(7 Fresh Coins) Chapter 17 (Part 1) Meeting an Old Friend
The presence of Count Tulip, a figure of such stature, and his intimate behavior with such a beautiful woman, undoubtedly drew the attention of everyone present. For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall subtly shifted. While everyone appeared to be going about their business and chatting as usual, they were all, in reality, paying close attention to what was happening here.
Marina stared intently at the couple, and involuntarily exclaimed, "What's he doing here?"
Antonio, however, didn't answer her at all. Instead, he stood up and walked over there. At the same time, Luis was already leading the beautiful woman towards them.
The Count of Tulips was a charming and elegant man, and the beautiful woman he was intimately involved with was stunningly beautiful. They seemed like such a pleasing couple. However, the host, Antonio, wore a somewhat stiff smile, which looked rather strange.
In reality, this was absolutely not Antonio's fault for being impolite; the reasons were quite complicated. Count Luis was a member of the Miller family, the half-brother of Leander Miller, and naturally, the older brother of his cousin, Lancelot Miller. Due to Lance's mother's influence, Antonio's mother, Madame Francisco, had always harbored resentment towards the Miller family, and therefore, he had never associated with them. As for the Count, the two had become acquainted through a chance encounter. When Antonio hosted his party, the Count happened to be passing by, and out of politeness, Antonio invited him to attend if he had time. He didn't expect the Count to actually come, and what he didn't expect was—
The two men stopped in front of Antonio, and the count spoke first with a smile: "Long time no see, Mr. Francisco. How have you been? I'm sorry, something came up and I hope you don't mind."
Antonio struggled to avoid looking at the beautiful woman before him, and composed himself to attend to his distinguished guest: "Thanks to you, all is well. Count, your presence is a great honor—in fact, the party has only just begun. Would you like a drink?"
He smiled, raised his wine glass, and waved it at the Count, his face now regaining its natural composure: "May I have the honor of introducing this beautiful young lady to me? As you can see, her beauty is like that of the purest angel, which has deeply captivated me and all the gentlemen present." He then glanced at the surrounding crowd, his smile widening.
The count followed his gaze and smiled knowingly. "Of course. Let me introduce you to my friend, Miss Peggy. She comes from China, and her beauty can fascinate anyone—and I am just the most insignificant one among them."
As he spoke, a hint of melancholy appeared on his face. Miss Peggy responded with a slight bow of her head and a gentle smile, her lips parting slightly: "Count, I had no idea that your sense of humor was no less than your wisdom. Someone of your stature must have seen countless people—how could someone as plain as me possibly catch your eye? Don't you agree, esteemed Mr. Francisco?"
As she finished speaking, Miss Peggy looked up at the man before her, her large eyes blinking slightly. The mysterious and elegant beauty, in that fleeting moment of playfulness, possessed a unique charm—Antonio could already hear the gasps of the men around him. He paused, then gave a helpless smile: “Miss Peggy is far too modest. I know that humility is a precious virtue in the East, and you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen who embodies Eastern beauty so perfectly. To be honest, I can already smell the gunpowder in the air; tonight, many more men's hearts will be broken for you… Oh, I really worry about them.”
The three of them complimented each other for quite a while, until Marina, who had been ignored the whole time, finally lost her patience and interrupted them bluntly: "This lady's beauty is beyond question, and you stinky men have no right to comment on it!"
Antonio was taken aback: Marina dared to say such things to Count Tulip's face! It was one thing to say such things to people like them normally, but who was Count Tulip? How could a woman so openly belittle him? He quickly turned and glared at Marina, trying to find an excuse to get rid of her and prevent her from causing further trouble: "Didn't you say you were hungry? There's food over there..."
Marina completely ignored him, staring at Count Tulip with blatant provocation in her eyes.
Author's Note:
I was busy all day and only finished writing this after midnight. I'm so sorry everyone!!
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