Chapter 821

Chapter 821: Hazy Moon

  Princess Titania, Earl Howard’s residence.

  The spacious residence was like a small palace, with neat lawns presenting an elegant scene under the precision-cut floors. After the Royal Guard stopped their search and trials of suspects recently, the place had returned to its usual liveliness.

  Today, Earl Howard was hosting a grand banquet, and many high nobles from the Imperial Capital were invited.

  Within the Empire, earls could be considered the cream of the nobility, while dukes were too few—only four in number—with a status akin to that of the king. The entire nation had four ranks of peerage: dukes, earls, viscounts, and barons. Additionally, baronets were merely honorary titles given to those with outstanding abilities or honors and could not be inherited.

  It was no easy feat to advance in rank; in fact, during times of peace, ranks rarely changed. Some lesser nobles even faced the risk of sliding down the social ladder. Each major ennoblement usually occurred during imperial expansion, which was why so many people were drawn to the previous expedition years ago.

  After nearly a millennium since the founding of the Empire, there were fewer than 100 families with earl titles, and only about 60 to 70 families maintained their status and power.

  Such rare and prestigious positions symbolized power, wealth, and status, giving them significant influence.

  ”Welcome all to my residence.”

  Earl Howard, who had gained some weight, today wore his hair slicked back neatly, dressed in a specially tailored black suit. Standing at the central staircase in the hall, he spread his arms wide to greet the numerous guests below.

  His voice was unhurried and calm, exuding the poise of someone in a position of authority. His blue eyes slowly scanned over these invited guests, searching for interesting conversation partners.

  For nobles like him, wealth was no longer an issue. As long as he didn’t engage in treasonous activities within the Empire, his status would remain unchanged. The earldom was something he inherited from birth, just as his father and grandfather did, naturally and inevitably. They all received guests in this luxurious hall, and he had seen his grandfather and father do so since childhood. Today, he was doing the same.

  He wasn’t bored; this was second nature to him, as if ingrained in his bloodline. He enjoyed the flattering greetings and words from others. Once seated at the banquet table, people would constantly approach him, sharing the latest news and interesting stories. All he needed to do was slowly savor his wine, occasionally nodding to show appreciation. This was one of his favorite pastimes, showcasing his family’s nobility, earning good reputations, and passing the time.

  After briefly entertaining the guests, he slowly walked to his usual corner, where the view was excellent and unobtrusive. When he was younger, he sat here and noticed Lady Marylin, the daughter of Viscount Ellend. Later, she became his wife.

  Once his attendant prepared the orange Cointreau for him, he gently sniffed it, marveling at its unchanged fragrance over the past decade. Then, he raised his hand slightly, and his attendant stepped back discreetly. Soon after, a man in formal attire approached.

  ”Lord Earl, good evening. Seeing you still in good health fills me with joy.”

  ”Alright, alright, Hurley. Tell me something interesting. Have you lost money again?” Earl Howard waved his hand dismissively.

  Baron Hurley, whom he had known since childhood, though not particularly skilled, had always dreamed of getting rich. Over the years, he had started many new ventures but often ended up losing money. Whenever he needed funds or connections, he would seek Earl Howard out.

  Howard wasn’t interested in Hurley’s popcorn-sized business, but hearing about his losses was amusing enough that he never stopped him from talking.

  ”Wise and noble Lord Earl, I have discovered new wealth opportunities recently,” Hurley began, causing Howard to raise his mustache slightly.

  ”Alright, old friend, go on.” He shifted his posture, crossing his legs.

  ”Have you heard about the trade caravan that recently arrived in the Imperial Capital? They are from the Lagertis Guild and brought many mysterious products from the Eastern Region.”

  ”The East, how wonderful,” Howard mused, sipping his wine and recalling the awe he felt as a child when he saw the world map in his grandfather’s study.

  The East was a distant and vast world, somewhat known to people in the Empire but still shrouded in mystery and imagination.

  Some said it was teeming with wealth and rare treasures, and items such as porcelain and silk, which were more valuable than gold in the Empire, were commonplace there.

There were, indeed, women from the Eastern Region who had smooth skin and no body odor, who never aged, as if they came from another world.

Although Howard had never been to the Eastern Region, his family still collected many books and travelogues depicting the East, which contained numerous descriptions of real or imagined things, making one feel lost in a cloud of mystery and endless imagination.

“This time, they not only brought Eastern silk and porcelain, but also many other things never seen before,” Huleit knew that this Earl was interested in the East.

“There are gossamer dresses that can be seen through candlelight, elixirs that grant longevity, wines that make one dream of the past, dancing dolls on tables, and strange pearls that display the fairyland of the East like mist.” The Baron exhausted his vocabulary and imagination to describe those unseen wonders.

Despite already feeling an insatiable desire in his heart, Howard maintained his composure, nodding gently with a slight expression of approval, then appropriately interrupting him.

“Although it sounds nice, who can tell if it’s true or not? Sigh.” He pretended to sigh regretfully, then glanced slightly away.

“Of course it’s true, I saw it with my own eyes,” seeing the Earl’s interest, Huleit responded eagerly.

“And that Miss Largette’s beauty is unparalleled, like the moon in the sky, like a rare gem, captivating the eye.”

“Oh, how beautiful could she be?” Howard smiled. Nobles lacked nothing when it came to beauty; they owned land and wealth, and their maidservants were always carefully selected. Such descriptions of beauty were no longer new to him.

“Uh, comparable to the former Crown Princess,” Huleit could find no better analogy and said so.

“Such praise, you must have received a lot of money from her,” Howard’s mustache curled up again.

The daughter of the Landsworth family, the former Crown Princess, and the future White Queen, Florasia’s beauty was the most beautiful and unparalleled ever seen by nobles and commoners in the Imperial Capital.

Although the Crown Princess was indifferent to social events and rarely attended banquets, her every word at home and her daily attire were topics of conversation throughout the empire. Countless noble ladies and women were obsessed with imitating her style, and she was a paragon of excellence in every aspect—identity, appearance, talent, etc.—almost perfect in every way, without any flaws, and the ideal object of countless people’s dreams.

And today, Huleit actually compared her to the White Queen, praising her too much. Howard shook his head inwardly, growing more suspicious of what he had previously said about Eastern treasures.

“Sir, please believe me, there’s not a bit of falsehood,” Huleit showed an anxious and urgent expression on his face.

“Alright, alright. Considering our old friendship, I won’t inquire about how much benefit you received from the Miss. Later, I’ll have my butler send you an invitation letter, which you can pass on to her.”

“But what interests me is not her appearance, but those Eastern curiosities you mentioned earlier. I hope this time you won’t disappoint me.”

“Also, let me warn you, don’t try to deceive me with any tricks. I’ve seen many genuine treasures from the East. If you do that, it would be an insult to me, understand?”

“Noble Sir Huleit, I understand. How could I deceive you? Huleit will always be your most loyal follower.” After receiving the reply, this destitute Baron became calm and courteous, bowing respectfully, then smiling and retreating.

Looking at the back of his childhood friend, Howard shook his head slightly and lightly tapped the table.

Next.

“Good evening, Earl.”

“Good evening, Mrs. Vanessa.”

A graceful lady sat down, and the small gems on her accessories refracted colorful glimmers under the light. However, what drew even more attention was her smooth silk dress, revealing her graceful figure, with lifelike silver embroidery that gave off an air of mysterious Eastern charm.

“I came today to introduce a friend to Sir Howard.”

Familiar words played out once more, and the legend of the mysterious and beautiful Miss Largette began to spread throughout the Imperial Capital.

——————–

Several days later, in the courtyard of the Largette trading caravan.

Lolan Hill was now grooming herself in front of the mirror, preparing for tonight’s banquet.

Thanks to the publicity over these few days, the reputation of this caravan quickly spread in the Imperial Capital, and some high nobility began to show interest in Miss Lacy, sending invitations one after another.

But Lolan Hill did not plan

Visiting each one individually would not only be time-consuming but also exhausting, and she did not particularly enjoy attending various banquet invitations and being watched by many people for long periods.

If not for this plan, which indeed required her to participate in the nobility’s banquets to gain insight into the upper echelons of the Empire, she might not even have considered making an appearance. Although sensitivity was beneficial in cultivation and combat, it only made little Loran more shy in such unfamiliar social settings.

Sigh, if only there were a doppelganger. Looking at herself in the mirror, gradually adorned by two maids beside her, a sudden thought crossed the young lady’s mind.

“Miss, everything is ready now,” said one of the maids.

“Thank you, Eugenia.” The young lady came back to reality and looked at herself in the mirror.

Today, she wore a delicate white and blue dress, with white as the base and blue and white roses adorning it. A light blue sash cinched her waist, and two delicate ribbons hung down the sides. The overall style was pure and fresh, complemented by her golden hair that resembled warm sunlight, like the dawn in winter.

In today’s Empire, where red and black were preferred, dressing like this was quite distinctive and gave an unusual impact.

After getting dressed, Lolan Hill and the two maids descended the stairs and slowly walked out to the courtyard, where a specially-made white carriage had been waiting for a long time.

The carriage was decorated with some vines, and around it were yellow and pure white roses. Two beautiful unicorns pulled the carriage, gently tapping their hooves on the ground, passing the time.

“Good evening,” the young lady greeted Vio, who was driving the carriage, then approached the two unicorns and gently stroked them, recalling the methods taught by Florasia to soothe these two natural sequence 5 unicorns.

Long ago, unicorns were rare magical beasts living in the forest. After being tamed by the elves, their numbers increased slightly.

Later, when the forest elves and humans established a joint kingdom, a new generation of beings with mixed blood from both races emerged. They gradually became the bridge between the two peoples, with the most famous lineage being the Landsworth family, the Unicorn Duke. This family, guarding the eastern part of the empire, has always produced poets and artists, and is known as the most gentle among the four dukes, enjoying an excellent reputation among the nobility.

Now, the unicorns raised by the Landsworth family outnumber those of the forest elves. In the east, they have several elite knight squads patrolling vast and peaceful lands.

Having soothed the two unicorns borrowed from the forest elves, Lolan Hill and the maids boarded the carriage, and the two unicorns pulled the white rose carriage toward Silver Moon Street, where the nobles gathered.

The carriage turned the corner, passing through increasingly tidy streets, where on either side were no longer various stores but long iron fences revealing lawns, gardens, and verdant shade.

These were private residences of the nobility. Many great nobles in the Empire had their own homes in this area, convenient for participating in meetings, holding positions, or meeting the emperor in the imperial capital.

“Miss, we’ve arrived at Earl Howard’s residence,” came Vio’s voice from ahead, and the carriage slowed down.

Peering through the window, the residence was already bustling with people. Many nobles were dancing gracefully in the banquet, and the melodious music could still be heard from afar.

It seems the banquet has already started. Lolan Hill pondered, then slowly stepped down from the carriage with the help of the maids.

Her white shoes were like exquisite works of art, with light pink ribbons and flowers adorning the sides. The intersecting ribbons highlighted her slender calves, leading up to white stockings and the white and blue rose skirt. A girl with a dreamlike face entered the mundane world.

“Larragtidis Guild, Miss Lacy is here~”

The attendants returned to their senses from the shock and nervously announced the names, drawing many gazes toward the gate leading to the outside world.

Thus, a young lady dressed in a white and blue rose dress entered everyone’s sight, her steps like ripples on a lake, stirring hearts and making hearts beat faster, urging a song.

If the daughter of the Landsworth family was a golden flame rose-encrusted sun diamond, then this young lady was a flawless moon surrounded by clear roses, hazy and dreamlike, making one feel as if they were in a dream.

“They really didn’t exaggerate.”

Earl Howard, standing on the stairs, was surprised and his mouth slightly open, then he felt a sense of miraculous mission spreading throughout his body.

Perhaps, this girl will change the wind direction of the entire imperial capital. Because even he could not resist such unparalleled beauty.

In the world of nobles, far from the troubles of the commoners, beauty and power were the only things that mattered, and this young lady possessed one of them.

(End of Chapter)