Chapter 37: The Evening Banquet

The castle hall.

A massive iron chandelier hung from the soaring ceiling, studded with dozens of candles that bathed the entire hall in a light as bright as day. Below it sat a long table draped in a snow-white linen tablecloth, set with three places: one at the head and two on either side, all laid out with polished silver cutlery. The table was laden with a variety of delicacies, the most eye-catching of which was a roasted peacock, garnished with its own feathers and presented so lifelike it appeared as if it were still alive.

"Honorable Prince Mingyu, please take the head seat."

Two voices spoke in unison before Xia Mingyu. One, naturally, belonged to Viscount Hughes; the other came from a woman with a voluptuous figure, dressed in a low-cut gown that made no secret of her expanse of pale skin. Her violet hair was complemented by the verdant "Noble" title floating above her head.

Seemingly sensing Xia Mingyu’s inquisitive gaze, the woman covered her mouth and giggled. She then curtsied slightly, lifting the hem of her skirt in a standard gesture of courtesy.

"Prince Mingyu, I am Viscount Hughes's wife, Danielle Martha. Greetings to you; may the gods bless you," the woman said, bowing her head deeply.

Xia Mingyu averted his gaze, feeling slightly unnatural. The nobility of this world truly were unexpectedly bold in their attire.

"Viscount, if I recall correctly, you invited me to a family dinner, didn't you?" As Xia Mingyu moved to take his seat, he realized someone seemed to be missing and asked.

"Indeed. If not for my youngest son, Hayden, being only two months old—I feared disturbing Your Highness—I would certainly have brought him for you to see," Karon explained. As he mentioned his child, a look of profound tenderness flickered across his rugged, stern features.

"Hehe, if Your Highness could just spare a glance at my little Hayden, it would truly be the greatest honor of his life since birth," Danielle added with a soft laugh. Despite being a mother who had recently given birth, she showed no signs of fatigue, appearing as lively as a young girl.

"Is your daughter, Miss Elise, not coming?" Xia Mingyu asked.

At these words, the expressions of the couple stiffened instantly. They exchanged a blank look.

"Your Highness, my daughter Elise is... inconvenient to join us for certain reasons," Karon replied after a long pause, his voice hesitant.

Xia Mingyu frowned slightly. Noticing the subtle shift in his expression, Danielle quickly asked with a smile, "Your Highness, have you already met little Elise?"

"I visited the library today and saw Miss Elise. She helped me find the book I was looking for," Xia Mingyu said calmly.

"Your Highness, my daughter Elise has heterochromia. I feared her appearance might disturb your enjoyment of the meal, so I did not dare let her appear. I am truly sorry for having deceived you just now," Karon said, quickly placing his right hand on his left shoulder and bowing deeply in apology.

"It is of no consequence. Where I come from, heterochromia is not considered an omen of misfortune," Xia Mingyu replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Karon and Danielle exchanged a quick glance, both of their faces showing a look of realization. Every intelligent race on the Western Continent, including humans, knew that heterochromia was an ill omen that invited demons. Yet, this Prince claimed it was not so in his homeland. This meant their suspicions were correct: he was indeed a prince from the superpower kingdom that ruled the entire Eastern Continent.

"Your Highness, I shall immediately order someone to summon Elise."

...

About ten minutes later, Elise arrived in the hall, dressed in a dark blue silk gown. The dress was elegantly tailored, accentuating her slender waist and soft shoulder lines. Her long silver hair was intricately braided into a loose plait that rested on her shoulder, and she wore a pair of crescent-shaped silver earrings that swayed gently with her movements.

She was very beautiful, as delicate as a doll. The only pity was that... she seemed to fall short of even half of her stepmother's allure.

"Everyone, take your seats," Xia Mingyu said calmly from the head of the table.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

An extra chair was added; Elise sat to Xia Mingyu's right, while the Hughes couple sat to his left. Despite this being the Hughes family castle, for some reason, it gave him the distinct impression that he was the host.

During the meal...

"Your Highness, is the food to your liking?" Danielle asked, her face full of smiles.

"Yes, it is excellent," Xia Mingyu replied, nodding slightly as he used his knife and fork to feed the last piece of peacock meat into his mouth. The dinner was indeed lavish, featuring wild boar, venison, duck, goose, and even peacock. It was the best meal he had eaten since his transmigration. If he were back on Earth, he’d probably be looking at a seven or eight-year prison sentence for a feast like this.

"Your Highness, may I ask you a question?" Danielle said softly.

"Speak."

"You must be from the Eastern Continent, right?"

"Indeed..." Xia Mingyu nodded slightly. He did live on a continent in the eastern part of Earth, so this was not a lie.

"Ah, fourteen hundred million citizens—it is hard to imagine how vast and majestic your kingdom must be to nurture such a massive population," Danielle exclaimed, looking at Xia Mingyu with eyes full of reverence.

What an honor it was that such a noble person was willing to stay in her family's castle!

"I have a request," Xia Mingyu said, setting down his knife and fork after finishing his meal.

"Your Highness, please say it. Even if it costs him his life, my darling will be honored to fulfill it for you," Danielle interjected before Karon could speak.

Karon: "..."

While that was indeed his sentiment, hearing it from his wife’s mouth felt somewhat strange.

"I wish for you, Viscount, to issue an order to temporarily seal all news regarding me," Xia Mingyu said in a deep voice. Although advancement in this world required the aid of fame, his current strength was too weak. It would be better to study magic and develop his power in Black Wolf Territory first, then consider acquiring fame once he had the strength to protect himself.

"This..." Karon hesitated. Xia Mingyu’s status was too high, and the implications were too great. By rights, his duty as both a lord and a knight was to report this to the King of Sosia immediately. In terms of status and hierarchy, the King was the sovereign of all lords. Withholding news of Xia Mingyu would be a dereliction of duty.

At that moment, Danielle pinched the soft flesh at Karon's waist under the table.

Hiss! Karon gasped.

"It is my honor, Your Highness," he immediately said, straightening his posture. "I will command all the servants of Black Wolf Castle not to leak any information about you. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy," Karon said, his eyes turning cold.

Though he was like a "dog" in front of Xia Mingyu, to all the subjects of the Black Wolf Territory, he was the sovereign who held the power of life and death.

Seeing this, Danielle finally retracted her hand, satisfied. As a woman, she didn't care about duties, obligations, or sovereigns—such things were for men to worry about. She only knew that she had to seize this heaven-sent opportunity to build a good relationship with Prince Mingyu and pave a golden path for her little Hayden.

As for Elise, the daughter left behind by her husband's ex-wife, she had always wanted to find an excuse to drive her out of the castle—after all, it wouldn't do if she one day summoned a demon that harmed her little Hayden. But now that the girl had caught the Prince's eye, she would have to change her attitude and play the part of a kind stepmother.

Danielle's brows furrowed slightly, her eyes flickering. Only when she thought of her own child did a touch of tenderness soften her beautiful, violet-hued eyes.