Annan was not foolish enough to take off his clothes outside. He climbed the steps and entered the banquet hall, stepping into warmth and light.
Velvet carpets covered the floor, while magic Crystal lamps and candelabras cast a brilliant glow over an oval table crowded with guests. Most were women, and their beauty and mingled perfumes made it hard to concentrate.
Seated at the center was Annan's target: Lady Deepwinter.
She lounged in a luxurious chair. Even so, she stood much taller than the women around her, and her attire was unlike any Noble fashion Annan had seen. Formalwear on the Northern Frontier resembled that of the Rikaner Kingdom, which had copied the fashions of the southern kingdoms. Lady Deepwinter's outfit, by contrast, was frost-colored and trimmed heavily with fur, making her already tall figure seem taller still. Standing before her, Annan would probably reach only her chest.
Waves of rose-red hair spilled loosely over her shoulders. She had the bearing of a ruler of the Northland, though not a tyrant, and her beauty was breathtaking.
Hmm... what was Lady Fine Wine's name again?
Annan took off his Cotton Clothes and felt hat, then held them out to a Servants standing nearby.
His composure made the servant instinctively step forward to take them, only to squint at the smell coming from his clothes.
The noblewomen and young ladies at the table sat up a little straighter. His cheeks, rosy from the cold, made them want to take a bite, and his tousled orange-red hair reminded them of the Erwin Family. But Erwin men and women were sturdy enough to arm-wrestle Orcs, which was not to these ladies' tastes. A young boy they could toy with at will was much more appealing.
At last, this dull banquet had given them something