Duel? A Beating! (Part 1)

"His Majesty the King has arrived!"

A loud, clear announcement echoed through the hall, and the guests once again put down what they were doing and lined up neatly on both sides of the aisle. On the red carpet in the center, a dignified figure walked slowly forward, drawing everyone's attention. Upon seeing the newcomer, Gould immediately bowed and approached him.

"Your Majesty, I am very grateful that you have taken time out of your busy schedule to attend my engagement ceremony. Please come in, Your Majesty!"

"Gould, you are my best brother, and my only brother. How could I not attend your engagement ceremony? As for thanks, you can leave those to the guests here!"

"Ha ha"

Upon hearing the King's words, the surrounding guests burst into laughter. Belmod ignored them, patting Gould on the shoulder and gesturing for him to follow her into the hall. After the King and Gould left, the guests on both sides immediately followed, and the red carpet was once again submerged in a sea of people. Sordil was also swept along by the crowd, closely following in the procession. Once everyone had entered the hall, the Prime Minister was already standing on the platform, ready to begin the engagement ceremony. Belmod nodded to the Prime Minister from below the platform, and the Prime Minister immediately announced loudly to the guests below the platform, "Distinguished guests, thank you very much for attending today's engagement ceremony. I now declare the engagement ceremony officially open!"

"First, let's welcome our two main protagonists today, the groom-to-be Duke Gould and the bride-to-be Miss Diphiya!"

As the Prime Minister finished speaking, soft, gentle music filled the air. To the melody, Gould, dressed in a black tailcoat, slowly ascended the platform. Suddenly, the surrounding lights vanished, and a bright but not blinding pillar of light enveloped Gould. Gould bowed slightly to the platform and stood quietly within the pillar of light. Suddenly, a second pillar of light appeared at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor, and at the end of the second-floor corridor, crisp footsteps echoed. The footsteps grew closer, and finally, two graceful young women appeared within the pillar of light.

A blonde woman in a white evening gown led a blue-haired woman in a white wedding dress down the spiral staircase in the hall. A beam of light followed their every step. The jewels adorning the wedding dress reflected the light from the beam, creating a 'human-shaped luminous object.' Combined with the blue-haired girl's beautiful face, tall and slender figure, and aloof and noble demeanor, they instantly attracted the attention of all the males in the hall. The two descended the stairs to a platform, where the blonde woman took the blue-haired girl's right hand and placed it in Gould's hand.

"Brother Wang, I have delivered your beautiful fiancée to you in her entirety. Now it's up to you!"

"Thank you, Sister-in-law Wang! Please rest assured, I will certainly not let you down and will treat Miss Diphiya well!"

Gould received Diphiya's smooth, white right hand and bowed to thank the blonde woman. At that moment, a chorus of heartbreak erupted from below the stage; countless people wished they could pull Gould down and take her place. His Majesty the King, standing below, was no exception. Gazing at the blue-haired girl in her white wedding dress, he suddenly regretted giving Diphiya to Gould. If it weren't for the numerous guests surrounding them and his Queen standing on the stage, Belmod would have already rushed onto the platform, knocked Gould unconscious, and had the Prime Minister announce that it was now his and Diphiya's wedding ceremony. However, the Prime Minister's next words dragged him back from his reverie to the harsh reality.

"Now, please, Duke Gould and Miss Diphiya, exchange engagement rings!"

The soaring music, coinciding with the climax of the engagement ceremony, surged towards the audience. Two slender waiters emerged from the darkness, carrying two exquisite brocade boxes to Gould's side. Gould and Diphiya each took a silver ring from their respective boxes. Gould knelt before Diphiya, presenting her ring. Diphiya extended her soft right hand to Gould, allowing him to slip the ring onto her slender middle finger. Gould gently lifted Diphiya's right hand, slipped the ring onto Diphiya finger, and then lightly Gould the back of Diphiya smooth hand. After Gould rose, Diphiya placed Gould engagement ring on his right hand and gave him a warm embrace.

"Now, please, both of you, toast the guests below the stage!"

Diphiya and Gould accepted the drinks from the waiter, raised their glasses high in greeting to the audience, and then drank them down.

"I now declare the engagement ceremony of Duke Gould and Miss Diphiya to be successfully concluded! Please enjoy the joyous occasion tonight and offer your heartfelt congratulations to these two loving couples!"

After the Prime Minister announced the completion of the engagement ceremony, the lights in the hall were instantly restored. As a new melody began to play, guests invited their chosen partners to dance, or, like the gluttonous Sordil, launched an attack on the delicious food. The atmosphere in the hall instantly became warm and romantic, making everyone feel happy and comfortable. Of course, for every person who rejoices, there is someone who is sad, such as a certain general and his adjutant sitting in a corner.

"General, do you think this summons to the capital is a trap set by His Majesty the King and Oddek?"

"That's highly likely! After all, I've been guarding the Western Frontier for over a decade, and the Western Border Army has practically become my personal private army. Previously, the King had no one to replace me, so I had to control the Western Frontier. Now, with Oddek in the picture, it's the perfect opportunity to divide my Western Border Army, so this arrangement is quite normal. Perhaps His Majesty isn't just targeting our Western Border Army this time, but rather intends to purge the high command of all the kingdom's armies, ensuring that all the kingdom's troops are under his control. Our Western Border Army is merely the first target of this operation!"

Based on his years of experience interacting with the king, Langu knew that his adjutant's speculation was not far from the truth. He also knew that once His Majesty the King made his move, he would never give him another chance. Therefore, he had to win this duel, and could only win! Otherwise, the only path awaiting him was death on the northwestern border.

Unlike Langu's deep concern, Sordil didn't take these things to heart at all. After all, he had already achieved his goal, and the rest was no longer his concern. So, young master Sordil focused all his energy on tonight's 'buffet', preparing enough stamina for his duel with Langu tomorrow... no, for beating Langu up tomorrow.