Chapter 23 A Banquet Before the banquet began, the banquet...
"banquet?"
Enid woke up from her nap and went downstairs to hear this terrible news. Well, maybe it wasn't terrible news, but it seemed to everyone else that the banquet... well, it's best not to attend, of course. In fact, Tim would be accompanying Bruce to the banquet. As for Damian, maybe he could... if those people didn't try to pinch his cheeks?
"That sounds interesting, but I've only ever been to parties at school, outside..."
Hearing this, everyone seemed a little uneasy, because they remembered how Enid was trembling when she first went out with Damian. Tim thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe I can keep you company. The party is mainly about introducing your identity, so it's obvious."
This was a party specifically held to announce that Enid was a Wayne child. Although she didn't legally have Wayne in her name, that didn't prevent her from being a member of the Wayne family. After all, surnames aren't always important, right?
"I feel relieved with you here. Actually, there used to be a lot of banquets at my old school. After all, it was a prestigious school, so maybe you guys can understand?"
"Obviously I understand."
Tim knew this all too well, so Enid nodded and slumped onto the table, completely losing her composure and even looking somewhat annoyed. Cassandra and Stephanie happened to be sitting next to her, and Stephanie patted her on the shoulder, her tone cheerful: "Looks like something interesting happened?"
“Yes!” Enid thought for a moment, realizing she couldn’t say it directly, so she took out a crystal from her spatial storage and infused it with a few specks of green light. “Is there a projection room?”
"The screening room may not support this format at the moment."
“That’s a shame. I’ll help add that format next time. I can only dictate it to you now, and I can show it to you next time,” Enid paused for a moment. “Memories can be copied, extracted, and played back, just like Harry Potter and the like, so…”
She narrowed her eyes slyly, and everyone instantly understood her unspoken meaning. Tim nodded without surprise, "It's okay, I have some here too."
It seemed she hadn't succeeded. Enid instantly turned grayish-white and shattered. The next second, she pieced herself back together and, pretending nothing had happened, began to calmly recount what had occurred.
Actually, during the ball, because it was a magical girls' academy, the traditional male and female dance steps couldn't be done. So, most of the time, the male and female dance steps were decided by drawing lots, or the format was simply changed. But something went wrong at the ball.
There was a classmate who was always very good at talking. At the dance, she dressed up as her favorite character, which was also one that Enid liked very much. Enid was an excellent student, so Enid, as the guest of honor for the opening dance, went up to invite her to dance. But unexpectedly, just after Enid went on stage, she extended the invitation to Enid.
She probably never expected that Enid, the only one not wearing a mask, would extend an invitation to her. After tremblingly accepting the invitation, she almost fainted when her hand touched Enid's waist. Although she was rescued and the ball went smoothly, she got to dance with Enid as she wished. However, the next time Enid danced, it was the teacher who did it, and no other student ever got to enjoy it again. And because she didn't dare to speak during the dance, no one even noticed... except for Enid, of course.
"Therefore, from then on, no one at school dared to dance with me."
Enid was a little disappointed. She had actually practiced dancing for a long time and hoped to dance with her classmates, but obviously it was only for that one time. Although she was surprised that someone would like her, "Actually, I think it's a bit of a joke, because how could I be happy just because someone dances with me? After all, I look very ordinary and there's nothing special about me, right?"
This was the first time Enid openly admitted her lack of self-confidence and was even surprised by others' love for themselves. This was the result of her mother's long-term education. Her mother had repeatedly said that Enid was not yet a qualified Great Druid, and was far inferior to her in many aspects.
She frowned, somewhat puzzled, and unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.
“I think they might not be lying to you,” Tim’s voice carried a hint of a joke. “I remember a while ago, when Bruce was out at night, I remember a guy saying something like, ‘God, I was strangled by Batman’s thigh. I’d gladly die right now. Batman, give me another one!’”
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, I remember, I remember!" Stephanie almost jumped for joy. "Tim, you recorded it, right? Maybe we can use the screening room? At least this format is available."
"sure."
Tim glanced at Stephanie with a somewhat gentle look, then quickly pulled up the surveillance footage and projected it onto the large screen in the projection room. Enid felt guilty and followed Stephanie furtively. Cassandra silently recorded it and uploaded it to the corresponding folder.
Of course, Enid didn't notice at all. Only Tim saw it and gestured for her to send it to him. Tim received the video from Cassandra and clicked play with satisfaction, playing the footage from last night. Enid couldn't help but laugh as she watched Bruce purse his lips in front of the criminal.
"Pfft... Sorry, I didn't mean to, but well, actually, Father looks kind of cute like this?"
"Hmm... I don't object to that statement."
“I agree!” Stephanie nodded in agreement, and Cassandra nodded slightly as well. “I agree with what you said.”
Enid was clearly happy to be recognized by everyone, but then a little regretful. "It's a pity that Barbara, Damian, Jason, and my brother aren't here. Speaking of which, we didn't call Afu, otherwise they would have seen us too."
“You don’t need to worry about that. They’ve all seen it, including Afu. Now that you’re included, the whole family has seen it,” Stephanie said. Hearing this, Enid felt relieved. “But now I have some confidence. Maybe I can try attending the party, after all, I’m Father’s daughter, right?”
"Yes, you look excellent."
Cassandra could read her body language. Words might lie, but the body wouldn't. She was outstanding and beautiful. When Enid met those sincere and beautiful eyes, she was slightly stunned for a moment. Cassandra saw that she was about to rush over and hug her, so she paused, waited for Enid to hug her, and then reached out and gently returned the hug.
It was a perfect afternoon; all the warmth was remarkable even after the clouds had blocked the sun. The sunlight pierced through the thick layers and fell silently, casting beautiful patterns on the floor with scattered spots of light, just like the embrace that met our gazes at that moment.
"So, aren't you two coming tonight, Cassandra and Stephanie?"
"Hmm, now it's just Tim with you and Bruce. Good luck!"
Enid was a little disappointed that her attempt to charm him hadn't worked. Tim adjusted his tie and uniform appropriately: "It sounds like you might not be too happy for me to come along?" Enid almost jumped up in surprise. "Of course not, I'm very happy, it's just that, well, the thought of seeing so many men is making me a little uncomfortable. After all, you have to forgive me for going to an all-girls school, where I was surrounded by nobles. I don't really understand..."
"It is obvious that nobles are all the same, regardless of gender."
The essence of nobility is the same, regardless of gender. He saw this very clearly, and his words comforted Enid, who breathed a sigh of relief.
“Great, then all I need to do now is maintain a social facade. I’m pretty good at that, because it sounds no different from my school dances.”
"Actually, there is no difference."
Tim agreed with this point. Although their purposes might differ, they were all ultimately about profit. He had seen many such cases in the business world and elsewhere. The purpose of this banquet was also because of Enid. They were all trying to test Enid's position and the status she could occupy within the Wayne family. Her appearance during that fake kidnapping had already hinted at this.
If Bruce doesn't introduce her to the public, then Enid will become known as an unacknowledged child in the eyes of those in the know, which is something Bruce certainly doesn't want to see; this is the real purpose of the party.
Enid knew all this, so she mustered all her courage and followed Tim downstairs. She saw Bruce, who was already dressed, and was so nervous that she almost bit her tongue.
"Don't worry, at least they won't eat people, though I say maybe."
"Pfft, that's good. I'll take Naya with me; she'll follow in my shadow."
Then a black cat emerged from Enid's shadow. Of course, it opened its eyes, so everyone could see it, but soon the black cat closed its eyes and blended into the shadow, so no one could even tell when the cat had run into the shadow. Everyone else had already slipped away. Enid, arm in arm with Bruce, and Tim following beside her, walked into the banquet hall together.
Amidst the clinking of glasses, Enid remained almost stiff. Others might have been captivated by the effusive praise, but Enid couldn't ignore the fact that most people were lying. Her intuition was still sharp; she sensed that they were all deceiving her.
Although the food at the banquet was carefully prepared, and even her portion was specially prepared, and she was greeted with continuous applause and praise when she was introduced, she still had to admit that she did not like the environment.
After all the outsiders left, Enid finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"This is much harder than being a Grand Druid, although it is really no different from a ball."
"So, would you still be willing to accompany Bruce next time?" Tim was curious about Enid's answer. Enid paused for a moment, then nodded. "Of course I wouldn't mind accompanying Father. Although I don't like it, necessary socializing is normal, and I would certainly do so if Father needs it."
“That’s wonderful, sir. You won’t need to try to invite me next time.” Alfred was clearly thinking about the charity gala last time. Bruce shrugged, looking like he couldn’t do anything about it. “Actually, I think we should respect the child’s wishes. Of course, it would be nice if you came with me occasionally, at least Tim could get some more sleep.”
“I’m so glad Bruce thought of letting me sleep a little longer. I’d be even happier if you could also get the company documents sorted out, Bruce.”
A note from the author:
----------------------
Although Lucius manages the entire group, this story still establishes that he has someone in charge of assisting in this area. [Let me see]
Enid isn't really socially awkward, she just needs time to adjust. [cat emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
