Chapter 311: Noble Banquet

After everything in the North had settled, and before they were set to return, Ansu and Celia went to see a special guest.

Sunset Manor, located over three hundred kilometers from Elvin Village, was the ancestral territory of the Alston family, long famous for brewing the finest red wine in the North.

The usually quiet manor was extraordinarily lively today.

Nobles and gentry from all over the North had gathered here. The gentlemen were dressed in crisp tailcoats, and the ladies wore magnificent evening gowns. Accompanied by a melodious violin solo, men and women stepped elegantly to the music, the air thick with the scent of luxury and decadence.

Walking down the corridor leading to the main hall, Celia noticed Ansu’s gaze lingering on the crowd for a long time. She smiled and teased, “You haven’t even blinked. What, have you taken a fancy to some beautiful noble lady?”

Ansu laughed helplessly and turned to look at her.

“No noble lady is as beautiful as you. I was just observing which Northern nobles are attending the banquet.”

Just like the bonfire celebration with the four demihuman tribes, the Northern nobles were holding a grand victory banquet under the host of Edmond Alston.

“I know.” Celia was just joking and didn't actually think Ansu had fallen for some bejeweled noble lady. After all, Ansu’s standards were quite high.

Her gaze swept indifferently across the dance floor, then she looked up at Ansu and slowly offered her hand.

Ansu reached out and took it firmly, his gaze involuntarily falling upon her.

Even though he had been looking at her all the way here, he still couldn't hide the amazement in his eyes.

Celia was naturally beautiful, and even without makeup, her looks were peerless. Today, after dressing up meticulously for the ball, she was breathtakingly stunning.

She wore a minimalist, floor-length black evening gown. Her dark hair was neatly pinned up without any redundant diamond ornaments, accentuating her fair, delicate collarbones and the elegant lines of her swan-like neck. When she wasn't smiling, she was as noble and reserved as a royal princess; when her gaze shifted, the innate cold arrogance she possessed clearly marked her as a queen in command of everything.

The moment the two entered the venue hand-in-hand, all eyes snapped toward the door, and the noisy hall fell into an eerie silence for a few seconds.

As the two looked at each other and smiled, walking forward slowly, it seemed as if all the starlight of the night had fallen upon them.

The men were all looking at Celia, while the ladies, naturally, had their eyes locked on Ansu.

Celia gave a faint hum of disapproval.

She looked sideways at Ansu’s well-defined profile. He usually loved to praise her beauty, but today, with his hair carefully styled and wearing a custom-tailored black suit, he looked exceptionally tall and handsome.

Celia looked around the hall, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly with a sharp, intimidating glint. This aggressive stare caused several noble ladies who were frequently stealing glances at Ansu to hurriedly look away and lower their heads in embarrassment.

Celia gave a nonchalant, cold laugh and retracted that overly provocative gaze.

“Ansu, I told you to hold my hand, but I didn't tell you to squeeze it so tightly.”

Feeling the pressure in her palm, Celia curled her lips elegantly and leaned close to his ear. “What, am I really that beautiful today? You seem so excited.”

“Yes, beautiful.” Ansu’s gaze was locked on her face, his tone serious. “Extremely beautiful.”

“Beautiful... then I'll reward you.” Celia giggled with a hint of seduction. “Tonight...”

Ansu blinked mischievously and smirked. “Then I want you to wear this.”

Celia immediately rolled her eyes at him. “This is haute couture, specifically sent by the Lawrence family. What if you ruin it?”

Ansu also leaned close to her ear. “I want to tear this outfit off you, piece by piece, my Miss Witch~”

Celia instantly realized what he meant, her eyes widening slightly.

Subsequently, ambiguous images flashed uncontrollably through her mind, and her cheeks began to heat up.

“I won't let you tear it!” She lightly pinched Ansu’s palm, her tone tinged with shy annoyance. “I actually quite like this one.”

“Then I won't tear it.” The smile in Ansu’s voice grew stronger. “Wearing it is fine too; it adds more atmosphere.”

Celia froze for a moment, then glared at him fiercely. “Where did you learn all this! You... how can you be such a rogue!”

“It’s not being a rogue when it's with my own wife~” Ansu said with a chuckle.

Celia huffed, and just as she was about to retort, she caught sight of a figure walking quickly toward them.

“Stop fooling around...” she whispered. “Edmond is coming over.”

Ansu instantly retracted his casual expression, replacing it with a perfectly measured business smile.

Celia gave him an annoyed look, then turned around with him to face the host of tonight's banquet—Edmond Alston, the young noble cultivated by the cult.

“Mr. Lawrence, Miss Lawrence, you both look radiant.” As soon as Edmond spoke, it was the standard polite greeting used among nobles, his phrasing elegant and appropriate. “May tonight’s wonderful time leave you both with unforgettable memories.”

Ansu and Celia subconsciously glanced at each other.

Because Ansu now had this noble disguise, to the outside world... the two were indeed relatives, with Celia being his distant older cousin.

However, hearing someone address them like that for the first time felt a bit strange...

Celia had always been impatient with these formalities and interrupted in a flat tone, “Speak plainly. There are no outsiders here.”

“Miss Lawrence is indeed as straightforward and decisive as ever.” Edmond continued to flatter them with a smile, then instinctively glanced around and lowered his voice, speaking solemnly. “Cult Leader, Elder, I am currently facing a difficulty and urgently need your assistance...”

“After the old Emperor passed away, my uncle, Count Alston, contacted a group of henchmen. They plan to join forces to strip me of my inheritance, send troops to crush my private army, and seize all my territories...”

“Once he removes me as a stumbling block, he and the various noble factions from his old alliance will surely take direct control of the entire North and declare themselves kings... Both of you, whether for my sake or for the cult’s overall plans, this must be prevented!”

Ansu looked over the noble guests milling about the hall without showing any emotion. The Northern nobility had long since split into two major factions; those present tonight were all on Edmond’s side.

Their numbers were not large, and their territories were mostly located on the Northern borders, but every single one of them harbored resentment toward the ambitious Count Alston.

“We are already aware of this.” Celia nodded slowly. The cult’s intelligence network had sent the news back immediately; she had known the details even earlier than Edmond.

Thus, she said in a flat tone, “What are you panicking for? Since the cult has put so much effort into cultivating you, we won't sit idly by. We will naturally ensure your safety.”

“Cult Leader... of course, I would never doubt the cult’s investment in me.” Edmond’s expression remained tense and uneasy.

Although he had become an outer member of the cult, being in the vortex of power made it impossible to hide the sense of crisis in his heart—he was, after all, just an outsider, a Northern noble with some utility.

Since witnessing that overwhelming war in Talin with his own eyes, his initial awe toward these two gold-masked cultists, who had offered to “help” him when they first met, had long since transformed into total submission.

In Edmond’s eyes, no force could stand in the way of the Echoes of Truth—not the decaying Empire, not the Church of Holy Light, and not even the demons.

“It’s just...” Edmond hesitated, his expression becoming increasingly conflicted.