Chapter 284 Reward Ceremony 2

"Yeah...It’s been a long time," Nova said before adding with a smile, "You’re as beautiful as ever." The moment those words reached Celine’s ears, her cheeks immediately turned red.

Rieka and Asia exchanged amused smiles. Sometimes, they wondered whether Nova truly understood the effect a simple compliment from him could have on a woman, even if he meant nothing special by it.

Celine’s reaction was proof enough.

Meanwhile, inside the System Space, Nyxara crossed her arms and muttered, "That girl isn’t on par with me, but she’s still beautiful..."

Of course, she knew Nova wouldn’t pursue every woman he found beautiful. If that were the case, he would already have more than a hundred wives by now.

Nevertheless, her possessive side surfaced whenever another beautiful woman showed an interest in her husband.

Liya and Velena wisely decided not to comment.

"How long have you been here, Princess Celine?" Rieka asked curiously, hoping to steer the conversation away from the slight awkwardness.

"Oh, please, just call me Celine. There’s no need to be so formal, as I said last time," Celine replied with a smile. "Lord Liam and I have been here for about twenty minutes."

Rieka nodded, and the group made their way toward a nearby couch and sat down. The women soon began chatting, passing the time while waiting to be summoned for the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Nova noticed Liam standing nearby, glaring at him with undisguised hostility.

Nova smiled inwardly. ’Well, let’s have a little fun with him. I might as well try to learn a few things about the Everhart family while I’m at it.’

With that thought, Nova stood up and walked toward him.

Seeing Nova approach, Liam instinctively took a step back. Even after all these days, he hadn’t forgotten the overwhelming difference in their strength.

"What do you want?!" Liam asked uneasily.

"Relax. I just want to talk to you," Nova replied, raising his hands slightly to show that he meant no harm.

"Why would I talk to a commoner like you?!" Liam retorted contemptuously.

[Look at this bastard! How dare he talk to my husband like that?! I’ll crush him right now!] Nyxara growled inside the System Space.

She couldn’t tolerate anyone insulting her husband, regardless of who they were.

"Relax, my love. It’s all right," Nova reassured her through their mental connection.

His words quickly calmed Nyxara down. This time, however, even Liya and Velena shared her displeasure. Neither of them particularly liked Liam’s attitude toward Nova.

"You seem to have forgotten something. I’m a noble now—a Viscount," Nova said with a smile. "So, you can talk to me now, right?"

Liam had already heard about Nova’s elevation to nobility. The news had spread throughout the continent, and many people had praised King Leonis for granting the tournament champion’s family noble status.

Although Liam was still reluctant to speak with Nova, he realized that openly insulting him again might stop him from talking to him.

"Hmph! What do you want to talk about?" Liam asked, maintaining his haughty demeanor.

"Let’s start with your relationship with the Human Emperor, Caelan," Nova replied.

Liam raised his eyebrows but didn’t seem to mind the question. On the contrary, he appeared rather pleased to talk about his connection to the Human Emperor.

"He’s my uncle, of course!" he answered proudly.

"Is that so? Then, are you the youngest child of your father?" Nova asked curiously.

He was thinking about Maira Everhart. She was the granddaughter of Caelan, yet Liam was his nephew. Nova wondered how their family relationships were arranged.

Of course, age worked differently in this world. Powerful individuals could live for thousands of years without showing signs of aging, and having children at different stages of their long lives was perfectly normal.

As a result, the age of a parent or child didn’t necessarily reveal much about their position in the family.

"Yes, I am. And I’m also the most talented among my siblings!" Liam declared before adding resentfully, "Let me remind you that if we ever fight again, I’ll definitely defeat you!"

Nova almost laughed at his words.

"I see. Well, I hope you don’t mind if I keep my champion’s title for at least a few more years," he replied jokingly.

Although Liam understood that Nova was messing with him, he still had to maintain the dignity expected of a member of the Imperial Family.

"Anyway, what’s your relationship with Maira Everhart?" Nova asked. Liam frowned, his handsome features turning suspicious.

"Why do you want to know about my relationship with her? You see, I don’t like her, and I’d rather not talk about her!" Liam said bluntly.

"It’s nothing special. I’m friends with High Priestess Maira, and I recently discovered that she belongs to the Everhart family. On top of that, she’s Caelan’s granddaughter," Nova explained casually.

From Liam’s reaction, Nova began to understand why he disliked Maira.

From what he could tell, Liam was a narcissist who took great pride in himself. Having been praised as a genius from a young age, he had grown accustomed to being the center of attention. And to be fair, he was genuinely talented.

However, everything changed when Maira awakened the Divine Bloodline of the Goddess of Light. Her light energy became several times purer than his, and people immediately shifted their attention toward her.

Before long, everyone was praising Maira instead of Liam. His jealousy had only grown worse since then.

"If that’s the case, you can talk to her directly. She’ll be presenting the rewards to all of us anyway, though the thought of it disgusts me," Liam said irritably.

With that, he walked away toward another part of the hall, making it clear that he had no intention of continuing the conversation with Nova.

So, she’ll be presenting the rewards herself huh? Nova thought inwardly.

[What a spoiled little brat!] Nyxara exclaimed angrily.

{Yeah... That’s what happens when someone suddenly falls from the peak of popularity. And he fell twice—first because of Maira, and then again when Nova defeated him.} Liya commented.

[He’s still afraid of Lord Nova, so it’s only natural that he doesn’t want to talk to him!] Velena added.

[Anyway, husband... why did you suddenly ask about Maira?] Nyxara asked curiously.

"Well, I have a feeling that she knows something about me that she shouldn’t. I want to confirm whether my suspicion is correct," Nova replied.

[You mean she knows you’re the Slaughter Monarch?] Nyxara asked.

"Maybe she does, and maybe she doesn’t," Nova answered with a smile.

[Wouldn’t that cause problems for you?] Velena asked with concern.

"It won’t. I’ll make sure of that. Besides, I have a feeling she won’t do what I suspect she might do, even if she confirms my identity. If she had any intention of exposing me, I probably wouldn’t be standing here unharmed right now."

[That makes sense.] Liya agreed.

However, she then exchanged a knowing glance with Nyxara and Velena, a smile appearing on her face.

The other two immediately understood what her smile meant , still they didn’t say anything for now.

Time passed quickly in the guest hall, and soon another half an hour had gone by.

Before long, three butlers arrived. One was Fred, while the other two were the butlers assigned to Princess Celine and Liam Everhart.

The three butlers led the five winners of the Empire’s Grand Youth Tournament toward the grand Throne Hall of the Imperial Castle, where the ceremony would take place.

By now, everyone was gathered inside, and the entire ceremony was being broadcast across the Human Continent, allowing countless people to witness the occasion.

Soon, the five winners arrived before an enormous white gate. Its imposing surface was decorated with intricate golden carvings, reflecting the grandeur and authority of the Imperial Family.

The butlers stopped before the gate, and moments later, the massive doors slowly swung open.

Beyond them lay a magnificent scene.

However, the sight didn’t surprise any of the five winners. Given the occasion and the prestige of the Imperial Family, they had already expected something of this grandeur.

**

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