"Everyone, thank you for coming."
The seals installed on each floor began working, and Lord Silafiel's voice echoed throughout every corner of the castle.
"Thank you all for attending my family's..."
In the first-floor hall, Silafiel stood in the center of the crowd, giving his welcoming speech.
Felyn leaned on the railing, watching the ceremony below.
Adeline had just stood up with a red face, saying her father wanted her to come watch the ceremony together, then hurriedly lifted her skirt and scurried away.
In the end, he still hadn't extracted any information.
But it didn't matter—he just needed to avoid any contact with Viloti.
"Now, please welcome tonight's banquet protagonist, Miss Viloti Silafiel!"
The tightly closed doors in the center of the first floor were slowly pulled open by two Silafiel family guards.
Moon-white satin gleamed with pearl-like soft light under the illumination, with silver lace adorning the hem like crystallized moonlight.
Viloti walked in slowly under everyone's gaze.
Her pink hair was carefully pinned up, decorated with silver butterfly ornaments. Each butterfly wing was inlaid with tiny gems that flowed with elegant radiance under the lights.
She held her chin slightly raised, her amber eyes still showing no emotion, as if all the banquet hall's commotion had nothing to do with her.
Viloti stood under the spotlight, her gaze gradually looking toward the floor where Felyn was located, her delicate face remaining calm.
Felyn's heart tightened, and he instinctively stepped back, leaning into the corner.
Why did this scene feel familiar?
The day he said goodbye to Viloti last week, she had also slowly looked up at him from downstairs.
And he had also stepped back then, hiding in the shadows.
Could it be that the following scene would be exactly the same?
"Student Felyn, you're here after all."
A familiar voice appeared.
Just like that day, the grade director stood beside Felyn with a helpless expression.
"Director? Why are you here? I was just..."
"This isn't school—just call me by my name."
Grade Director Sofia wore a deep brown dress, her chestnut hair neatly pinned up and secured with a silver hairpin inlaid with sapphires.
She wasn't wearing glasses today, looking somewhat different.
Sofia patted Felyn's shoulder.
"Sigh, forget it. The more I try to stop you, the more recklessly you'll love Viloti."
She'd seen too many pure-hearted boys who went crazy for love like Felyn.
Felyn stood frozen, feeling fate had played a joke on him.
Though Sofia's appearance wasn't in his predictions, this small variable didn't matter.
Nothing to worry about! Watch me handle this quickly!
"No, Teacher Sofia. What you said before was right—I really don't deserve Viloti. My family..."
Felyn lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his cuffs. His shoulders slightly hunched as if trying to curl himself into a ball, avoiding everyone's gaze.
"I'm sorry..." His voice was somewhat hoarse with a barely perceptible tremor. "I know I don't deserve Miss Viloti. Even this formal suit is secondhand."
He looked up, his eyes glistening with tears, his face slightly flushed.
"The old me might have had the right to stand beside her. But now..."
His Adam's apple moved slightly, as if forcibly suppressing something.
"My family has already..." His voice grew smaller and smaller, almost inaudible. "Even today's bread is somewhat hard to chew..."
At this point, his tears finally couldn't be controlled and began welling up in his eyes. But he immediately lowered his head, messily wiping the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.
That appearance of wanting to maintain dignity yet being powerless to do so was heartbreaking to watch.
"I'll stay away from Viloti. Please rest assured—I definitely won't cause you trouble. After tonight, I'll never see her again. I just want to see how radiant the girl I once loved is tonight."
Sofia looked at the hunched young man before her, feeling a sharp pain in her heart.
Looking at Felyn's slightly trembling shoulders, his fingers gripping his clothes, the tear tracks at the corners of his eyes—for a moment, she seemed to see her own son who hadn't yet grown up.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Sofia. I shouldn't be saying these things in front of you." He showed a smile uglier than crying. "It's just that you're a bit like my mother. I just haven't seen my mother in so long."
Sofia felt her heart being violently squeezed, her breathing nearly stopping.
"Call me Sofia."
"But..."
"That's a teacher's order." Sofia deliberately put on a stern face, but her eyes were gentle.
Sofia thought of Felyn's mother.
Gentle and intelligent—surely a good mother.
She had even given Sofia gifts.
But a few years ago, somehow offending someone, the entire family was destroyed overnight.
Felyn alone faced enormous debts and pain, struggling to hold on.
If her own son encountered such a situation, gnawing bread as hard as stone while being mocked by everyone for liking a girl...
Sofia didn't dare think further.
She had actually eavesdropped on Felyn's gossip in the office.
She'd even collected love letters Felyn had written.
I deserve to die!
"Teacher Sofia, just let me be alone. I just want to quietly watch her, then leave."
He couldn't tell Sofia he was here at Adeline's invitation.
That would feel increasingly troublesome.
"Felyn."
Sofia patted Felyn's shoulder, her eyes somewhat reddened.
"Don't worry. Though I'm not some powerful noble, I'm still a grade director. Viloti will come thank me in person, so just stay by my side."
Sofia's usually stern expression disappeared, replaced by a gentleness Felyn had never seen.
"I can't do much for you, but tonight talk with her a bit and say goodbye properly. Start a new life tomorrow."
"Ahhhhh???"
Felyn panicked. Why wasn't the plot going as he'd expected?
Sofia tightly gripped the struggling Felyn, not letting him leave.
This child was actually so excited.
It seemed he still loved Viloti deeply.
Then she absolutely had to let them meet.
Otherwise, this would be a lifelong regret for Felyn.
The ceremony ended, and Viloti curtsied slightly to everyone.
The banquet officially began.
Chatting, drinking, dancing, laughing.
Everyone showed happy smiles at this unprecedentedly grand banquet.
Except for a few people.
Viloti was now speeding up her ceremonial greetings with other nobles.
"Hello, thank you, goodbye."
These three phrases repeated constantly—she'd soon complete her greeting quota.
Adeline had no choice but to socialize with nobles who came to greet her, together with Linda.
Behind that gentle smile hid a somewhat impatient expression.
And Felyn was currently being held by the neck by Sofia, listening to her discuss a joint charity project between Saint Andros and Lanchester Academy where Adeline attended.
Tonight was unexpectedly rough.
Every one of Felyn's plans had developed unexpectedly.
Beside Sofia, he couldn't see Viloti and Adeline's positions at all.
A commotion arose from the surrounding crowd—obviously Viloti was coming up.
"I'll go get some drinks for the distinguished guests."
Felyn smiled slightly, preparing to slip away.
"Eh, no need."
Sofia grabbed Felyn's sleeve with a knowing expression.
Wanting to run away when he saw Viloti coming?
So shy.
Stand still!
(End of Chapter)