The Duke of Wales's superficial test didn't even stir a proper echo before falling completely silent.
His spoiled son, Aaron, saw that Lin Gui was still sleeping soundly.
Elvia still hadn't appeared, and frustration and rage almost broke through the dam of his reason.
"Father! Are we just going to let it go like this? That pariah..."
Aaron's eyes were bloodshot, his voice sharp with urgency.
Slap!
A crisp, loud slap cut him off.
The Duke of Wales's face was as heavy as water, his eyes filled with undisguised disappointment at his son's failure to live up to expectations.
"Fool! This is only the beginning. What are you panicking for?!"
He lowered his voice, his tone cold as iron.
"As long as Elvia wants to live in the Royal Capital, as long as she wants to keep her life and that pitiful bit of influence, she must submit!"
"She will eventually become your wife and the Eldest Princess's most capable assistant! Stay calm!"
Aaron covered his face, not daring to speak again.
But the twisted obsession and possessiveness in his eyes only grew stronger.
After the small disturbance, the banquet gradually regained its superficial bustle and joy.
Exquisite silver plates held golden-brown roasted lamb chops.
There were pastries garnished with caviar.
Various desserts were crafted as exquisitely as works of art.
Waiters carried crystal glasses filled with amber liquor, weaving through the crowd.
The band played an elegant waltz; the room was filled with the fragrance of fine clothes and shadows of the guests as they toasted and socialized.
The young noble heirs and ladies, at their parents' bidding, invited partners and entered the dance floor in pairs.
They danced around Charles and Emily, who were at the center of the floor.
They were undoubtedly the focus of the entire hall at this moment.
Enthusiastic nobles surrounded them at the center, offering tides of compliments and blessings.
Emily's face brimmed with a smile that blended a winner's triumph with happiness.
Holding the future King of Carter, she stepped through the elegant dance.
Reserved yet smug, she enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention.
Ironically, this was supposed to be Lin Gui and Elvia's wedding banquet.
Now, it had completely turned into a stage for the Third Prince to announce his engagement.
Those from the Third Prince's faction were immersed in the premature flattery and celebration for their future King and Princess Consort.
The "rightful groom" snoring in the corner and his "bride" who was late to appear had long been forgotten at the fringes of the laughter and joy.
Until.
An involuntary low gasp spread from the entrance like a ripple.
The music gradually faded, and the conversation came to a halt.
Countless gazes were firmly captured by the stunning figure at the entrance.
It was Elvia.
She had arrived.
She wore a pure white wedding dress, its tailoring reaching the pinnacle of perfection.
Layers of silk and gauze outlined her breathtakingly slender curves.
Her long golden hair, like flowing sunlight, was skillfully pinned up.
A few stray strands fell by her fair, slender neck, adding a touch of languid elegance.
Her face was touched with just the right amount of light makeup.
Her eyes, like molten gold, were dazzling under the lights.
The slight curve of her red lips carried both a maiden's innocence and the specific allure of a mature woman.
She looked like an angel who had accidentally fallen into the mortal realm, instantly stealing all the brilliance in the hall.
The men's eyes were filled with undisguised amazement and obsession.
The women's gazes were a mix of uncontrollable jealousy and self-deprecation.
Especially for the Third Prince's fiancée, Emily, the smile on her face froze completely.
She looked at Elvia, who appeared countless times more radiant than herself.
Her face was more beautiful than even an elf's.
She was so consumed by jealousy that she almost crushed the glass in her hand.
Elvia seemed oblivious to the various gazes directed at her.
With a faint, lingering smile on her lips, she walked gracefully into the hall.
Her gaze drifted across the dance floor and searched by the dining tables, carrying a hint of anticipation that even she hadn't noticed.
She was eager to see what kind of expression that fellow would have when he saw her like this.
Would he... also be momentarily dazed and captivated like those men?
She looked around once but didn't see Lin Gui's figure.
Finally, an awestruck minor noble instinctively pointed toward the darkest corner of the hall when her gaze swept past.
Elvia followed the direction.
Then, the perfect smile at the corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly.
She saw Lin Gui leaning against a pillar, sleeping soundly—she could even hear faint snoring.
And the "notice" posted on the pillar beside him appeared exceptionally clear and piercing under the illumination of the Glimmer spell.
Elvia facepalmed mentally: This bastard... I spent ages dressing up, and he's actually here sleeping with such a clumsy excuse?!
Also, why did so many of these people who shouldn't be here show up?
Why are there so few of the minor characters I actually invited?
Is this my wedding banquet or Charles's?
Though she was venting wildly in her mind, Elvia still maintained her impeccable elegance on the surface.
She coughed lightly and walked toward Lin Gui with a reserved pace.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, she leaned over slightly.
She reached out a slender hand clad in a white lace glove and used her fingertip to extremely gently poke Lin Gui's cheek.
Her voice was so tender it could practically drip with water.
"Husband? Wake up. The banquet isn't over yet."
This gesture, filled with maidenly sentiment and intimacy, instantly ignited the jealousy of almost every young noble present.
They watched Elvia's unprecedentedly tender display.
The fact that the target was that poor mage sleeping without any decorum made them feel as if their hearts were breaking.
Emily saw all of this.
Specifically, seeing the lost expressions of the male companions around her, she could no longer hold back. She shrieked at the people who had stopped dancing.
"Are you here for that bitch's engagement banquet or mine?!"
Her questioning was like a bucket of cold water, snapping the captivated "green leaves" out of it.
They hurriedly withdrew their gazes and took hold of their unhappy female companions, resuming their dance to the music.
However, their eyes still uncontrollably stole glances toward that stunning white figure from time to time.
Lin Gui, who was tenderly "poked awake" by Elvia, opened his eyes in a daze.
In his blurred vision, Elvia's breathtaking appearance in her wedding dress was reflected.
He was indeed dazed for a fleeting moment.
However, in the next second...
He actually closed his eyes again and mumbled incoherently.
"Don't bother me... let me sleep a bit longer... I have to keep looking for the tomb tomorrow..."
As he spoke, he seemed to feel a bit hungry.
He didn't chant any spell; his finger merely twitched.
A piece of cake on a distant table, which looked quite exquisite, drifted over unsteadily and fell precisely into his mouth.
Elvia: "..."
The crowd: "..."
Immediately following that, something even more jaw-dropping happened.
Lin Gui chewed twice, and his brow instantly knitted into a knot.
The expression on his face turned from confusion to extreme disgust and pain.
"Pfft—!"
He violently spat out everything in his mouth and blurted out a curse without any regard for his image:
"Holy shit! Is this goddamn pig slop?!"
The cake looked magnificent on the outside, but inside was a mix of an indescribable, sickly-sweet weird flavor—like expired artificial essence mixed with cheap honey and some strange plant roots.
The texture was sticky, like chewing wax.
In comparison, the roasted bugs he had shared with Theia back on Gray Street, sprinkled with a bit of coarse salt, were a delicious delicacy!
The banquet hall fell into a deathly silence once again.
Only the sound of Lin Gui spitting out the residue was exceptionally clear.
Rate on N.U.
