The following evening.
The area outside Earl Harris Manor was packed with luxurious, noble carriages.
The estate was brightly lit, with numerous servants and attendants bustling about the courtyard as one elegantly dressed noble after another entered.
The Matchmaking Banquet for the Daughter of a Count!
Although Earl Harris had never explicitly used those words, every noble in attendance knew the purpose of the event.
Consequently, most of the young noblemen had groomed themselves meticulously and applied a liberal amount of cologne.
Inside the manor’s grand banquet hall, Baron Berne held a glass of red wine.
Moving through the drifting crowds, he eventually located a lady dressed in a vibrant red gown.
“Is that not Lady Silas? It has been years since we last met. You look as beautiful as ever.”
Silas raised her wine glass and tapped it lightly against his. She sighed.
“Please, Baron Berne, do not tease me. Everyone knows my family’s business has run into some trouble recently…”
“Is that so? I only just returned to Hela City recently, so I truly knew nothing of your family’s affairs. My apologies.”
“It is quite alright. But Baron Berne, surely you are here for her as well?”
After a moment of hesitation, Baron Berne replied, “Yes, but also no.”
“Everyone in Hela City knows that Earl Harris’s daughter, Celestia, is not only stunningly beautiful but also possesses a dignified, elegant posture and a gentle, considerate personality. Becoming her partner will be no easy feat.”
He continued, “Even though the Count invited us here today to find her a suitor, I suspect no one at this banquet will actually catch Earl Harris’s eye.”
He shook his head, looking quite pessimistic about the event, as if he had already seen through the Count’s true intentions.
Silas looked puzzled. “How do you mean?”
“There are plenty of people with far more power and status than us. With Celestia’s qualifications, it would be perfectly normal for her to marry into the Imperial Royal Family. We are nothing more than stepping stones for the young lady.”
Silas frowned.
“Are you saying the only reason Earl Harris organized this Matchmaking Banquet was to let his daughter get used to these kinds of social settings?”
“Exactly.”
Recalling Celestia’s face from her own memories, Silas felt the Baron’s words made a certain amount of sense.
However, that did not mean they were entirely without hope.
“I have a different perspective,” Silas said.
“Earl Harris might think that way, but Celestia is different. From what I know, she is pure and kind, and she treats everyone equally. If we happen to catch her eye, what does it matter if our power or status is lacking?”
Taking a small sip of her wine, Silas smiled.
“Could Earl Harris really force us apart then?”
Baron Berne was stunned for a moment.
Then, he shook his head with a smile and said nothing more.
Just then, the banquet hall suddenly fell silent.
A gorgeous figure dressed in a white-gold gown stepped through the main entrance.
The *click-clack* of her high heels seemed to beat against everyone’s hearts, making them flutter.
Of course, the most captivating thing about her was her cold, beautiful face.
Even for the nobles who were accustomed to seeing beautiful women, they all held their breath the moment they saw her.
Before long, many nobles stepped forward to greet her.
The woman did not brush them off; instead, she began to engage them in conversation.
Viscount Silas did not move forward.
She glanced at Baron Berne and asked, “Who is she?”
“Supposedly, she is an Inquisitor from the Imperial Capital.”
An Inquisitor?
Silas hesitated for a moment and ultimately chose not to go over.
Many other nobles acted the same way.
They stood at a distance, watching the Inquisitor coldly with no intention of making her acquaintance.
There was no helping it; as nobles, they were all too aware of what they did behind closed doors.
They felt too guilty to approach her.
Shortly after Mephia entered the hall, a meticulously dressed Celestia descended from the second floor.
Her appearance instantly commanded all the attention in the room.
*Click, click, click—*
Her high heels tapped against the marble tiles, sounding like raindrops falling into a clear spring.
The pale blue hem of her dress fluttered like the wings of a butterfly as the young girl moved forward.
Realizing that everyone’s eyes were on her, she covered her mouth and smiled.
Like a goddess from a dream, she easily walked straight into the hearts of the gathered nobility.
*Clatter—*
It wasn’t until someone dropped their wine glass, shattering it on the floor, that the nobles snapped out of it.
They hurriedly looked away, expressions of apology crossing their faces.
Glancing at Viscount Silas, Tia did not go to her immediately.
Instead, she politely approached several elders, pouring them wine and paying her respects.
However, during this process…
[**Target: Wine Glass Tray**]
***
“Are you Viscount Silas?”
After paying her respects to the elders, Tia approached Silas, who was tucked away in a corner of the banquet, bringing a faint Pink Eros Aura with her.
Simultaneously, she kept a close eye on Mephia’s movements.
She hadn’t forgotten her plan to reclaim the Witch’s Tear, and this banquet was the perfect opportunity.
She only needed to “accidentally” spill a drink on Mephia.
Then, she could take her to bathe and change clothes.
During a bath, there was a high probability the woman would remove the Magic Ring.
That would be the best moment to take back the Witch’s Tear!
But before that, she still had to carry out the Witch Council’s mission.
Clearly not expecting the Count’s daughter to seek her out, Silas blushed under the envious gazes from the surrounding crowd.
“Yes, I am.”
“I heard that you have a Heart Gem in your possession?”
Tia asked.
With the Pink Eros Aura active and her focus on Mephia, Tia got straight to the point.
She had no time to waste on others.
At the mention of the Heart Gem, Silas hesitated.
“Yes, it is an ancestral heirloom. However, unfortunately, I have already handed it over to the Hella Auction House. If you wish to see it, my lady, you may have to wait three days.”
“The auction house? Why?”
“You may not know, but my family has faced some difficulties in recent years.
Our business has gone bankrupt.
Selling the Heart Gem is the only way we might be able to make a comeback.”
‘If that’s the case, I won’t be able to get the Heart Gem tonight…’
Setting the mission aside for the moment, Tia took a step forward to maintain her persona.
She asked with a face full of concern, “Could you tell me what business your family was in? Perhaps I could ask my father to help you.”
“Really?”
Hearing that she would involve her father, Silas’s eyes lit up, and her tone became much more excited.
Tia quietly took a step back, turning her head and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she said softly, “I will do my best.”
Silas was moved; her gratitude practically overflowed.
“The slave trade. My family was in the slave trade. The reason we went bankrupt was that a batch of slaves escaped using some unknown method. Not only was the buyer furious, but it severely damaged our reputation, so…”
‘…Well, then I’m glad you went bankrupt.’
The slave trade.
The thing she despised most was the slave trade.
After all, Witches were one of the most popular “commodities” in the slave market.
“I… I see. I have other matters to attend to. Let’s talk again later.”
With a casual goodbye and a pure smile, Tia immediately went after Mephia, leaving only a lingering scent behind.
Watching her retreating back, a sense of happiness welled up in Silas’s heart.
‘As expected of the Count’s daughter.
She is so gentle, kind, and understanding.’
Almost no one was willing to help her family in their dire situation, yet Celestia had spoken those words without any hesitation.
If she weren’t just a canary kept by Earl Harris, perhaps she really could have helped.
Unfortunately…
A canary was just a canary.
She couldn’t even decide her own marriage; how could she possibly help someone else?
As Silas calmed down, she couldn’t help but sigh softly.
‘The Goddess is truly unfair. Why would such a perfect girl have such a terrible life? What did she do wrong…?’
As she was lost in thought, several loud clatters suddenly rang out from the banquet hall, followed by a maid’s scream.
“Aah—!”
Silas quickly looked toward the source of the noise.
In the middle of the crowd, a maid had fallen to the floor, her face pale.
A tray and wine glasses were scattered everywhere.
Standing in front of the maid was the star of the banquet.
Dark red wine was splattered all over the chest and the hem of Celestia’s dress, staining it deeply.