As the sun sets, more and more guests arrive at McMillan's house.
Everyone seemed to know each other, at least most of the families were connected in one way or another. This is also the first time Maka knows how complicated the intertwining family forces are in the magic world.
In the evening, the golden sunset shines through the holly trees outside the back garden and falls brightly on the spacious backyard.
There were many guests who had just come out of the ten-pin game and were exchanging bowling skills with each other. This game seems to be quite popular in aristocratic circles - I heard that Dumbledore was also fond of this sport.
Maka naturally has no interest in this kind of aristocratic game. He is currently chatting with young people from several families seemingly casually!
Not long after, the sun set over the mountains and darkness spread.
"Gentlemen and ladies, the dance venue has been decorated. Please move to the hall-"
After hearing these words from Ernie's father, almost all the guests couldn't help but cheer up, and even Maka nodded secretly.
After all, I heard people talking about it from time to time this afternoon, which shows how much weight they call "one of those families".
Maka was about to follow the crowd in, but she saw Ernie's father waving over here - of course it was not calling him, but calling Ernie next to him to come over!
"Sorry, Maka." Ernie said sheepishly, "My father asked me to come over."
"It's okay, you go ahead!" Maka replied.
He thought for a while, then turned to Leila and Hannah and asked, "Aren't you going to your family's place?"
Leila shook her head vigorously and said in a low voice: "I'm not going! I'll definitely have to talk to strangers again, which will be very troublesome..."
Hannah looked at him doubtfully, and then shook her head.
Maka shrugged indifferently and led them both towards the house...
Compared with the noon banquet, the dance scene was obviously more grand.
There are many dining tables placed against the wall in the spacious hall. Food and wine are naturally indispensable, but that is not the focus of tonight.
In the center of the hall, there is a large open space, which is obviously a dance floor reserved for everyone.
In the middle, there is a circular stage that is only slightly higher than the ground. On the stage, there are all kinds of strange instruments piled on it - it seems that a band will be performing on the stage soon.
On the high ceiling of the hall, a hanging crystal lamp hung from above. They maintained a constant light and illuminated the entire hall brightly.
The guests were scattered around the dance floor, but almost no one was still chatting with each other. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something.
Maka stood in the crowd. He, a child who had not yet opened his body, was suddenly submerged in the crowd, and almost no one would notice him.
It can be noticed that Ernie's father is standing at the door with him, and the Averys are also standing nearby. The two families are quite at odds with each other.
For a time, the hall with a strong dance atmosphere was in sharp contrast to the inexplicably quiet crowd.
Just when Maka, like everyone else, was staring at the door intentionally or unintentionally, the door was quietly pushed open.
There were only two people walking in, a man and a woman, they looked like they were father and daughter.
They are not as meticulously dressed as the nobles in the hall. It can even be seen that the clothes they wear are old clothes that have been washed over and over again.
But Maka, who had seen some of the albums in Rowena's secret room, understood at a glance that the two sets of ancient wizard robes were full of age.
As soon as the father and daughter entered the door, the McMillan and Avery families immediately approached them. Judging from their polite looks, it was obvious that they both wanted something.
While the eyes of most people in the hall were focused on the middle-aged wizard, Maka instead stared at the girl next to him.
Although her image had changed a lot due to her outfit, Maka quickly recognized the girl's identity.
"Charlotte?" Maka couldn't help but whisper to herself.
One of the three beauties of Hogwarts, Senior Sister Charlotte of Hufflepuff House. She is indeed very beautiful, with a particularly attractive beauty that makes it difficult for people to mistake her.
But even Maka didn't expect that this carefree, always smiling, and sometimes "rude" senior would have such a deep family background.
"If I had known better, I wouldn't have had to take the long way around and take Ernie's route..." Maka grinned, secretly thinking that she had made a mistake.
But in this case, he didn't go over to talk directly - that would be too abrupt, and it would also leave a bad impression on the McMillan family.
But this time he thought wrong. If he could easily establish a relationship with these two people, Ernie's father would really love it! In the final analysis, Maka still underestimated the significance of the family behind Charlotte.
Just when Maka was thinking secretly, there was already a conversation on the other side of the door.
"Mr. Werther, please come inside -" Ernie's father extended his hand to invite, "The dance is about to start. Why don't you come and enjoy the music together?"
He was about to wave to call the band in, but saw the middle-aged wizard whom he called "Mr. Werther" waved his hand and said casually: "No, I came here to ask you something, it's urgent, everything If possible, avoid it.”
On the other side, Old Avery's mouth curled up slightly, as if he was laughing at McMillan's ignorance.
"Mr. Werther, since the matter is urgent, why not invite him to the backyard? It's quieter there and easier to talk about." He turned his back on guests and simply left Ernie's father aside.
"... Are you?" Mr. Witte looked at him and asked.
"My dear Jim Avery, if you need anything, please feel free to speak." Old Avery said with a slight salute.
"Oh, it's the Everly family..." Mr. Witte nodded and continued, "One more person means more strength, so let's go to the backyard first!"
He turned to his daughter Charlotte and said, "Play here by yourself for a while, don't run too far."
"I'm not a child!" Charlotte chuckled, completely ignoring the surprised looks of others, and slapped her father on the back with a slap.
Suddenly, the guests who were chatting softly fell silent.
In the crowd not far away, Maka looked at Charlotte and felt her eyelids twitching.
"Ahem... you girl," Mr. Witte seemed to choke on his saliva after being photographed, "and you said you are not a child? You don't even look at your age. You are about to get married and yet you are so rude and reckless... "
When Charlotte heard the word "marry", she immediately became serious.
"... Okay, okay, you can wander around as you please." Mr. Witte waved his hand.
He always has nothing to do with this precious daughter, but how can he violate the family tradition at will? Mr. Werther and Charlotte knew this very well, so they quickly dropped the topic.
After Mr. Witte and the two current heads of the family left, Charlotte was surrounded by a group of young wizards of about the same age before she could even look around.
Whether it is their own ideas or ideas encouraged by their family members, they are nothing more than aristocratic habits of climbing along the pole, and everyone knows it.
Naturally, Maka wasn't very interested in running to join in the fun. After thinking about it, he planned to sneak into the backyard and listen to a few words.
But he wanted to leave, but someone disagreed.
"Hey! Stop, little boy!"
Maka suddenly felt something was wrong, and he immediately turned around quickly, only to see a white hand patting his chest.
I don't know if it was a subconscious reaction or something else, but Maka also reached out.
"Snapped!"
A crisp clap made the guests fall silent again.
Maka retracted her hand, looked at her palm, and then glanced at Charlotte who was standing in front of him, and couldn't help but blink.
"Hey, good evening!" He grinned and smiled stiffly.
"The response is good, little brother!"
Charlotte also showed a sweet smile to him, and then without saying a word, she pulled Maka by the shoulders and turned him around, then slapped Maka hard on the back.
"Don't move, it's etiquette!" Charlotte said with a smile.
Maka sighed helplessly, then turned around, pretending to grin and said: "Senior sister, can't you be gentler..."
"Okay, stop pretending!" Charlotte patted him on the shoulder, then lowered her voice and said, "Block for me, you understand."
Maka shook her head and said, "Look at my age, I'm not qualified enough to help you?"
"I said yes!" Charlotte grabbed his arm and whispered, "What do you think the traditions of the nobility are, and age is nothing..."
As she spoke, her voice seemed to be brought back to some memories, and her voice became lower and lower.
Maka nodded indifferently and said: "Okay, I generally understand... Then let's dance!"
The band came in after Mr. Werther had left. Slow dance music was already playing, but not many guests were dancing.
At this moment, Maka stretched out her hand and invited Charlotte: "I wonder if I have this honor—"
"No!" Charlotte smiled gracefully on the surface, but she began to complain in a low voice, "I hate dancing! I have been forced to learn it since I was a child, but besides making fun of it, what else can it be used for!"
"At least it can be used to teach me..." Maka joked.
He was concentrating at the moment, moving his feet following Charlotte's pace, as if he was trying to find every opportunity. Charlotte takes a step back and he fills the space with his feet.
Although the dance steps are obviously full of mistakes, on the surface it doesn't seem to give people any awkward feeling.
"Is that a new dance move?" Some guests stared at the two of them and whispered.
"Wrong! You should step forward, not sideways! It's not right here either..." Charlotte kept talking.
"But aren't you moving sideways?" Maka defended.
"What does my sideways movement have to do with you?" Charlotte kept a steady smile while deliberately stepping on Maka's feet.