Raven

Truth be told, this was the first banquet held at the palace in recent memory.

It couldn't be helped. Ever since summer began, cholera broke out the moment Tang Feiliu and his group arrived at the imperial city. Everyone had been busy these past months, especially Her Majesty Josephine. This wasn't just Alexander, Johnson, and the others' first time attending a palace banquet—it was also Tang Feiliu's first encounter with the nobility within the imperial city.

This would be his first encounter with Edward's colleagues! This would be the first time he and Edward attended a banquet together... meaning Edward would introduce him to everyone at this dinner, publicly declaring their close relationship!

Tang Feiliu only belatedly grasped the significance of this. Before he could fully process it, Edward took his hand with open candor, and they walked in arm in arm.

"This is your first social event since becoming partners. Many people may greet you later. Engage with those you like, and ignore the rest," Edward murmured softly in his ear. The magnetic whisper of Spanish made Tang Feiliu feel an inappropriate urge to swoon over his boyfriend.

"Mm-hmm." Tang Feiliu had no idea what he was agreeing to, only clinging obediently to Edward's arm while inwardly lamenting whether he should have dressed even more elaborately?!

Before leaving, he’d thought the jewels on his outfit were excessive. Now, he nervously touched the hair Edward had styled for him, wishing he could add a tiny crown to the matching top hat perched on his head!

Tang Feiliu's mind raced with nervous thoughts. Fortunately, upon entering, she discovered this ball was likely curated by Her Majesty Josephine herself. Everyone present wore uniformly modern attire. After shedding their overcoats, the room was filled with a sea of black tailcoats. Thankfully, the vibrant blossoms of women's beautiful dresses added color, preventing the atmosphere from feeling overly solemn. Instead, it evoked a unique beauty reminiscent of bygone eras.

Tang Feiliu exhaled softly, shot Edward a glare, and whispered indignantly in his ear, "You did this on purpose!"

She deliberately hadn't told him about the special nature of this banquet or its high-level status—all to scare him.

"...Think about it. How busy have you been lately? When would I have had time to talk to you?" Edward leaned down and murmured back into Tang Feiliu's ear. The breath sent a shiver through her, leaving her both flustered and embarrassed. It finally clicked—he really had been swamped lately. Meals were often rushed at his brother's place, sometimes even at the hospital or Johnson's soap factory.

Not only did Charlemagne occasionally ask him about things, but Johnson's soap factory was turning a terrifying profit. Johnson had become extremely serious about it, even starting to receive orders from neighboring countries. In a short time, Johnson had expanded his holdings again and again. Alexander had also seized the opportunity to buy an old distillery and was busy expanding his workforce recently, yet demand still outstripped supply.

Tang Feiliu was occupied with his own tasks, but Johnson had a skilled worker who'd recently devised a semi-automated assembly line, drastically cutting production time. He'd even figured out a non-condensation manufacturing method on his own. Tang Feiliu was thrilled. He spent that period constantly discussing matters with the worker at the soap factory. With Johnson pouring in substantial funds, a group of skilled craftsmen suddenly emerged. Tang Feiliu was so engrossed in discussions with them that he wished he could even share meals with the group... With all these various matters piling up, Tang Feiliu sometimes found himself busier than even Edward, the Duke. Indeed, Edward had been neglected for quite some time.

The two were engaged in quiet conversation, exchanging meaningful glances. As the banquet was about to commence, Edward led Tang Feiliu to stand beside Her Majesty Josephine. Instantly, Tang Feiliu felt countless scrutinizing eyes turn his way.

Tang Feiliu wasn't particularly outgoing, but his personality was merely introverted, not timid. He straightened his back and murmured to himself, "It's all carrots, all carrots..." He didn't notice Edward had overheard, a subtle curve lifting the corner of his mouth.

The opening dance commenced. Her Majesty Josephine led Edward onto the dance floor. Everyone found their partners and began dancing in step with Her Majesty's movements.

Of course, Tang Feiliu had no intention of dancing with anyone.

He spotted his brother being approached by a girl in a yellow dress. She wore a modern ball gown—not the ornate style of old aristocracy, but rather resembling the new-style skirts Lily had designed before Tang Feiliu left Black Swan.

Wearing such a modern skirt at this grand occasion clearly marked her as not belonging to the old aristocracy. Yet... observing the many girls in traditional noble gowns at the banquet, Tang Feiliu surmised that this girl's father and brothers must be political animals with terrifyingly sharp instincts.

Such shrewd individuals were not numerous, yet far from rare. It was simply that Her Majesty Josephine had recently worn a new-style skirt during a speech at the palace, and many had grasped the symbolism behind it.

Watching her brother converse politely with the girl, Tang Feiliu smiled. She had never been one to dwell on the concerns that preoccupied the clever. Fortunately, there were those willing to shield her from such matters.

Having just finished dancing with Her Majesty Josephine, Edward scanned the room for him. Tang Feiliu smiled at him and waved from a corner.

Edward took a few steps forward only to be immediately surrounded by a crowd. Tang Feiliu watched him approach, take her hand, and then—for a silent second—everyone around them fell quiet before suddenly, with perfect unspoken coordination, breaking into smiles and greeting him warmly.

"This must be Viscount Lance? What a spirited young man!" declared the man with the red nose first, and the others immediately joined in with cheerful greetings. In an instant, Tang Feiliu felt as though he had become the most popular person in the palace.

Clearly, this group shared a closer bond with Edward. While equally warm toward Tang Feiliu, their demeanor remained entirely free of flattery, perfectly calibrated. Most significantly, they were discussing business with Edward—evidently, this dinner was swiftly being transformed into an impromptu overtime session by this group of workaholics.

Tang Feiliu was getting a headache listening to it all. After talking for a while, Edward noticed the little guy beside him was quietly fighting back yawns. Suddenly, he cracked a smile. This momentary shift stunned everyone. The red-nosed man, still mid-sentence about Nat's perimeter defenses and troop deployments, froze, wondering if he'd proposed some laughable strategy. But the next instant, Edward turned and spoke softly to Tang Feiliu, who was drifting off: "Getting bored? My bad. I should've let you play after the briefing. Go ahead, but don't wander too far. If you head out to the garden, bring Ivans with you, okay?"

This string of caring reminders was something Tang Feiliu heard daily, so he was quite accustomed to it. He nodded obediently, his eyes sparkling—listening to this group chat was truly boring! Not a single topic was something Tang Feiliu understood or enjoyed. After happily nodding to show he understood, he’d intended to give Edward a quick kiss and dash off, just like he used to do at Black Swan. But the moment he stood on tiptoe, he suddenly remembered this was the palace. He slammed on the brakes, saying, "I know, I know. I’ll just..."

But Edward bent down and gently kissed his cheek, murmuring, "I'll come find you in a moment."

Tang Feiliu could feel jaws dropping around him. Blushing, he gave a quick "Mm-hmm" and hurried away. Edward turned to find a circle of sharp-eyed onlookers, their expressions unusually flustered. Clearing his throat to feign nonchalance, he asked, "Where were we?"

Just then, a young man with light golden hair strode in through the doorway, his steps as swift as flight. Before he even reached them, he exclaimed dramatically, "Edward, my goodness! What have I seen?!"

Edward turned his head just as the red-nosed young noble beside him cleverly interjected, "Marquis Raven returned to Nat overnight yesterday..."

The red-nosed noble was named Wolf. His family traced back to a distant branch of the Marquis de Raven's lineage, their dilapidated ancestral home bordering the Marquis's estate. Before aligning with Edward, Wolf had struggled to maintain their connection. It was through Wolf that Edward later developed a friendship with the Marquis de Raven, despite their completely different personalities.

"Hey! I haven't been back in years, and this is the look you give me?!" Marquis Raven and Edward weren't just different—they were polar opposites. Yet, due to certain shared experiences, he was, strictly speaking, one of Edward's rare, almost sole remaining friends.

Or as the Marquis of Raven put it, they were sworn brothers.

Normally, Edward was delighted to see the Marquis, but this time he felt a bit nervous. Unaware of Edward’s unease, the Marquis laughed heartily, gave him a hug, and then winked mischievously. "Who was that beauty earlier? To have captured the Dark Duke’s heart and made you wear that look... Hmm, I absolutely must meet her!"

"Raven," Edward returned the embrace, steering the conversation elsewhere, "What made you decide to come back so suddenly?"

Marquis Raven possessed an exuberant personality. To be precise, he shared a distant familial connection with Edward's family. Of course, in this era, intermarriage among nobility was strictly regulated; those of similar standing could invariably trace mutual connections through their family histories.

Edward's maternal lineage descended from a branch of the Fran Royal House, hailing from a great noble family. The Marquis of Raven's mother—a distant relative of Edward's maternal family—was a noble duchess who had married the Marquis of Raven's father. This union occurred precisely because the Marquis of Raven's father was a peculiar figure in Nat.

The Marquis de Raven's father possessed noble lineage and his own estates. To be frank, he wielded greater influence than dukes like the Duke of March, who inherited mere nominal titles. It was during his travels that the Marquis de Raven's father met his wife at a ball. The young woman, who had nearly been betrothed to another royal house, was utterly captivated by the dashing and romantic Marquis de Raven. She resolutely rejected the emperor's proposal, enraging her family. It was said she received not a single penny in dowry—in this era, that was the most dreadful thing imaginable!

Even Lady Raven's mother feared her marriage might collapse over this, yet to everyone's surprise, the Marquis Raven spent a fortune crafting a marquess's crown for her and presented her with a full wedding ensemble... After their marriage, and following the birth of Marquis Raven, it's said Lady Raven's family finally made up for her dowry.

Though this tale is ancient history, it remains widely recounted to this day. Consequently, the Marquis Raven—who inherited the late marquis's looks and temperament—became every noble lady's dream prince.

They all hoped this Marquis Raven would be a devoted, romantic young man. Thus, at every ball, noble ladies vied fiercely for his attention. It wasn't until one noble lady nearly caused a scandal over him that the Marquis Raven was ordered by his father to go to his mother's family estate to study diligently. In short, because he attracted too much attention, he was sent away!

Now, after entrusting everything to his son, the elder Marquis Raven is said to have departed for the New World with his wife to establish their new estate... Rumor has it they remain the first aristocrats to have ever sailed there.

A son raised in such a household naturally wouldn't be one to follow the rules. Raven exchanged a knowing wink with Edward as they watched Tang Feiliu's retreating figure after the shuttle departed.

Edward was thoroughly exasperated, and... he truly did not want Raven to meet Tang Feiliu.

Tang Feiliu was hiding in a corner, eating and drinking. His brother, still shaken, rushed over, gulped down a glass of wine in one go, and then said to Tang Feiliu: "...Lance, pinch me!"

"What?!" Tang Feiliu stared blankly at his brother, his expression screaming, "Are you out of your mind?"

Alexander earnestly urged Tang Feiliu to pinch him. After Tang Feiliu reluctantly complied, Alexander muttered dazedly, "...So this is all real?! A noble lady actually wants to flirt with me?!"

Tang Feiliu felt a string of ellipses in her mind, unsure how to respond to her brother's pathetic, horrified exclamation.

Alexander was genuinely terrified! Though he usually appeared calm and dependable, a reliable older brother you could count on.

But deep down, Alexander remained that small-town gentleman from Valra. His family grew mostly grapes, carefully saving the few pounds earned from the annual wine harvest. Any surplus went toward buying more land and planting more vines... That was how the Doug family had prospered, generation after generation.

Alexander could strive and work hard, aiming to revive the family name as generations of Dougs had envisioned. But he had always believed he was still on that path of striving... At the very least, he thought he'd need several more years of effort, right?

Yet here, at this very gathering, a noble lady extended an olive branch to him. Such unexpected fortune stunned Alexander so profoundly that he slipped away to confide in his younger brother.

Tang Feiliu had finally grasped his brother's character. Was it really just blood? Both brothers were the type to bury their heads in work, unflappable in everyday matters. Yet when faced with such unexpected fortune, their first reaction wasn't joy but sheer panic.

In short, they were a bit of a cowardly pair.

But this unexpected stroke of luck was indeed a bit odd. Just as Tang Feiliu was puzzling over it, a giggling voice suddenly came from behind. A head with light golden hair popped up and asked the brothers, "Is it the girl in the yellow skirt?"

Author's Note:

Thanks to Tangyuan Nuonuo and Lanfeng for their support.