Beauty of Every Kind: a Great Ace Attorney AU

Pain and Pleasantries

The evening of the party fell upon them quite swiftly. The servants and maids worked tirelessly and the family dressed themselves quite finely. While it was not to be a massive affair—that would come later, when the unwed nobility arrived for an entire ball, something Klint and Lady Baskerville had not actually thrown at the manor—everyone poured their all into making it an event worthy of their esteemed Eastern friends.

"These will be important introductions for the young Mr. Asogi, Mr. Naruhodo, and Miss Mikotoba," Klint said as he adjusted the pin on his cravat. "Besides that, it should be a fun night for all!"

"It will be, dear," Lady Baskerville said, placing her hand on his shoulder and leaning up to kiss his jaw—due to his height, which was impressive but a degree shorter than Barok's own, she often missed his cheek.

"I'm so happy to have a party again! Instead of just at Christmas!" Iris said.

"Well, little petal, next time Lord Penhale throws a bash, we can all attend," Klint said.

"You might not want to, but Mommy and I would!" Iris said.

Klint sighed.

Klint disdained parties normally. He held lingering feelings of mistrust and distaste for most of the aristocracy, after all. Barok wasn't particularly fond of parties either. Being nobility clashed with his natural shyness, which he could only set aside when in the courtroom. He was confident but quiet in his dealings with others in most circumstances. However, in the courtroom he was calculated and relentless when needed. His natural flare for drama poured out of him in those moments, but it was genuinely done. It often surprised people how soft-spoken and silent he could be outside of the Old Bailey, he knew, even though his sarcastic wit never departed from him. As such, parties were often a source of mild endurance for him. He did not detest them, neither did he feel at his leisure in them. However, this party he was quite looking forward to. After all, he knew all of the people who would be in attendance and being around his colleagues in the judiciary was always a pleasant affair. Klint was also eager to meet with their friends and he did have a very charming and open disposition which made him delight in being sociable. That combined with his aims to endear Eveline and Barok to each other ensured he would appreciate the evening. Although, that detail was the only one that made Barok a bit nervous.

The family gathered by the entryway to await the first of their guests. The night was bitterly cold and damp but the sky was still. Hopefully the weather would hold, else the road out of London proper and to the manor could become quite troublesome.

Prosecutor Lord Mael Stronghart was, as expected, the first to arrive. He bustled in, staring at his infamous pocket watch. Then stood with them patiently as they awaited their other guests.

"I want to see how punctual our current Lord Chief Justice is," Stronghart said.

This seemed to have become a game of sorts for Stronghart over the past few years. But what he was hoping for and how he felt about the times Lord Knightley made were an enigma only Stronghart himself knew. Barok found it a bit odd, but every man had their quirks.

Whether it was against or to Stronghart's displeasure, and whether it was to his dissatisfaction or satisfaction, Lord Knightley arrived with his wife and daughter eight minutes after Stronghart.

"Ah, Mael! We thought we saw your carriage! Then suddenly your horses were running faster than anything!" Lord Knightley said.

Barok thought maybe he understood a bit more clearly now.