After the Banquet

The music shifted into a melodious tune, and the dance was drawing to a close.

Alsha completed her final twirl, resting her left hand on Matthew's shoulder and leaning backward against him.

Matthew raised his left hand high, his fingers intertwining with Alsha's, while his right hand gently cradled her slender and soft waist.

Their movements froze in the final pose of the dance. Up close, Matthew caught the faint fragrance trailing from Alsha's hair—the scent of red iris—and felt time slow down strangely.

In the corner of the hall, a young man in a purple formal suit wore a deeply bizarre expression. A trace of a fake smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth, but the veins on his forehead were bulging.

Lady Alsha was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. From the very first moment he laid eyes on her, he had fallen deeply and hopelessly in love with her beauty.

Originally, everything had been going smoothly. Hearing that Lady Alsha favored red iris, which Whitestone Town lacked, he had gone out of his way to have seeds shipped from the south and even helped her find a wizard apprentice skilled in breeding.

He had won Lady Alsha's favor; she had even gifted him a bunch of the cultivated red iris.

Unfortunately, good times did not last. His former-mayor father—that damn old White—had actually fallen in love with her the moment he laid eyes on Lady Alsha!

He had even gifted this estate, which had been passed down through the White Family for generations, to Lady Alsha!

The old bastard actually dared to try and steal his Lady Alsha!

Only he deserved Lady Alsha's favor! Her beauty, her wealth, her status, everything about her should belong to him!

Their descendants would inherit Lady Alsha's peerage!

Fortunately, that old bastard was no longer an obstacle. A trace of coldness flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Sir, sir... sir..." Someone nearby called out softly a few times before he snapped back to reality.

The person calling him was a young waiter holding a tray.

Looking at his injured hand, the waiter asked softly, "Sir, do you need help?"

Jack had crushed the wine glass in his hand, the shards piercing his palm as blood flowed from the wound.

Jack took a deep breath, replacing his expression with a fake smile once more. "Lady Alsha's dancing is simply too wonderful and mesmerizing; I was just getting a bit too excited. Could you please help me get another glass of wine? Thank you."

Another person captivated by Lady Alsha, the young waiter thought as he smiled and helped him replace the drink.

As the music stopped, applause broke out like a tide, and the surrounding guests offered their cheers.

Jack gulped down the newly replaced drink, handed the glass to the waiter, and joined the people around him in clapping.

Matthew applied a slight force with his right hand, pulling Alsha up.

Once she stood firm, she said with a beaming smile, "Mr. Matthew, I never expected our coordination to be so seamless."

Matthew said warmly, "Lady Alsha, it is your dancing skills that are truly exquisite. Look, all the surrounding applause is for you. While we were dancing just now, the gentlemen around us were practically dying to step in and finish this dance with you."

Alsha's smile blossomed a little more as she leaned in close and murmured by Matthew's ear.

At that moment, Matthew could even feel her breath.

"After the banquet ends..." she said softly, "come to the back garden and find me."

Matthew felt the breath by his ear like a breeze in early summer.

With that, she quickly pulled back and left.

What she had just said filled Matthew with confusion, but Lady Alsha was already conversing with others, clearly having no intention of addressing his questions.

No way, it's not like I have Veela blood, Matthew couldn't help muttering inwardly, but what Lady Alsha had said really made it easy for people to misunderstand.

Matthew took a deep breath. Lady Alsha was indeed captivating, her charm rivaling even that of a Veela.

He was determined to see what Lady Alsha was up to, and he didn't fear her trying to harm him either; before coming to the estate, he had crafted a portkey item.

Matthew picked up a glass of wine from a waiter's tray and took a small sip. The pale golden liquor tasted somewhat like champagne.

He carried his glass toward the spots where Link and Anna were standing.

Link laughed heartily. "Not bad at all. Well, did you feel Lady Alsha's charm?"

"Lady Alsha is indeed very charming, and her dancing skills are exceptionally exquisite," Matthew said with a smile.

Link clinked glasses with Matthew and downed his wine in one go. "A young lady is coming over to find you. You won't have a moment of peace tonight."

Following Link's gaze, Matthew saw a pale-blond young girl.

She lifted the hem of her dress, bowed slightly in greeting, and asked with a smile, "Young Wizard Lord, may I have this dance?"

There were no magical fluctuations emanating from this young girl.

Matthew said warmly, "Of course."

As the banquet reached its final stage, the band played the last tune in the center of the hall.

Matthew finally caught a breather. Just as Link had said, people continuously invited him to dance all evening.

As a new face—and such a young wizard—many guests were interested in him tonight.

A few girls even slipped notes to Matthew, though they all shared one common trait: they were not witches.

Matthew had no intention of reciprocating their enthusiasm.

He had not yet come of age, and he wanted to pour more of his energy into figuring out how to improve his strength.

Ever since his parents in this lifetime were killed by that Death Eater Aunt, he had lacked a sense of security. Over the past dozen years, he had constantly striven to improve himself, knowing that the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters would eventually return.

This Wizarding World offered him even more possibilities, and he believed that when the Dark Lord returned, he would at least possess the strength to make a clean escape.

Once the band finished the final tune and the guests departed on their own, Matthew asked the waiter who had been trailing him to lead him to the back garden.

He stepped onto the pebble-paved path once more, the decorative patterns on the bricks along both sides glowing faintly with a warm light.

Upon arriving at the back garden, he found an exquisite fountain here as well, with the flowerbeds around it still filled with red iris.

Behind the fountain stood a swing chair made of rattan, upon which tender green leaves could still be seen.

Alsha was sitting on the swing chair behind the fountain. She had already shed her elaborate court gown, changing into a simple elegant light colored long dress, and carried a completely different kind of allure now.

If she had been a vibrant and elegant rose during the banquet, she now resembled a fresh and delicate jasmine.