Chapter 30: Royal Banquet [2]
The grand ballroom of the Valerion Royal Palace was a symphony of crystal and gold.
Enormous chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling as their thousands of enchanted crystals shed warm light across the sea of nobles below.
The marble floors had been polished to a mirror-like shine, reflecting the swirling gowns and tailored coats of the Valerion kingdom’s most powerful families.
At the far end of the hall,
A raised dais held the royal family’s table, though the king and queen had yet to make their entrance.
Near the entrance,
A herald in royal blue struck his ceremonial staff against the floor three times, producing a much greater sound than it was supposed to be.
*Thump.... Thump.... Thump.... *
The sharp thump cut through the murmurs of conversation into silence.
── Lady Jeanne Morwell, Heir to the Marquessate of Morwell, and Lord Mikael Morwell!
As heads turned in unison, a ripple of whispers spread through the crowd.
Jeanne began her descent from the top of the short staircase as her emerald gown trailed behind her like liquid silk.
She moved with the effortless grace of someone who had long grown accustomed to being the center of attention.
The fabric of her gown hugged her figure before cascading into elegant folds at her feet, and the rich green hue made her dark hair and emerald eyes all the more striking.
Being one of the youngest in her generation to reach Tier 4.
Jeanne had earned fame not just for her beauty but also for her strength--a rare combination that drew attention wherever she went.
People even spoke of her in reverent tones, whispered predictions that she might one day elevate House Morwell to the ranks of the Ducal houses.
A feat not accomplished by a Marquessate in three generations.
Jeanne was naturally used to this kind of attention.
But tonight it was the figure behind her that stole the room’s breath.
Mikael followed his sister three paces behind, wearing a formal black coat.
His short black hair had been brushed back from his forehead, though a few strands still fell forward, framing his face in an artistic disarray.
His face was the kind that made people forget what they were saying mid-sentence, his features that were too striking to be called merely handsome.
His lips rested in a neutral line, giving away nothing.
But it was his eyes that held people--those ghostly grey irises that were the color of winter fog that seemed to hold no particular emotion.
And yet everyone who met them felt as though they had been caught doing something they shouldn’t have.
It was unsettling yet magnetic.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
── Who is he?
── Didn’t you hear the herald? That’s Mikael Morwell. The Marquess Morwell’s youngest and Lady Jeanne’s little brother.
── The one who vanished after his mother’s death? Goddess, I’d heard rumors, but I thought he’d become a recluse."
── He hasn’t been seen in public for years. They say he’s been locked away in his estate, drowning in his own.... well, you know."
── From what I’ve heard, he’s utterly untalented, didn’t even awaken his affinity or any ability, unlike his prodigious sister.
── A Marquess’s son with no talent. What a waste of a bloodline.
── Who cares about his talent? Look at that face. I’d risk it all.
── Lower your voice, Margaret. Your husband is right there.
Mikael heard fragments of the whispers as he walked beside Jeanne into the heart of the ballroom.
He didn’t react to them. His expression remained perfectly neutral as his gaze swept around the room with cold detachment.
But the last sentence —"With a face like that, I’d risk it"
It had nearly made him stumble.
But he caught himself before anyone could notice.
He was still processing the absurdity of a married noblewoman loudly proclaiming her willingness to risk her marriage for a stranger.
’This kingdom’s nobility is something else.’
But beneath the amusing comments, he caught more useful threads.
’The one who vanished after his mother’s death.’
So that was part of it, too.
The original Mikael hadn’t just retreated from the world because of his failed awakening or his curse.
There had been grief layered on top of failure, loss compounding loss.
His crippling curse and then his mother’s death, and somewhere in the aftermath of those twin blows, the original Mikael had simply.... succumbed to a listless melancholy.
He noticed that the attention on him was already beginning to fade.
Curious glances lingered on him for a moment, then drifted back to Jeanne.
It was as it should be.
She was the heir of the Marquess family after all, and a prodigy.
Mikael was just the untalented shadow trailing behind her.
A curiosity, a brief flicker of interest, but ultimately.... a nobody.
That suited him perfectly.
"You’re causing quite a stir, dear little brother."
Jeanne’s amused voice reached his ears from beside him.
"I can already see half a dozen young ladies eyeing you like you’re the last pastry on the dessert table."
"Talk about yourself." Mikael murmured back. "Half the young lords in the room are lining up to trip over your feet."
"At least I let them down gently."
"Sure you do."
A server drifted past with a tray of wine glasses as Mikael snagged one without breaking stride.
Jeanne’s tone shifted, quieter.
"Remember, you don’t have to talk to anyone you don’t want to. If someone corners you, just give them the silent treatment. You’re good at that."
"Okay."
── Lady Jeanne! I thought I spotted you from across the hall. You look absolutely stunning tonight.
Mikael followed the voice and took a sip of wine.
"Looks like your first fanboy’s arrived." He said, just loud enough for her.
Jeanne’s eye twitched.
A handsome young man with golden hair and blue eyes approached them.
Jeanne smiled back at him, perfectly masking her original annoyed expression.
"Lord Reynard. It’s a pleasure."
"The pleasure is entirely mine, I assure you."
Reynard swept into an elaborate bow that was probably meant to look dashing as he straightened, his gaze finally landed on Mikael.
His smile faltered for a moment before recovering.
"And Lord Mikael. It’s been... some time. You look well."
"Thank you."
Mikael said in a flat voice.
"Ahem...!" Reynard cleared his throat and turned back to Jeanne.
"I was hoping you might save me a dance later this evening. The orchestra is supposed to be excellent—they’ve brought in musicians all the way from Eldergate."
"How thoughtful of you. I’ll surely consider it."
Reynard’s smile brightened.
"Wonderful! I’ll find you when the dancing begins."
He bowed again and retreated into the crowd, practically radiating satisfaction.
Jeanne waited until he was out of earshot before muttering.
"He’s going to be very disappointed when ’I’ll consider it’ turns into ’I suddenly developed a mysterious leg injury.’"
"You could just say no."
"And offend Earl Ashford? No thanks." She sighed and took a long sip of her wine.
"This is why I hate these things. Half the young lords here see me as a stepping stone to our family’s influence, and the other half just want to see what’s under the gown. Neither group is particularly appealing."
Mikael considered this.
"So don’t marry any of them."
"Oh, brilliant advice. Why didn’t I think of that?" She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "You’re supposed to be on my side."
"I am on your side. That’s why I’m telling you not to marry idiots."
"Finally, some brotherly wisdom."
Despite her dry tone, there was a small genuine smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.
The ballroom continued to fill as the evening deepened.
After some time.
Jeanne was swept away by a flock of young noblewomen who descended on her like brightly colored birds.
She shot him an apologetic glance over her shoulder as they pulled her toward a cluster of debutantes, and then she was gone, swallowed up by laughter and rustling gowns.
Mikael found himself alone in a sea of strangers.
A few young ladies approached him not long after.
He made polite conversation, offering the right nods and measured words, enough to be courteous without inviting anything more.
They drifted away eventually.
He let his gaze sweep across the ballroom.
He was looking for someone specific.
’Ah. There he is.’
******
(I have changed Jeanne’s rank from Tier 5 to Tier 4, Will edit the previous Chapters soon.)