Margaret Manor covered a considerable area. Now, as night fell and the gas lamps in the courtyard and mansion were lit one by one, the entire manor could be seen from afar, lavishly decorated and glittering with gold.
Although Shade and Miss Belinder had arrived early, quite a few people had actually arrived before them.
When the Belinder Family's carriage procession stopped at the manor entrance, the people gathered there chatting immediately dispersed. Margaret's personal maid and Baroness Elmont, who was part of the princess's entourage, welcomed her on Margaret's behalf. Baroness Elmont was Margaret's cousin.
And so, the lively banquet officially began. Moon Bay's nobles had gathered in one place, and the jewelry adorning the ladies was dazzling enough to blind anyone. Margaret attended the banquet wearing a small silver coronet and a golden gown. When she met Miss Belinder, she even secretly winked at Shade.
The most important part of this nominal welcome banquet was Margaret reading aloud to the local nobles a letter her father, the king "Lion Ryan," had written to the citizens of Moon Bay City.
This took place when the banquet formally began. At the time, Shade was still standing with Miss Belinder and Miss Matilda. Once the event was underway and the Countess went to handle the social obligations and conversations she could not avoid tonight, Shade quietly slipped away. Only after changing clothes did he meet Mr. Bernhardt, who was holding a glass of red wine.
Even without Shade, he could have obtained an Invitation Letter himself. It would merely have been more troublesome. When Shade found him, he was speaking with a middle-aged man with a small mustache. As he greeted Shade, he discreetly pointed at the departing man.
"That baron runs a red wine business in Moon Bay. He wanted