When everyone's gaze fell on Nalant's carriage, murmurs rose from the surrounding crowd.
At that moment, most of them saw Nalant as someone puffing himself up at his own expense.
After all, such luxurious Runic Carriages were normally only ordered by great nobles or the royal families of small duchies. Among minor nobles like them, they were truly a rare sight.
Thus, Nalant's carriage stood out so abruptly that it was treated as an oddity. Whether out of jealousy or mockery, they certainly had nothing nice to say.
Nalant heard the surrounding chatter as well, but he showed no reaction.
Other people's mouths were their own; he could not be bothered with whatever they wanted to say. Um, however, felt rather embarrassed up ahead.
He felt that his shout had drawn everyone's attention to Nalant.
"My apologies, Sir Nalant!" Marquis Um apologized to Nalant.
"Sir Um, this isn't your fault!" Nalant shook his head.
Seeing this, Um nodded and said nothing more. He withdrew his head back into the carriage, and did not reappear.
Nalant then began to wait. About five or six minutes later, it was finally the turn of their carriages.
Um was the first to be questioned by the manor guards. Only after he presented the birthday banquet invitation and they checked the number of people in his carriage were they allowed through.
Um's carriage passed through the manor gates, with Nalant's carriage following close behind.
"Welcome, sir, to the duke's birthday banquet. Please present your invitation."
The carriage stopped at the entrance, and a steward dressed in a silk formal suit immediately approached with several guards.
Nalant did not waste any words. He directly took out the silver birthday banquet invitation.
Since he had chosen the ordinary nobles' entrance, Nalant did not want to make trouble