Chapter 26: The Banquet at the Foyd Estate

The interior of the Foyd Family's palace was just as magnificent as its exterior.

The moment Azrael stepped inside, he was greeted by an atmosphere of luxury and refinement. Precious furniture decorated every corner, the walls were adorned with exquisite ornaments, and the polished floors reflected the warm light of the crystal lamps hanging from the ceiling.

Everything spoke of wealth.

Yet despite the extravagance surrounding him, what caught Azrael's attention was something far less tangible.

The atmosphere of family.

As he walked beside Duke Valer, Azrael could hear the occasional laughter of Selina and the quiet conversation between Lilian and Gaya.

There was warmth in their voices.

A sense of familiarity.

A feeling of belonging.

It was something Azrael had rarely experienced.

Perhaps because, for so long, he had been without a family of his own.

He did not show anything on his face, however.

His expression remained as calm and indifferent as ever.

Beside them, Gaya had already become engaged in conversation with Selina and Lilian.

The two women seemed curious about her relationship with Azrael.

"So, Lady Gaya," Selina asked curiously, "how long have you known Sir Azrael?"

Gaya glanced briefly toward Azrael's back.

She hesitated for a moment before answering casually,

"We've known each other for quite some time."

Lilian smiled.

"And what exactly is your relationship with him?"

Gaya's expression remained composed.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, she lied.

"We're husband and wife."

Selina's eyes widened.

"Really?!"

Lilian was equally surprised.

Even Valer, who was walking ahead of them, glanced backward for a moment.

Gaya, however, maintained a perfectly calm expression as though she had just stated an ordinary fact.

Azrael, who had heard every word, merely continued walking.

He did not bother correcting her.

After several more minutes of walking through the palace, they finally arrived at an elegant dining hall.

A large table capable of seating eight people occupied the center of the room, surrounded by luxurious chairs.

Valer walked to the head of the table and sat down.

He then gestured toward the seat opposite him.

"Please, sit."

Azrael walked over and sat in the chair directly opposite the Duke.

Gaya followed him and took the seat on his right.

The action immediately caught Valer's attention.

It was a subtle detail, but an interesting one.

Gaya had clearly chosen to sit beside Azrael rather than somewhere else.

The other members of the household noticed it as well.

Yet none of them asked about it.

Selina took the seat beside Gaya.

Lilian, however, disappeared from the room shortly after they arrived.

No one questioned her absence.

A few minutes later, she returned.

Behind her came several maids carrying large trays of food.

They carefully placed the dishes across the table.

The aroma of freshly prepared food quickly filled the dining hall.

Selina smiled and explained,

"My mother prepares the meals for the family herself."

Azrael glanced toward Lilian.

There was a faint trace of surprise in his eyes.

For someone of her status, personally preparing food for her family was unusual.

Lilian then sat beside Valer and began serving food to Gaya and Azrael herself.

"Please, try this."

She placed several dishes before them.

Gaya thanked her warmly.

Azrael, however, first examined the food carefully.

His spiritual sense swept over the dishes.

He detected nothing unusual.

Only then did he give Gaya a slight nod.

The food was safe.

Gaya began eating.

Azrael followed.

The meal proceeded peacefully for several minutes.

It was perhaps the most ordinary scene Azrael had experienced since arriving in the Kingdom of Light.

Eventually, Valer placed his utensils down and looked toward him.

"Now that we've had a chance to settle down, I would like to hear the details of what happened."

His expression became serious.

"What exactly happened on the road?"

For the first time since entering the Foyd Family's palace, Azrael opened his mouth to say something other than his own name.

His deep voice broke the silence.

"Gaya and I were passing through that area when the sounds of screams and clashing weapons caught our attention. We saw a carriage surrounded by several soldiers protecting..."

He paused briefly.

Then continued,

"...those soldiers were under attack from a large group of insects in the Spiritual Warrior Realm. The soldiers were losing until one of them saw us in the sky and called for help. Gaya intervened and slaughtered those worthless insects."

There was a faint trace of coldness in Azrael's voice when he said the final words.

"Those worthless insects."

The atmosphere inside the dining hall subtly changed.

Selina blinked.

The servants exchanged brief glances.

Even Lilian looked at Azrael with a hint of surprise.

They had expected him to describe the attackers as enemies or assassins.

Instead, he had casually referred to them as insects.

Valer narrowed his eyes slightly.

He did not immediately respond.

Instead, he entered deep thought, carefully analyzing the information Azrael had just provided.

Something about the story bothered him.

The attack itself was not unusual.

Bandits and hostile cultivators occasionally attacked travelers.

But the timing...

The identity of the attackers...

And the fact that someone had specifically targeted Selina's carriage...

There were too many possibilities.

Valer was about to ask another question when—

Azrael suddenly stopped.

His expression changed.

The temperature of the room seemed to drop.

His eyes became terrifyingly cold.

Then, without warning, his voice exploded through the dining hall like thunder.

"Who?"

The single word carried an overwhelming killing intent.

Everyone froze.

Valer's eyes widened.

Gaya immediately turned her attention toward the servants.

Selina's body stiffened.

Lilian's expression changed as well.

Then—

A servant standing behind Lilian suddenly moved.

His hand disappeared beneath his clothes.

A cold glint flashed.

A dagger appeared in his hand.

The servant's eyes became vicious.

In the next instant, he lunged forward.

The dagger shot toward Lilian's neck.

Everything happened in a fraction of a second.

The servants nearby had not even realized what was happening.

Selina was too far away.

Valer had barely begun to turn his head.

But Azrael had already seen it.

The peaceful family dinner had been shattered.

And the dagger was only centimeters away from Lilian's throat.