Solomon leaned his back against the stone wall. "You told me you were staying with relatives in a kingdom a few hours away from Tianfeng City. When we arrived here, I put the pieces together. I figured this must be the place."
He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I did not want to make things difficult for your living situation or ruin your diplomatic standing. Punching their royal commander in the face would have caused a huge mess for you."
Lune widened her emerald eyes. Her lips parted slightly in genuine surprise. A soft, warm expression replaced her usual royal stoicism. She looked down at the floorboards, a light pink hue dusting her cheeks.
"I did not expect you to be so thoughtful," Lune murmured, her voice carrying a trace of wonder. "You are usually so reckless and barbaric."
Solomon scoffed and looked out the window. "The LSA Grandmaster gave me a long lecture about minding my manners and not causing diplomatic headaches. My chat also called me childish for picking fights. I am just trying to change."
[1Fizzy: bro blames us for everything.]
[James_hayes: Solo Man actually cares about her!]
[Fatal_Beauty: OMG HE IS SO SWEET!]
[Mezz_3863: the character development is real.]
[Last_Fables: he restrained himself for her.]
They finished the structural tour and made their way to the grand dining hall for the evening meal.
The vast room featured a long banquet table covered in exquisite dishes. Marco, Arthur, Maximus, and Elizabeth sat near the lower end. Yue and Syra occupied seats near the head of the table alongside Lord Jian and a few other members of the royal family.
Solomon walked behind Lune and immediately spotted Commander Feng standing near the grand doors. The commander kept a rigid posture while fulfilling his guard duties for the royal dinner.
A wide smirk formed on Solomon’s face. ’I am going to have so much fun with this.’
[GoonLord: LOOK AT THAT SMIRK!]
[Stephen-Wood: Feng is about to have a terrible night.]
[IceWaterKat: Solo Man found his new toy.]
[Chi_Master: bro is plotting something devious.]
[M00N: the payback starts now.]
When Lune stepped through the grand archway of the dining hall, the armored sentries instantly stiffened their spines. They bowed deeply. The royal family members, Lord Jian, and the elite guards pushed their chairs back and stood up to show their respect.
Solomon casually trailed right behind her. He ignored the royal etiquette and walked past the head of the banquet table. His eyes locked onto Commander Feng standing rigidly near the wall.
A devious plan formulated in his mind, and he needed a clear vantage point to mess with the commander. He dropped into a vacant wooden chair right beside Elizabeth.
Lune stopped walking. She looked back and noticed him sitting next to the white-haired royal. She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. She kept her royal composure intact, yet her tone carried a hint of demand.
"You should sit with me," Lune instructed. "We still have many details to discuss regarding the palace layout and the upcoming royal sermon."
Solomon waved a hand dismissively. "It is fine. We can talk about the rest of it later."
Elizabeth’s face instantly lit up. The corners of her lips curled upward as she actively held back a triumphant laugh. She shot a quick, winning glance directly at the golden-haired princess.
Arthur sat on Solomon’s other side, calmly filling his plate. The telekinetic boy looked up, noticed the intense stare-down between the two royals, and practically jumped out of his chair.
He scrambled to the opposite side of the table to find a safer spot. Lune gracefully took the vacated seat. Solomon was now sandwiched between Elizabeth and Lune.
[1Fizzy: THE ROYAL SANDWICH!]
[Mezz_3863: Arthur ran for his life lmao.]
[James_hayes: Elizabeth with the smug smile!]
[Fatal_Beauty: Lune is so mad right now.]
[GoonLord: IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!]
[Chi_Master: Solo Man is oblivious to the war happening around him.]
[Tyler_Klare: bro looked like he just wanted a good view of the commander.]
The group began eating their evening meal. The tension at the lower end of the table remained, though the royal family carried on with their pleasantries.
Lord Jian cleared his throat and looked down the long banquet table. "Your Highness, sitting at the foot of the table must be uncomfortable. We have a proper seat prepared for you here."
Lune shook her head and picked up her porcelain teacup. "I am perfectly fine where I am."
Matriarch Lihua, Syra’s mother, set her silver fork down. She wore elegant eastern robes adorned with woven lotus patterns. "Do you know these academy students, Lune?"
Lune nodded. "He is my friend."
The matriarch widened her eyes in surprise. "Oh! Which noble house does he belong to?"
"He is a commoner," Lune replied, taking a sip of her tea.
The color drained from Lihua’s face.
Syra quickly stepped in to smooth over the awkward revelation. "They are Pavilion Master Yue’s students, Mother. They are here to help protect me during the royal sermon."
Lihua furrowed her brow. She looked at the group of teenagers sitting at the far end of the table.
"I respect Pavilion Master Yue greatly," Lihua stated, her tone laced with genuine concern. "However, these are merely children. The Crimson Bone Sect is slaughtering our veteran knights and seasoned guards. How can a handful of unblooded academy novices possibly fend off elite assassins when our own military fails?"
Yue snapped her jade fan open and rested it against her collarbone.
"I cannot speak for the rest of them," Yue responded, her voice echoing clearly across the dining hall. "But Solomon is strong enough to rival a Pavilion Leader."
The dining hall plunged into total silence.
Lord Jian dropped his wooden chopsticks onto his ceramic plate with a loud clatter.
The royal family members exchanged wide-eyed looks. Over by the wall, Commander Feng gripped his sword belt so hard his knuckles turned white. His jaw dropped open as he stared at the silver-haired boy he had insulted in the garden, a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.
[Austin: FENG IS MALFUNCTIONING!]
[Stephen-Wood: the commander just realized he yelled at a boss monster.]
[Foodball: bro is rethinking his entire life.]
[M00N: Yue dropping the stats on them!]
[Last_Fables: the mother is shocked.]
[Stinosaurus: the power scaling reveal is always the best part.]
Matriarch Lihua studied Solomon’s face from across the room. She analyzed his striking silver hair, his piercing eyes, and his flawless skin.
’He looks far too refined to be a peasant,’ Lihua thought to herself. ’A commoner cannot possibly possess such elegant features. Even our highest-ranking commanders lack that level of natural presence. He must be hiding his true identity. He could easily be a descendant of a hidden royal bloodline.’
She decided not to pry into his secrets. Pushing for answers would only cause unnecessary friction with her daughter’s protectors.
Lihua offered a polite nod. "If the Pavilion Master claims he is strong, then he must indeed be capable. We are grateful for your assistance."
’What?’ Feng gritted his teeth. ’He is strong enough to rival a pavilion leader? That has to be a joke. A filthy peasant can’t be this strong. Has the Azure Dragon Sect become so weak that even kids are labeled as strong? I should have known when a kid of similar age became the pavilion master. I can’t rely on them for the princess’ safety. I need to get rid of them soon.’
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