By the time Nora had finally gotten somewhat used to her high heels and slowly approached the banquet hall on Ron's arm, it was already nearing half past six in the evening.
Night was gradually falling, while the hall blazed with light.
Ron dealt with the guests coming and going, his hand occasionally giving Nora's the back of her hand a gentle pat to signal that she should not be so nervous.
Yet Nora still could not restrain the rising anxiety in her heart.
There were too many people!
Of course, numbers alone would not have made Nora this nervous.
After all, when she had been captured by traffickers and transported toward the Southern Frontier, the long convoy carriages that stretched like a giant dragon had held far more kidnapped people.
But this was the first time Nora had seen a crowd dressed in such dazzling splendor.
It was like a lamb wearing wolfskin and entering a pack of wolves.
Even though the wolves had not discovered Nora's true identity, she still felt incomparably tense.
As though she were trapped in a whirlpool of mud and sand.
At last, Ron found Soven, along with Miss Penny beside him.
The fellow was hiding in a corner, not greeting anyone.
The others saw that he was the Sixth Prince and could not be bothered to deliberately come over.
Thus, this corner became a rare patch of pure land.
Only when Nora reached it did she seem to finally break the surface of the water, desperately gulping down fresh air.
Soven reached out and lifted a silver cover, secretly peeking at the food beneath it, only for Penny to smack away his thieving hand.
He pulled Penny around the waist and looked toward Ron as he approached. "Yo, our devoted handsome man is