The main dining hall of Kastian Manor was filled with an indescribably strange atmosphere.
On one side was the harmonious facade of string music and happy host and guest. On the other was a certain Young Master of the Main Family who sat as if on pins and needles, his back molars nearly ground to dust.
“The lamb chop is exquisitely cooked. The culinary skills of Kastian Manor never fail to delight.”
Cardinal Augustus elegantly cut a small piece of meat and brought it to his mouth. He then raised his glass to toast Lady Elsa, who sat at the head of the table.
“Once again, thank you for your generous donation, Madame. The Holy See will remember the piety of the Kastian clan.”
“Your Excellency, you flatter me. It is my honor to contribute to the peace of Fengyue City. Moreover, this is all for Cedric’s safety.”
Lady Elsa returned the toast with a gentle smile, but her gaze casually swept toward Cedric, who sat across from her.
At that moment, Cedric felt as if the originally top-grade wagyu beef in his mouth was chewing like a piece of sour firewood.
His perfectly planned internal sabotage, forcible takeover, and kidnapping-for-vengeance scheme had completely collapsed the moment Cardinal Augustus stepped through the door.
Assassination and sabotage in front of a Cardinal? Even with ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare.
At this thought, Cedric felt a surge of blood and Qi churning in his chest, but he had to forcibly suppress his anger, forcing a smile uglier than a cry.
“Yes, Aunt Elsa’s consideration is… surprisingly thorough.”
Cedric raised his glass and took a sip of red wine to mask his expression.
But he was, after all, an elite groomed by the Main Family since childhood. His mind wouldn’t be completely shattered by a single setback.
Since the path of force was blocked, he had to regain some ground before the banquet ended, even in the most insignificant matters.
His gaze shifted and landed again on Leo, who was buried in dealing with a grilled lobster.
Since he couldn’t use force, he would have to mentally suppress this waste.
“Leo, you certainly have a good appetite.”
Cedric put down his knife and fork, elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and his tone carried a hint of feigned concern and snideness.
“Seeing you so carefree, I’m actually quite envious. You don’t have to deal with the clan’s complicated affairs every day like I do, nor do you have to train day and night for magical advancement. Being an ordinary person who only knows how to enjoy food is indeed a very happy thing.”
He turned to look at Cardinal Augustus, as if seeking recognition from a stronger figure.
“Don’t you agree, Your Excellency? For those of mediocre talent, it is better to face reality early, abandon unrealistic fantasies, and live a stable life. Perhaps that is the greatest blessing from the Lord.”
Cardinal Augustus put down his knife and fork slightly, glanced at Leo, then at Cedric.
He maintained a proper smile.
“The Lord bestows different paths upon everyone. Some climb through thorns, others stroll across plains. As long as one is devout, it is all grace. The Holy See never judges one’s worth by talent.”
Leo, who had been struggling with the lobster, paused in his movements.
He looked up and met Cedric’s gaze, full of condescending superiority. If this had been a few days ago, he would have flipped the table and cursed. But now…
“Third Brother is right.”
Leo naturally put down the lobster, picked up the wet towel beside him to wipe his hands, and even wore a sincere smile on his face.
“I am indeed mediocre in talent, not a match for Third Brother.”
He paused, but his tone lacked any self-deprecation. “However, I suddenly feel that being an ordinary person is quite boring. So, I’ve decided to try a little harder.”
“After all…” Leo looked directly into Cedric’s eyes and said word by word, “Even the most insignificant weed on the ground, when trampled too much, will prick people. Don’t you agree, Third Brother?”
“Heh, ambition is a good thing.”
Cedric sneered, unwilling to linger on this topic, as it would only make him seem petty.
A waste who couldn’t even cast a second-tier magic properly dared to boast about pricking people?
The banquet gradually drew to a close.
Seeing that all his plans had fizzled out like skipping stones—failing to force out the formula and even failing to discipline that insolent maid—Cedric’s patience was exhausted.
He stood up with a dark face, preparing to use the excuse of an early start tomorrow to end this dinner that had made him feel utterly stifled.
“Since it’s late, I won’t disturb your rest.”
Cedric bowed slightly to Lady Elsa and the Cardinal, his tone cold. “I will depart for the Royal Capital tomorrow morning. Aunt Elsa, Leo… until we meet again.”
With that, he prepared to turn and leave.
“Wait, Cedric. The banquet isn’t over yet.”
Lady Elsa, who had been silently observing everything, suddenly spoke up to stop him.
Cedric stopped in his tracks, turned around, and frowned at her.
He didn’t understand what scheme this woman was still playing. Hadn’t inviting a Cardinal to hold the fort been enough? Did she have to humiliate him to his face before letting him go?
“Since you’re leaving tomorrow, as an elder, I should at least let you bring something back to the Main Family to show for your efforts. Otherwise, wouldn’t this trip of yours have been in vain?”
Lady Elsa stood up and took the exquisitely prepared wooden box from Martha beside her.
The moment he saw that wooden box, Cedric’s pupils sharply contracted.
His breathing became rapid.
That thing he had racked his brains for, even hiring assassins to steal…
The hall instantly fell silent. Everyone’s gaze focused on that red sandalwood box.
Even Ailiya, standing in the shadows, raised an eyebrow slightly.
In front of everyone, Lady Elsa slowly opened the lock on the box.
A soft click.
The box opened.
A yellowed scroll, densely covered with complex potion formulas and herb ratios.
“This… this is…” Cedric’s eyes were fixed on the scroll, his voice hoarse with extreme desire.
Lady Elsa took out the scroll and waved it in front of Cedric.
“I know that the Main Family has been preparing military supplies and urgently needs this recovery potion that can greatly increase mana recovery in a short time.”
“This formula is the result of my years of painstaking research. It has always been my personal property. When the Main Family sent people to ask for it before, I refused because I didn’t trust those errand-running servants.”
Lady Elsa gave Cedric a meaningful glance, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes. “But since you, the Main Family’s legitimate Young Master, have come in person, I’ve changed my mind.”
“This is too precious…” Cedric swallowed with great difficulty, but his hands involuntarily reached forward. “Aunt Elsa, you… you really intend to give it to me?”
“Why not?”
Lady Elsa pushed the box forward, her tone extremely generous, even carrying a hint of self-sacrificing family responsibility.
“In any case, Leo also carries the blood of the Kastian clan. Since the Main Family needs it for important matters, as a member of the family, it is only right to contribute to the clan’s prosperity.”
‘…Give it to me?!’
‘Just like that?!’
Immense joy instantly overwhelmed Cedric’s mind. He didn’t even have time to consider whether there was a trap. His trembling hands took the wooden box.
He quickly scanned the contents of the scroll. Although he wasn’t a professional Potion Master, he could still identify basic magic circuit components.
Those complex herb ratios and mana fusion formulas were definitely not forged waste paper.
“Rest assured! The Main Family will never forget your contribution. Father will be overjoyed!” Cedric’s voice trembled with excitement as he clutched the box tightly to his chest, as if it were his lifeline.
“Then… Cedric, weren’t you just saying you needed to rest?” Lady Elsa looked at him with a half-smile.
Cedric’s attitude did a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn. The gloom on his face vanished, replaced by an extremely bright, enthusiastic smile.
“The banquet isn’t over yet! The best part is just beginning. How could we let Your Excellency the Cardinal leave disappointed?”
He turned around and, with extreme gentlemanly grace, raised his glass to Cardinal Augustus, as if the person who had been about to leave with a dark face wasn’t him at all.
“Your Excellency, allow me to toast you!”
During the rest of the banquet, Cedric was like a completely different person.
He was witty and eloquent, frequently toasting Lady Elsa and the Cardinal, and even surprisingly praised Leo a few times, perfectly displaying the image of a flawless aristocratic socialite.