Carriages drove into the White Rose Garden one after another. Groups of servants were decorating the courtyard and leading the noble lords to the main hall. They placed a long table in the middle of the White Rose Garden, covered it with a white cloth, and placed silver plates, candlesticks, and other tableware.
The Queen's garden was already filled with people. People who knew each other and did not know each other were greeting each other. A small royal banquet had begun to take shape. At least the scene was lively and the atmosphere was harmonious. There was not the slightest bit of tension.
The inner and outer city of Rushta had always been two different worlds. The gentlemen who lived here had long been used to this.
Count Conrad jumped down from the carriage with brisk steps. He greeted a knight or a noble who came up to him with a flattering smile. There were no secrets in the upper circles of the Empire. Everyone knew who came from a prominent background and who came up through nepotism.
His family had a rich heritage. If his ancestors had done something praiseworthy, then their heritage and cultural heritage would be even thicker. Therefore, he disdained such a nouveau riche, just like how military nobles looked down on jesters.
What's more, the strong aura of money on these people was often unpleasant. The lives of nobles naturally depended on money, but in their eyes, money was often not worth mentioning. It was almost the same reason that the townsfolk looked down on the farmers in the countryside.
Conrad walked through the courtyard of the White Rose Garden with ease. Many gentlemen had already gathered in the courtyard. This was the social circle of the upper class. When the nobles gathered together, they naturally had to talk loudly. However, the topics in these circles were changeable, just like how the gentlemen's thoughts were unpredictable. Therefore, there were often many small circles under a large circle. Different people could always find the same common language.
As a traditional noble, he was naturally like a fish in water when it came to socializing. Soon, he found someone he was familiar with.
"Good evening, Henry. I thought you wouldn't come to this kind of banquet with your personality."
"I have to give Her Majesty some face." The noble whose name was called smiled and raised his glass. He was a rather flamboyant young man. The smile on his face carried the usual calmness and composure of people of high status.
The banquet was organized by Her Majesty the Queen. In fact, she had already informed the upper nobles of the Imperial Capital a week ago. The banquet was to welcome a certain mountain prince, but in private, it was already a meeting ceremony.
Of course, the grander engagement ceremony would not take place until two weeks later. That party would be open to the public, but the private work would begin now.
This was how the nobles always did things.
Henriette took a sip of wine and continued with a smile, "But to be honest, I'm here for the countess. I heard she's extraordinarily beautiful."
"It's Her Highness, Mr. Henriette," corrected the royal butler with a straight face.
"You're right," Henriette said apologetically. "All beautiful ladies are princesses."
Everyone chuckled. Everyone knew what was going on with this princess. However, some things were not pleasant to talk about. As nobles, the gentlemen present all understood the principle of not overdoing it.
Even the butler of the royal family didn't care about this.
"But our Prince Augusta doesn't mind this. I heard he only took a week to travel from Wa Lache to Bankel. Two of his six-horse carriages broke down on the way, and the horses were changed to three-wheeled carriages."
"It can't be helped. The mountain people always have horses."
This witty remark made everyone present smile again. Just like the rest of Vaunte, the barbarians who were later civilized were always looked down upon. Even among the farmers in the countryside, there were many jokes about the vulgarity of the mountain people, not to mention these noble gentlemen.
The mountain prince showing off his carriage had long become the topic of conversation and jokes of the upper class before he arrived at the Imperial Capital.
Although most of the gentlemen present did not have a six-horse carriage, it did not stop them from making fun of the prince. They were not jealous or envious of him.
"So, this Prince is called Ogeos?" Conrad asked after listening for a while.
"That's his nickname."
There was another burst of low laughter. The name Ogeos was obviously not a Kirrlutzian name, nor was it the Christian name of the Holy Cathedral of Fire. It was the name of the mountain people. His Royal Highness certainly had the Christian name of Kirrlutz, but no matter how much he talked about this title, people still 'liked' the native name Ogeos more.
Conrad also laughed.
The topics of the nobles were always changing. When they could not find anything funny about the prince, some people talked about the battle that happened in the Imperial Capital.
The commotion at the Winter Dew Villa was too big. It was impossible to hide it even if one wanted to. Especially after Brando flattened half of the mountain, the silver light that split the sky in The Shire was probably noticed by more than half of the residents of Lushta, as long as they were not asleep.
However, other than a few people, the nobles did not know what the Queen was preparing. Some people talked about the riot that was happening in the outer city and linked the two incidents together.
"The situation outside is not good."
"It's a mess."
In the midst of the heated discussion, it was inevitable that some people would disagree. Thus, a middle-aged noble said with some disdain, "You call the current situation 'not good'? Ha, young people are not bad. "
"What's going on?"
"Isn't it?"
The middle-aged noble shook his head, "It's just a small storm. It can't be compared to the riot that happened twenty-three years ago."
The younger generation of nobles had no idea what happened decades ago, but the older nobles had a look of reminiscence on their faces.
Even the nobles were involved in the riots during the last few years. Even the city guards had internal strife, and the rebel army had once invaded the inner city. Compared to that, the current situation was just the beginning. What could a commoner do? How could it be compared to the rebellion of the nobles?
In the end, it was settled peacefully. As long as the Holy Cathedral and the top powerhouses did not change sides, there was nothing to be afraid of.
After hearing the middle-aged noble's description, the young man's expression softened. It seemed that compared to the past, the current situation was not much of a problem.
The worries of these nobles always came and went quickly, especially when they realized that it was not related to their immediate interests. Soon, Conrad noticed that Henri was getting impatient.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. Conrad looked up subconsciously. The crowd near the hall parted, and a luxurious carriage appeared outside the gate.
It was a carriage with six horses.
Ogeos sat in the carriage, frowning impatiently. Contrary to the rumors outside, he was not in a hurry to come to the imperial capital. Instead, he was rushed here by his father, the hero of the mountain people.
Just like how the Queen needed the support of the mountain people, the hero of the mountain people also needed the support of the Empire. In the dispute over the throne of the previous king of the mountain people, the latter had won as a hero. However, as the heir to the throne, his foundation was not as stable as expected.
Fortunately, the mountain people were not like the Empire. They did not care as much about their birth as expected. As long as they were recognized by the Empire and the Holy Cathedral, they could still easily rule the vast mountains of the Lache of Wa.
Sometimes, the world was just so strange. The mountain people saw the Empire as their enemy, but in private, they believed in the illusory praise given by their most powerful enemy.
It was as if it was a great honor to be recognized by the enemy.
However, none of this had anything to do with Ogeos. The only thing that made him feel slightly better was that he was the only son of the king of the mountain people. The glory of the father and the son were intertwined. Unfortunately, the competition for the mountain people's throne was not limited to those above the throne. Unlike the civilized Empire, the heirs of the surrounding tribes were also qualified.
"You have to tame this mare for me. She's good for both of us."
This was the only sentence that the man said to him before he left.
The dark-skinned prince did not mind. Although he liked beautiful women, it did not mean that he wanted to come all the way to the Imperial Capital for a woman. Just like how the gentlemen in the Imperial Capital were not used to his presence, he was not interested in these gentlemen who claimed to be civilized.
Women were like mares. According to the tradition of the mountain people, the mares were the most precious assets. Only the healthiest mares could give birth to the best offspring.
However, no matter how good the mares were, they were not worth embarrassing him.
He had made up his mind to teach the countess a lesson. Although he could not do it openly in the Empire, the Queen could not control the Lache of Wa. He would let the countess know how the men of the Norka family disciplined their wives.
At this time, the servant opened the door of the carriage. Ogeos tidied up his appearance before he walked out of the carriage.
He thought that he would attract many disdainful or hostile gazes from outside the carriage. However, when he walked out of the carriage, he realized that no one was looking at him.
He raised his head.
Only then did he realize that the supreme Emperor of the Empire had appeared outside the hall. Everyone bowed their heads in greeting, and the whole courtyard was quiet for a moment.
When the people looked up again, they noticed the girl beside the Silver Queen.
This was the first time the newly conferred countess appeared in front of the upper circle of the Empire's nobles.
Her pure and bright eyes attracted everyone's attention in an instant, followed by her flame-like long hair. The crowd could not help but exclaim in admiration. Beautiful noble girls were not rare in Rushta, but the decadent trend in the Empire was swept away by the clean and neat beauty in front of them.
It was as if a trace of fresh mountain wind had been mixed into the turbid city air, making people feel relaxed and happy. Most of the men present couldn't help but feel their hearts skip a beat, and even the eyes of the ladies lit up.
What a clean girl.
It's a pity that she is a mountain person.
"Beauty is a privilege." Henriette in the crowd did not care. He raised his glass and saluted to Scarlet, his eyes full of appreciation.
"What?" Someone asked deliberately, "Henriette, do you intend to compete with our prince?"
"Why not?" Henriette smiled but did not say anything. His words implied that he looked down on the mountain prince. Since he was a mountain man, how could he be a noble?
This was also the thought in the minds of most of the people present.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Scarlet frowned slightly. Facing all the men and women present, her eyes were filled with nervousness and uneasiness, but there was also an unyielding flame burning in them.
If it was a day ago, she would have been like a marionette being manipulated by others. But now, she knew that the Lord was here.
Just this piece of news, even if there was no explanation, was enough to ignite an unknown flame in her heart.
The Silver Queen, Constance, stood beside Scarlet. Although she was slightly shorter than the former, her innate aura and calmness naturally separated the two of them.
In the entire Empire, there was probably no one who dared to look at this young girl who was only fourteen or fifteen years old.
Of course, there were some people who did not know where they came from, such as a certain Count Tónigel.
She glanced at the crowd casually, as if she no longer cared about the previous failure. She turned back and said to the girl beside her, "What? You don't seem to be satisfied with my arrangement for you? "
Scarlet did not reply. She knew in her heart why she was here.
"You are a mountain man. Of course, it is best for you to return to the embrace of the mountains. He is the son of a mountain man's hero. Is he not worthy of you?"
The Silver Queen smiled, "You're still hoping that your Lord will come and save you? I hope he has the guts to do so. Do you know where this place is? "
"My Lord will not be fooled. Don't think you can take advantage of this."
As it turned out, like lord, like vassal. The conversation between the two women made the valet tremble in fear. Since when did anyone in the Empire dare to speak to His Majesty like that?
However, the Silver Queen did not seem to care and asked, "Is that so? He doesn't even care about the woman he loves?"
"I'm the one who's secretly in love with Lord Mu. I'm just an unknown person by Lord Mu's side. There are many girls who are more outstanding than me by Lord Mu's side."
"So you mean he doesn't like you?"
Scarlet did not answer, but her bright eyes were silent.
"That won't do. You are the Countess of the Empire, and even the Princess. No one can look down on you." The Silver Queen changed the topic, "But to give the Azure Lance to an insignificant person by his side, your Lord is really rich."
Scarlet was stunned for a moment, and then her heart trembled slightly. She had never thought of this. It was such a simple logic, and she was so inconspicuous. But why did the Lord always give such important things to her without any care?
She suddenly felt a little scared.
She was afraid that Brando would really come here to save her. This so-called banquet was just a carefully arranged trap. She hoped that it would come later, even if it was a day later, and not now.
She used to want to see the face that she could not be more familiar with in her dreams, but now she was even more afraid. She was so scared that the blood drained from her face.
The Silver Queen looked at the change of expression on the mountain girl's face and said, "You must be hoping that your Lord does not come to my banquet tonight."
Scarlet looked at the latter with hatred.
The Queen smiled. "But I think he will definitely come."
Just as Scarlet was wondering where the Queen's confidence came from, the latter continued, "If he doesn't come, I will send you to the bed of the mountain prince tonight. You know, this is the custom of the mountain people, and a king does not take his words lightly."
"But you should be honored. This is a real prince, and the crown of the Lache of Wa is recognized by the Empire and the Holy Cathedral. Who knows, you might even become the Queen of the mountain people in the future."
Scarlet's teeth chattered, and she looked at the Queen as if she was looking at a demon. She closed her eyes, and her heart was full of despair.
In the face of such a desperate situation, she had no choice.
"Miss Countess, you don't look well. Is there something wrong with your health?"
Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Conrad suddenly had such a thought.
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