Chapter 83 The Banquet Continued
“Nothing… nothing!”
Both Parcival and I shuddered and quickly straightened our posture, putting on a serious facade. At the same time, I casually tilted my head to sneak a peek behind us with my peripheral vision.
Then I met Lady’s piercing gaze.
Her lips curled into an attractive arc, her face carrying a half-smile expression, her starry eyes fixed firmly on us. She seemed to have seen right through both of us long ago.
I was so scared that I quickly averted my gaze.
“Don’t think I don’t know your little schemes… Parcival, if you can’t even handle welcoming guests properly, go to Pagos and don’t come back.” Lady’s calm voice came from behind, “Pepe, you better behave too, or you won’t get any desserts at the banquet.”
…That hurt quite a bit.
It was clear that Lady was threatening us, and she did so with great precision. Just two sentences, and half of my restless thoughts were instantly extinguished. Originally, I was thinking about just getting by for now and finding a chance to slip away… but now, it looks like if we do that, we might not get to eat later.
Even though I had just eaten, I have always been someone who plans ahead. I would never ignore the enjoyment of a few hours later just because of the temporary comfort now.
“I will definitely be well-behaved,” I assured her solemnly. Lady chuckled lightly and didn’t say anything more.
The three of us made our way to the foyer on the first floor. A servant stepped forward and slowly pushed open the inner castle’s door. Parcival and I followed Lady out the door.
The outer courtyard was bustling with people.
The sun had just begun to rise, the sky still carrying the fog from last night. The massive castle was still enveloped in clouds and mist, but the stable where the chariots were kept was already mostly full.
The stable had been built just a few weeks ago. Inside, there were several dozen carriages of various styles from all over the empire, quietly parked there.
According to Lady, many minor nobles were eager to pledge allegiance to Shantel Castle. They were mostly lords and barons directly under the jurisdiction of the Winter Moon, who had suffered immensely under Emperor’s tyranny. Now, hearing the news from this side, they began visiting one after another starting from the day before yesterday.
The Duke’s prestige in the empire seems to be much higher than I imagined.
I reached up and pushed a strand of hair that had slipped down my neck back. I looked up and saw a group of patrol hunters in the distance.
Today, Shantel Castle is on high alert. According to what I heard at dinner, apart from the three patrols consisting of 561 people each, they are patrolling along routes almost twice as dense as usual. Bella also specially dispatched nearly two thousand people from the second team. Since the night before last, they have gradually taken their positions on the walls of the ramparts.
The safety work within the castle is fully managed by Uncle Hoover. The purpose of this, they said, was to prevent anyone from causing trouble during the banquet, but in reality, it was more about showing off and intimidating others.
While thinking about these things, I shifted my gaze towards the nearby garden. Several pavilions used for resting were already occupied by people. After the inner gate opened, they stood up and walked over here.
There were about ten people, both men and women, dressed in luxurious and exquisite clothing, including the servants. The short, stout man at the front raised his voice from dozens of meters away.
“Madam Catherine! It has been a whole year since I last saw your beauty. Are you well?”
Lady smiled and went forward to greet him, with Parcival and I quickly following behind.
“We appreciate your concern, Marquis Oliver. I am doing well, but judging from your appearance, you seem to be enjoying yourself quite a lot recently?”
“Haha! Lady was just joking,” the short, stout man said with a chuckle, his eyes nearly closing into slits. “This is a critical time—still, it’s up to us key figures to lead the way, right, Lady?”
The lady’s smile did not fade.
“Of course, of course~ How could we miss you at the first annual banquet of Suntel Castle? You must come.”
“That’s right, how could I be missed! I heard Scargrid Prince brought out the snow wine he’d been saving for years! Hahaha, today I have to drink my fill, Lady, don’t feel bad about it.”
“Good wine meets a worthy person; this wine is prepared for today. There’s no reason to feel bad about it.”
Their pleasantries seemed endless.
Pacifal and I stood there, unable and unwilling to join in their conversation, exchanging awkward glances with the family members behind the stout man. Though our hearts were heavy, we had to keep smiling.
After a while, my mouth felt stiff, like an idiot’s.
Then, the short, stout man glanced at me behind the lady and changed the subject.
“Lady, are these two the future stars of Suntel Castle?”
The lady shook her head repeatedly, covering her mouth as she laughed.
“You’re talking nonsense. Compared to the children of the Carlier family, these two aren’t significant enough to draw your attention.”
Seemingly pleased by her words, the stout man chuckled.
“Haha! Lady is jesting. In terms of achievements, who among our peers can compare to Lafayette? Stop being so modest…”
More pleasantries followed, and then the lady led them into the castle, reminding us before leaving.
“You stay here. If anyone comes, take turns leading them to the guest room on the second floor… Pepe, you know where it is, right?”
“I do.”
What, do they think I’m an idiot?
Once she left, Pacifal turned to whisper to me, “That fat man is the head of the Carlier family, wielding great power in the western part of the empire. He has over three thousand heavy cavalry under his command. Father wants to court him. When the banquet starts, we should talk to him more.”
I looked at him with some surprise.
“What?” Seeing my expression, Pacifal subconsciously reached for his face, “Is there something on my face?”
“Eyelash.”
This guy, just moments ago he wanted to sneak away, now he’s putting on airs… Suddenly, he’s taking these matters seriously.
I watched Pacifal desperately trying to remove something from his eye, feeling nothing but disdain.
Was he that afraid of Pagos?
Pacifal fumbled for a while but found nothing, shouting at me, “Where’s the eyelash? You tricked me!”
I didn’t want to bother with him anymore because another group was approaching.
A fire-red horned carriage drove down the newly built narrow path beside the garden and stopped at the main gate of the inner castle. A young woman with a sword-like brow and starry eyes lifted the curtain embroidered with five-color petals, stepped out of the carriage, and her crimson armor clanked.
She appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, not particularly beautiful, but she exuded a bold and spirited aura. Her short hair, cut to ear-length, was neat and tidy, and the wind blew her cloak fiercely. Her brows and forehead exuded a heroic demeanor.
She unhooked her sword from her waist and handed it to the driver in front, then frowned, surveying the surroundings—finally stopping on my face.
For dessert, I took small steps forward.
I tried to force a smile and open my mouth to speak, but the woman suddenly relaxed her frown and smiled faintly, “Little Pepe, long time no see.”
