Lina remained silent for a moment after hearing that.
Then, she let out a soft chuckle, her lips curling into a meaningful arc.
“The most perfect noble young lady?”
She repeated, a hint of playfulness in her voice.
“Hmph, is it really true?”
Xiao Ai blinked.
“Whether it is true or false, can’t we find out tonight at the banquet hosted by Earl Harris?”
Lina looked at her, and a flicker of genuine interest finally surfaced in those golden eyes.
“True. If she really is like the rumors say…”
She paused, the smile on her lips deepening.
“Then I wouldn’t mind considering making her mine.”
She rested her chin in her hand, appearing somewhat expectant.
Xiao Ai wore a flattering smile.
“Naturally. It would be a great honor for her if you were willing to favor her. For the daughter of a count to marry into a marquis family is a blessing that many people could never hope for.”
With an air of natural arrogance, Lina gave a soft hum of agreement.
***
By the time they entered the city, evening was approaching.
Earl Harris hosted a banquet for them at another manor within Hela City to welcome them.
The moment Lina stepped through the main entrance, Earl Harris came forward to greet them.
His back was perfectly straight, and the head of the cane in his hand was inlaid with a cyan gemstone.
He was dressed impeccably, looking every bit like a successful and high-ranking noble.
“Lady Lina.”
Earl Harris bowed slightly, a flawless smile on his face.
“I have been waiting for you for a long time. Please, enter the banquet.”
Lina returned a shallow bow, a lazy smile hanging on her lips.
“Earl Harris, I hope you have been well.”
Earl Harris stood up straight and looked at her, a hint of reminiscence appearing in his grayish-blue eyes.
“Haha, time really does fly.”
His voice was gentle, carrying the kind of benevolence unique to elders.
“When I last met your father, you were only 4 or 5 years old. You had two pigtails and followed behind your father, looking quite shy. In the blink of an eye, you have grown so much.”
As he spoke, he seemed slightly moved.
Lina’s smile did not change in the slightest. she merely lowered her eyelids, her posture perfectly displaying a touch of humility.
“Yes, I often hear my father speak of you as well.”
She looked up, her tone becoming somewhat subtle.
“He said you are a genius at governing your territory. It is a pity you do not accept recruitment; otherwise, my father would have brought you under his wing at the first opportunity.”
The words were polite, yet they held a hidden edge.
Earl Harris’s smile froze for a fraction of a second before quickly returning to normal.
His voice remained gentle, but it carried a bit more distant politeness than before.
“Lady Lina, you jest. Your father is the true genius. My meager skills are not worth mentioning.”
Lina smiled and did not continue the topic.
Her gaze slowly swept across the main hall—the magnificent decorations, the exquisite silverware, the expensive oil paintings on the walls, and the string quartet playing in the corner.
Everything was impeccable.
But her eyes were constantly searching for a person.
Someone who had not appeared.
She suddenly spoke, her tone somewhat nonchalant.
“By the way, My Lord Count.”
Earl Harris looked at her.
“I heard that your daughter, Celestia, possesses unparalleled beauty. I wonder if I might meet her? If possible, I wouldn’t mind considering the matter of a marriage alliance.”
Without waiting for Earl Harris to respond, she continued, “Earl Harris, I believe you also know how much benefit such an alliance would bring to your family? Especially with the marquis family behind me.”
She emphasized the words “marquis family” slightly.
This was not only to tell Earl Harris that the benefits of an alliance were great, but also a threat, warning him not to oppose a marquis family.
A mere count could never win against them.
The air in the hall seemed to stagnate for a second.
Earl Harris looked at her, a hidden light flashing briefly in his eyes, but his face still wore a flawless smile.
“Ah, of course. It would be my family’s honor to become relatives with a marquis family.”
He paused, a perfectly timed expression of regret and worry appearing on his face.
“However… Tia has fallen ill recently and is not fit to see people. I hope Lady Lina can understand.”
As he said this, the expression on his face was one of concern; his acting was not inferior to Tia’s at all.
Lina let out a light laugh.
“I see. That truly is a pity.”
She turned around and walked toward the banquet hall.
After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped without looking back.
“My Lord Count.”
Earl Harris looked at her back.
“Yes?”
The corners of Lina’s lips curled up slightly.
“I hope Lady Tia’s illness recovers soon. After all, I am a person who has no shortage of patience.”
Without another word, she turned and walked deep into the banquet hall.
Earl Harris stood where he was, watching her retreating back.
His hand gripped the cane slightly tighter.
In the banquet hall, the music continued to flow, and the guests continued to chat and laugh.
Everything seemed normal.
But Earl Harris knew that the peace of Hela City would once again be broken by the arrival of the Marquis’s daughter.
***
After dealing with several nobles who came to seek her acquaintance, Lina slipped away using a bathroom excuse, taking her maid Xiao Ai with her.
The main reason she had attended the banquet hosted by Earl Harris was for the Count’s daughter, Tia.
Since Tia was not there, she had no intention of staying at the banquet.
Furthermore, she had long noticed that the place where the banquet was being held was actually not Harris Manor!
Clearly, Harris Manor was the Count’s actual residence.
Why would he bring them to such a remote manor for a banquet?
Was he hiding something?
At the thought of this, her anticipation for the Count’s daughter grew even stronger.
Passing through the main streets of Hela City, Lina and her maid, Xiao Ai, eventually arrived at the entrance of Harris Manor.
Given her status as the daughter of a marquis, the manor’s servants did not dare to stop them.
It was in the manor’s garden that her footsteps seemed to be nailed to the ground.
Under the moonlight, she witnessed a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life.
On a swing woven from vines sat a young girl.
She wore a silver-white dress, its hem swaying gently in the night breeze like waves condensed from the moonlight itself.
Her hair was also silver, cascading loosely over her shoulders.
A few strands fell across her chest while others were lifted by the breeze, shimmering with dreamlike points of light under the moon.
Her head was lowered, her hands holding an open book.
The moonlight shone from the side, outlining the perfect silhouette of her profile.
Her eyelashes were long, casting two small shadows beneath her eyes, trembling slightly with the rhythm of her breathing.
Her expression was focused and serene, as if all the clamor of the world had nothing to do with her.
Occasionally, she would reach up to gently brush away a strand of hair blown onto her face.
The movement was so elegant it made one forget to breathe.
Lina stood in place, motionless.
She felt as if she had stumbled into a dream that did not belong to the mortal realm.