Nailian Lilith and the Hunt Begins (Please Follow Up)

After eating and drinking his fill, Chen Mu held a wineglass and took small sips of after-dinner wine.

Chen Mu had thought it would be a simple banquet, but he had still underestimated the extravagance of the kingdom's nobles.

There was a dazzling array of dishes, some of which Chen Mu had not only never seen before, but had never even heard of.

There were even dishes containing complex ingredients and fantastical elements.

For example, a roasted swan had its clean feathers reattached by the chef, adorned with silver and gold.

Chen Mu also saw a peacock that looked as though it were alive being brought to the table.

The roasted peacock was still covered in beautiful feathers, propped upright with a stick in the middle of a platter.

A Maid from the Lilith Family placed a bundle of alcohol-soaked wheat stalks in the peacock's mouth and lit them, creating the fantastical sight of the peacock breathing fire when it was served.

Another dish turned one pigeon into two.

The chef skinned the pigeon and wrapped the skin around a mixture made from cheese, eggs, seasonings, and raisins.

He then sewed the pigeon skin back together and boiled this "new" pigeon in hot water.

Next, the chef roasted the real pigeon that had already been skinned.

Halfway through roasting it, he coated it with a breadcrumb mixture and glazed it with beaten egg.

In this way, one pigeon became two dishes.

It had to be said that the luxury and power of the kingdom's nobility were displayed to the fullest at this banquet.

Finally, guests sampled some light pastries, cakes, candied fruits, and nuts before leaving. This was what was known as the "departure dessert."

In other words, the banquet began with desserts and ended with them as well.

After the banquet ended, Chen Mu left the banquet hall with Meili.

They still had to attend the evening ball.

There was no helping it. Such events were unavoidable in noble social circles, even if Chen Mu was not particularly interested in them.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Chen Mu felt that Nailian Lilith, the Morning Dawn Marquis's daughter, had glanced at him several times during the banquet.

The Morning Dawn Family had prepared designated rooms for every noble participating in Hunting Day.

Chen Mu found the room with the Golden Lion Family crest banner hanging outside and entered.

Chen Mu did not have high standards for accommodation, but that did not change the fact that these rooms were still incredibly luxurious.

He casually took a copy of "Kingdom Architecture History" from the bookshelf.

Chen Mu sat in a wooden chair and gently turned the pages.

William and Chen Mu did not share a room. The guards had rooms of their own as well.

William's room was right next to Chen Mu's.

The guards' rooms had been arranged so they could respond promptly in case of an accident. The Lilith Family had considered everything thoroughly.

Time passed, and night arrived in the blink of an eye.

Morr Castle had a ballroom specifically for hosting dances. By the time Chen Mu arrived, quite a few people were already there.

Meili was already holding a wineglass and chatting with a young woman. Judging by their expressions, the conversation seemed to be going well.

When he saw Chen Mu enter, Meili quickly brought the girl over to introduce her.

"Vieri, this is Fenlan Kexili, daughter of the Silver Flower Viscount. Fenlan, this is Vieri Wesley, son of the Golden Lion Earl."

After Meili introduced them, Chen Mu and Fenlan smiled and exchanged greetings.

The etiquette at a ball was not complicated. Exchanging names was simply customary.

The ball had not begun yet, so the three of them chatted quietly.

After a while, two more people joined them, forming a small social circle.

This was precisely why the Golden Lion Earl had wanted Chen Mu to attend this Hunting Day.

In the Golden Lion Earl's eyes, getting to know nobles from other families would be beneficial to Chen Mu.

After a while, the ball began. Musicians from the Morning Dawn Family entered the ballroom and played beautiful music.

The Morning Dawn Family's musicians were all official court musicians.

Some had even performed in the royal palace, so naturally, their music was pleasing and moving.

Meili invited Fenlan onto the dance floor, while Chen Mu remained where he was, holding a glass of sweet grape wine.

Chen Mu was undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching people at the ball.

Naturally, many young women kept glancing his way. They seemed to want to approach and invite him to dance, but lacked the confidence.

"Sir Vieri, may I have the honor of a dance?"

The soft voice that suddenly came from behind made Chen Mu turn his head instinctively.

The next moment, a hint of amazement appeared in his eyes.

The one inviting him was Nailian Lilith, the Morning Dawn Marquis's daughter.

She was completely different from her dignified self at the banquet. Nailian Lilith now wore a flowing satin gown, her figure tall and slender.

Her long silver hair was elegantly braided into a bun, and her red lips curled slightly in a lovely smile.

Her bright eyes looked at Chen Mu, while her entire being radiated undisguised confidence and nobility.

Her snow-white skin accentuated her deep pupils and high, elegant nose, making her look like a perfect sculpture.

Naturally, Chen Mu had no reason to refuse.

As the son of an Earl, Chen Mu could not say that he had mastered ballroom dancing, but he was certainly no stranger to it.

Naturally, quite a few people in the ballroom noticed this scene.

When they saw Chen Mu agree, the men could not help but show envy and jealousy in their eyes.

Meanwhile, the noble young women revealed hints of disappointment and regret.

Had they known Chen Mu would agree so easily, they would have gone up to him themselves.

On the dance floor, Chen Mu and Nailian danced together.

Chen Mu could sense that the young woman before him did not seem particularly skilled at ballroom dancing either.

As a result, both of them moved slowly, yet their rhythm was surprisingly in sync.

Throughout the dance, Chen Mu maintained an appropriate distance and posture without becoming overly intimate.

Courtesy and gentlemanly grace were displayed to the fullest in him.

His words and actions also made Nailian Lilith feel his sincerity and respect.

Unlike the people Nailian had met before, she could sense that Chen Mu's gaze was clean, without the slightest impurity.

In fact, Nailian had already formed a favorable impression of Chen Mu the moment she saw him at the banquet.

Now, that impression had only improved. She even found herself considering telling her father to arrange a marriage alliance between their families.

But after thinking it over, Nailian still buried the thought in her heart. After all, including the banquet, this was only their second meeting.

As the Morning Dawn Marquis's most beloved youngest daughter, Nailian even possessed the freedom to choose her own marriage, something other noble young women did not have.

This alone showed just how much the Morning Dawn Marquis doted on her.

In the eyes of some nobles, daughters were merely bargaining chips for marriage alliances.

But the Morning Dawn Marquis did not need to sell off his daughter to elevate his power and status.

Therefore, he entrusted the choice of love entirely to Nailian.

To many nobles, this was simply unimaginable.

When the dance ended, Nailian's face was slightly flushed.

Nailian had already hosted Hunting Day three times in a row, but this was the first time she had invited someone to dance.

At previous balls, she had merely made an appearance and had never truly danced on the floor, which was why she seemed somewhat inexperienced.

Her face was red partly from shyness, but also because she had become a little flustered toward the end of the dance and felt that she had embarrassed herself in front of Chen Mu.

"Princess Nailian, your dancing was beautiful. Dancing with you today will surely be something I never forget."

Chen Mu saw the girl's embarrassment and spoke gently, his gaze clear and bright.

In the Winter Kingdom, Princess was not a title exclusive to royal daughters. The daughters of Marquesses and Earls could also be addressed as Princess.

Nailian looked up at Chen Mu.

What she saw was the clarity in Chen Mu's eyes. At that moment, a faint flutter stirred in her heart.

After the ball ended, Chen Mu returned to the private room prepared by the Morning Dawn Family.

Perhaps influenced by the original owner's seventeen years of life, Chen Mu kept a regular schedule and did not have the habit of staying up late as he had in his previous life.

The next day, Chen Mu rose early. After washing up and putting on a full set of formal attire, he prepared for the day the hunt would begin.

Starting today, the nobles could enter the mountains to hunt.

They could enter alone, or naturally form small groups and go in together.

The Morning Dawn Family had prepared all kinds of armor and bows for the nobles to choose from.

Meili invited Chen Mu to form a team with him, but after considering it, Chen Mu still refused.

After all, because of the simulations, he did not fully trust Meili.

Chen Mu selected a set of Light Armor and a bow with arrows.

Guards would also accompany the participants during Hunting Day, but they would follow in secret.

They would only appear if their lives were in danger and would not assist with the hunt.

After all, if guards had to do the hunting for them, Hunting Day would be meaningless.

However, the hunt was not particularly dangerous either.

Sun Radiance Mountain had already been cleared once by the Morning Dawn Family's knights. There were no especially dangerous beasts there. After all, this was a hunt, not a death march.

Before entering the mountain, Chen Mu looked around but did not spot William. For a Grand Knight, following him without being noticed was far too easy.

He adjusted the longbow in his hand and stepped into Sun Radiance Mountain.

Please Follow Up~