Chapter 636 - 637: A Friend Would

เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 มี.ค. 2569 07:30

Chapter 636: Chapter 637: A Friend Would This was a delicate and subtle political atmosphere. Abellona was telling the truth; she had not set up the seating as a way to rank anyone based on their strength or reputation. She had done so based on factions. Her motivations had been purely political, setting up the seats in a way that allowed her to affect the political relationship between others. Why else would she have seated the Royal Academy representatives so far away from Damon and his friend, as well as Lilith Astranova who was still absent for some reason? Some of the representatives hadn’t appeared, opting to stay hidden, but they had still sent someone to keep an eye on things. This was a purely political move on her part, though perhaps with some personal reasons as well. By bringing Damon so close her excuse was that he was a hero of the Empire. There was nothing wrong with him sitting next to the princess. However, the elf princess had completely turned everything on its head. What was even wrong with her? Why would she be so bold and blatant? Yet Abellona’s thoughts didn’t mean anything for the young woman who had already made up her mind. Sylvia would see the world burn for her desires. At this point, it didn’t even matter if Damon wanted her or not. He did, whether he wanted it or not. Her words pulled Damon out of his reverie. He glanced at Sylvia standing behind him, holding a chair. His gaze shifted to Matia, who wore an impassive expression. She wasn’t against moving, not really. It was just that... She only took orders from Damon, and Sylvia’s words sounded too much like a command for her liking. If Damon wanted it, she would move. With her doll-like expression, she glanced at him. All eyes were on him. ’What the hell... I can’t deal with this right now...’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎 He nodded at Matia. "Do as you please." She nodded and stood up. However, it wasn’t because Sylvia had asked. It was simply because this was what she had wanted to do. Now, she had been given free rein to act however she liked. The first thing she did, the sound of ice spreading around her body echoed out as her porcelain-like figure became covered in armor. Her beautiful face was now hidden beneath a visor. With that simple act, she moved behind Damon. Sylvia muttered a soft apology as she sat down beside him. "Erm... sorry for the trouble, Matia." She settled into her seat, her lips curving into a small smile. With the young elf from the Moonveil shocked by her boldness, Sylvia leaned forward, boldly slipping her hand into Damon’s. That was the last straw. The elf stood up, slamming the table. "You dare bewitch the princess?" Damon sighed, hearing the sound of Matia shaping a weapon of ice behind him. His gaze fell on Sylvia’s hand clutching his own. Closing his eyes, he felt troubled. Not by this, of course, he couldn’t care less how this affected the reputation of the White Ruler. That man had once ordered his death. Damon had not forgotten that grudge. Abellona watched him with narrowed eyes, as if she wanted to peer beneath his hood. Things were quickly getting out of her control. ’Why is everything becoming so chaotic...’ She stood, taking a deep breath, and tapped her glass with a utensil. "Ladies and gentlemen... it seems I have unintentionally caused a misunderstanding. I seem to have created the impression seating was based on your strength. For that, I apologize." Her voice was calm, her composure returning. Then she suddenly remembered, Sylvia Moonveil was rumored to be having an affair with the young ascendant, and the Moonveils had even sent assassins after him. How could she forget that? She was really losing her touch, closing herself off and thinking about some man she barely knew. "It seems we may need to follow the bold example of Princess Moonveil. We should not let arbitrary seating affect us as of now. We should follow her example and shuffle our seats." Abellona moved from her seat, heading to the empty chair across from Damon which had been reserved for Lilith. With the princess making a move, everyone had to give her face. Thus, one by one, they began moving seats, each finding new places based on factions, relationships, or other considerations. Well, with the exception of Damon. He didn’t feel like moving, and Sylvia’s grip on his hand was so tight he thought his bones might break. Abellona cleared her throat to get Sylvia’s attention. Reluctantly, Sylvia let go of Damon’s hand. Damon raised his head slightly to find Abellona’s crimson eyes glaring daggers at him. He rolled his eyes under his hood. ’What’d I do this time...’ Clinking her glass again, Abellona recaptured everyone’s attention. This time the seating had changed completely, determined by power blocs, friendships, and rivalries. It was no longer under her control. She could feel Sylvia Moonveil’s gaze lingering on her. There was a thin smile on Sylvia’s face, one Abellona recognized instantly. It was a smile that said, I am the one in control. A small hint of dread crept up her spine as she met the gray eyes of Sylvia Moonveil. This girl was dangerous in ways Abellona did not yet understand. ’Was her action part of some deeper plan... or was it just random...’ The seed of paranoia grew within her heart. Still, she didn’t let it distract her from her duty. She raised her glass with a practiced smile as trolleys of food rolled into the hall, servants arranging the feast across the tables. The banquet hadn’t even begun, yet she already had a headache. This was supposed to be a time to interrogate Damon Grey, but from the looks of it, she would not get that chance. And thus the feast began. Sylvia had gotten what she wanted. She was seated beside Damon. For the first time in a while, it almost felt like it was just the two of them. Though she had offended several people, and her parents would no doubt be displeased with her. Sylvia had broken her agreement with them, she had promised not to speak with Damon. But she could tell something was bothering him. ’I’ll deal with the aftermath later...’ As everyone ate, Sylvia only nibbled lightly at her food. "What’s on your mind?" she whispered. Damon hadn’t touched the food, only sipping from his drink. "Do I look like something is wrong, or is this something a seer would know?" She shook her head, her eyes soft. "No... something a friend would."

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