"Being a simple sailor I can't compete with the exquisiteness of the minister of justice, who last year surprised everyone with the party of the century. And most likely no one can nor will, at least not for a decade or two."
During the lengthy speech Newman had complinted basically everyone at the main table, and it was ti to say sothing nice about Clair Ironfist.
Obviously he couldn't praise her looks, but she was still satisfied and happily blushed, and waved towards the mariti minister, acknowledging the complint. Last year's New Year celebration was a great success, and she spent a fortune to make sure it went that way.
After spouting a bunch of nonsense, Newman was finally about to end his speech. He said, "We all have our own strengths and tonight I'll allow my humble self to show off mine, letting you sample the best sea delicacies there are in the world! But before that, let us raise our glasses and wish our beloved Emperor all the best! Thank you, Your Majesty, for taking care of us!"
Lee was surprised to see the emperor standing up and gulping down the wine, but his guess was that the current informal event was so kind of tradition. And even though everyone still sucked up to the Imperial Majesty, the man felt more approachable than ever.
The next part ca as another surprise. Newman wasn't bragging for nothing, and turned out to be a true gourt. While the soup and afterwards the cutlets the servants rushed to serve, looked rather plain, they were delicious to the point no one said a word during the al.
Only the host quickly clarified the soup being made from so rare turtle, and the main dish from the liver of the sa waletaur whose bones were used to decorate the place.
Lee easily wolfed down his portions and began to eye Drevin's, who for so reason was the only one present to not even sample any of the dishes. He continued to drink though, but luckily did it in silence. The argunt with his brother also was over, since Lance pretended to ignore him, and similar to Lee, focused on the al.
Just when Lee started to wonder what kind of exotic dessert he was about to experience, servants cleaned the tables, brought large amount of alcohol and snacks, and the actual party could finally begin. According to Tess this was the mont the mbers of the younger generation would perform, and two of them, Cecil Ironfist and Helen Newman, already rushed towards the stage without an invitation.
Helen, assuming the role of the hostess, said, "Dear guests! Finally it's ti for the best part of the evening, and as you have guessed, I and Cecil will sing for you, as always. Unfortunately, we've been told we have beco too old and no longer count as a part of the younger generation, thus this will be our last public performance."
While murmurs of amusent and so of displeasure were heard at both tables, Cecil added with a straight face, but blushing beet red, "Our last song is dedicated to the most important man in the world!"
Afterwards the two sat right down on the stage, and servants brought over a couple of rather large string instrunts which Lee saw for the first ti. He wasn't a big expert of music, but one didn't have to be one to enjoy the two young won singing.
Neither of them had Victoria's voice, but it didn't matter because both had a strange synergy that was further accentuated by the instrunts they played. The crowd gladly enjoyed the love song, clearly understanding that the most important man in the world it was dedicated to wasn't actually the emperor.
His Majesty didn't mind either, and watched the two beauties perform, with a wide smile across his face.
Only three people weren't moved by the song. Victoria, but Lee's guess was that it was because she was a cold-hearted bitch, Ian Foxson, who after the al went back to ditation right next to the stage, and Drevin, who relentlessly kept emptying one glass after another as if he had a bladder of an elephant.
Lee found Drevin's behavior slightly odd, even though he was already half wasted. While it was fine for him to argue with his brother, this was his sister on the stage along with another pretty girl. At least the common courtesy required to wait until the performance was over, and then go back to drinking and snorting.
But then the revelation struck Lee. The two girls on the stage, not only had the mysterious synergy. They looked so similar they could be sisters! And the more Lee looked, the more confident he beca they actually were! The pretty Cecil looked so different from her tall and thin sister Kris, one had to think they surely had different fathers.
Lee glanced at the Minister of Justice, Claire Ironfist, then at the Mariti Minister Newman, and caught their eyes eting for a split mont, and didn't need another proof. Obviously, whether they had a love affair more than twenty years ago or not, didn't really matter to him, but the fact that the two sisters raised by two different mothers fell for the sa man was amusing.
anwhile Mark Hardwood was oblivious to the funny conclusion Lee just ca to, and happily watched his two lovers sing. He wasn't bothered by what the other people thought, and with his strength, he had the right to have such mindset. And even though like every year he soon had to get on the stage himself, he wasn't worried about it, and thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
'What a guy!' Lee sighed to himself, 'If I didn't have to kill him, I would actually envy his ability to have those two on regular basis! What a life to ...'
Lee didn't finish the thought, when piercing pain assaulted his right hand. It was as if soone stabbed a hot awl through his palm, but there was no blood and no wound.
Only the strange mark that Tess couldn't figure out was there, but to Lee it wasn't strange at all. He knew that the amulet he and Lisa found back then left the imprint on his right palm, almost like a burned scar, except after every reincarnation the mark was there.
Obviously he didn't have the amulet anymore, but every ti Lee glanced at the right hand, Lisa's image appeared in his mind. There was the ti when all he did was to look at the mark, reminiscing about her.
It was to the point that in his second life the other gang-mbers laughed at him for constantly staring at his right-hand girlfriend, but even though they intended to insult him, the guys never knew how close to the truth their words were.
'Right ... Lisa ...' Lee smiled to himself, and the pain imdiately vanished. He clenched his right fist a couple of tis, but the hand was fine. He pondered whether the sensation a mont ago was an illusion, but the emperor's words woke up him from daydreaming.
Looking up, Lee saw His Imperial Majesty on the stage, right next to the two blushed girls. He was currently giving them presents, and jokingly complaining about stealing all spotlight. The two girls bashfully apologized, and, accompanied by cheerful applause, rushed back to the table, or rather – Mark.
"Thank you, Cecil and Helen!" The Emperor said, "I might reconsider the rule of allowing only juniors to perform. To lose a duet like yours is sothing the Sky Empire can't bear!"
After giggles in the audience died down, the emperor flicked his fingers, and a tall, muscular man carried approximately a foot long and wide box up to the stage. The box seed to be made of dark wood, but clearly was too heavy for it's size.
"Now that the two vixens are gone, let us turn to the main event of the evening." The Emperor beca serious, and said, "Lance, you're up!"
Lance Newman was mariti minister's second son, and Lee didn't know much about him, except the fact that the guy was on his hit list. But him becoming the main event ca as a surprise to the most present. Contrary to Lee, the rest quickly guessed what this was about the mont the young man was called to the stage, though.
"Bill didn't lie when he said that our navy killed the largest waletaur ever sighted." The Emperor loudly said, "And yes, you are correct, in this box we have its spark."
While loud murmurs washed over the crowd, Lee's only hope was that the emperor would open the lid and finally show what the thing looked like.
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