“Could this really earn me some dislike?” Mu’en scratched his head in perplexity, feeling utterly clueless.
He should have already conveyed the sincerest goodwill, and his every move and word was impeccable—there should be no room for even a hint of offense. Yet, it seemed that Ariel, our protagonist, wasn’t buying it.
“Sigh, looks like the conflict between me and the protagonist is truly irreconcilable,” he muttered to himself before tossing this little annoyance to the back of his mind.
After all, regardless of how deep the rift between him and the protagonist Ariel might be, after tonight, their fates would become two parallel lines that would never intersect.
“From now on, you go be the savior, and I’ll go be the working stiff. We both have bright futures ahead!” After waving his fist at Ariel’s retreating figure, Mu’en turned his attention back to the matter at hand.
There were still many guests waiting to be entertained.
…
“Princess Celicia, protagonist Ariel, and the future Holy Maiden of the Church of Life, Lia. That seems to be all the people to watch out for today.”
As the evening lights began to glow, Mu’en had been standing at the entrance of the banquet hall for a full two hours before he finally saw the last honored guest on his list walk into the hall, completing his reception duties.
“Whew, I’m beat.” Mu’en rubbed his aging waist with a hint of fatigue. If it weren’t for the fact that the original owner of this body had a bit of cultivation foundation, he probably would have collapsed under the weight of this twenty-kilogram ceremonial attire.
“You’ve worked hard,” said a voice beside him. It was the Duke, his cheap old man, whose beard was as fluffy as a lion’s mane. He had appeared out of nowhere, holding a plate of pastries, which he handed to Mu’en.
“Hungry? Have a bite.”
“A little hungry, yeah.” Mu’en grabbed a pastry and stuffed it into his mouth. Only at this moment could he afford to not care about noble etiquette.
“How are you feeling?”
“Not bad.”
“Did you manage to remember all those noble lords?”
“How could I?” Mu’en laughed bitterly. “There are so many noble lords. Just figuring out who’s who has already taken all my effort.”
“Ha, no rush. Take your time,” said the Duke Campbell with a pleased smile. “You’ve already done much better than I expected.”
“Ha, thanks.” Mu’en responded with a smile. “It’s what I should do.”
“However, you don’t have to work so hard from now on.” The Duke patted Mu’en’s shoulder. “Take a break before you head inside.”
After saying this, the prime-aged lion of the empire straightened his back and strode into the banquet hall like an old general heading to war.
Watching his majestic back, Mu’en couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional.
“He’s a good father.”
In fact, as the main character of this coming-of-age ceremony, Mu’en didn’t need to handle guest reception duties. But he did it because Duke Campbell had specifically arranged it.
As the Duke’s son, with Mu’en’s status, he would undoubtedly be “besieged” by those hyena-like nobles during the upcoming banquet, aiming to snatch some meat from his hands or directly carve a piece out of him.
And since the coming-of-age ceremony was essentially a platform to showcase Mu’en to everyone, all he could do was face those “sieges” head-on.
You can imagine how tough that would be.
Thus, Duke Campbell arranged for him to receive guests here beforehand. Only after “paying respects” to those hyenas in advance would they have no reason to directly bypass the lion and target the not-yet-fully-grown “cub.”
Although it’s called a coming-of-age ceremony, in Duke Campbell’s eyes, Mu’en was still far from being grown-up.
“It’s a pity. Tonight, I will let you down.”
In the original book, the later fate of Duke Campbell wasn’t described.
But given his doting on Mu’en, it’s certain that he would have been devastated when Mu’en Campbell turned out the way he did, and he could do nothing about it.
“But this time, things will be different.”
“I will live well.”
“Even if it’s just as an ordinary person.”
As he swallowed the last piece of pastry, the satisfaction from being full revitalized Mu’en’s spirits.
The twenty-kilogram ceremonial attire didn’t seem so cumbersome anymore.
“Then, next up is my battle to fight.”
…
Nightfall was approaching.
Inside the banquet hall, the clinking of cups and constant chatter created a lively atmosphere.
Celicia, however, stood alone by the balcony, admiring the nighttime scenery of the Duke’s estate.
In this era without electric lights, even the most beautiful scenery would be shrouded in darkness at night, leaving little to be appreciated.
Yet, Celicia still gazed at the nighttime view without a hint of boredom.
To her, the pure, empty night scene seemed far more beautiful than the bustling banquet behind her.
“To leave Her Highness unaccompanied—this host has truly been impolite.”
Celicia lifted her cool gaze and met a pair of gentle, smiling eyes.
Mu’en Campbell, as graceful and polite as ever, stood at a distance that was neither intrusive nor overly distant. He placed a hand on his chest, elegantly extending an invitation to Celicia:
“May this humble one have the honor of inviting Your Royal Highness for a dance?”
“You’re inviting me to dance?”
“Of course.”
Mu’en smiled slightly. “Was my invitation not clear enough?”
“…”
Celicia’s eyes flickered with confusion.
But after a moment of silence, she gently placed her small, white-gloved hand into Mu’en’s palm.
“It’s your coming-of-age ceremony tonight. Naturally, I have no reason to refuse.”
“…Thank you.”
For some reason, Mu’en’s expression stiffened momentarily, but he quickly returned to normal. Holding Celicia’s hand, he led her to the center of the banquet hall, the focal point of all eyes.
The music began, soft and soothing.
Mu’en held Celicia’s hand, gently supporting her slender waist. As the music played, they danced together like a pair of fluttering butterflies.
“Your dance steps are quite good.”
“Thanks for the compliment, though they’re just passable.”
Mu’en’s modest smile resembled the humility of a top master.
But in reality…
He was just feeling really unsure.
Mu’en hadn’t expected that the original owner of this body, a good-for-nothing playboy, had actually learned aristocratic dances rather decently.
He had been quite anxious when Celicia agreed to dance with him.
The only thing that puzzled Mu’en a bit was that, according to the original book’s plot, Celicia should have declined his dance invitation here. So why did she agree now?
“You’ve truly changed, Mu’en Campbell,” Celicia suddenly said.
Mu’en’s heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that Celicia had discovered his secret as a transmigrator, something even Duke Campbell and his wife hadn’t noticed?
“In Your Highness’s eyes, do my actions no longer resemble a nobleman’s?”
“No, that’s not the change I’m referring to.”
“Then what is it…?”
“It’s the way you invite someone to dance.”
