Chapter 11: The Banquet and the Young Lady
116 Fis Street
At the entrance to the Carl family estate.
Dressed in a black noble attire, William alighted from the carriage, and a nearby servant quickly ca to greet him, leading William towards the banquet hall. Bend and the carriage were arranged to rest elsewhere.
William relaxed his tight collar, still sowhat unaccustod to such elaborate attire.
Following the servant into the banquet hall, the luxurious setup of the several hundred square ters area was striking, with nurous polished, translucent crystal chandeliers hanging above, casting a soft glow. The tables were laden with aromatic delicacies and fine wines for guests to enjoy, with so already mingling with glasses in hand.
The Carl family, as one of the top five controllers of the Goldvine Comrce Guild in the Fis Kingdom and possessing enough influence to "purchase" a baronial title from the kingdom, showcased their substantial wealth and taste through their luxurious estate in the noble district.
William, curious, surveyed the guests dressed in splendid attire around the dance floor. Since his predecessor seldom attended such parties, even though these should all be gentlen and ladies from Fis's high society, he found no familiar faces.
Just then, Mora Carl, having just finished speaking with a count alongside his father, spotted William standing out not far away. His eyes lit up, and after excusing himself to his father, he approached William.
"You there, how co you didn't co find after arriving? Are you really our esteed viscount? Just standing there alone, not mingling with anyone else."
William shrugged, "You know, I hardly ever attend these kinds of gatherings. I don't know these people, how could I possibly mingle? I saw you were busy talking to that old man, so I didn't bother you."
"That 'old man' is the Kingdom's Minister of Finance, Count Dion Duval!"
Mora, incredulous that William didn't recognize even him, began introducing William to the distinguished guests around.
"This is Arsen Had, the youngest son of the Duke of Had, recently favored by His Majesty the King."
"That man speaking with my father is Mont Ollaya, president of the Ollaya Comrce Guild, which rivals our own in prestige, though he and my father are on good terms."
"And that's Lady Pasha Koiv, the famous socialite from Brightlight City. Be careful not to be enchanted by her!"
Mora covertly pointed at a lady in a purple tassel dress, smiling brightly while conversing with several gentlen, and gave William a aningful look.
William took a closer look, impressed by her presence. After a scholarly examination, he concluded she was indeed the real deal, a testant to her reputation as a renowned socialite. Mora and William found common ground in their academic discussion for the first ti, agreeing on their assessnt.
"You wouldn't have already done a field study, would you?" William looked skeptically at his friend, whose eyes were shining.
"I'm just appreciating the art, okay? She's almost old enough to be my mother!"
Mora nearly jumped in his defense, swearing his innocence, though William saw right through his fa?ade.
"Enough about that." Mora, seeing his father signaling for him, hurried over to greet another distinguished guest. "I'll co find you later, don't sneak off!"
As Mora's birthday party host, although most attendees were there to network, it was crucial he not be absent from the festivities for too long.
William, content to be left to his own devices, was glad not to be familiar with the other guests, preferring no interruptions.
Listening to Mora's father, Frank Carl, thanking all the guests and making polite conversation, William went to the buffet table, selecting a plate full of delicacies for himself.
Roasted lamb chops, snails in herb sauce, beef fillet with duck liver, Bertidge sweet shrimp salad, cheese and ham chicken cutlets, hazelnut caral cake, coconut cherry pie.
William, pleased with his selection, ignored the surprised looks from so servants and sat down in a corner of the hall to enjoy his feast.
Indeed, being one of the kingdom's top five comrce guilds had its perks. Bertidge sweet shrimp, a delicacy from the eastern coastal kingdoms of the Fanor continent, offered a rare taste, transported from miles away to the inland Fis Kingdom.
In his past life, William had never encountered such delicacies in the Fis Kingdom, only tasting such ingredients once during a mission trip to Bertidge. Indeed, the tender and springy texture of the seafood was top-notch.
As William indulged in his al, a plate was placed on the table beside him, laden with even more food than his own! Two lamb chops buried under an assortnt of dishes, topped off with two hazelnut cakes, seed almost precarious.
William's attention was drawn to this "tower" of a plate, and a figure appeared from behind it, taking a seat next to him.
William observed this guest who, unlike the others mingling in the dance floor, chose to seclude in the corner to enjoy her al, much like himself.
Dressed in a fiery red off-shoulder evening gown, her black hair simply cascading down to her waist, the dress's tailored design highlighted the girl's perfect silhouette, with layers of hollow patterns and delicate fringes accentuating her fairness. The girl's appearance might be considered average, but her gray-purple eyes sparkled with vivacity.
The girl glanced curiously at William, seemingly surprised to find soone as "unique" as herself at the banquet. She smiled gently at William before turning her attention back to her delicious spread.
William felt a strange sense of familiarity but didn't dwell on it, considering he might have encountered her in his past life in the ga.
The two then launched an assault on their respective "mountains" of food. Despite their continuous eating, their table manners remained impeccable, and the food on the table visibly decreased at a noticeable rate.
William had started eating first, but they finished almost simultaneously.
As they both rose to refill their plates, the girl's laughter, reminiscent of silver bells, caught William's attention. She looked at him curiously, laughing.
"You're quite the odd one. Don't most people co to these events to network with officials and nobles? Why hide here and just eat?"
William glanced at the girl's plate and retorted, "Aren't you doing the sa? I can't be bothered to flatter those people."
"I'm different!" the girl exclaid, waving her hand. "I ca with a friend to broaden my horizons and enjoy the food on the side. I heard the Goldvine Comrce Guild arranged a special caravan to Bertidge in the east to procure many rare ingredients for this banquet. I didn't want to miss out."
Her initial reason sounded reasonable, but her subsequent excitent revealed her true foodie nature.
"That's true. The Bertidge sweet shrimp salad is good. I'm planning to get so more," William said.
The ntion of food made the girl's eyes light up. "Right? It's amazing, sothing you can't normally buy even if you have the money!"
William, now engaged in the conversation, added, "But I think Bertidge sweet shrimp would taste even better as Golden Thread Shrimp Balls."
The girl looked surprised, "Golden Thread Shrimp Balls? What's that? Are you a cook or sothing?"
"Of course!" William, who had grown up in an orphanage in his previous life, had indeed developed excellent culinary skills.
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