There were only a few days left before the Emperor’s Banquet would begin.
The young nobles of the Kalishi Empire rarely had the chance to speak at their parents’ formal galas, so they often held their own gatherings in the city to get to know one another.
Among these, the most bustling were the banquets hosted by the princes.
Following the frustration of that previous night, Roy had been throwing parties every day.
Only amidst the flattery of his sycophants could he feel somewhat alive, feeling his heart beat rather than being suffocated by pressure.
Today was a banquet hosted by the First Prince for all the young nobles, and he naturally had no reason to be absent.
All he needed to do was become the focus of the banquet and enjoy the praise of others—as for how to become the center of attention, it was something he was very good at.
Currently, he stood in the brightly lit banquet hall, watching the young nobles come and go.
“Lord Roy, I have prepared your wine,” a maid said, handing a glass to Roy.
He took the glass and smirked. ‘Sharlo Fogmoon, since you’ve come tonight, don’t dream of leaving the same way you did before. I will humiliate you so badly that you’ll lose all face!’
He drained the glass in one gulp. With the fine wine down his throat, his heart felt much lighter.
……
Clecia stood by the castle window, gazing at the entrance of the banquet hall.
She was waiting for someone, knowing that he would certainly attend such a social occasion.
Before long, her amber eyes caught sight of the person she was expecting.
Clecia could not help but feel happy for a moment. It seemed that as long as she wished to see Sharlo, he would appear in her sight.
Could this be considered her special skill—’Summon Sharlo?’
‘If Sharlo could truly be summoned as a Familiar, that Summoning Magic would surely be God-tier Magic.’
…….
“Hmm?”
Before entering the hall, Sharlo felt several piercing gazes. He turned his head to look around but could not find the source of the stares.
‘Sharlo, there are two 4th-Tier Mages. They are very strong…’ Aifel’s voice echoed in his head, warning him.
‘I know. I’ll be careful,’ Sharlo replied to Aifel.
Floleen, who was holding Sharlo’s arm, felt something was off. “What’s wrong, Sharlo?”
Sharlo patted Floleen’s head, deliberately messing up her platinum-blonde hair.
“When the banquet starts, find a place to stay or go find Princess Clecia.”
“Are you going to do something dangerous again?” Floleen asked.
“Something like that. In any case, you’ll be safest by the Princess’s side. If you’re really worried, you can keep an eye on me.”
“I understand.”
Floleen gently bit Sharlo’s neck, leaving a small red mark.
“What was that for…”
“Telling those noble young ladies that you’re already taken.”
“…”
Sharlo looked at Floleen helplessly. He really did not want to actively provoke any noble girls.
Bella was here to assassinate him, Clecia was his Senior Sister, and Lilia was the daughter of his benefactor. He was quite overwhelmed.
Sharlo led Floleen into the banquet hall, and the lively atmosphere immediately hit them. The room was boisterous, filled with the sounds of greetings and chatter.
Young people could always find topics to talk about, especially with nobles gathered here from all across the land.
After whispering a few words to Sharlo, Floleen immediately walked away.
She seemed to have spotted a few noble girls she had been close with before, all from the East Territory, and went to catch up with them.
There were 10 minutes left before the banquet began.
When Roy saw Sharlo enter, he rushed over immediately.
He carried two glasses of red wine, and the gazes of many people followed the Second Prince as they converged on Sharlo.
A good show was definitely about to start.
Last time, Sharlo had made that explosive confession at Lilia’s birthday banquet.
This time, the Second Prince, who had a decent reputation among the nobles, surely intended to teach Sharlo a lesson.
In truth, many nobles were annoyed by Sharlo. He had such an arrogant look, acting as if he were superior just because of his talent.
So what if he was a Marquis! He only inherited it because his father died early!
“If it isn’t our Marquis of Stolen Hearts? How are you? Has your mood been alright lately? Oh, I almost forgot. The last time you provoked Lilia Karen, you were kicked out of the banquet hall by Duke Ryan. But don’t take it too much to heart. You have to remember, you are the Chief Student of Kalishi Academy.”
Roy handed a glass of wine to Sharlo. “Others say your character is poor, but I, Roy Kalixi, don’t think so. I hope that after you graduate, you’ll consider coming to work under me. At that time, perhaps you can even be promoted to the rank of Duke and rule over a territory!”
Sharlo took the wine glass, clinked it against Roy’s, and drained it in one go.
Although this was essentially a face-to-face humiliation, Sharlo did not feel any anger. He maintained his usual cold expression.
To outsiders, however, Sharlo looked like he was simply displaying the incompetence of someone who was fuming but could do nothing.
Nearby, Bella, who had been observing the whole time, was stunned. This man, Sharlo, wasn’t even afraid the wine might be poisoned? He just drank it directly?!
Bella felt inexplicably nervous. How could a weasel paying a New Year’s visit to a chicken have good intentions?
If there really was a problem with that wine, wouldn’t the youngest Marquis in history, the youngest 3rd-Tier Mage, just drop dead right here?
Bella pressed her palm against her chest. Her heart was beating a bit fast; she was genuinely worried about Sharlo.
It wasn’t because Bella was worried that if Sharlo died, she would go with him because of their Magic Contract.
It was pure concern. Sharlo’s silhouette had already been branded into her soul that night.
But then she changed her mind. If Sharlo were that easy to kill, she wouldn’t have needed to try to assassinate him in the first place… How could Sharlo not notice a problem?
Thinking of this, it seemed Sharlo didn’t need her concern at all.
This was Bella’s inexplicable trust. For some reason, ever since Sharlo said he would help her take the position of Duke, she had deep faith in his abilities.
And Sharlo always proved her expectations correct through his actions.
‘He really is a charming man. He’s handsome and has such a deep, brooding temperament.
It really hits all of Bella’s marks.’ Bella was a complete sucker for looks.
She liked anything beautiful—except for women who were prettier than her, as those were annoying.
In fact, Bella had been a bit captivated by Sharlo from the first moment she saw him.
She really wanted to lock him up and bully him, preferably making him show a terrified expression that contrasted with his usual self.
She wanted to see Sharlo wagging his tail to please her—but the actual situation was currently reversed.
‘I’m really jealous of Floleen, being able to hold Sharlo’s arm and walk openly on the street.’
Taking a man like Sharlo out would definitely bring a lot of prestige.
It was just that Sharlo was actually a bit of a pervert in private… After all, she was the one bearing the brunt of his twisted sense of humor.
Thinking of this, she grabbed the dress that had been soiled when she saw Sharlo this morning and sniffed it… Sure enough, that scent was still there.
She unconsciously pulled her skirt a bit tighter, lest the smell be noticed by others…
Sharlo took in the expressions of everyone who had been drawn to the scene.
It seemed there were quite a few people who were in the know…