Chapter 314: Unexpected Guest (Part 1)
“Father… just now, when you caught Miss Verafia’s magic, you used Dou Qi, right?”
The moment the young girl’s spell collided with Marquis Mays, Ig’s Eye of Insight saw a completely different energy that the Marquis used to block in front of himself. It was obvious that Marquis Mays had secretly used a wisp of Saint-level Dou Qi to block Verafia’s magic, so as not to make his previous boast a joke.
Although Ig suspected whether the young girl had noticed, judging from her reaction later, it seemed that his father had hidden it very well, and had also managed to fool this little phoenix.
After seeing the young girl walk away, Marquis Mays looked at Ig and brought out his hands that had been behind his back all along.
On the Marquis’s right hand, which he had used to block the girl’s magic, there was a tear in his sleeve cuff, and even his palm bore traces of burns.
“This… Miss Verafia is this strong?”
Even though Ig already knew that this little phoenix was very strong, when he truly saw the burn marks on Marquis Mays’s palm, the young man couldn’t help but be startled.
Even with so many restrictions, Verafia, with her Crystal Rank magic power, without even using her true form, was able to injure a Saint-level expert, which could completely be called a world-shaking feat.
“Miss Verafia’s magical attainments and her understanding of the concept of ‘Flame’ are rare even in the entire Kingdom, but relying solely on this is not enough to injure me.”
Marquis Mays shook his head and suddenly sighed, “However, her flame far exceeds my comprehension… I can only say that she is indeed worthy of being the legendary Flame Phoenix.”
Ig thought, “If I told you that this Young Lady’s hometown is the Blazing Flame Abyss where Lord Lothel fell, and that she used to have an immortal-level Dragon as a pet, I’m afraid you’d be even more shocked.”
However, the young man quickly changed his mind. If this little phoenix’s magic had really injured his father, based on his understanding of her, it was clearly impossible for her not to notice it, right?
Could it be that this Young Lady had also become considerate, worrying that her father would lose face if she spoke up, and therefore deliberately did not say anything?
—
Marquis Mays’s family banquet was held in a grand hall. Although it was not the main hall, it was certainly spacious enough for the less than ten people present, including Verafia.
Two frost moons, faintly visible in the twilight, were already hanging in the night sky. Bright moonlight shone through the castle’s tall windows into the grand hall, and after being refracted by the gold and silver utensils, it landed on the long table made of red nanmu wood with golden edges.
The tabletop, covered with expensive red silk cloth, was laden with exquisitely prepared food and drinks—of course, due to Verafia’s presence, no poultry dishes were served at the banquet.
Maidservants served exquisite dishes onto the long table. As the lord, Mays naturally occupied the main seat. Beside him, Ig sat with Verafia on the other side.
Originally, the young man had wanted to invite Shiel to sit together, but the girl was not as close as she was when they first met. Instead, she stayed far away, looking as if she wouldn’t have come to meet him at all if not for Marquis Mays’s request.
But when he thought about it carefully, in the lamplight, Shiel’s delicate, made-up face had slightly reddened eyes. Had she been crying secretly for so long after returning?
Ig then thought of the rare serious words of Miss Verafia on the carriage, and a headache struck him.
“Bang.”
The crisp sound of cutlery colliding on a silver plate startled Ig, causing him to turn his head. He saw a portion of cooked venison served on a silver plate being cut by an exquisite silver knife. Instantly, golden gravy covered the blade surface, exuding an enticing aroma.
Verafia bit down hard with her teeth, quickly devouring the venison in her mouth. She then picked up the nearby damp, pure white handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth, and raised her head. Her two pairs of gorgeous golden eyes, like golden moons embedded on her flawless snowy cheeks, curved into a beautiful arc.
“Ig, this is delicious. Why can’t you make something like this… I want more!”
Ig thought, “Young Lady, do you think it’s easy to learn the skills of a court chef? This is a position that costs at least several hundred Bright Silver Coins every month. If I had that skill, I would have already thought about how to please you, Young Lady.”
However, Ig had learned his lesson in front of this Miss Phoenix long ago. For her demands, he would just go along with them. Anyway, with this Young Lady’s erratic thinking, she would probably forget about it in a few days.
“Young Lady, you are right. I’ll go learn how to do it from Master Imon in a few days,” Ig replied, and then signaled a maidservant to bring a new plate.
“That’s more like it!”
Miss Verafia was very satisfied with the obedience of her attendant, and a happy expression appeared on her exquisite, flawless little face. With a wave of her slender hand, she said, “Ig, I want that one too!”
At the dining table, apart from Shiel, who seemed inexplicably sulky, and this Miss Phoenix beside her, Ophi, the Little Princess of the Ice Dragon, clearly had no regard for her image, looking just like Miss Verafia.
On the other hand, Flarn, who belonged to the Blood Race, behaved very elegantly. She carefully used the utensil held in her slender hand to cut the meat into exquisite fine strips, and then chewed them one by one.
The behavior of the girls in the room fell into Marquis Mays’s eyes. The Marquis shook his head and began to talk about many interesting adventures in his life, quickly capturing the interest of Ophi, the Little Princess of the Ice Dragon, whose beautiful eyes, like frost-blue gemstones, were shining.
However, Verafia, the main topic of conversation, seemed to be more interested in the food. She only responded casually to the Marquis’s words and continued to order Ig around.
“Young Lady, please slow down…”
Looking at the girl’s bright and beautiful eyes, Ig couldn’t help but chuckle and pushed the pure silver cup filled with drinks in front of him towards her.
Although Miss Verafia’s enthusiasm seemed as vigorous as ever, as her appetite was gradually filled, the girl began to drink more beverages.
— As for the drinks, considering that the girls around were not very old, Ig had already instructed them to replace the red wine with simple grape juice.
The girl gave him a very charming smile, picked up the silver cup with her slender hand, and took small sips.
Just as Ig was about to say something, heavy footsteps from outside the closed palace gate suddenly attracted the young man’s attention.
“Lord Yagmein, you can’t go in! The Marquis is currently having…”
Following that were hurried, gasping shouts, and the sound of guards blocking the way with their swords.
“I know the Marquis is having a family banquet. But, is it too much for me to want to see my nephew who just returned?”
The middle-aged man’s voice rang out in the deepening twilight like a deep bell.
