Cedric solemnly handed the wooden box to his personal attendant behind him and quietly gave a deathbed order to protect it with his life.
The previous arrogance, ready to look down on others with his nose in the air, had been completely thrown to the winds, replaced by an excessive enthusiasm.
“Come, come, Bishop, I raise a glass to you, thanking you for your outstanding contributions to Fengyue City!”
“Aunt Elsa, I’ll drain this cup in your honor. Your generosity and sacrifice will be remembered by the main family!”
Cedric held a wine glass, moving smoothly along the long table like a fish in water. Even Leo, whom he had just mocked, became the focus of his special attention.
“Leo, my good little brother.”
Cedric picked up a bottle of red wine, walked around the long table to Leo’s side, and wrapped an arm around his stiff shoulder. His smile was as warm as spring breeze, full of brotherly affection.
“Earlier, Third Brother spoke a bit harshly. Don’t take it to heart. That’s just how an older brother feels—eager to see you succeed because he cares!”
As he spoke, he naturally pushed aside the glass of juice in front of Leo and, without explanation, filled an empty wine glass with the crimson liquid.
“Come, tonight is such a joyous occasion. Why drink juice? Have a glass with Third Brother!”
Leo shuddered with goosebumps at this sudden, cloying gesture.
He turned his head stiffly, staring at Cedric’s smiling face inches away, feeling like he was watching a monkey perform a circus act.
‘This guy changes his face faster than turning a page!’
Madame Elsa, seated at the head of the table, frowned slightly. In this setting, it wasn’t the right time to directly rebuff Cedric.
Cedric’s calculation was loud and clear.
Since he had obtained the formula, the plan for a forcible takeover was off the table, but he couldn’t swallow the humiliation of being mocked by Leo.
Seeing that Leo had been drinking juice all along, he assumed the boy couldn’t handle alcohol and planned to get him drunk under the pretense of drinking together.
Once this waste was dead drunk, making a fool of himself in front of the Bishop and everyone else, even raving in a drunken stupor, Cedric could then conveniently display his elder brother’s tolerance and generosity while giving a few lecturing words.
“This… Third Brother, my mother doesn’t let me drink.” Leo deliberately put on an extremely troubled, obedient-child expression, his eyes shifty.
“No worries, tonight’s an exception!” Seeing Leo like that, Cedric shoved the glass directly into his hand.
“Down this cup, and once you’re back in the Royal Capital, Third Brother will look out for you!”
Leo looked at the thick red wine in his hand, the corner of his mouth twitching almost imperceptibly.
‘Get me drunk? If it weren’t for my mother chasing me back with a thorn whip every time I snuck out to drink, I’d have already tasted every house specialty in the city taverns.’
‘Plus, Ailiya’s been keeping a close eye on my meals, so I’ve been on juice for a while. Since you want to play, this Young Master will play along to the end.’
“Then… I’ll have a little with Third Brother.”
Leo put on an expression of someone facing death, lifted the glass, took an extremely awkward sip, then deliberately made a face as if the alcohol burned, squinting and coughing repeatedly.
“Hahaha! Good! Cheers!” Seeing this, Cedric became even more energized, immediately refilling his own glass and starting to find absurd excuses to coax Leo into drinking.
“For the prosperity of the Castian family! Bottoms up!”
“For Leo’s early mastery of composite magic! Another round!”
“For… for tonight’s beautiful moonlight!”
Over the next half hour, the atmosphere in the main dining hall turned utterly bizarre.
Cedric was like an overly excited salesman, continuously tossing out awkward jokes and drinking toasts, pouring glass after glass of wine into Leo.
Leo, on the other hand, played the role perfectly.
He projected the image of a weak younger brother who was “about to collapse” or “almost drunk.” After each drink, he pretended to sway dangerously but never actually fell, even managing to mumble a few words in response.
“Burp… Third… Third Brother is a heavy drinker… I… I can’t go on…” Leo slumped over the table, cheeks slightly flushed, eyes glazed, waving his hand.
Madame Elsa, seated at the head, did not stop the scene. She held her teacup, gently blowing on the floating leaves, a hint of helplessness and amusement flickering in her eyes.
“That’s nothing! Keep going!”
Cedric raised his glass with a laugh, ready to pour again, but suddenly felt unsteady on his feet. The scene before him began to blur with very slight double vision.
Without realizing it, in his effort to get Leo drunk, he had drunk a bellyful himself to set an example.
In contrast, though Leo pretended to be drunk, his eyes remained clear and sharp, and he even managed to sneak a few bites of roasted meat into his mouth.
“Burp…”
Cedric let out a loud, resonant burp. An unhealthy flush appeared on his originally fair face. The numbing effect of alcohol began to rapidly erode his already feeble reason.
He staggered to his feet, still clutching half a bottle of red wine, his eyes going vacant.
“Leo… you little brat… not much tolerance, huh… but you sure can hold your liquor…”
Cedric mumbled indistinctly, clearly well over the line. He waved his hand, abandoning the plan to get Leo drunk.
Now that he had the formula, the biggest task was done.
Under the catalyst of alcohol, another suppressed thought in his mind began to grow like wild weeds.
Right now, he only wanted to do something pleasurable to vent the frustration he had endured in this rundown estate these past few days.
Staggering, he pushed himself up from the table, kicking aside a chair that got in his way.
‘That woman… that cold, arrogant woman who ignored me time and again… where is she? If I can’t even handle a servant, how will I get by back in the Royal Capital?’
Fueled by the drink, he carried the bottle and looked around, his bleary eyes searching for that silver-white figure across the spacious hall.
Finally, his gaze crossed the long table and fixed on a stationary cart near a pillar at the edge of the dining area.
Ailiya stood quietly beside the cart.
Her hands were folded in front of her, her posture perfect, like a lifeless sculpture. Her refined, cold face glowed under the flickering candlelight, exuding a deadly attraction.
“Found you…”
A smug smile curled at the corner of Cedric’s mouth. He grabbed two clean wine glasses from a nearby table, one hand holding the bottle, the other the glasses, and staggered around the long table toward Ailiya in the shadows.
“Burp… the beautiful Miss Ailiya…”
Cedric stopped in front of her.
He tried to stand straight, struggling to put on the airs of a charming noble gentleman.
“Tonight… everyone is so happy.”
Cedric placed the two glasses heavily on the cart, producing two crisp “clicks.” He personally picked up the bottle, filled both glasses with red wine, then forcefully slid one glass in front of Ailiya.
“Standing here alone… how dull.”
Cedric leaned forward slightly, his breath, thick with alcohol, almost brushing against her face.
“Come on, do me a favor. Have a drink with this Young Master.”