Levi, however, pretended not to notice. He had no desire to get drawn into this bottomless vortex.
His experience, honed over years of life-and-death struggles, gave him a premonition that something big was going to happen tonight.
The best solution was to stay out of it completely.
Levi ignored them and began to feast with abandon.
He devoured a charcoal-grilled deer leg the size of a man's head in just two or three bites, then swallowed palm-sized black truffle cakes whole.
This manner of eating, utterly devoid of noble etiquette, naturally drew the attention of the other guests.
A few nobles near him wore looks of disgust, whispering things like, "That country Pioneer Lord," and, "What a hick."
Levi paid no mind to their gossip.
Compared to the keyboard warriors from his past life, these Lords had a long way to go in the trash-talking department.
'All I'd have to do is say something like, "I'm guessing you're well-acquainted with Goblins,"' he thought, 'and it would be enough to make these 'elegant' nobles start screaming curses, get completely triggered, and turn into common Debei shrews.'
Some scholar once said that nothing in the world is completely useless, but Goblins came very close to disproving that.
They were short and cowardly, cunning and hideous, and always reeked of a nauseating stench. The only thing they excelled at was breeding litter after litter like rats, only to die off in droves when food was scarce.
That was why in the common Debei dialect, the word "Goblin" could be used to mean disgusting, filthy, foul-smelling—or even to represent any negative concept.
Most importantly, Goblins had a penchant for capturing human women and using them as breeding machines.
Thus, the implication of such a statement was self-evident.
Before long, Levi had swept his plate clean. He rubbed his stomach, realizing he was only about sixty percent full.
The food was delicious, no doubt, but the portions were tiny.
'They've inherited the worst habit of high-end restaurants from my past life,' Levi mused. 'Making the portions minuscule just to make the food seem more "exclusive."'
'At least the food here actually tastes good, unlike the slop they served back then.'
You can't function on an empty stomach.
Still not full, Levi called over the Maid standing behind him.
"Could you please bring me another serving of the pine-scented pork chops?"
The Maid looked at the handsome Knight, smiled, and nodded.
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
When the second plate of pine-scented pork chops was placed before him, Levi eagerly dug in.
It was incredibly tender, with a faint, aromatic scent of pine.
These pine-scented pork chops were supposedly made from a special type of wild boar found only in the Highland pine forests. The ingredients were selected with extreme care, making the dish incredibly rare.
Outside the Duke's Mansion, it wasn't just a matter of whether he could afford it; even with money, it would cost a fortune to obtain.
So at this moment, Levi couldn't be bothered with banquet etiquette or a noble's dignity.
'What's in your stomach is what's truly yours!'
Besides, in this circle of Southern Territory nobles, he had no reputation left to speak of anyway.
You could tell from the nobles snickering nearby that they were thoroughly ashamed to be associated with him.
As Levi started on his fourth serving, the castle's steward appeared out of nowhere, a troubled look on his face.
"My apologies, Sir Knight, but we've run out of the pine-scented pork chops. Perhaps I could offer you some charcoal-grilled deer leg instead?"
Levi strongly suspected the man was just saying that because he was reluctant to serve him any more. 'As for deer meat? Who wants that stuff?' He shrugged, noncommittal.
Just then, Duke Xilong, seated at the head of the hall, suddenly spoke.
"I've never been fond of overly rich foods, Sir Levi. If you don't mind, you may have my portion."
Though the old lion's days were numbered, his eyes were still sharp and full of vigor.
Levi was taken aback, but he put on a look of profound honor and bowed.
"You are as generous as ever, Duke Xilong. I would be delighted."
"Good, good." The old lion smiled. "A strong Knight must have a hearty appetite. Take it."
A Maid was about to step forward, but Duke Xilong shot a meaningful glance at his granddaughter, Liya.
Liya understood at once. She personally took the plate of pine-scented pork chops from her grandfather's place and walked toward Levi.
She was secretly puzzled as to why her grandfather was showing such favor to Levi, but the intelligent young woman suppressed her doubts and played along with her grandfather's attempt to win him over.
Levi, appearing "overwhelmed by the favor," quickly rose to his feet to express his thanks.
"You are a Knight I personally invested. There is no need for such ceremony." Liya placed the silver platter before Levi, her radiant smile like a blooming golden tulip—beautiful and noble.
The Highland Tulip was dressed tonight in a long, pink gown embroidered with gold thread. She had a perfectly proportioned figure, and the form-fitting dress accentuated her every curve, outlining an enchanting silhouette.
Her exquisite pearl earrings, the snow-white Sapphire on her chest as large as a cat's eye, and the custom-made, strapless formal gown, clearly the work of a master craftsman—everything about her bespoke the unique extravagance of the highest nobility.
A single glance was enough to instill a sense of vast class difference, making one feel utterly inadequate.
But now, the most beautiful Tulip in the entire Highland was personally serving a plate of food to this "clown," Levi.
This scene left everyone at the banquet dumbfounded.
The young nobles who hoped to win Liya's affection were particularly incensed. Their eyes blazed with fury, as if they wanted to skin Levi alive.
However, faced with the attention of such a beautiful young woman, Levi felt his guard go up immediately.
Seeing Levi seemingly flustered and captivated by his granddaughter, Duke Xilong's lips curled into a slight smile.
"Levi, what do you think of Liya?"
Levi was stunned for a moment by the Duke's ambiguous question.
'Then, he dismissed the possibility that the Duke intended to betroth Liya to him. He wasn't that delusional.'
'He had nothing to his name besides a handsome face and inhuman stamina. If the one asking had been a wealthy Noble Lady, he might have wondered if his chance to skip thirty years of struggle had finally arrived.'
'But as it was, the question definitely had a deeper meaning.'
And Levi wasn't the only one who thought so; everyone present felt the same.
Liya didn't believe her grandfather would betroth her to a man who had only just become a Knight and had zero accomplishments to his name.
Though she knew Levi would most likely just pay her a compliment, as a woman, she enjoyed being praised to her face—especially by a handsome Knight.
So, with a smile playing on her lips, she looked at Levi with anticipation, curious to know what he truly thought of her.
'They say every gift from fate comes with a price tag already attached,' Levi thought. 'These unsolicited gestures of goodwill were certainly no exception.'
'And now, it seemed, it was time to start collecting the interest.'
Still, he had already accepted the pork chops, and he was on their turf. Levi had no intention of finding out what would happen if he offended a Duke who held true power.
The power represented by those four words—Duke with true power—was not something that could be overcome with personal strength or brute force.
"Miss Liya is as beautiful as a blooming tulip, and her heart is as vast as the Selor Lakefront…"
Levi dredged up every complimentary word he knew and showered her with praise.
It wasn't like it cost him anything, after all. At worst, it was just a little white lie.
'Such as her "vast heart"...'
"Then, do you believe she has the ability to inherit the title, become the Lord of Kolon, and capably govern the entire Highland?"
"I expect a truthful answer, Sir Levi!"
After such a long preamble, Duke Xilong had finally unrolled the map to reveal the dagger—his true objective was now clear.
Levi's expression froze, then twisted into one of deep, sarcastic admiration.
'Well, well, well,' he thought. 'So that's how we're playing this game, is it?'