## Chapter 168: S-Rank Social Goal for the First Time? (4K8)
Arthur watched as Elder excitedly shoved the brown paper bag into his pocket, his eyes sweeping across everyone in the ballroom.
Suddenly, Elder’s eyes lit up. He snapped his fingers and leaned towards Arthur, whispering, “I can’t really make sense of all this information anyway. I’ll write down everything I know later, and you can decide what’s useful. As for the money, you can pay me whatever you think is fair. I have enough from the last voyage to live lavishly for a while. By the time I’ve spent all that, you should have already figured out the value of this information.”
Arthur wasn’t shy about Elder’s generosity. He clinked his glass with Elder, who was leaning back in the sofa, “To our friendship.”
“To my friend Arthur’s rise to prominence,” Elder responded with a grin, downing his drink in one gulp. He smoothed his tailcoat, “I won’t keep you company any longer. This is a great opportunity to enter high society. I’m going to go make an effort. Don’t just sit there, you should also try to meet some ladies. It will be very beneficial for your future advancement.”
With that, Elder rose and headed towards Colonel Fitzroy, who was engaged in lively conversation with several ladies. He intended to brazenly ask the Colonel for introductions.
As soon as Elder left, the Red Devil took his place on the sofa.
Agareus crossed his legs and settled in, muttering, “Arthur, did you hear that? Stop sitting around and go find some ladies to talk to.”
“Talk about what?” Arthur took a sip of his watered-down whiskey. The spicy taste made him uncomfortable. “What could I possibly talk to them about? Should I tell them about the brutal methods I used against those rats in the murder and body snatching case? Or perhaps tell them how I just had my men break the legs of a few thugs in London’s East End? Agareus, my stories are far less compelling than their exciting experiences.”
“Oh! My dear Arthur, don’t underestimate yourself.” Agareus chuckled, covering his mouth. “A boy with no background, a country bumpkin who only received an education at the University of London, a desperate soul who once wanted to leave for America, in just over half a year, you have risen from an unknown patrol officer to become the Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police, ruling over Greenwich and Tower Hamlets. Arthur Hastings, this name signifies only one thing: the legend of Scotland Yard.”
Arthur’s gaze swept across the room, but his eyes finally landed on Lady Cowper, who was surrounded by a constellation of people.
He spoke quietly, “Lady Cowper’s presence here today must be your arrangement, right?”
The Red Devil was startled at first, but quickly transformed his surprise into a more intense smile.
“Arthur, I told you, don’t underestimate yourself. You’re a rare breed, a villain with both a sharp mind and extraordinary control. We’re a good match, don’t always be so wary of me. I’m not doing this out of malice. I just want to use her to help you better. As long as you can gain her trust, you’ll have a ticket to the Almack Club. As one of the seven female sponsors of the club, Lady Cowper has considerable influence there.”
Arthur merely shook his head slightly, “Agareus, you’re being overly sensitive. I have no intention of blaming you. On the contrary, I’m very grateful. Do you remember what you told me before? You said I always want to make money while standing.”
Agareus clasped his hands together, the Red Devil overjoyed, “So, you agree?”
“Yes, I agree. I agree with your viewpoint, but I refuse your suggestion. The reason I’m grateful is because you, my dear fellow, have given me the ability to make money while standing. You know, not everyone in this world has the ability to make that choice. Since you’ve given me the opportunity to make money while standing, why shouldn’t I cherish it?”
The Red Devil was taken aback by this. He frowned, “Arthur, what do you mean?”
Arthur calmly replied, “Generally speaking, opportunities seem very tempting, but in reality, there are many unattainable beauties that are merely deceptive facades. The best opportunities are often right beside you. Challenging that lady who makes countless people lose their minds might be too presumptuous. So, I think the best choice might be to start from the people around me.”
With that, Arthur stood up and walked towards a white-clad girl sitting not far away, her expression timid.
Agareus was stunned. He was about to get angry, but the flames that had just reached his head quickly extinguished.
A few wisps of smoke drifted from the Red Devil’s head. He stared at the girl, whom Arthur considered a low-difficulty target, for a long time.
After a long pause, Agareus rubbed his chin, smacked his lips, and chuckled, “Arthur, you little rascal, did you think Professor Agareus, who is always calculating and prepared, wouldn’t have a contingency plan? This is the daughter of a parallel parallelogram princess and a dashing writer. If you want to strike up a conversation with her, I can only hope that you’ve really strengthened your math skills while studying electromagnetism lately…”
At this point, the Red Devil couldn’t help but shake his head and shrug, “Human society is truly progressing. Back in Solomon’s time, who would have thought that chatting with a beautiful girl would require solving advanced math problems?”
As Arthur approached the white-clad girl, he saw that she had also stood up. Her hands were clasped behind her back, as if she was hiding something.
Seeing this, Arthur asked, “Excuse me, do you need any help?”
The girl’s eyes seemed a little flustered. She stammered, “No…no, nothing…I’m fine, I don’t need your help, Mr. Hastings.”
The girl’s unusual behavior soon caught the attention of her mother, who was standing not far away, chatting with Lady Cowper.
The lady in the sky blue pleated skirt quickly apologized to Lady Cowper, “Excuse me, it seems Ada is having some trouble. You know, she’s been a handful since she was born.”
Lady Cowper smiled and replied, “It’s alright, Mrs. Milbanche. Go ahead, don’t worry. As for the matter you just mentioned, I promise. When Ada comes of age next year, I’ll be her chaperone at the Debutante Ball held at Buckingham Palace and introduce her to London’s entire social circle.”
Mrs. Milbanche was surprised at first, but then her gratitude overflowed, “I never expected you to agree so readily, after all…”
Lady Cowper interrupted, raising her hand, which was adorned with a lace glove, “Let bygones be bygones. Besides, it was all our fault, the fault of two foolish people of our generation. It has nothing to do with Ada.
Mrs. Milbanche, you were the most talented lady in London’s high society back then. Even Professor William Fred of Cambridge praised your knowledge of literature, philosophy, and mathematics, saying it surpassed that of ordinary Cambridge students.
If you hadn’t been betrayed, you would have had a life even more brilliant than mine.
And your daughter Ada seems to have fully inherited your beauty and intelligence. I’m truly honored to be her chaperone at the Debutante Ball.”
Mrs. Milbanche sighed, “I’m so grateful for your generosity. My whole life was ruined by Ada’s good-for-nothing father. Now I just hope she can find a good husband. Her future husband can have any hobbies, any status, but he absolutely cannot be a poet. You must feel the same way. There’s not a single decent one among poets.”
With that, Mrs. Milbanche excused herself from Lady Cowper and walked towards Arthur and her daughter.
She quickly sensed the awkward atmosphere. Mrs. Milbanche nodded to Arthur, then asked her daughter, “Ada, what’s wrong? What are you hiding behind your back?”
Ada’s face turned crimson. She stammered for a long time before reluctantly taking out what she was hiding behind her back, under her mother’s stern command.
It was a piece of draft paper, covered with dense calculations that made Arthur’s head ache just by looking at them.
Mrs. Milbanche saw the draft paper, let out a sigh of relief, then chided her daughter, “Look at you, being so secretive. I thought you were writing poetry. There’s no shame in liking math. I was just like you when I was young, immersed in math. But I wouldn’t spend over ten hours a day on it.
Ada, you’re almost an adult. You have to spend some time on other things, like chatting with people. It’s a good thing this is a Blue Stockings Society gathering. If it were a normal social occasion, you would definitely be treated as a weirdo.”
Ada hung her head and admitted defeat, “I know.”
Ada had apologized, but Mrs. Milbanche wasn’t satisfied. She turned to Arthur and asked, “Mr. Hastings, don’t you think I’m right?”
Arthur was speechless. He didn’t know whether he should comment on someone else’s family affairs.
He thought for a moment and could only compromise, “To be honest, Mrs. Milbanche, this is the first time I’ve attended this kind of event, so I’m not very familiar with the behavior of gentlemen and ladies at banquets. When I first saw Miss Ada doing this, I thought it was quite normal at banquets.”
Mrs. Milbanche was surprised, “Do you really not socialize often in your daily life?”
Arthur replied sincerely, “Mrs. Milbanche, you may not know, my main job is as a Scotland Yard officer. Besides that, I’m a scientific researcher. Dealing with these daily tasks is already killing me. If I hadn’t recently been transferred to the Metropolitan Police headquarters, I wouldn’t have much time to attend social events.”
Mrs. Milbanche finally remembered what Mrs. Codrington had told her about Arthur’s background.
Suddenly, she beamed, “Oh dear! I’m sorry, Mr. Hastings. I only remembered that you’re a scientific researcher and forgot that you’re also a Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police. With a well-trained officer like you watching over Ada today, I’m relieved.”
With that, Mrs. Milbanche gracefully curtsied to Arthur, then went off to connect with other ladies for her daughter’s upcoming coming-of-age ceremony.
Arthur was baffled by Mrs. Milbanche’s behavior.
He was a Scotland Yard officer, alright, but the rules and regulations in the Police Handbook didn’t include babysitting.
And even if it was babysitting, he would only do it out of old friendship, looking after Tom’s seven- or eight-year-old son Adam. How could Mrs. Milbanche just hand over her almost-adult daughter to him?
Arthur was somewhat annoyed by the lady’s carefree attitude. He was about to turn around and call Elder to Mrs. Milbanche, letting her experience the harsh realities of society.
But before he could take a step, he heard Ada mutter, “All she does is scold me, saying I don’t know etiquette. I think she doesn’t know much either. I play with math for ten hours a day, but don’t you play for eight hours? It’s only two hours less, not a big deal.”
Hearing this, Arthur couldn’t help but turn around and ask, “You really spend ten hours a day on math?”
Ada was startled by Arthur’s sudden question. She stared into his eyes, then hesitantly nodded, “I…I just play. The problems I do, they definitely can’t compare to yours, a professional researcher.”
Arthur glanced at the draft paper Mrs. Milbanche had left on the coffee table. He could understand the Arabic numerals, but when they were combined with a bunch of formulas and symbols, he was lost.
Arthur simply sighed heavily, “I think you’re being too modest. Mr. Faraday told me that the Blue Stockings Society isn’t as pure as it was decades ago, but I’ve actually come here and realized that even if it’s no longer pure, the ladies’ level is still beyond my basic expectations.”
Ada heard this and opened her bright black eyes wide, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, as if questioning.
“Are you really not flattering me? I think a professional scholar like you must be better than me in math.”
“No, no, no.” Arthur waved his hands repeatedly, “I’m not as brilliant as you think. I’m just a Scotland Yard policeman who graduated from the University of London. And it’s not just me. See that guy following Colonel Fitzroy? The one sucking up?”
Ada followed Arthur’s finger and saw Elder, who was holding a glass of wine and grinning obsequiously.
“What about that gentleman?”
Arthur’s face remained impassive, “To be honest, that gentleman graduated from Oxford, and he can’t beat you in math either. Or let’s lower the bar. That gentleman’s mathematical skills are inferior to mine, a graduate of the University of London’s history department.”
Ada heard this and nodded in agreement, “I know that. My tutor, Augustus de Morgan, also said that Oxford’s math education is indeed lacking.”
Arthur, without even thinking, asked, “Did Mr. Morgan graduate from Cambridge by any chance?”
Ada exclaimed, covering her mouth, “How did you know? Mr. Morgan did graduate from Trinity College, Cambridge.”
Arthur shrugged, “You know, I’m a Scotland Yard officer. And to become a qualified officer, you need to have enough insight and logical thinking, just like when you solve math problems. The opposite of Cambridge is Oxford, and the sum of the two equals zero.”
Ada heard this and pointed at Elder, puzzled, “But what about that gentleman who graduated from Oxford? I even heard him mocking his alma mater, Oxford, in a conversation with others.”
Arthur fell silent for a moment, then said, “Miss, that gentleman is an exception. And his judgment of educational quality is also uncertain. How…how should I explain this to you?
Well…right, it’s like a gentleman named Carter standing in front of a lady. Before Mr. Carter knows whether the lady prefers Cambridge or Oxford, we can’t be sure whether Mr. Carter will slander Cambridge or Oxford. This phenomenon is generally called the ‘Elder-Carter Uncertainty Principle’ by me.”
Ada couldn’t help but giggle, covering her mouth with her hand. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, “Mr. Hastings, you can just say that Mr. Carter is desperate to woo her. I didn’t know Oxford graduates were like that.”
“Right.” Arthur calmly said, “That’s how Oxford is. But I forgot to ask you, how should I address you? Calling you by your name seems disrespectful.”
Ada blinked, picked up the draft paper, and pointed to a line of elegant handwriting on the side, “I’m sorry, I’m Augusta Ada Byron. Call me Miss Byron if you don’t mind. Also, please don’t tell my mother that I revealed my name to you. Otherwise, she’ll definitely give me a hard time.”
(End of chapter)