…And despite his obvious flaws socially, he was well-liked among most groups. The Traditionalists had quite a few things to say, but their tongues were always stilled around him. His grace and skill stood top; unmatched by even the most eloquent of demons.

And when he invited, people came.

Such was the case for the evening. The usually quiet, empty halls were filled with political giants, friends, and even a few enemies; for not even they would miss the chance to be seen in his presence. The parties were always coordinated flawlessly; the rooms of the manor shifting to accommodate the evening’s activities and their host’s attitude. This evening, many of the guests noted that he seemed to be in a Modernistic mood for one would have to walk through a number of drawing rooms in order to get to the ballroom.; the heartbeat of the night. Paintings, sculptures, and other bobbles of his travels lined the large rooms, chairs placed precariously so that no one guest would be alone should they choose to rest. And such was the woe of the host himself.

“A beautiful event,” she had said, her voice strained to be heard over the crowd. Tzuku leaned towards the Countess, a polite smile gracing his lips.

“I thank you, my Lady. I hope you and your husband are enjoying yourselves.”

“Oh yes, quite so. Your concern is appreciated. However, I must ask. What is the occasion?”

He had purposefully left the reason for the ball blank; the demon knew well enough that it didn’t matter what it was for. If they had gotten a card from him, they would show. He chuckled, looking rather amused. Of course, if many of them had known, there would no doubt have been gossip that evening.

“It is Barrok’s niece’s wedding celebration.”

“And you are hosting? Ever the gentleman.”

Tzuku thanked her before excusing himself. While he did not mind conversing, his dislike for the woman was well-known. A word or two was fine, but anything longer and he would have hearsay on his hands that he did not want to deal with. After all, it was acknowledged that Tzuku was the one that stopped her husband from gaining the top seat in the Committee; it would be a terrible scandal had one interpreted polite conversation as friendship.

Most especially since it was also known that the Countess had a hard time keeping her hands still…