Chapter 132: Birthday Banquet
What is longevity? It refers broadly to age and birthday.
A birthday banquet, throughout history, is established to celebrate reaching a ripe old age of a hundred years. The scale is typically judged by one’s status. Ordinary people often invite elders, neighbors, relatives, and friends, offering blessings such as “may your blessings be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your longevity surpassing that of the Southern Mountains”.
But at the level of a duke, it’s common to invite friends, officials, and dignitaries from across the entire northern region of the empire. At such a birthday banquet, it’s not only a celebration for the duke, but also the best opportunity to meet and network with various influential figures. Many hold such thoughts, and today, the duke’s mansion is bustling with activity as the birthday banquet commences now!
When Tyr arrived at the Duke’s mansion, he took precautions and changed into a custom-made suit. The heavy black mask he usually wore was transformed into something resembling a masquerade eye mask. Considering the possibility of drinking, Tyr exposed his face below the nose to avoid being recognized by Claude. He even had someone carefully apply makeup to his entire face, ensuring that even if the young master had an exceptional memory, he wouldn’t be able to associate him with the person from the funeral in the Sang Zang Forest.
Accompanying him was Arena, exuding a natural and beautiful aura. The Imperial Intelligence was indeed correct; once properly dressed, her figure…
Tyr cleared his throat twice, inwardly chastising himself for overthinking. As he reached the entrance of the Duke’s mansion, Tyr presented the number plate he had used during the competition. The guarding servant immediately nodded respectfully, and one of them ushered Tyr and Arena inside.
Tyr glanced up at the empty night sky, where a massive teleportation array lay, imperceptible to anyone.
So, as you said, Your Grace.
let me witness this unexpected performance.
“The Count of Kalayan, from the First Duchy of Zadan, arrives!”
“The Viscount of Dimidar, from the Principality of Karamo, arrives!”
“The Marquis of Kotjiva, from the Grand Duchy of Timisefi , arrives!”
“Count Stanley of the Liberal Kingdom is here!”
“Sass…”
The cries echoed one after another, and even in the innermost part of the core area, Yuehai could hear them clearly. However, the name Dimidar from the Kingdom of Karamo seemed somewhat familiar to him… Yuehai furrowed her delicate eyebrows, lost in thought, which even distracted the makeup artist beside her.
Yuehai suddenly noticed the woman behind her, who was dressing her, had stopped her movements, and couldn’t help but ask.
“Um… Is there something wrong?”
“Ah!” The makeup artist was startled at first, then quickly realized, and hastily explained.
“No, nothing. It’s just that I’ve never seen such a beautiful person before, and I got a little distracted all of a sudden.”
“Oh.” To be honest, Yuehai wouldn’t be happy even if she were praised for her beauty. If she were in the position of a man, she’d probably feel lucky if she didn’t feel nauseous.
The makeup artist continued to style Yuehai’s hair while saying.
“Oh my~ The Creator is indeed a strange being. They can create notorious villains and also produce renowned beauties. The innate disparity between the two is so vast, so where does the concept of equality in all things come from?”
Yuehai found it strange that the woman suddenly felt so emotional, but after a moment’s thought, she gave a composed response.
“People are not the creations of the Creator. If anything, they are simply the first batch of humans living on this earth. The true creators are the mothers who carry themselves for nine months, hoping for their own arrival into this world. The equality of all things refers to the equality of their origins, not that they are all on the same starting line once they are born.”
“No one is perfect, and the concept of innate talent is enough to nullify the jest of equality among all things. Ultimately, it’s always the powerful individuals capable of overturning everything who maintain the balance of all things.”
“Speaking of which, big sis, you’ve been doing my makeup for three hours now. It should be done by now, right?”
“Give me another hour, and I’ll finish up right away. Miss, you’re so beautiful. If you don’t dress well, how can you attract the attention of those high-ranking officials and dignitaries outside? With your looks and talents, suitors will line up in droves, and you’ll have the pick of the litter.”
“Oh.”
However, Yuehai didn’t want to have her pick of suitors. If it were a line of young girls instead, she might consider letting her younger self, Tyr, choose one or two. Haha, of course, that’s just her fantasy. It wouldn’t come true.
As the sky gradually darkened, the bright moon hung high, and not a cloud could be seen for miles. Under the embellishment of the stars, the Duke’s mansion seemed to be draped in a thin veil of moonlight, incredibly beautiful.
Within the core area of the Duke’s mansion, a banquet hall large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people was now filled with over a thousand dignitaries from various countries. Laughter and conversation filled the air as tables of delicious food were laid out, and small mountains of wine-filled goblets stood tall. Exquisite chandeliers made of high-grade night stones adorned the ceiling. Those who arrived early had already begun seeking out others to converse with. Although the banquet had not yet begun, the undercurrents of the political scene were already stirring.
Dozens of musicians who arrived late took their seats on either side of the hall. Through eye contact, they simultaneously began to play their instruments, filling the air with grand, solemn, and elegant music. In this atmosphere, even the most uncouth individuals would gradually be influenced, behaving with elegance and order.
At this moment, Claude and Nicholas, among others, emerged from backstage.
