Chapter 69

Chapter 69: The Five Great Families

Lady Feng Nai of the Anemeyia family entered the hall from outside. She had long, light red hair that curled in large waves, and her yellow dress was in a very distinct Rococo style. The skirt was held up by whale bones, making it appear quite voluminous. Layers of pleated edges adorned the dress, interspersed with light red flowers and ribbons matching her hair color. She looked like a proud and noble peacock.

If Lolan Hill was a dream beyond this world, then Feng Nai was the epitome of earthly beauty. As soon as she entered the hall, she noticed the conspicuous Miss Lacy and quickly walked over, holding her long dress. Her maid, Penny, worried she might trip while walking so fast.

“Hello, I am Feng Nai of the Anemeyia family. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hello, I am Lacy of the Calithea family.” Lolan Hill gave a slight bow, her transparent eyes showing surprise. She hadn’t expected to meet Lady Feng Nai here today.

Just as the surprise continued, the welcoming voices of the servers outside announced another wave of arrivals.

“Miss Melu and Master Bel of the Helius Chamber of Commerce have arrived!”

A girl around seventeen years old led her younger brother into the venue. She wore a simple, forest-style green dress, with chestnut-golden long hair. The boy beside her, about fourteen or fifteen, wore a white suit with golden thread embroidery.

“Melu, you’re here too!” Feng Nai waved and greeted her. It seemed they were quite familiar.

Fenton first welcomed the ladies and introduced them to each other. More guests arrived, leaving the host no choice but to greet them, leaving only the ladies to converse.

“Bel, go play with your friends,” Melu released her grip, letting her brother Bel explore freely. The boy quickly joined his peers at another corner of the banquet, with several squires secretly following behind to prevent any accidents.

The three young ladies sat in a corner of the bustling hall. Many guests noticed them, but their extraordinary identities and appearances made it difficult for others to approach, with servers nearby keeping them at bay.

“It seems this is our first meeting, Miss Lacy,” Melu smiled at Lacy, who was actually referring to Lolan Hill.

“Yes, I just took over the chamber of commerce. Sorry for not being able to meet everyone sooner.” Lacy returned the smile and explained. (From now on, Lacy will refer to Lolan Hill.)

Melu was the eldest daughter of the Helius family, and there were many connections between the Helius and Calithea families, making them close. Once, the head of the Helius family jokingly told Angus that if he had a son, he could marry his daughter. Although it was a joke, it showed the closeness of their relationship.

In Yagdiling, Jelink once said that if one encountered difficulties in Hope Lane, they could cooperate with the Helius family. The Helius family was known for its warmth and loyalty, and had a good reputation.

“Oh, no one’s paying attention to me?” Feng Nai felt left out as she saw Lacy and Melu chatting happily.

“No, Feng Nai, you’ve been talking all along,” Melu smiled gently, her beautiful exterior hiding a bit of mischief.

“Melu, you always bully me, never including me in your fun,” Feng Nai pouted slightly, and Melu’s soft laughter echoed beside her.

Lacy, looking at the two girls, asked curiously, “Are you childhood friends?”

“Yes, Feng Nai and I are almost the same age. Since Hope Lane isn’t very big, we’ve known each other for a long time. But she likes lively things, while I prefer quieter ones.” Melu picked up a glass of lemonade with ice and clinked it against Feng Nai’s, then took a sip.

“Feng Nai has loved reading since she was young. Sometimes she even tells ghost stories to scare me. Don’t let her gentle appearance fool you; she’s a deep thinker,” Feng Nai whispered, slandering her friend.

“Feng Nai, you’re saying bad things about me again. It’s clearly because you’re too stupid,” Melu retorted.

“Ugh, I’m not stupid, I just don’t like studying,” Feng Nai weakly protested.

Just as the ladies were chatting, the last important guest arrived.

“Master Edley of the Tisiphone family has arrived!”

Thus, the five great families’ younger generation finally gathered in Hope Lane.

They included:

The Nisos family, with a tilted wine bottle as their emblem, mainly dealing in various wines, controlling 40% of the market in Snowland Seven Kingdoms and exporting overseas.

The Anemeyia family, with a floral emblem composed of seven colored gems, mainly dealing in flowers, gems, and jewelry. Nearly half of the luxurious jewelry among the nobles in Snowland Seven Kingdoms came from their family.

The Helius family, with a camellia flower emblem in yellow and green, mainly dealing in tea, coffee, sugar, and spices, supplying nearly 60% of the high-end beverages in the southern and western parts of the continent.

The Calithea family, with a night-blooming flower emblem featuring black petals and purple stamens, mainly dealing in timber, citrus fruits, cotton textiles, and shipbuilding. Nearly 30% of the ships in Vergha were built by them, possessing the best shipbuilding technology in the alliance.

Lastly, the Tisiphone family, with a short sword piercing a skull as their emblem, mainly dealing in weapons, bow materials, whale oil, etc. Twenty percent of the weapons in Snowland Seven Kingdoms were supplied by them, and the reputation of the Vengeful Blade spread throughout the continent.

Early on, the Helius and Calithea families had swapped some industries to avoid intense competition. The Calithea family abandoned the spice industry, giving up the spice routes of the Berry Kingdom to the Helius family. In exchange, the Helius family transferred many of their lumberyards and citrus orchards to the Calithea family.

Since then, the Calithea family focused on shipbuilding, while the Helius family gained control over the beverage and spice markets in Snowland Seven Kingdoms. The two families reconciled and cooperated, with the night-blooming flower being a rare flower from the Southern Islands, with extraordinary effects and extremely valuable as a spice. This was also the origin of the Calithea family’s rise and the source of their emblem.

At this moment, a somewhat playful young man entered the hall. He wore a wide-brimmed hat and a tight-fitting suit in a style similar to naval attire, mainly in white and blue. The buttons on his chest were undone, revealing part of his chest muscles, causing many women in the hall to scream in excitement.

After entering, he scanned the scene in the hall and briefly greeted Fenton before striding towards Lacy’s table. Many adoring girls wanted to greet him, but he pushed them away with one hand, and the girls whose shoulders he held looked starry-eyed, as if they were about to faint from excitement.

Reaching Lacy’s table, he bowed his head first, then looked up with a carefree smile.

“Ladies, I am Edley. May I ask all of you to be my wife?”

End of Chapter