At night, carriages lined up endlessly in front of the Duke's estate. Most of those attending the gathering were nobles, though occasionally there were some distinguished figures from various fields.
For those who needed connections, this was indeed an excellent place. But for Noel, it was nothing more than a tedious formality, of little benefit to him.
Noel took a glass of wine and stood by a table, drinking quietly by himself. This wasn't his first time drinking wine, and how should he describe it? The wine was excellent—not the cheap kind.
Nearby, Carla held a plate of grilled fish, much like Happy's taste in food. Indeed, a cat is a cat.
Wendy held a glass of juice, sipping it through a straw.
At events like this, it was inevitable that someone would approach to strike up a conversation. A group of young nobles came up to them.
"Hello, I am Nules of the Manhard family." (OC)
"Hello, I am Ace of the Monhart family." (OC)
…
Oh, so it was just a group of noble brats, still nestled in the cradle of their family names, engaging in flashy socializing…
"Hello," Noel replied politely.
He really didn't want to get involved with these young nobles—it was meaningless. If there was truly business to be discussed, it would be better to deal directly with their elders. There was no need to waste time with such formalities.
Meanwhile, Carla was quite popular, surrounded by a group of noble ladies.
"It's a kitty…"
"So beautiful…"
Several noble ladies surrounded Carla, who wanted to escape but couldn't. Noel once again witnessed the fearsome persistence of noble ladies.
Wendy, on the other hand, was surrounded by a group of young noblemen, most of whom were of marriageable age. It seemed they wanted to use this gathering to find a potential partner.
"Miss, may I have the honor of a dance with you tonight?" one of them asked.
"I would like to invite you to share this glass of wine with me," another said, attempting to force a glass of wine into Wendy's hand.
Wendy looked very troubled, not knowing how to handle the situation at her first event like this, and she was too shy to lift her head.
Noel squeezed into the crowd. "Sorry, gentlemen, but this young lady already has a partner."
The young nobles looked disappointed. So, this adorable girl already had a partner. They immediately turned their sights to the next target.
"Mr. Noel, you're here too," Wendy said with relief and joy. In such a large gathering, she could count the people she knew on her fingers.
"Um, thank you for helping me out," Wendy said gratefully.
"It's nothing. You looked like you were in a tough spot just now," Noel replied.
Wendy didn't know how to respond, but she felt that Noel was a very kind person.
Seeing Wendy's silence, Noel guessed she still couldn't adapt to this kind of environment. He had been the same during his first gathering, shrinking into a corner, not wanting to interact with anyone.
But after enough experiences, he had learned to adapt, becoming smoother in social interactions and capable of handling such occasions gracefully.
"What are you doing?" Carla approached, seeing Wendy in distress, assuming that Noel was bullying her.
"Um…" Noel was momentarily at a loss for words, feeling deeply wronged.
"Actually, Mr. Noel helped me out just now," Wendy quickly explained.
"I see…" Carla glanced at Noel, then at Wendy, confirming the situation, and decided to drop the matter.
Meanwhile, the other guests invited by the Duke were happily chatting away, leaving the three of them in an awkward position.
"I've attended many gatherings like this, so let me guide you around," Noel suggested.
Wendy and Carla did not object. They weren't familiar with such settings or the etiquette involved, so having someone guide them was ideal.
The awkward atmosphere eased a little. Under Noel's lead, the three first went to the appetizer area to get some light snacks.
They found a table and sat down together, settling where they would be for the evening.
Just as they sat down, the Duke made his appearance, standing with his wife on a raised platform as the lights in the hall dimmed.
Could it be an attack from the curse user? Noel couldn't help but think of this worst-case scenario.
But it turned out he was overthinking it. A single spotlight illuminated the Duke and his wife, making them the center of attention as if on stage.
It was just a stage effect, and Noel let out a breath of relief for worrying unnecessarily.
"I am honored to have you all here tonight. We gather to celebrate the recovery of my wife, for which I am deeply grateful," the Duke announced.
"Of course, I must also thank the mages who helped with this special request, Mr. Noel Manchester and Ms. Wendy Marvell." As soon as the Duke finished speaking,
the spotlight shifted to illuminate the table where Noel and Wendy were seated, exposing them instantly under the bright light.
This was troublesome. With such attention, trouble and social obligations were inevitable, something Noel had hoped to avoid.
"Now, I declare the banquet officially open." As the Duke's speech concluded,
the lights in the hall brightened again, and the three of them ate some appetizers to fill their stomachs.
Soon after, a crowd gathered around them, undoubtedly due to the Duke's announcement, as many wanted to familiarize themselves with the pair.
This turned them into the stars of the evening, for who wouldn't want to know someone capable of curing such difficult illnesses?
For the nobles, who had wealth and territory, health was far more important than money.
They didn't care much about wealth anymore, but health was something money often couldn't buy.
"…"
What followed was a barrage of introductions, voices overlapping as the three were surrounded.
There was no way to eat properly like this. Even after all these years, Noel still hadn't gotten used to such social obligations.
He wondered how Mond had dealt with situations like these back then. Given Mond's notoriously bad temper, he had probably just ignored the nobles completely.
After a while, the crowd finally dispersed, and peace returned to their table.
"Mr. Noel, why did all those people come over just now?" Wendy asked in confusion.
"Why? They just wanted to familiarize themselves with us," Noel replied helplessly.
But Wendy didn't understand why that was necessary. It was something she likely wouldn't grasp without experiencing the social dynamics of power and prestige herself.
"Forget it, let's just eat. These steaks are delicious, and they're unlimited." Noel placed a plate of steak in front of Wendy.
Wendy began eating with a knife and fork, but it was clear she wasn't used to it.
Perhaps it was due to her habits, or maybe she simply couldn't relax in this atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Carla had nearly finished eating, having devoured three grilled fish, and seemed quite full.
PS: Access the complete chapters/series at