Chapter 126 - 108: Bloody Party

Chapter 126: Chapter 108: Bloody Party

The twilight was the color of blood as the sky slowly darkened to a deep blue.

In the South of the Holy Empire, a majestic castle stood atop a hill, its spires piercing the clouds. Bathed in the afterglow of the sunset, its stone walls looked particularly grand and mysterious.

Inside the banquet hall, a massive fireplace roared, its leaping flames bringing the carved, gold-trimmed tapestries to life with a bewitching vivacity.

Slender candles lined gleaming silver candelabras. In their flickering glow, nobles mingled in their finest attire. The men wore shining Armor and ornamental swords, while the women were draped in silk and velvet, their jeweled headdresses glittering in the light.

The tables were draped in heavy, red velvet tablecloths, set with exquisite silverware and Crystal goblets. The air was thick with the aromas of various delicacies—the scent of roast meat, the fragrance of spices, and the sweetness of fruit all mingling to whet every guest’s appetite.

A harp’s melodious tune echoed through the hall, its melody as gentle as a babbling brook.

On their first night in Blue Moon Territory, the castle hosted its first banquet since the disaster.

Catherine, dressed magnificently, appeared in everyone’s view alongside Lian.

They had thought this banquet would be rather quiet, attended only by the military leadership of Green Shade Territory.

But in reality, many people from Blue Moon Territory were in attendance.

They were all former nobles of Blue Moon Territory and vassals of the Jackson Family.

It seemed they had been watching for developments in Blue Moon Territory for some time, hoping to return to their homeland the moment the corruption was cleansed to claim a piece of the pie.

Neither Lian nor Catherine recognized any of them.

But their arrival was not a surprise.

Mina introduced Catherine to their leader, Viscount Hobbs. He had left Blue Moon Territory half a month before the disaster struck and was among the first to flee.

Viscount Hobbs wore a royal blue tailcoat. He was tall and distinguished, with handsome features and a well-groomed mustache.

Not only did he attend the banquet himself, but he had even brought his Knight Order with him.

The other nobles were no different. They didn’t look like they had come for a banquet; they looked like they had come to carve up the cake.

Even with the Grand Priest from the Church Court present, they made no effort to conceal their ambition.

They wanted to take advantage of Blue Moon Territory’s restructuring to redistribute the spoils and emerge as the winners from the chaos.

Of course, Mary’s influence was likely at play behind the scenes as well.

The Church Court rarely involved itself in such secular power struggles. After all, whoever ultimately gained control of Blue Moon Territory would have to obey God’s will and uphold the authority of the Church Court and the Church.

And so, the Grand Priest, waited on by two attendants, ate with great enjoyment.

The other Priests simply looked on, detached, as if watching a play.

The sixteen surviving vassals of the Jackson Family had all arrived uninvited, and none were friendly toward Catherine.

Khrish, as a distant relative of Catherine’s, maintained a veneer of politeness, but the other nobles seemed to be treating her like a child they could push around.

Catherine wore a small, exquisite hat with a black veil. Given the special occasion, the veil did not fully conceal her face, allowing everyone to see her features.

She wore a long gown of countless layers of black gauze, looking both elegant and noble.

The people from Green Shade Territory were seeing Miss Catherine’s true face for the first time.

Kob, Alex Pool, and the others, who had previously felt that Lian had gotten a raw deal, were all dumbfounded.

"That’s Miss Catherine?"

"She’s not disfigured?"

"I finally understand why Lord Lian wasn’t concerned about her appearance. She’s absolutely perfect."

Compared to the image they’d had of a Catherine with a face covered in rashes and scars, the real woman was like a Fairy descended from the heavens. The officials couldn’t help but marvel at Lian’s good luck.

In contrast to their friendly allies from Green Shade Territory, the local nobles of Blue Moon Territory were noticeably cold.

They couldn’t care less what Catherine looked like. All they cared about was whether they could get a share of the new spoils.

Stroking his fine mustache, Viscount Hobbs looked at Catherine and Lian and said,

"Catherine, you have no right to be here. You belong in the High Tower. If it weren’t for you, Blue Moon Territory would never have suffered such a terrible disaster. You are a disgrace to the entire Jackson Family."

At these words, even the harpist was so startled that they struck a wrong note and dared not play on.

The superficial calm of the banquet was shattered.

The other nobles shot Catherine looks of contempt.

"Catherine, if you have any loyalty to Blue Moon Territory, you should leave and never return! Blue Moon Territory has already suffered one disaster. Do you want it to endure another?"

said Baron Bramo, who wore a voluminous white wig.

Several other nobles then chimed in, openly bringing up Catherine’s Misfortune Physique.

A troubled look crossed Catherine’s face.

Mina was so furious she clenched the shawl of her gown.

Dora, still clad in her Cloak, stood by Catherine’s side as her guard.

’I’d love to teach these bastards a lesson, but my Power is too distinctive. If I use it, my identity will be exposed in an instant.’

’They’d probably take the chance to accuse Catherine of conspiring with me, of destroying the old Blue Moon Territory together and causing countless deaths.’

’They would just keep piling on the false charges, making Catherine’s supposed crimes more and more outrageous.’

Considering this, Dora held back.

The soldiers of Green Shade Territory, however, drew their swords in unison.

With a SCRAPE of metal and a flash of silver, the nobles of Blue Moon Territory scrambled to hide behind their Knights, shouting in an accusatory tone,