"You're looking very handsome, sir. No one will be able to take their eyes off you at dinner tonight!"
Lucian took a deep breath and replied, "As I said, Cynthia, I don't want to stand out..." but Cynthia didn't seem to care much.
Dinner time had arrived, and since there were many guests, tonight's meal was to be held in the grand hall. People had already gathered, and everyone was waiting for Marquis Arthur to announce the start of the event. Lucian entered the venue and began surveying the surroundings.
The grand dining hall was filled with enchanting splendor. Its high ceilings were complemented by large windows on either side of the room, through which the moonlight cast a magical glow. The heavy velvet curtains above the windows were adorned with golden embroidery and could be drawn to ensure privacy when needed.
At the center of the hall stood a massive, richly decorated wooden table. The light streaming from the sparkling crystal chandeliers above blended with the candles burning in silver candelabras, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Each candelabra was symmetrically placed along both sides of the table, and their light enhanced the shine of the dishes laid out.
The tables were covered in white linen cloths, upon which lay finely embroidered elegant plates, silver cutlery, and crystal glasses. In front of each seat were carefully folded linen napkins and gilded name cards, indicating where each guest would sit, showing just how meticulously the seating arrangement had been prepared.
All around the hall hung large tapestries, intricately depicting the history and victories of the Wintergate family. Portraits of family members, each gazing with pride and nobility, adorned the walls. In the corners of the hall were large vases decorated with floral arrangements, adding a vibrant touch to the room with their fresh and colorful appearance.
The guests, dressed in elegant attire, chatted among themselves, sipping wine from crystal glasses while appetizers were served on silver trays. Everyone was waiting for Marquis Arthur's arrival to officially begin the event. Amidst the conversations, the sounds of cutlery and occasional laughter echoed.
Lucian thought, "It seems the table at the far end is ours," as the table at the head of the room provided a full view of the hall and had a large chair reserved for Marquis Arthur. "The tables near ours must be for the branch families, given the stern air they exude," he mused, observing the branch families.
The Wintergate lineage comprised one main family and three branch families. For someone to be the main family, they had to be the strongest and heir to the legacy of all the families. When the head of the main family was ready to pass on the throne, the strongest individual among all the families' children was chosen, allowing the branch families a chance to gain the title of the main family. This meant that the leaders of the three branch families were Marquis Arthur Wintergate's siblings, with Arthur being the strongest among them. One of the requirements to become the main family's heir was to be male, meaning daughters had no chance to inherit. However, there was no rule preventing daughters from becoming branch family leaders. Thus, there had been times when the branch family leaders were stronger than the head of the main family, yet couldn't lead due to being women.
As Lucian glanced at the tables further back, he saw many nobles and wealthy-looking individuals gathered. "Most of them must be from the northern region, all competing to show how noble they are. The reason for this is simple: the closer they are to the Wintergate name, the more authority they hold in society."
While Lucian was observing his surroundings, someone ran into him. "What's going on?" Lucian regained his composure and looked at the person who had bumped into him. It was a little girl who had fallen to the ground from the impact, clutching her head with tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh crap, is she the daughter of one of the noble families? I hope I don’t get into trouble."
Lucian carefully observed the little girl. She had long, wavy red hair that fell over her shoulders as she held her head. Her large, red eyes were filled with tears, and her long lashes trembled. She had a delicate, slender face, her cheeks flushed—perhaps from both embarrassment and the impact of the collision. Her dress was made of expensive fabrics, adorned with lace and embroidery, indicating that she was indeed from a noble family. Her small hands held her head, with her slender fingers catching Lucian's attention. The pained expression on her face only heightened Lucian's worry.
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"Alright, time to play my Wintergate role properly!"
"Are you alright?"
"Why don't you watch where you're going?" she said angrily, her eyes glistening with tears.
Lucian felt irritated. "I'm not watching where I'm going? You're quite talkative for a little girl running around recklessly," he said, forcing a smile.
"A-A little girl!" she retorted angrily, and just then, someone called out, "Alice!" approaching quickly.
The approaching man helped the little girl up and bowed, saying, "I apologize. It seems my daughter has caused you some trouble."
"Unlike his daughter, the father seems more respectful," Lucian thought, and said, "Please, raise your head."
The man lifted his head and looked at Lucian. Upon seeing the Wintergate crest on his chest, he realized Lucian was a Wintergate.
Hugo: "I am Hugo Atkins. We handle most of the import and export needs of the northern trade route."
Hugo was a middle-aged man. His short, brown hair was starting to grey at the sides, revealing his age. His face, with its sharp features, bore the marks of years of experience. Hugo's dark brown eyes exuded determination and confidence. The fine lines at the corners of his lips suggested that he smiled often and had a friendly personality. He wore a dark blue coat adorned with intricately designed silver buttons. Underneath, his white shirt was impeccably ironed, and a delicate brooch decorated the collar. This brooch symbolized his wealth and status. His shiny black leather boots completed his always elegant and neat appearance.
Lucian looked at Hugo and his daughter, thinking how different they appeared from each other.
Hugo said, “She doesn't look much like me, does she?”
Lucian replied with a confident smile, “I don’t know, do you also like running around, Mr. Hugo?”
“Hahaha, you're right, she definitely got her habits from me, but her beauty, that’s all from her mother. I wish she could be here right now.”
“Ah, I'm sorry if I upset you.”
“No, it’s fine, it’s been a long time,” he said with a smile.
Lucian thought, “He seems like quite a good man,” and then said, “Lucian Wintergate, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Hugo replied, “I never thought I’d meet a Wintergate like this. I’d like to apologize for what my little daughter did,” and handed over his card. “Please, if you ever have time, come over and have tea with me, Master Lucian.”
Lucian: “Of course.” As Lucian and Hugo continued their conversation, Alice clung to Hugo's leg, watching Lucian. In the middle of the conversation, Lucian and Alice made eye contact, and Alice stuck out her tongue at Lucian. Lucian looked at her and decided to provoke her.
“May I ask how old your daughter is, Mr. Hugo?”
“Of course, my precious little girl is seven. Isn’t she beautiful? Just like her mother. In fact, I’ve sent many documents to the Wintergate Marquisate to have a statue made of her, but I suppose they keep overlooking it. If they saw my little girl, they would approve my request right away.”
Lucian thought, “He seems obsessed with his daughter; I should make a note of that,” and said, “Ah, so Alice and I are the same age. I thought she was younger, but… let's get along well, Alice,” smiling.
Alice was annoyed because Lucian treated her like a little girl. She stuck out her tongue again and made a funny face at Lucian.
Marquis Arthur entered the dining hall, and all eyes turned to him. For a moment, the hall fell silent, and then whispers started rising. Lucian felt his heart racing; he knew Arthur was planning something.
Hugo said, “Then, I’ll see you later, Master Lucian,” and smiled, taking Alice with him as they headed to their table. Lucian also returned to his own table, where Serenna was seated at the head. After exchanging glances as a greeting, like everyone else in the room, they turned their attention to Marquis Arthur.
Marquis Arthur spoke in a booming voice: “Everyone here should know why we’ve gathered. Today, we celebrate our victory over the Ice Dragon.”
“I wonder where this speech is going. Given that they’ve gathered all the families and nobles, the purpose can't be just to celebrate. Was this man ever one to care about such things?”
“I’m sure everyone has heard that it was I who killed the Ice Dragon, but I didn’t do it alone. We defeated the Ice Dragon thanks to the efforts of all the Wintergate troops and my daughter, Serenna. However, the person who played the greatest role in defeating the Ice Dragon is my son, Lucian Wintergate.”
“What? Wait, wait, wait! What are you doing, old man!”
“I’m sure you’ve all heard the rumors about him. Having an aura star at the age of three and later being discovered by the Grand Mage Sagar, who had him destroy the aura star to become a mage. Pursuing this path and becoming the first and only mage in the Wintergate family, defying all the rules, and in his first mission, facing a dragon and creating an opening for us to defeat it… If all of this is not enough reason for him to be a candidate for heir to the Wintergate family, then what is?”
“You bastard, so this was your plan…”
Marquis Arthur looked at Lucian and said, “I have high hopes for you, my son.”
Everyone in the hall began to murmur among themselves about what had just been said. “Isn’t that the youngest Wintergate?” “I heard he’s only seven.” “Did he really defeat a dragon?” “Lucian Wintergate…” “Did Marquis Arthur just praise someone?” “Has he already decided on an heir?”… All these whispers led to only one thing—hostility.
Every other heir candidate was now looking at Lucian with envy, all the children of the side families staring at him.
“I can feel your gazes, you bastards…”
Lucian was in more trouble than ever; now, all the other heir candidates had set their sights on Lucian Wintergate, the child Marquis Arthur had praised.
“So, this is how you want to play, huh? Fine, bring it on!”