fynovel Chapter 67 Former Student
Chapter 67 Former Student
The dinner proceeded amidst elegant string music and the gentle clinking of cutlery.
Anaïs gently nudged Green's arm and whispered, "Mr. Morris, look at that... that one in the society wearing the dark purple dress."
Green looked in the direction she indicated.
She was a woman, around fifty years old, with a serious expression. Her hair was neatly styled into a bun, and she wore simple pearl jewelry.
At that moment, she was talking to a woman of similar age beside her, nodding occasionally.
"You know him?" Green asked.
"Yes." Anaïs nodded.
"If I remember correctly, she was Mrs. Margaret Elliott. There's a photograph in my grandfather's study, and she's standing next to him, very young at the time... My grandfather mentioned several times that she was his most diligent and also his most stubborn student. After my grandfather left the society, she would often come to visit us."
Green's eyes lit up. This was like a godsend when you're sleepy!
One of them had a good mentor-student relationship with Anaïs's grandfather and seemed to be one of the key figures in the Society, otherwise he wouldn't have been invited to this dinner.
It seems that bringing Anaïs along was a very wise choice.
"That's good news, Anaïs," Green said in a low voice of approval. "Let's go say hello, be natural, you take the lead, and I'll play along."
"Yes, sir." Anaïs took a deep breath, straightened her chest, raised her head, and put on a gentle and polite smile.
Green picked up his champagne glass, gesturing for Anaïs to do the same.
The two left their seats, bypassed the chatting crowd, and walked toward the location of the members of the History and Archaeology Society.
Unlike the other elderly scholars at the table, Lady Margaret Elliott did not engage in a lively conversation with Viscount Linus, who came to offer a toast.
Her expression was indifferent, and she seemed not particularly interested in the social activities of high society.
Viscount Linus seems to have a particular interest in the Historical and Archaeological Society, or rather, in the 'knowledge' that the Society might possess.
He held a wine glass, a smile on his face, and listened attentively to Professor Holland's story; both were enjoying themselves immensely.
Green guessed that the professor probably wanted to get research funding from the viscount, otherwise the old man wouldn't have been so agitated.
"...So, Your Excellency, you see, if we can secure stable funding, Fitch's research group could very well launch a systematic excavation of those ancient sacrificial sites on the west coast next quarter, which could very well rewrite our understanding of early sea people's beliefs!" An old professor pushed up his glasses and said respectfully.
Green noticed that the older professors in the society seemed to be looking at him from time to time, as if he were the leader.
Another elderly scholar with a goatee, known as Professor Fitch, added:
"That's right, and some of the non-public archives that our society has recently compiled also show that those sites may be connected to some forgotten nodes of cultural exchange, and their academic value is immeasurable."
His words carried a clear implication, seemingly testing the boundaries of the Viscount's interest in 'non-public' knowledge.
Viscount Linus listened intently, nodding occasionally. "A fascinating field, professors. History always holds truths waiting to be discovered, and it is the responsibility of people like us to support such discoveries."
"President Holland, perhaps after the dinner, we could find a quiet place to discuss the possibility of cooperation in more detail? I am particularly interested in those... forgotten nodes of civilization."
This conversation was clearly not just a simple exchange of pleasantries, but rather involved a test and exchange of interests.
The Viscount is trying to use money to get into the Society, which is clearly open to it and may even be willing to use certain "sensitive" files as leverage.
Only Mrs. Margaret Elliott sat quietly to the side, unconsciously swirling her wine glass in her hand, her gaze lowered, as if this academic transaction, tainted with the stench of money, had nothing to do with her.
Mrs. Elliott's current "marginal" state presents the perfect opportunity for Green and Anaïs to make contact.
Green gave Anaïs a look.
Anaïs understood, and the two did not head towards the center of the lively conversation, but instead took a small step around and approached Mrs. Elliott's seat from the side and rear.
Anaïs stopped two steps away from Mrs. Elliott, curtsied in a standard and graceful manner, and said, "Good evening, Mrs. Elliott."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Elliott turned her head somewhat slowly, her gaze landing on Anaïs's face.
At first, her face showed some displeasure, as if she was deep in thought and didn't want to be disturbed, but soon her gaze focused, and after a moment, she spoke softly:
"Who are you......?"
"Annaïs Violet," Anaïs smiled, meeting her gaze, "Alfred Violet is my grandfather."
"Alfred..." Mrs. Elliott repeated the name softly.
The wine glass she was swirling in her hand stopped, as if she were lost in thought. Her gaze towards Anaïs softened, her eyes revealing a mixture of shock, nostalgia, and unexpected sadness.
"Violet...yes, I remember. The little girl who was always quiet and liked to hide in the study to read."
At this point, the conversation on the sidelines seemed to have come to an end.
The Viscount nodded in satisfaction, made an appointment with Professor Holland to talk later, and his gaze swept over them, lingering for a moment on Anaïs and Green.
A thoughtful look flashed across his eyes, especially when he saw them talking to Mrs. Elliott, but he quickly smiled politely and turned to the next table of guests.
Professor Holland also noticed this, and when he saw Anaïs, he frowned, clearly annoyed at being interrupted, especially since his 'patron' had just left.
"Margaret, who are these two?" he asked, his tone somewhat impatient.
Mrs. Elliott glanced at Holland and introduced her in a flat tone: "This is Anaïs Violet, Alfred Violet's granddaughter."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Green.
Greene stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Good evening, Mrs. Elliott, Professor Holland. I am Greene Morris, Miss Anaïs's colleague, currently working at the Port Authority Liaison Office."
"I apologize, but Miss Violet often misses her grandfather and frequently mentions that you were Mr. Violet's most prized student, so I have come to inquire after you."
He adopted a humble stance, with perfectly reasonable arguments, focusing entirely on Anaïs's old friendship with Mrs. Elliott.
"The Port Authority?" Professor Holland scoffed, revealing a slight disdain.
But when he heard the name Alfred Violet and saw Mrs. Elliott's noticeably different attitude, he swallowed back his harsher words, muttering only, "Alfred... that stubborn old man."
Mrs. Elliott ignored Holland's comments; her attention seemed to be entirely on Anaïs.
"Are your grandfather's books and notes still preserved?" she asked softly.
"Most of them have been preserved, madam."
Anaïs nodded. "Although some parts have been lost, I have carefully kept the core manuscripts and notes. However... much of the content involves some obscure symbols and records, which are difficult for me to fully understand with my limited knowledge."
"Obscure symbols and records..."
Mrs. Elliott repeated, then after a moment of silence, said softly, "Understanding what the teacher says does indeed require a specific... key and context."
"The society's archives may contain some relevant comparative materials and unpublished catalogs. Of course, that's a restricted area."
She paused, looked at Anaïs, and said softly:
"If you are interested in continuing your grandfather's research but are encountering difficulties in understanding it, you can bring his keepsakes... and if you still have any, come to the Academy to find me. I can provide you with some limited access to information."
This was even better than Green had expected! Mrs. Elliott offered a very specific approach to the contact, based on old friendships and academic traditions.
"Thank you so much, madam! This means a lot to me."
Green also raised his glass in thanks, "Thank you for your generosity and your appreciation for the academic legacy, Mrs. Violet. I think Mr. Violet would be very pleased if he knew that his hard work has been continued thanks to your care."
Mrs. Elliott nodded slightly and symbolically touched her lips to her wine glass.
This simple gesture signified that she had come to regard Anaïs as one of her own, a stark contrast to her earlier coldness when discussing "business" with the Viscount and Professor Holland.
Green and Anaïs politely said their goodbyes and turned to leave.
"Grimm?!"