Watching Isis wolf down her food, Francesca grew suspicious.
"Seriously? What did you sneak off to do this afternoon to make you this hungry?"
Isis looked up in alarm and shook her head vigorously. Francesca tried to draw the truth out of her by watching her micro-expressions while probing with questions, but Isis's mouth was so full that her cheeks bulged. She hardly had any micro-expressions to read.
Before Francesca could ask anything else, Isis grabbed another large leg of meat, crisp on the outside and tender within, and dug in again.
Just as Francesca's suspicions began to deepen, Altaïr, seated on Isis's other side, spoke up. Exasperation colored his voice as he leaned over and murmured, "Senior, could you look after your guests? They're too nervous to even touch their knives and forks."
Only then did Francesca notice that every member of the Vanguard Hunting Party had gone rigid.
Although she had known them for nearly ten years, and Brandley had been her underling since their days at the training camp, she had never actually brought them home before.
The mansion occupied more than half the street. There were ranks of maids and attendants, and the lavish feast contained ingredients they could not even identify. It was all terribly intimidating for people from ordinary backgrounds.
Several sets of different-sized knives and forks lay beside each plate. All of them were made from delicately worked silver and looked extremely expensive. The guests were afraid both of embarrassing themselves and of accidentally damaging the exquisite utensils, so they could only sit stiffly in their seats.
Serl was handling himself relatively well. He had traveled far and wide and seen a great deal, so he was not afraid to use the cutlery. At that moment, however, he was stiffer than anyone else.
The reason was simple. Lady Gael had squeezed in beside him and was animatedly asking after his mother.
If she had merely asked, "How is her health?" there would have been nothing strange about it. Even "Your father is always busy, and your mother has nothing to do at home by herself. She should come spend some time with me!" could just about pass for normal. But then came, "Look how big this house is. We have plenty of guest rooms! She can stay with us whenever she visits!" Coupled with Gael's expression and tone, that level of enthusiasm felt excessive...
For some reason, it gave Serl a very bad feeling.
The problem was that she was his elder, and courtesy prevented him from simply shoving her away.
The corners of Francesca's mouth twitched hard.
First, she told the extremely nervous Brandley and the others, "Eat however you like! Forget all that cutlery. Just use your hands like Isis! It's just us here!"
Then she left her seat, hurried behind her mother, who was still crowding Serl, and tugged hard on her sleeve. "Why are you acting crazy now?! Do you realize you're behaving like some creepy old man?"
A glint flashed in Gael's eyes.
She was doing it on purpose, of course. Although she did whatever she pleased in private, she was still the Head Instructor of the Dundorma Training Camp. She normally showed some restraint in front of the younger generation, especially when Brandley and Buck had both graduated under her.
She had cast aside even her dignity as Head Instructor just to see whether Francesca would come rescue Serl from his predicament. Sure enough, she had!
But Gael had failed to realize that she had gone too far...
Francesca was less worried about Serl's embarrassment than her own. Watching her mother act like this in front of her friends was utterly mortifying!
Just then, the elderly Lady Sterling entered the banquet hall with the support of a maid. Everyone at the table promptly rose to their feet.
Gael practically shot out of her chair, spun around, pressed Francesca into the seat beside Serl, and hurried over to Isis's side.
Francesca did not find this particularly suspicious.
Her mother was terrified of her grandmother. Now that Grandmother had arrived, she naturally would not dare spout any more nonsense.
Francesca was merely surprised. Her grandmother was very old and rarely appeared at banquets or other gatherings. Why had she come out today?
Just as Francesca was about to hurry over and support her, the elderly lady motioned from across the room for her to sit.
"Don't mind me. I simply heard that Francesca's friends were here, so I stopped by on my way to take a look," the elderly lady said with a kindly smile.
Her smiling gaze swept over everyone at the table. When it landed on Serl, seated beside Francesca, it lingered for an extra half-second, and the mirth in her eyes immediately deepened.
Not bad. Very promising indeed...
Altaïr and Isis had the same thought: Here it comes!
The elderly lady was there to pave the way for Lady Jessica. Given Jessica's status and commanding presence, her sudden arrival with someone in tow could easily silence the room. If Gael then jumped in and tried to lighten the mood with jokes, it would feel forced.
With the elderly lady appearing first to set the stage, however, everything would go much more smoothly.
This, too, was something Lady Jessica had arranged in advance.
Sure enough, Lady Jessica arrived not long after the elderly woman entered the banquet hall.
Unlike the relatively casual demeanor she had shown when they met in the garden, Jessica now adopted the manner she used at work. The commanding air she had cultivated over years at the head of a major Merchant Guild instantly silenced the entire hall.
Everyone's attention, including the Felynes', immediately focused on her, as though they were waiting for an important figure to speak.
"A-Aunt Jessica? You're home too?" Even Francesca, who normally spent plenty of time with her, could not help stammering for a moment.
Coming to her senses, Isis turned nervously toward Altaïr, but he looked just as confused.
Wait, what? Lady Jessica had come in alone? Then where was "Miss Morgan"?
Just as he thought this, a figure strode in through the doorway, went to Jessica's side, and whispered something to her. Jessica's expression and posture did not change in the slightest; she merely gave a faint, almost imperceptible nod.
The newcomer then took his place slightly behind and to the side of Lady Jessica. As he raised his head, he adjusted his delicate rimless glasses in one smooth motion.
The seamless exchange drew everyone's attention away from Lady Jessica and onto the newcomer.
A slender frame, exquisitely delicate, doll-like features, and a cool, aloof expression that kept everyone at a distance...
Even Altaïr, who had already seen him like this and knew his true identity, could not help staring blankly for a second. Isis even let out a soft "Wow."
No one noticed Isis's quiet reaction. Balina, the youngest person present, exclaimed "Wow!" even louder. Realizing how rude she was being, the girl quickly covered her mouth, but her eyes continued to sparkle.
That person was so beautiful!
"Aunt Jessica, is this your new assistant?" Surprisingly, Francesca was the first to speak. Her face showed undisguised admiration.
But she clearly had not recognized him...
A smile appeared on Jessica's face, instantly dispelling much of the oppressive air from before.
"A friend's child, sent to me to learn a few things. A very diligent young lady."
Altaïr: "..."
A true merchant indeed. She could lie without batting an eye.
"Miss Morgan" remained as still as a statue, betraying no reaction to the conversation about him.
Just as Francesca was about to ask something else, Gael suddenly sprang up as though she had only now recovered her senses. "Good heavens, look at that face. She's every bit as beautiful as your Aunt Jiajia!"
As she spoke, Gael glanced at Serl in the seat beside Francesca and waggled her eyebrows. "Feeling tempted, little Serl? How about I introduce you two? Your mother will definitely want to meet her too. We might as well invite her over while we have the chance..."
Altaïr: "..."
If Lady Jessica could lie without batting an eye, Lady Gael gave the impression that every absurd word she said came straight from the heart.
Before Serl could even react, Francesca snatched an orange from the table and hurled it at her mother.
"Damn it, do you have any limits at all?!"