Hearing this, Merlin looked towards the doorway he had entered through.
A woman in a black silk dress, adorned with lace and satin trim, walked towards them, supported by a waiter. She wore black suede knee-high boots with elasticated sides and a lace shawl.
But what was most striking was that the upper half of her face was covered by an exquisitely crafted, embossed metal eye mask. Though called an eye mask, Merlin felt it looked more like a beautiful crown designed to cover the forehead and eyes.
When Merlin still had a heart, he wasn't particularly fond of Caucasians, but this woman in front of him seemed to have some East Asian blood.
Her black hair, tied into a ponytail, was very noticeable. Her skin, unlike that of other Caucasians, was not coarse-pored; instead, it was delicate, as fair as solidified cream. Her jawline was not pronounced, and the contours of her lower jaw were smooth, soft as jade.
However, she also possessed some Caucasian features, such as a high nose bridge.
She appeared to be wearing no makeup, but a simple swipe of lipstick outlined her red lips, exuding nobility.
Although her entire face was not revealed, just this half-face made one feel that the person before them must be a beauty, especially the aristocratic aura she exuded, like the most dazzling ruby on a crown.
The mask covering her eyes gave her a fragmented beauty, like the Venus de Milo with broken arms.
Though blind, she walked with no trace of timidity, but rather with confidence and grace.
"She truly lives up to the script of a femme fatale," Merlin sighed inwardly.
If it were the old Merlin, he probably wouldn't even know how to walk straight when facing such a woman, but the current him...
As everyone around shifted their gaze to the woman, Merlin quietly walked to the dining table and helped himself to a slice of ham.
That savory cake was indeed appetizing.
After adding the ham, Calcifer's voice appeared in his mind.
"That woman seems to be the one from the carriage on the street just now."
Merlin wasn't surprised. He calmly said, "Our destinies have already intertwined. Perhaps we will meet again in the future."
"I can't quite imagine why such a woman would trigger a war that affects the World?"
"A World War is never caused by just one person."
Merlin put the ham into his mouth and nodded contentedly. In this era, there wasn't so much technology and artificial additives; the ham was truly real meat.
He continued.
"But wherever people exist, there will be conflicts, and this is even more true for nations composed of people. National conflicts cannot be resolved as quickly as personal ones, nor are they easily forgotten.
They accumulate, like stacks of gunpowder barrels, and as long as a single Fire is thrown in, these gunpowder barrels will instantly explode.
A single person may not cause a war, but she can serve as a fuse, the last straw that breaks the camel's back."
Merlin looked at the Third Princess. Prince Ernst, upon seeing her arrival, walked directly towards her.
"Given the identity of this Third Princess and the people she is involved with, she is enough to be a fuse."
"Fate is truly cruel," Calcifer sighed.
"Fate has always been cruel; it always gives people things they cannot choose, but it is also fair."
As he spoke, Merlin slowly raised his head and looked at the top of the Villa. In an unnoticed corner, Herbert, wearing the assassin's attire Merlin had given him, stood there overlooking the entire courtyard, seemingly waiting for something.
He watched Herbert, shrouded in darkness, and continued.
"No matter how much, it always gives people the opportunity to make choices."
He paused, then added, "It seems the person he's looking for is indeed here."
"What is he waiting for?"
"He's waiting for the best moment to strike, waiting for his target to be alone," Merlin said. "With his abilities, assassinating someone isn't difficult. Poisoning or direct assassination would both work.
But the problem is, his sister is still in that person's hands. He wants to obtain that information from that person, which means there will be an interrogation step."
Suddenly, Merlin saw Herbert leave that position.
Merlin looked around and quickly spotted a nobleman. He was elaborately dressed, slender, with somewhat sunken eyes. He was a middle-aged man, entering the Villa surrounded by waiters. It seemed he was going to the restroom.
"He seems to have left," Calcifer's voice echoed in Merlin's mind. "Did he find an opportunity?"
Merlin remained silent, not speaking.
At the same time, soft music filled the banquet hall; the ball must have begun. Some nobles, accompanied by their wives, danced on the lawn to the music, an English court classical dance.
Merlin did not participate. Instead, he quietly took a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray on one side, took a light sip, and then looked at the remaining champagne in his glass.
"He can't get out."
"What?" Calcifer was somewhat puzzled.
"Our newly acquainted friend."
Merlin gently swirled the wine glass in his hand and said, "Normally, he should have finished the interrogation and killed the person by now.
But he hasn't. It seems the interrogation has reached a stalemate, and he knocked the person out, intending to take them out to continue the interrogation.
But taking someone out is much harder than leaving by himself."
Merlin looked around and clearly saw many patrolling guards, and even those men and women dressed as waiters, who seemed to have undergone some special training.
He paused, then muttered to himself, "If it were me, I would wait for the ball to end, wait for him to leave here before making a move. He's too eager.
The longer it drags on, the more likely the waiters are to notice something amiss."
"Then how will he get out?" Calcifer asked.
"Then he'll have to wait for a moment when everyone's attention is drawn to something else."
"Are you going to help him?"
Merlin thought for a moment and said.
"If the first investment fails, it will affect the luck of subsequent investments.
However, according to the destiny I gave him, he should be able to turn danger into safety."
He paused, as if he had thought of something, and nodded to himself.
"I have taken on the destiny of his mentor, perhaps becoming a part of destiny myself.
No, perhaps, there is another destiny at play, including my appearance at this dinner tonight."
Merlin raised his head and looked at the Third Princess, who was sitting on a sofa that had been moved into the courtyard not far away. Her legs were together and turned to one side, her hands resting on her lap, her posture very elegant, indicating she was very well-educated.
"This, this is karma," he murmured.
Next to her was a table with some pastries and black tea on it.
Prince Ernst stood beside her, whispering softly to her.
Although he didn't know what he said, judging by the Third Princess's slightly downward-turned lips, she seemed a bit impatient.
"Alicia," Ernst said softly, "Would you like to dance with me?"
"Thank you for your invitation, Your Highness Ernst, but my eyes cannot see, so I'm afraid I won't dance well," Alicia said.
"That's alright. If you don't like it, we can just sit here."
Ernst smiled. Then, he took a cup of black tea from a nearby table. "You can try the black tea I brought. It was given by an official when my father visited the East."
Alicia took the black tea, took a light sip, then put it back to the side, nodding, "The taste is delicate, with a sweet aftertaste. It's very good. Thank you."
Ernst smiled; he seemed to want to say something more.
However, at this moment, under his gradually freezing gaze, a stranger walked directly from not far away.
His steps were unhurried, but his purpose was clear. He wore a black evening gown, his dark, semi-long hair simply tied back, and his black eyes appeared exceptionally deep against the night, exuding a stillness and mystery like the night.
"I haven't seen him before," Ernst thought.
However, not long after this thought emerged, he arrived in front of them and stopped before Alicia.
He placed his left hand behind his back, rotated his right hand, and at the same time, tapped the ground with the tip of his right foot towards his left foot, performing an elegant bow, and bending slightly, he said.
"Noble Third Princess, may I have the honor of dancing a single dance with you?"
The Third Princess looked up, somewhat startled, and at that moment, the gazes of the surrounding nobles all turned towards him.