No, no, no, I'm here to congratulate you, and I intend to fulfill my promise, including five years of expenses for the dragon bird and matching armor." Enoch waved his hand, and several figures carrying boxes appeared behind him. When they opened the boxes, the full stacks of gold coins illuminated the short, dim tunnel.

"I personally learned about the expenses of the Dragon Bird Knights. It is not a small amount. It is difficult to support the training expenses with your military salary. I was thinking, if this is the case, why can't we win together with my champion?

Lothrian will support all your expenses from now on, whether it is living or training. Of course, you also need to always use armor and weapons with the Lothrian logo, including when fighting in the Fearless Vanguard."1

Enoch extended his right hand to the warrior. "Deal?"

"Are you trying to humiliate me by making me walk around in clown clothes?"

Sislia originally wanted to refute loudly, but looking at the gold coins in the box and the dragon birds that she couldn't cultivate alone... what he gave was too much.

Sislia trembled and held Enoch's outstretched hand

Chapter 39: Invitation from the Crown Guard

Enoch had a dagger at his throat1

He lay on a soft couch, his head resting on the high armrests. The taste of foam lingered in his mouth, making him feel a little sick. The dagger seemed to be trying to pry something open, hanging hard on his throat, and then moved to his chin.

Jinx scraped Enoch's face vigorously, as excited as if she was graffitiing. She lifted Enoch's chin with her left hand and looked at him, as if she had just created a perfect work. She nodded with satisfaction and wiped the remaining foam on Enoch's face with a piece of warm cotton cloth soaked in an unknown essential oil.

Turning around and standing up from the couch, Enoch took the dress that had been fumigated with spices for a long time from the waiter beside him. He carefully counted the buttons on his chest, trying to make sure they were in the right place one by one.

Probably since the end of the competition, Enoch has been free for a while. During this period, apart from an invitation to a ball from the Crown Guard family, he has not received any invitations from other nobles, nor any knights who have come to discuss business. Everyone is just waiting and watching.

The night before the ball, a butler came to visit with several waiters and proposed a lot of rules.

"You just followed the procedure from beginning to end, right?" Enoch stared at the butler standing by and looking him up and down. "You never care whether it is necessary or not, right? I don't need to shave like this at all."

"This is traditional etiquette. Considering that you will be meeting the distinguished master later, I think any measures that can improve your appearance and taste are worth trying.

Especially your offensive and unpleasant tone needs more time to correct." The butler spoke as if someone pinched his nose, and his voice was as dull as if it was squeezed out from the back of his head.

"You are so thoughtful. Can't I wear my own dress? This dress has so many buttons that it feels like I am sewing myself up."

"Can't... need a glass of champagne?"

"Thank you, you finally made some decent suggestions."

"You're welcome." The butler picked up two glasses of champagne from the low cabinet beside him and handed one to Enoch.

"Watch carefully... Hold the stem of the glass like this, using your thumb and one or two fingers to gently rotate the glass counterclockwise." The butler personally demonstrated it to the teacher, and then moved the glass away.

"Remember, never raise the glass too high or too quickly. Champagne is meant to ease awkwardness and bring you closer, not to quench your thirst."

"Honestly, I've never been so embarrassed as I am now." Enoch took a big gulp despite the butler's frown, which slightly diluted the strange taste in his mouth.

The butler raised his hand and pointed at Enoch's chest. "Then get used to it as soon as possible. The dance will last a long time. Also, you buttoned it wrong."

"Let me help you." Just after putting away the knife, Jinx jumped in front of Enoch and unbuttoned the coat that Enoch had put on with great difficulty in a few seconds, and excitedly began to tidy it up again.

"Thank you for your help, little lunatic, I hope you don't think of me as your doll." Enoch was a little worried that this would give Jinx a new hobby.

"You're welcome," Jinx smiled and tried to button them up as quickly as possible.

After taking a few glances at the uniforms Jinx had packed, the butler nodded with a hint of satisfaction, and then warned, "Next, it's the dance party. If nothing goes wrong, Prince Jarvan and Tiana Crownguard will open the dance.

After the first song ends, the prince will invite the daughter of the Mianwei family, Miss Laxana Mianwei, to dance the second dance. When the second song ends and the third song begins, you can invite Miss Laxana Mianwei as a special guest.

Concentrate on completing it, be careful not to step on the girl's feet, and after you finish, I suggest that if you are not invited, don't step on the dance floor for the time being. When the slow dance ends and the fast dance begins, you can invite anyone you want as long as the other party does not refuse you."

"Can I not jump?" Enoch asked. This was too much trouble. Couldn't he just meet the minister in charge of purchasing and finalize an order? This method was too complicated.

"If you want to leave the host's daughter alone, waiting for the dance to end, and not care about your stupid and ungraceful behavior... you'd better practice quickly so as not to step on the girl's skirt."

"Okay, okay, who else should I dance with besides Miss Crown Guard? I have to prepare myself mentally in advance." Enoch gave up struggling completely and let the butler hand him a hat with feathers.

"I don't want you to dance." Enoch's collar was grabbed hard, and the sudden pull almost choked him. His body involuntarily bent downward, facing Jinx's little face.

This time the girl no longer had a giggling smile on her face. Instead, she frowned. Her blue eyes appeared even deeper, and she looked so calm that it was a little scary.

After staring at each other for a while, Enoch gently lifted the girl's face and tried to smooth out her frown. "Except for the necessary one, I won't dance with others anymore, okay?"

Maybe it was a few minutes before the blue eyes that seemed covered with a layer of sand became lively again, and the girl stopped exerting force with her hands, and Enoch finally stood up.

"I have never danced before. Do you mind teaching me tonight? It may take me a long time to learn it." Enoch asked the girl softly until he heard the girl's unique, slightly hoarse reply.

"Since you have someone to practice with, that's great. I don't have to stay and disturb your activities," the butler interrupted again at an inopportune time.

This really pissed off Jinx, and she turned around and stared at the other person fiercely. Enoch was sure that if he hadn't realized that the situation was not right and quickly hugged the girl, the poor housekeeper might have had an idea.

In the literal sense

Ignoring Jinx's murderous look, the butler slowly bowed and saluted. "Remember, don't forget to salute before inviting a female companion to dance or when meeting the prince in private."

"Like this, stretch your left leg forward, put your right hand in front of your chest, and bend down slightly along the movement. Don't do it the wrong way, or you'll make a fool of yourself."2

"Thank you very much. Do you have any other suggestions?" Enoch had to free his right hand and pressed Jinx's little head against his chest... The girl struggled a little hard and he could hardly hold her anymore.

"No, I wish you a pleasant evening. A carriage will come to pick you up tomorrow." After giving a wink to both sides, the butler left the manor with the servant.

Ignoring the people who left, Enoch held Jinx in his arms, feeling the girl's increasingly soft struggles, lowered his head to sniff the fragrance of her hair, and after a long while in the quiet of the night, he spoke, "Shall we start dancing?"

"No, wait a moment." Jinx relaxed against Enoch and wrapped her arms around the boy. "I want you to hold me for a moment longer."

"With pleasure." Enoch adjusted his arms, trying to make the two of them stick closer together, as if no one could separate them.

Chapter 40 Dance

When it was getting a little dark, a carriage broke the silence at the gate of the manor. The door of the carriage creaked open, and Enoch quickly jumped out of the carriage and turned around to take the funny hat handed to him by the person in the carriage.

Looking at the carriages filling up the square, Benso clicked his tongue in surprise, "This doesn't look like a simple dance party. I hope you can handle it."

"It's just a small scene, Lord Benso. This just proves that our products will be popular." Nodding, Enoch raised his foot to prepare to enter the manor. "I hope I remembered the order of the ball correctly. That thing is what really makes me nervous."

"I didn't expect you to care about Demacia's etiquette." Benso curled his lips and closed the door of the carriage. He would wait outside, just in case.

“Respect the power of tradition. Those who don’t believe in it will be easily crushed by it.”

Passing through the decorative fountain, before Enoch stepped into the gate, the old butler appeared at the gate again.

"Welcome guests, please respect the customs and etiquette of the Crown Guard family. I wish you a fulfilling night. Please put your weapons on the shelf beside you, and someone will take care of them for you. Please forgive me, there will be no duel as an entertainment tonight."

Enoch looked at his prosthetic hands and answered confidently, "I don't have any daggers."

"Very good." The butler looked up and down at Enoch, who was wearing a tight formal robe. "Please come in. I will inform the master of your visit."

Following the butler into the auditorium, he could obviously see that many guests attending the banquet were looking at him openly or secretly.

To be honest, this was not a good experience, especially since Enoch had never seen any of them before, and they were all wearing formal attire, so he couldn't tell them apart by their coats of arms.

After simply tidying up his uniform, Enoch walked along the wall to the main table. It would be great if he could see Prince Jarvan in advance. After all, he was said to be an enterprising young man, and he had plenty of ways to make him interested.

It is best to avoid unnecessary socializing, as friendships between nobles are harmful rather than beneficial to Losrien now.

But even after following the butler's advice and performing the entire etiquette to the host of the banquet, Tiana Crown Guard, he still did not see the prince, and even Garen was nowhere to be seen.

"You are more suitable for this occasion than I thought." A clear voice like an oriole came from behind a pillar. The blonde girl leaned forward, causing her white floor-length skirt to flutter like a butterfly.

The girl smiled sweetly and said, "Jinx came to me to complain a few days ago, saying that you didn't agree to bring her here."

"Maybe it's because I thought I would just have a simple chat with the nobles of Demacia tonight." Enoch bowed and saluted. "I didn't expect it would be such a grand ball."

After praising the splendor of the ball without leaving any trace, Enoch looked up at Lux and said, "Forgive my intrusion, but you look radiant, Miss Crown Guard. The moonlight will be brighter because of your smile."

Lux deliberately raised her chin high like a noble woman and nodded her head slightly as a token of thanks. "I will accept your compliment, Sir Littlefinger."

Before Enoch could respond, he laughed first. "This is weird. You should call me Lux, just like Jinx usually calls me. What do you think of this dance?"

"Great, it would be even better if I didn't need to be there." Enoch turned around and stood beside Lux, looking at a group of men and women who were talking and laughing.

Enoch smiled maliciously. "I wonder what would happen if a Noxian assassin came in at this time. How many men would step forward to fight?"

"Don't panic, guests. My aunt can defeat all the assassins by herself." Lux looked at Lady Tiana who was returning the gifts to the guests, but she didn't expect her eyes to meet hers. Seeing her aunt's disapproving look for her lack of dignity, Lux quickly looked away.

Just at this moment, the poet on the side suddenly started singing, the musician played the cello in his arms, and someone else played the bagpipe with all his might - you could tell how hard they were trying by looking at their bulging cheeks.

Jarvan IV walked in from the entrance, wearing a crown made of gold and decorated with green gems, and a particularly attractive cloak... with the national emblem of Demacia embroidered in gold thread.

All the guests present saluted him, and Tiana, as the host, stood up to welcome him. It was not until Garen, who was behind the prince, walked through the crowd and took him to his seat that the atmosphere of the banquet became lively again.

The young prince didn't seem to be good at giving long speeches. After a brief speech, the ball officially began.

"Sorry, I have to go say hello." Lux nodded slightly and walked towards the main table, lifting her long skirt.

Enoch leaned against the pillar in boredom, counting the songs and praying that time would pass quickly.

"You don't look very happy?" Galen appeared from nowhere, holding two glasses of champagne, and spoke to Enoch.

"I'm just a little uncomfortable. Don't worry. I won't mess up the banquet." Enoch took the wine glass handed to him.

"It is the host's responsibility to satisfy the guests. If you need anything, please feel free to ask." Galen took a sip of the wine in his glass. "After the dance, there will be a small family dinner. Please be sure to attend on time. The butler will come back to invite you. Now enjoy the dance first."

After saying goodbye to Garen, Enoch walked towards Lux, who had just finished a song with Jarvan IV, and asked, "Would you be lucky enough to dance with me, young lady?"

After taking a breath, Lux handed her hand to Enoch and said, "Of course."

After finishing the dance with Lux in his arms, Enoch just felt extremely painful. As a novice, he had to be careful not to step on the girl's long skirt and pay attention to the beat, not too fast or too slow... Enoch would rather choose to participate in a duel, at least that kind of activity can ensure that he dies cleanly.

After sending Lux back to the dance floor, Enoch bowed deeply and thought about how to reject other invitations.

"I saw you were dancing happily just now?" A slightly hoarse and sweet voice called Enoch back from his trance. Jinx, who appeared out of nowhere, looked completely different.

The long blue hair is no longer in two ponytails, but part of it is neatly tied up, and the rest of the long hair hangs down the girl's back like a piece of fine brocade. However, the bangs are still stubborn and have not changed at all.

"When did you come? I'm sure I came out after I coaxed you to sleep." Enoch stared at the girl's white puffy skirt. This outfit couldn't be made in a short time.

"Let me think, it was probably when you said 'the moonlight will also be brighter because of your smile'" Jinx stared at Enoch dissatisfiedly, her gray-blue eyes full of grievances, and the water in her eyes was like a naughty little fish disturbing the lake.

"You look... very special." Enoch took the girl's hand and gently rubbed her slender fingers. "Do you mind dancing with me?"

"No, I can't light up your moon," Jinx was still sulking.

With a smile, Enoch dragged Jinx into the dance floor without much effort, hugged the girl gently, and spun her gently to the rhythm of the music.

"You are my moon"

PS:

Thanks for the monthly pass and blades from Clean Gundam

Thanks to Qiyi Wan Gu for the monthly ticket and blade

Thanks to Lazy Cat for the monthly ticket

Thanks to Aka for the monthly ticket

Chapter 41: The Dancing Couple

Enoch never thought he would dance for so long. Even though the girl's forehead was slightly sweaty, he didn't want to stop. He was intoxicated by everything that these blue eyes represented.

The girl's breathing became a little heavier, but she still laughed along with Enoch, and the laughter never stopped. They just looked at each other from time to time, and then looked away when they turned around.

And when their bodies are pressed together again as they dance, both of them can catch each other's eyes at the first moment.

Feeling the dance floor around him getting more and more lively, Enoch slowed down the pace a little, pulled Jinx into his arms, and whispered softly in the girl's ear, "How about we go outside for a walk?"

Jinx looked at him with a smile, then leaned close to Enoch's ear and blew mischievously, "I'll follow you, my little finger."

Feeling Enoch's body stiffen due to the stimulation, the girl seemed particularly happy. She lay softly on Enoch, with her little head tilted on Enoch's shoulder, gently sniffing the pleasant incense on his clothes, and let the boy half-drag and half-carry her away from the dance floor.

As for etiquette? It was obvious that neither of them cared much about this aspect.

With the bright moonlight, Enoch led Jinx around the statue at the door and walked hand in hand towards a path full of bushes.

"The moonlight is so beautiful tonight." Enoch sighed meaninglessly and left the hot dance floor. His nerves gradually calmed down. However, looking at the girl holding his hand, it was obvious that she was still in an excited state.