My Celestial Ascension

Chapter 518: The Grand Banquet

Inside the ballroom at the royal palace, nobles and aristocrats engaged in conversation. This event was a rare opportunity to become acquainted with peers from other nations and to forge beneficial relationships.

The nobles of this kingdom could not afford to miss such an occasion. It was not merely a banquet celebrating the successful expedition to the Forest of Never Return; it was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity orchestrated by King Richard to elevate the kingdom's reputation and influence across other nations.

Suddenly, a blonde-haired woman entered the ballroom, accompanied by two guards wearing golden armor emblazoned with the insignia of a lion's head, a spear, and a sword crossed behind it.

The woman's flawless beauty immediately captured the attention of the assembled nobles and aristocrats, particularly the younger generation, who found it difficult to resist her charm.

The woman's slightly seductive and arrogant expression was offset by the grace with which she approached King Richard, who was occupied with greeting other guests. This woman was none other than Crown Princess Elara Lionheart, the only daughter of the current Empress of the Lionheart Empire.

She was one of the leading candidates, alongside Crown Prince Daniel Lionheart, to succeed to the throne of the Lionheart Empire.

Princess Elara was renowned throughout the continent as a genius mage, capable of wielding both Fire and Ice—two opposing elements—making her a formidable adversary.

Even more impressive was her status as a peak Master Rank mage; she was the youngest mage to reach this level of power, at the tender age of twenty-one. As a result, the Holy Light Empire regarded her with considerable wariness, aware of her potential to grow even stronger.

All eyes in the ballroom were fixed on her as she approached King Richard, captivated by her striking beauty and the aura of elegance that surrounded her.

"Ah, Crown Princess Elara, I am honored by your magnificent presence at this grand banquet. I trust your journey here was uneventful?" King Richard greeted her with utmost politeness, keen not to keep her waiting.

"No trouble at all, Your Majesty. Please rest assured, the journey was quite smooth," Crown Princess Elara replied with a polite smile, maintaining the calm and proud demeanor befitting a princess.

"I am relieved to hear that, Princess Elara," King Richard sighed in relief at her words.

The king then engaged in conversation with Princess Elara for a few moments, ensuring she was well entertained. Shortly after, Lord Ivan approached King Richard and whispered something into his ear.

King Richard's expression immediately became serious, and a hint of concern flashed across his face, as though someone very powerful and influential had arrived at the banquet.

Noticing the king's change in demeanor, Princess Elara raised an eyebrow, curious about what Lord Ivan had said to provoke such a reaction.

"They're finally here… I was beginning to think they wouldn't attend the banquet at all," King Richard murmured to himself, a wide grin spreading across his face.

'I'd like to see how the aristocrats from other nations will react to their presence… things are about to get interesting,' King Richard thought to himself.

Soon after, Yuan, his wives, Miss Zara, and Little Zoe entered the ballroom. Their arrival instantly drew the attention of everyone present, regardless of gender.

"Wow! Incredible… who could they be? They're so beautiful and handsome."

"I've never seen so many beautiful women together before… just where did they come from?"

The guests' whispers filled the ballroom as curiosity about Yuan and his companions' identities spread. Everyone was eager to learn more about them and perhaps even to make their acquaintance.

Among Yuan's wives, there was a familiar face that everyone recognized, leaving the nobles in shock as they saw her walking side by side with Yuan and his wives.

"I-Isn't that Aunt Valeria?! What's she doing with them? Do they know each other?" Crown Princess Elara was stunned to see her aunt among Yuan's group. This was an unexpected surprise, leaving her confused about the situation. But then her eyes caught sight of Yuan's handsome appearance, instantly drawing her attention.

'What is Aunt Valeria doing with them? She looks so close to that young man. Could they be… It can't be!' Princess Elara thought to herself, struggling to believe what she was seeing.

King Richard quickly approached Yuan with a wide, friendly smile on his face. He knew he couldn't afford to displease Yuan, especially in front of so many people.

"Ah, Mr. Yuan and Mrs. Yuan, I am greatly honored by your presence here at the Royal Palace. I hope none of my guards offended you on your way here," King Richard greeted them, his polite smile masking his underlying concern.

"No, nothing like that happened. You can be at ease, King Richard," Anna Grace spoke on behalf of her son before Yuan could respond. Her gentle and charming voice resonated throughout the entire ballroom.

"I see… In that case, please have a seat and enjoy the banquet." King Richard then shifted his gaze to Miss Zara and Little Zoe and asked, "May I know who these two guests are with you? I've never seen them with you before."

"Oh, please pardon us for the late introduction of our friends," Anna Grace replied as she introduced Miss Zara and Little Zoe to King Richard. "This is Miss Zara, a good friend of mine and the owner of a very famous inn in this city. And this adorable little girl is her daughter, Zoe."

"It is a great honor to meet you, Your Majesty," Miss Zara quickly greeted King Richard with a polite smile, bowing slightly to show her respect to the ruler of the kingdom.

"Well, you don't need to be so formal with me since you're a friend of theirs, Miss Zara," King Richard responded with a smile. He was surprised to learn that Yuan and his wives were friends with a commoner, but unlike the nobles, King Richard didn't have a superiority complex. He knew that as a king, it was important to respect all his subjects, regardless of their status.

"Aunt Valeria, how have you been? I haven't seen you for a while; I hope you are doing well," Princess Elara suddenly appeared before them, smiling warmly at Valeria. She then stole a couple of glances at Yuan, her curiosity about him evident, before turning her attention back to Valeria.

"Oh my, it's you, Elara. I didn't expect to see you here. I can hardly believe that idiotic little brother of mine let you leave the palace," Valeria greeted her niece with a smile, clearly surprised to see her so far from the Imperial City.

Yuan remained silent, allowing them to reunite. It was clear from Valeria's expression that she cared deeply for her niece.

"Ah, Lily, how have you been? You look much different from when we last met at the Monroe family's mansion… you're even more beautiful," Rowena, Lily's former magic teacher, suddenly appeared behind them, surprising Lily.

"Oh, it's you, Teacher Rowena. You startled me with your sudden appearance," Lily replied, recovering from her surprise. "We've been doing really well. How about you?"

"That's good to hear. I'm doing fine as well," Rowena replied with a smile, then greeted Yuan and his other wives.

"By the way, it seems that the idiot from before isn't with you… did he end up taking his own life out of shame?" Lily asked curiously, remembering how Teacher Silas always followed Rowena around. She was surprised not to see him with her.

"Well, that idiot was quite devastated by the incident and stopped going out altogether. But at least he's no longer pursuing me, so that's a relief," Rowena replied quickly, a smile on her face.

"Oh my, what a pleasant surprise! I never knew you were acquainted with Rowena. By the way, you certainly took your time arriving here, Mireya." Suddenly, Lady Natasha approached them with a sweet smile, holding a folding fan in one hand.

"Natasha, that dress you're wearing really suits you," Mireya said with a smile, complimenting her look. The white dress Natasha wore perfectly complemented her beauty.

"Why, thank you. You also look gorgeous, Mireya. And Sylvia, you look so sexy in that black dress," Lady Natasha responded with a smile, covering her mouth with her fan.

"Thank you for your compliment, Lady Natasha," Sylvia replied with a smile, leaning close to Yuan.

Then Lady Natasha's eyes landed on Yuan, and a wide, seductive grin appeared on her face. She moved closer to him before saying, "Yuan, you look so handsome and charming in that black outfit. Would you mind having a dance with me later?"

"Why not? It would be my pleasure to dance with such a beautiful woman as yourself, Lady Natasha," Yuan replied with a smile, not wanting to embarrass her by refusing. Besides, he was grateful to her.

"Fufu~ You've got quite the sweet tongue, Yuan," Lady Natasha giggled before turning her head toward Mireya and sighing. "Mireya is such a lucky woman to have you as her husband. I'm quite envious…"

"Well, I'm sure you'll find a wonderful husband too, Lady Natasha."

"As if I could ever find someone as handsome as you. It's impossible to find someone like you."

Meanwhile, Duchess Evelina and her son, Alistair, were quite curious about Yuan and his wives, especially since War General Valeria Lionheart was personally accompanying them.

Alistair, in particular, seemed to have fallen in love with one of the women—a beautiful figure with crimson hair and crimson crystal-like horns on her head, an innocent look gracing her face.

'Incredible… I've never seen such a beautiful woman before. Not even Princess Elara could match her beauty. Who is that girl anyway? She appears to be a demi-human,' Alistair thought, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at Xi Meili from a distance, completely mesmerized by her enchanting beauty.

'Alistair, oh Alistair… You have no idea what kind of risk you're taking by looking at her with that filthy gaze… You're playing with your life—not that it concerns me,' Crown Prince Daniel mused with a smug expression.

Duchess Evelina noticed the look on her son's face and smiled before turning to Daniel. "Your Highness, do you perhaps know them? Since your aunt is with them, you must know something about them, right?" she asked.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I don't know much about them, except that the young man is my aunt's husband. That's all I know," Daniel replied with a calm expression.

"What?!"

"…"

Both mother and son stared at Daniel with dumbfounded looks, as if they'd just seen a cow climb a tall tree.

"A-Are you being serious, Your Highness? You know your aunt will hang you at the entrance of the Imperial City if you spread false rumors about her!" Duchess Evelina nearly cried out, panic and disbelief mingling in her voice.

"That's right, Your Highness! You shouldn't lie about something so serious—it could get us all killed!" Alistair nodded repeatedly in agreement with his mother.

"I'm not joking, Duchess Evelina. I'm being serious. My aunt did marry Yuan, and he is extremely strong," Daniel said firmly.

"So his name is Yuan… it has a nice ring to it," Duchess Evelina murmured, looking at Yuan with growing curiosity.