Chapter 44: Seeing Through

"...Long time no see." After a long moment, those four words finally forced themselves out of Villac's mouth.

Standing just a few meters away from him in a swan-feather gown, Elizabeth wore an aloof expression, her gaze filled with lingering resentment. This was the first time Villac was seeing the woman who fascinated countless people and was hailed as the most beautiful woman in Lezein with his own eyes. Her perfectly straight bridge of the nose, those enormous blue eyes, and the snow-white neck that outshone the dazzling necklace indeed made it impossible for anyone to look away.

"Do you have nothing to say to me?" Elizabeth's voice carried a questioning tone, yet it remained as gentle and melodious as ever.

"I..." Villac had considered how he would handle anyone he might encounter, but he had never expected to run into Elizabeth.

Women were the most complex and troublesome creatures, and he was completely unequipped to deal with the romantic debts Chris had left behind.

"Elizabeth, let's go." Just as Villac found himself in extreme awkwardness, a middle-aged man in a black tuxedo came to his rescue. "Your performance is coming up soon, go and make your preparations."

Elizabeth stared at Villac for a few seconds before lifting her gown and following the middle-aged man away.

After Elizabeth left, Villac remained frozen in place, cold sweat breaking out all over his body.

In those exact few seconds, he had seen suspicion in Elizabeth's eyes—a look that neither Colin nor any member of the Equality Society had ever cast his way.

Could Elizabeth have already seen through him? How was that possible!

"Mr. Chris..." Seeing Villac standing completely still, Daniel stepped forward and called out softly.

"...Let's take a seat and wait for the banquet to start." Villac pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the cold sweat that had seeped out in just a brief moment, forcing a calm composure as he took his seat among the many dignitaries and nobles.

The subsequent lively conversations among the surrounding aristocrats turned into a mere buzzing in his ears. His mind remained entirely haunted by Elizabeth's suspicious gaze.

From the very beginning of his journey, he had even managed to fool Colin, who had grown up with Chris since childhood, and the many long-serving members of the Equality Society could detect nothing amiss. How could Elizabeth possibly sense an abnormality in just a single glance?

Could it have been his own imagination?

Villac dared not easily dismiss it as mere imagination; after all, such matters could not be taken lightly. Once his true identity was exposed and made public, he would instantly plunge into an abyss with no bottom, leaving him completely at the mercy of others and doomed to a tragic death.

Moreover, through the tempering of this recent period, his perceptive abilities had improved significantly, and his reading of Elizabeth's gaze ought to be correct.

Then, under the circumstances that Chris's sister Kellerman had described—that the two of them had merely shared a few dinners—how could Elizabeth possibly recognize that he was a fake?

Was the relationship between the two of them actually far deeper than Kellerman imagined, or had he constantly been revealing flaws that only a select few would notice?

Regardless, Villac decided to donate the ten thousand ginkas at the banquet as early as possible, and then leave before Elizabeth could completely see through him.

This matter had become extremely serious simply by showing the slightest hint of a start. If it wasn't handled swiftly, no one could tell what kind of situation it might evolve into.

Villac desperately wanted to curse Daniel out and ask him why he hadn't informed him that Elizabeth would be attending the banquet. But that irrational thought fueled by emotional agitation flashed only for a moment. In reality, he knew very well that this had nothing to do with Daniel; his only obligation was to help arrange the charity banquet for him.

"Daniel." Villac took a deep breath, smoothing out his furrowed brow. "Go and wait in the carriage for a moment. I just remembered some urgent business, and I'll have to leave early once the donation is made."

"Ah? Oh, very well, Mr. Chris." Daniel was slightly caught off guard by Villac's suddenly altered plan, lingering in bewilderment for a moment before departing.

It was precisely eight o'clock, and the charity banquet commenced on schedule.

The host took the stage to introduce the theme of the banquet and the important guests in attendance, and then invited the organizer and initiator of this charity banquet, Count Danor, to deliver a speech.

Following a round of speeches, two singers took the stage, performing songs that matched the day's theme and setting a lively atmosphere. Next, the first round of the charity auction began. Villac decisively spent ten thousand ginkas to purchase the first auction item: an exquisite sculpture.

Usually, the prices of auction items would progress from low to high over time. Villac's high purchase price of ten thousand ginkas right off the bat instantly drew everyone's attention, and the host appropriately invited Villac to say a few words.

Having attended a few such events in his past life, Villac skillfully praised the benevolence of the banquet organizer, Count Danor, and then briefly offered some polite remarks about his purpose in buying the sculpture, wishing that charity could continue forever and that the world would ultimately become a better place.

Having successfully secured the sculpture, Villac did not leave immediately. The banquet had only just begun not long ago, and even with a sense of urgency, one could not appear overly rash. After the first round of charity auctions concluded, Count Danor invited a friend to take the stage and share their understanding and feelings regarding this charity banquet.

After warm applause, Elizabeth finally made her appearance, joining a troupe of actors to present a wonderful short play to everyone.

The time was right. Villac offered apologetic explanations to the two nearby dignitaries that he had urgent matters to attend to, then stood up and sought out the staff members to hand over the money. Upon learning that Villac had pressing matters and needed to leave early, the staff first expressed their gratitude for his generosity today, and then arranged for the sculpture to be delivered to the Thomas family estate tomorrow.

Finally able to slip away, Villac walked downstairs. As he reached the exit, a thought struck him. After a moment of hesitation, he chose to stand by the entrance and wait for Elizabeth to find him.

He needed to test Elizabeth one more time to confirm whether or not she truly suspected that he was not Chris.

He didn't have to wait long. True to expectation, Elizabeth, having finished her performance, quickly hurried down the stairs with her gown in hand and rushed toward Villac.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, we really shouldn't have met." Villac spoke up first, appearing slightly more natural than during their very first encounter.

"Then why are you waiting here for me?" Elizabeth looked up and asked coldly.

"To give you one last formal farewell." Villac tried to immerse himself in the sense of regret Chris held toward Elizabeth.

"You're not Chris, are you?" Elizabeth looked straight into Villac's eyes and asked after pondering for a long time.

She really was suspecting him!

Villac almost lost his composure. He nodded in response, giving an ambiguous reply: "That's right, Chris is already dead."

Then, before Elizabeth could say anything, Villac turned around and walked toward the exit, attempting to confuse her with vague phrasing: "Everything was a mistake, I hope you can forget about it soon."

Villac forced himself into the carriage. Seeing that Elizabeth had not chased after him, his tense body finally relaxed. "Return to the estate immediately."

"Understood, Mr. Chris." Daniel started the engine.

With a definitive answer now established in his heart, all Villac could do was return immediately to inform Fletcher of the situation and discuss countermeasures.