The steward led Liu Lin and Xu Jiujiu across the courtyard and into the banquet hall of the White Tiger Duke Mansion.
The banquet hall blazed with light. Maids carrying trays wove through the crowd, while the distinguished guests invited by the White Tiger Duchess held wineglasses and chatted merrily with one another.
The host of the banquet, Dai Yueheng, wore a white-and-gold formal suit. He was surrounded by the sons and daughters of other prominent families, who were asking him about his time at Shrek Academy.
Dai Yueheng answered every question with a smile, showing no sign of irritation.
"Does anyone have anything else to ask?"
Dai Yueheng had just said this and was waiting for the others to ask him more questions when—
The banquet hall doors swung open. Everyone's gaze was drawn to them in an instant, and the hubbub died down considerably.
Everyone was curious. Who would dare show such little regard for the White Tiger Duke Mansion and arrive so late? When they saw that it was two children, their confusion only deepened.
As soon as Liu Lin entered, he saw so many people staring at him. He was practically on the verge of a social anxiety attack.
What's going on? Have you never seen a person before? Why are you all staring at me? Liu Lin grumbled to himself at the crowd's attention.
As a princess of the Star Luo Imperial Family, Xu Jiujiu was much more at ease. She felt no discomfort and simply smiled at everyone.
As the White Tiger Duchess and the host of the evening's event, she had received a message from the Star Luo Imperial Family that afternoon, so she knew who the two were.
She immediately set down her wineglass and hurried over to them.
"Princess Xu, Viscount Liu. Welcome to the banquet." The White Tiger Duchess bowed to them as she spoke.
Xu Jiujiu, standing beside Liu Lin, nodded. She took a box from her Storage Soul Tool and handed it to the White Tiger Duchess.
"Right, please rise. This is a gift from the Imperial Family for the White Tiger Duke's son. Please accept it."
Hearing Xu Jiujiu's words, the White Tiger Duchess straightened up and accepted the box.
"Then I'll thank you and Consort Liu on Yueheng's behalf. I hope you two enjoy yourselves. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be going."
"Mm." Xu Jiujiu nodded and led Liu Lin toward a corner of the banquet hall.
"Who is he?" Dai Yueheng had seen his mother bow to Liu Lin and Xu Jiujiu. Filled with questions, he asked the young noble standing beside him.
"Oh, Brother Dai, it's only natural you don't know. He's Viscount Zhongyong, a title the emperor bestowed on him two years ago. He's also the Imperial Family's consort." The young noble beside him quietly explained.
Dai Yueheng nodded. Ever since he had entered Shrek Academy two years ago, he had hardly paid any attention to affairs in the Star Luo Empire. He hadn't even known that the Star Luo Emperor had taken a consort.
"Then may I ask why His Majesty holds this Liu Lin in such high regard?"
"Brother Dai, I only know what my elders have told me. Viscount Liu is exceptionally talented, and he's also the son of a martyr. That's why His Majesty values him so highly. And I heard from the elders in my clan that Viscount Liu had already reached level twenty at the age of eight."
Hearing Dai Yueheng's question, the young noble shared what he knew.
Dai Yueheng nodded, picked up his wineglass from the table, and headed toward Liu Lin and Xu Jiujiu, intending to make Liu Lin's acquaintance.
Elsewhere, Xu Jiujiu and Liu Lin were dealing with the young nobles who had come over to befriend them. Xu Jiujiu answered everyone with a smile, displaying the Star Luo Imperial Family's impeccable upbringing to the fullest.
Beside her, Liu Lin was the perfect mascot. Whenever someone addressed him, he just smiled and nodded.
Suddenly, a blond man in a white-and-gold formal suit approached, holding a wineglass. Everyone standing beside Liu Lin and Xu Jiujiu made way for him.
"Princess Xu, Viscount Liu, greetings. I'm Dai Yueheng, the eldest son of Dai Hao of the White Tiger Duke Mansion in the Star Luo Empire. It's a pleasure to have you here at tonight's banquet."
"Allow me to toast you both." As he spoke, Dai Yueheng drained his glass.
Liu Lin and Xu Jiujiu nodded at the sight. They picked up the wine the maid had just brought and drank it down.
Liu Lin couldn't help frowning as he drank. He wasn't much of a drinker to begin with, and the wine in the Star Luo Empire wasn't particularly good.
"Haha, the princess and Viscount Liu are both hearty drinkers. I'm glad to have met you."
Dai Yueheng set down his glass and was about to chat with Liu Lin and Xu Jiujiu when he saw the White Tiger Duchess heading up onto the stage.
"My apologies, you two. It seems we'll have to talk another time." After apologizing, Dai Yueheng hurried over to the White Tiger Duchess.
The young nobles who had been near Xu Jiujiu and Liu Lin left when they saw the White Tiger Duchess take the stage to speak.
After Dai Yueheng left, Xu Jiujiu put down her wineglass, picked up a dessert from the table, and popped it into Liu Lin's mouth.
"Have some dessert. You couldn't hide how you felt when you drank that wine. Next time, if you don't want to drink, don't. No one's forcing you."
After swallowing the dessert Xu Jiujiu had popped into his mouth, Liu Lin said, "All right."
"Mm. Then let's listen to what the White Tiger Duchess and Dai Yueheng have to say." Xu Jiujiu picked up another dessert and fed it to Liu Lin.
Liu Lin took the dessert and nodded. He looked toward the White Tiger Duchess.
The White Tiger Duchess stepped onto the stage to give her speech. Dressed in a deep purple gown, she stood onstage with a radiant smile.
She first thanked everyone for coming, then began to lavishly praise her eldest son, Dai Yueheng, for his extraordinary talent from an early age.
He had awakened his White Tiger Martial Soul at six, and now, at fourteen, he had been chosen for the Shrek Preparatory Team.
As she spoke, she held her chin high, her voice brimming with unconcealed pride.
When she finished, Dai Yueheng, the star of the banquet, walked up under everyone's gaze.
He began his speech. Hearing Dai Yueheng's formulaic words of thanks, Liu Lin lost interest and turned to take a dessert from the table.
Then he spotted a young man in a corner who looked about seventy percent like Dai Yueheng. The boy's eyes were filled with envy as he watched the young man onstage.
The boy was Dai Huabin, the second son of the White Tiger Duke Mansion.
Seeing the emotion in the boy's eyes, Liu Lin couldn't help thinking that Dai Huabin was already so jealous of his older brother at such a young age. No wonder he would say those things.
Onstage, Dai Yueheng finished saying what he wanted to say and bowed to thank everyone below.
Liu Lin noticed Dai Huabin set down his wineglass and leave from a corner of the hall.
"Hm? Where are you going?" Xu Jiujiu noticed that after Liu Lin had fed her the dessert he'd just taken, he set down his wineglass and headed in the direction Dai Yueheng had gone.
"The wine's making me feel a little uncomfortable. I'm going outside for a bit."
Xu Jiujiu nodded at Liu Lin's words.
"Mm, then I'll head out first." Seeing Xu Jiujiu nod, Liu Lin quickly left.