BXBX NOVEL Chapter 161 Getting Approached By A Man
These black gowns were actually especially made with the Forgeworn Fabric, which only the immediate family of the Forgeworns and a few close friends such as the Faraulds, had the right to wear.
Even the Imperial family could not freely access this fabric, unless it was directly gifted by the Forgeworn family.
It was said that in order to make Grandmaster Andvari of the Forgeworn clan approve of using the fabric for the Farauld Institute's uniform, Headmaster Reuben actually pestered him nonstop for months and also gave up around twenty percent of the precious mines under their management.
Thus, Alicia felt a sense of pride every time she wore this black robe. However, right now she felt that she had given too much for this black robe.
A blue dress would be great for a change. Especially for the winterbreak. Maybe she could attend some gatherings and banquets on the winter too.
Without delay, she tried the blue winter dress and saw her reflection on the three way mirror. She was stunned.
"Milady, this blue dress is perfect for you! Your noble countenance and natural charm became more prominent. It completely changed your aura from an educator to a true aristocratic lady!" The assistant complimented her.
Alicia nodded and a shy smile appeared on her face. It was not that the assistant was flattering her, she also felt the great change from the mirror.
She felt a strong sense of satisfaction she hadn't been able to feel for a long time. Her natural curves were greatly highlighted in this dress, the charm and allure she had long hidden under the black robe.
Right now, she felt just like a normal noble lady. "This is fine."
"I'll get this. Let's try a few more before sending this all to the Cross Estate." She replied. There was an obvious hint of happiness and liveliness from her smile and tone.
While this side of the room was having a warm and happy atmosphere, the private room in a restaurant directly across the street was gloomy.
"How many days has it been? We're really running out of time! How are we going to explain this with the headmaster?!" A stern looking man in his forties was clenching his fist in anger.
"I am out of options too. We really do not have any choice but hope to convince a faculty member in leaking the Great Inventor's whereabouts." His companion also carried a dark expression.
Although he was also a middle aged man, it was obvious that he looked at the former as his senior.
Although the two men wear a low key merchant outfit, their sharp and uptight demeanor was eye-catching. A passerby would know that they were not ordinary people and they were in the restaurant for real business.
"What if we really failed to get even a little bit of information regarding the Great Inventor?"
"Then we will have to brace ourselves from the headmaster's reprimand. We only have two weeks before our travel document expires." The man coldly replied.
"The most frustrating part is that the whole capital was filled with the news of her lectures but we could not even get a chance to see her face!"
The two were getting more and more irritated as they continued to rant.
In truth, they could have stayed in the capital and continued to lurk around until they get a chance to meet Eli.
However, because of the stringent policy of the Seirende Empire about the travelers, they could only stay for a definite period of time.
What's more, they were actually from a rival empire.
If not because there were actually no explicit threats of war between the two empires, they would not even be able to step on Seirende's borders.
This restriction and the lack of progress in their task made the two extremely gloomy and frustrated.
"The students were also extremely loyal to their institute! They wouldn't give even a drop of information! What's more, these youngsters do not actually see the value of the 'bribes' we offer. Let's just try to look for a few more faculty members to convince one last time. " The senior man rubbed his grey hair in frustration.
"Maybe we can increase the stakes of our offer for the faculty members… Who knows? If our offer is enticing enough, maybe we could meet someone who would accede to our request." His companion suggested.
"Alright, I'll think about this." The senior blankly stared at the window, his gloom was even affected by the cold and snowy winter outside.
This time, Alicia was already finished trying the dresses she fancied. While waiting for the assistant to settle the bill, she stepped towards the floor to ceiling window and cheerfully watched the view outside the shop.
Coincidentally, the senior managed to be attracted to her black scholarly gown. His eyes flashed a hint of excitement as he uttered, "The luck is on our side!"
"Senior, shall I go across to invite her for a discussion?" The junior also noticed Alicia and immediately identified her as a faculty member of the Farauld Magic Institute.
"No, do not be hasty, let's apply your suggestion earlier." The senior shook his head as he dared not to be careless this time. If they didn't come up with a good strategy, they would have to really go home with nothing.
"Investigate her identity, and if possible her interests. Notify me when you have some good information. I'll watch here for a while." The senior's eyes squinted. A cunning smile appeared in his face.
"Alright Senior, I'll investigate right away." The junior immediately stood up and went to carry out his task.
It didn't take that long for the junior to find out Alicia's identity due to the conversations the he heard in the ground floor of the restaurant.
"Have you seen the carriage across the street? That belongs to the Cross Family, they were also a prominent caster clan!"
"Seeing their carriage stop at the Forgeworn Fashion Boutique, I guess it's the lady of the Cross Family who was shopping inside?"
"Yes, most probably. Tskk, that young lady is pitiful, she was already past her marriageable age and yet still devoted herself to teaching."
"That's too much of a waste! She is a talented and dignified lady, but she still had to spend her days in the institution! For what reason really?"
"I heard from the servants that she was still devastated from losing her chance to be a deputy dean in the institute.
The junior perked up his ears to gather more information. Of course, as an educator, he was not inclined to just believe everything. He still had to double check.
As such, he took a pouch of shinies and asked people for more information. After that he immediately notified his senior, who was already tailing Alicia in another store.
Upon receiving the information, the senior contemplated for a while. He carefully analyzed Alicia's information and pretty much knew what would entice her the most.
"A frustrated deputy dean.. Hmm… You won't be satisfied with only a measly teaching position in the institute. Then…" He need not to continue mumbling, he had already decided what to do next.
He ordered his junior to meet him at a nearby restaurant while he decided to approach Alicia on the spot. He was afraid that once she entered the institute, their time would be up by the moment she could come out again.
Carefully, he adjusted his countenance. From a stern appearance, his personality changed into an approachable yet intelligent looking business man.
He wore a polite smile as he approached Alicia, who was actually skimming a book in the bookstore.
"I see, Milady had a deep interest in Imperial Economics.." He said gently.
Alicia was startled, however, seeing a polite middle aged man engaging in a conversation with her, she didn't show any sign of disdain.
Instead, she reciprocated the polite smile and chose to observe the man in front of her. She judged that the man was involved in business that was why she caught his attention.
"I need to get fresh new ideas. It would be nice to have new materials to refer to and incorporate it in my lessons." As her status need not be explained because of her uniform, she just straightforwardly replied.
A hint of joy flashed on the senior's face, with another smile, he replied, "I just happen to have a lot of ideas in mind. I would like to invite you briefly for a healthy discussion of these ideas over tea."
Alicia raised her brows upon hearing that the man wants to ask her out. The business man was rather straightforward yet he forgot his manners of introducing himself first before asking a lady for a tea.
Realizing his mistake, the senior let out a light chuckle. He immediately introduced himself while flashing a badge in a way that only Alicia could see.
"Oh my... Pardon my lack of manners, Milady. You can call me Collins."
She was about to reject his offer because of their age gap, but the man immediately showed something that made her heart skip a beat.
Her face couldn't help but be stiff as she intensely looked at the bronze badge in front of her, thinking that what she saw was just an illusion.
However, she was close enough to see every detail and intricate design of the badge.
The sound of her heart rang loudly on her ears as she concluded in her mind.
'Vanderford identity badge! It's the Vanderford identity badge!'