His words resonated. Across the hall, guests inclined their heads.
Kyle's gaze flickered briefly to Nuna, behind the curtain of courtiers she watched, her hand clenching a cloth napkin as if holding onto him.
He continued to speak, outlining his hopes: deeper alliances, stronger communal cultivation, better opportunities, promising to uphold his family's honor and do right by those who helped him grow.
As Kyle finished, his father raised a cup of Celestial Plum Wine. Waitstaff ceremoniously presented everyone at the head table with glasses of the aged vintage.
The ritual toast followed: "To Kyle Ravenshade, may your will be ever strong, your heart unwavering, and your path illuminated."
Glasses clinked like chimes, and a wave of cultured applause echoed once more.
Kyle drank, savoring the wine's warm energy.
Across the hall, Nuna mirrored the motion, though hers remained unopened, an offering to the young master she loved and vowed to stand by.
The birthday banquet had begun.
Behind the formal speeches, the strategically arranged seating, and the spiritual aura dancing in lantern light, a deeper story unfolded.
Kyle moved with steady composure through the crowd of nobles and guests, exchanging the customary pleasantries, the veiled politicking, compliments on different breakthroughs, discreet inquiries about allies, and false modesty about his recent little accident.
He spoke mostly to those he had previously interacted with, and they wished him well.
Laughter followed prudent jokes, and nods acknowledged the ever-shifting undercurrents of power that wove through the hall.
Once the pleasantries were taken care of, he sought his peers, those his age, with whom he'd grown and commonly interacted with.
This was one of many grand events and celebrations Kyle had attended, and the children of the top brass were invited even to the most important of events, to build connections.
It was their duty as future leaders and rulers. Kyle looked around.
Instantly, he spotted the individuals he was looking for. In a more relaxed circle, he smiled as he watched the banter about training regimes and sparring results.
He walked over. They each took a moment to pay their respects to him, and then proceeded to treat him like air.
It seemed children were more transparent in their acting than the seasoned noble elders. Regardless, it was not all bad.
It gave him a moment to see how kids his age interacted with each other around here. Surprisingly, they were unexpectedly childish in their interactions.
Their laughter and teasing flowed freely, reminding him that, despite the formality, he was still young.
Shifting his gaze, he looked towards the more relaxed of the bunch, lunging around on their seats.
It was there that he saw Jasmine.
She sat near the edge of the circle, distant even in the sea of faces.
Her usually bright countenance was muted; her jade-green eyes carried shadows, and her posture was slightly drooped.
Nondescript worries flickered across her face, and she twirled a curl of her dark hair between her fingers.
Kyle's chest tightened.
He excused himself and moved to her side, catching her gaze. "Jasmine," he said softly, touching her arm. "What's wrong?"
Her response was a breath: "Nothing… just… thinking." But the tension in her jaw spoke volumes.
Kyle offered a small, teasing grin.
He whispered something lighthearted, about her likely being penalized in the upcoming sect joining ceremony for being too beautiful.
He managed to produce a genuine smile on her face, her lips curving uncertainly upward. Her shoulders relaxed slightly; for a moment, she seemed reassured.
Before Kyle could follow up, another voice cut in: a high trill, thickly perfumed.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Noah, the duke's son, elegant, poised, and notorious for his relentless pursuit of women, strode into view.
His aura shimmered as he shamelessly flaunted his Peak-Qi condensation cultivation base, and his high aristocratic bearing marked him as someone used to commanding.
Jasmine went pale.
Kyle immediately sensed the shift, her warmth retreating like a cold wind.
'So it has something to do with Noah? That can't be good.' Kyle frowned. It seemed like his worst fears were coming true.
'I will have to act sooner than expected.'
He stood protectively beside Jasmine. "Noah," he said with clipped courtesy, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Noah's smile was practiced. "Oh, come on now, you invited me, might as well entertain me a little. But relax, I just wanted to congratulate you, and perhaps… introduce myself properly to my future fiancée."
Noah grinned as he said the last part, leering over at Jasmine.
Kyle's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. What did Noah mean by that? Kyle looked closely at Jasmine.
She looked extremely vulnerable.
She was being too passive and timid, way too passive; she did not even rebuke Noah's statement.
"Noah, I'm sure you are well aware, Jasmine is my fiancée, you would do well to remember that. Your gaze is...Unbefitting of someone of your standing."
"Oh, I know she's yours, for now. Enjoy your time together while you can, because this trophy will be mine to claim soon. After all, she is better off with an...able partner."
A few snickers rippled through the onlookers as they fought to suppress the urge to laugh out loud.
The youngsters around listened intently; this was a hot topic. It looked like after years of chasing Jasmine, Noah was finally going to make his move.
But it did not look like Kyle was going to back down. But they all knew Kyle's status all too well, even though they did not dare say it straight to his face.
They did not have the backing like Noah; no one wanted to have their heads rolling on the floor.
Regardless, Kyle was past the point of arguing with insignificant bystanders. But he was not one to take an insult lying down.
In a clear, amplified voice, he spoke. "Whether I'm able or not is not something you are qualified to determine. You may have a sharp tongue, but that is about all you have; everything else about you is average, perhaps even less than average. Maybe you are using your uncharacteristically sharp tongue to compensate for...other areas."
Kyle's gaze shifted to Noah's groin as he spoke, his meaning all too clear.
A murmur of laughter rippled around the small crowd that had formed around them. Noah's face flushed crimson, and for one heartbeat, he flicked his gaze to Jasmine, standing pallid and quiet, then back to Kyle.
"You dare!!!"