themonasnovels Chapter 45 Joining the Club and Dancing
Chapter 45 Joining the Club and Dancing
At noon, Lucius ate lunch at the police station canteen and then took a steam tram back to Bank Street.
He went back to his apartment first, took out the letter of recommendation written by Oliver from his study, and then went downstairs and walked along the street to the entrance of the Bank Street Sleep Aid Club.
Lucius pushed open the door and entered; the lavender scent still permeated every inch of the hall.
Miss Fiona, who was behind the counter, was tidying up an appointment register when she heard the doorbell ring. She looked up and immediately recognized Lucius.
"Good afternoon, sir. Have you decided whether you need sleep aid services or want to join us?"
Fiona said with a smile, her expression as warm and polite as when they first met last Sunday.
"Good afternoon, Miss Fiona," Lucius replied politely, then asked in surprise, "You remember me?"
He only stayed here for less than ten minutes last Sunday, asked a few questions, and left in a hurry without even leaving his name.
Judging from the club's visitor volume, there must be quite a few people coming and going every day.
Fiona maintained her smile and replied in a matter-of-fact tone:
"I remember every potential client or sleep aid; it's a professional habit of mine."
Lucius was deeply impressed by Fiona's professionalism, and he took out the letter of recommendation written by Oliver from the inside pocket of his coat:
"I've made up my mind to join your club. Here is my letter of recommendation."
"Really? It's our honor." Fiona took the envelope, took out the letter inside, and unfolded it.
Her eyes quickly scanned the handwritten contents of the letter, and when she saw the recommender's signature and the emblem of the Invincible Sun Church at the end, her eyelids twitched noticeably.
Fiona raised her eyes and looked at Lucius with even greater professional enthusiasm:
"Sir, based on the recommendation letter from Oliver Scott, a senior sleep aid therapist, you have been exempted from the £1 membership fee and the initial screening queue."
All you need to do now is fill in your basic identity information, and I will immediately submit it to all sleep therapists for a membership vote.
You will be notified of the voting results within two to three days at the earliest.
She took a printed information registration form from the drawer under the counter and handed over a fountain pen dipped in ink.
"You only need to fill in normal information such as identity, name, and residential address. There is no private information involved. All information will be archived by the club and will not be disclosed to the public."
Lucius took the pen, scanned the blank columns on the form, and filled in all the information in less than a minute.
Fiona took the registration form, checked each column to make sure it was correct, and then put the form into a folder marked "Pending Review".
She extended her right hand and smiled, "Mr. Lucius, I'm already congratulating you on joining the Bank Avenue Sleep Aid Club."
Lucius gently squeezed her hand and replied with a smile:
"Thank you, Ms. Fiona. I look forward to working with you."
After resolving the matter, he said goodbye and left the club, returning to his apartment.
Lucius took out the formal attire he had bought yesterday, including a black coat, shirt, a vest in the same color as the coat, a silk hat, trousers, and leather shoes.
After he finished dressing and tidying himself up, he stood in front of the full-length mirror and carefully examined himself:
The young man reflected in the film had a tall and straight figure, and the cut at the waist outlined his physique in a standard, fit silhouette.
The salesman wasn't exaggerating; the suit fit him better than the mannequin in the shop window.
But Lucius looked at himself in the mirror and suddenly frowned. He remembered Professor Anthony's words.
Etiquette dance is the most basic ticket for a gentleman to enter high society.
Lucius had read the auction dinner schedule on the invitation: the auction would begin at 7:30, followed by free socializing and a ball.
There was nothing to worry about in the auction itself; he just needed to stay by Professor Anthony's side and provide assistance when the professor needed help.
But the ball after the auction...
If Lucius didn't possess even the most basic etiquette and dance skills, he would have to smile and say, "I'm just resting here for a moment," when asked.
He didn't want to lose himself, or the dignity of Professor Anthony who had brought him to the banquet.
However... at this point in time, it's obviously too late for Lucius to find a dance instructor on short notice.
Even if there's enough time, in the remaining few hours, one can't possibly practice to the point where they can avoid embarrassing themselves at a noble banquet.
No etiquette dance teacher could do that.
He finally came up with a solution that was hardly a solution at all.
Lucius went downstairs and pushed open the door of Moran Bookstore. Today, Ms. Moran was unusually not holding up the "Elon Food News".
She was holding a book with a bright yellow cover, reading it with great interest.
Lucius did not disturb her, and quietly walked towards the bookshelf at the back. When his gaze fell on the book "Secret Transmission of the Lamp" in Miss Moran's hand, a thought flashed through his mind.
Is Miss Moran following the lamp phase sequence approach?
He directly ruled out the casting sequence, for casting is the law of transformation, skill, fire, and destruction.
The most obvious physical characteristic of people who have entered this sequence is a gradual reduction in body hair, such as Felix's bald head and drawn-on eyebrows.
Lucius didn't know whether Miss Moran was wearing a wig or not, but her eyebrows were clearly real.
He temporarily set aside this judgment and took a book with a light red cover from the bookshelf.
This was the solution he came up with. Since conventional methods couldn't help him master etiquette and dance immediately, then his knowledge of psychic mysticism, after being enhanced, would surely be able to.
The mind is the principle of life, existence, protection, and the ceaseless drumbeat and dance, connected with music.
[On July 3, 1855, during the Fifth Age, I read "The Conversations of Surochana Amovarsah" and gained esoteric knowledge from "The Contract with the Shedding Clothes Club".]
[Complying with the code of conduct "Seeking Knowledge" earns +1 Mysticism Point]
[Contract with the Shedding Club (lv0, 0%)]
【Sexual characteristics: Heart (1), Moth (1)】
[Effect: Dance]
[Introduction: My performance on the opening night of the Shedding Club]
Lucius closed the book with a satisfied look on the light red cover, and a wealth of knowledge about dance quickly took shape in his mind:
The basic steps of the waltz, the pirouette rhythm, hand gestures between partners, and the conventions of moving forward and backward on the dance floor...
These things, which would normally require several lessons to learn, were instantly integrated into his muscle memory the moment the occult knowledge entered his body.
But that wasn't enough. He silently chanted in his mind, "Diary, add more points."
[Consumes 1 Mysticism Point for "Contract with the Shedding Club" (lv0→lv1, 0%)]
[Gained Ability: Dance]
Current Mysticism Points: 2
Lucius was finally satisfied. When he walked to the counter, Miss Moran was still engrossed in the book of lamplight secrets.
"Could this book of occult knowledge contain a recipe for some kind of delicacy?" Lucius had developed a deep-seated stereotype about Miss Moran.
He took out a gold pound, placed it on the counter, and walked out of Moran Bookstore.
Around 6:30 p.m., Lucius flagged down a horse-drawn carriage and headed west to the Upper Town.