The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 79 - 79 7 Stunning Beauty

?Chapter 79: Chapter 7: Stunning Beauty Chapter 79: Chapter 7: Stunning Beauty Afternoon negotiations with officials from the Kingdom’s Ministry of the Interior seemed to lack novelty, and after the necessary gifts were given, several kingdom officials appeared very enthusiastic. However, they also brought the latest directives from the Minister of Internal Affairs, stating that the number of refugees to be accepted was not 80,000 or even 100,000, but 120,000, and this had to be ensured to maintain an advantage for the kingdom in negotiations with the other three receiving nations.

Seeing Komer and Caffrey looking at each other in dismay, the official in charge of negotiation affairs consoled them by stating that the Minister of Internal Affairs would strive to secure the maximum financial subsidy for Caucasus to ensure the smooth arrival of refugees and a stable passage through the winter.

As for the transportation and migration routes for the refugees, there was not much involvement required; the Minister of Internal Affairs had already instructed concerned officials to greet the lords of territories along the way, to take charge of providing the necessary logistical support, but the actual effectiveness of this was uncertain.

Regarding the source of refugees, Komer originally planned to accept them according to the ratio of 60,000 from Myron Duchy and 30,000 each from Meine City-State and Susoer City-State, but upon learning from Caffrey that the residents of Susoer City-State were relatively wealthy, and a significant portion of the refugees from Meine City-State were descendants of the Half-Elves, he immediately changed his mind. He proposed a new ratio of 50,000 from Myron Duchy and 35,000 each from Susoer City-State and Meine City-State, which of course met with unfettered support from kingdom officials.

The evening banquet was held in a small banquet hall on the side wing of the Hunting Manor. Although this was His Majesty the King’s private hunting lodge, due to the fact that His Majesty also often worked here, many of the kingdom’s senior ministers had to come and stay. However, official business could not be delayed, so several senior ministers had their own working spots in the lodge, and the small banquet hall had become a place for the kingdom’s senior ministers to receive important guests.

When Komer arrived at the small banquet hall, apart from two officials from the Internal Affairs Department and a few attendants preparing, no one else had yet arrived. In such situations, the higher the status of the person, the more they needed to demonstrate their difference in status, usually appearing right on time. This was a common malady among nobles, something Komer understood very well.

Taking the glass of apple brandy offered by the attendant, Komer stood silently by a window overlooking the courtyard and took a small sip.

From the attendants’ preparations, it seemed the number of participants at the banquet was not large, perhaps only a few diplomats from different nations and officials from the Kingdom’s Internal Affairs Department, in addition to himself—the main topic likely being the issue of accepting refugees. He hoped that the Minister of Internal Affairs would not change his mind again. 120,000 was not a small number, and Komer had no idea how to reassure and lead these people through the winter.

As people began to trickle in, several women dressed as noble ladies entered the banquet hall slowly, dragging exceptionally long and dignified dresses. The bodices, cut in a sharp V-shape, cinched the body tightly, with short sleeves, and due to the particularly large scooped necklines, it was easy for onlookers to glimpse the roots of their swelling breasts, a rather flirtatious charm.

Without any shyness, they sipped their drinks and laughed carefreely. Strong liquors like almond-flavored Amare Derico Wine and orange-flavored Goando seemed not to affect them at all, and were clearly their drinks of choice.

Observing the behavior of these ladies from the Royal City, Komer had to admit that the women from Cyprus were no different from village maidens in the countryside compared to them, possessing an added touch of simplicity and nature, yet lacking in their graceful composure.

The Hunting Manor’s nights were exceptionally lively, especially when His Majesty the King was in residence. Accompanied by relatives of the king, senior ministers, and wealthy merchants, as well as their wives, mistresses, subordinates, and servants, the Hunting Manor immediately became a sleepless estate.

Even though the kingdom had immediately demanded expenditure cuts to ensure the needs of the front-line war effort due to financial reasons, it was merely talk, and guests who could come here were either the distinguished of the kingdom or wealthy merchants, none of whom were troubled by money.

Even if momentarily strapped for cash, the usury merchants, like maggots on bone, would immediately swarm in and satisfy any requests, so there was no need to worry about any embarrassing situations.

Of course, the least able to stand loneliness were the noble ladies who accompanied their husbands or lovers. As their husbands or lovers’ eyes wandered through the crowd looking for new conquests, their own yearning eyes were no less eager. Young nobles of strong build and extraordinary looks were naturally their first choice, and many youngsters who had come to marvel at the opulence of the king’s Hunting Manor were losing their innocence in this decadent setting.

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Komer picked up his wine glass and coolly watched the noblewomen in the banquet hall flirting shamelessly with one another. The number of women kept increasing, significantly surpassing the male guests, with many arriving accompanied by female companions, likely in search of new thrills in such an environment.

A few elegant noblewomen occasionally threw a seductive glance his way, but due to no one recognizing this handsome young man, their residual pride prevented them from lowering themselves to initiate a conversation. They all hoped for an acquaintance to bridge the awkward gap.

“Baron Komer?” A somewhat hesitant, melodious voice came from behind him, causing Komer to start. Could it be that he had a female acquaintance in Versailles? Apart from Tracy, he couldn’t recall any woman from his circle of friends who would frequent such a place.

Turning around slowly, Komer’s calm expression was briefly pierced by a trace of surprise.

Underneath the chestnut hair was a face as smooth and refined as ivory. The rosé lips, perched beneath a slightly prominent nose, caught the light and shone with an enchanting shade. Her eyes, the same color as her hair, seemed profound. She wore a black evening dress that accentuated the snow-white cleavage, a diamond-studded jade brooch pinned at a prominent spot, and held a pair of white silk embroidered gloves, her delicate slender fingers resembling tender shoots. Like a focal point, Komer immediately felt the envious gazes of the surrounding women swirling around him and this woman.

“Yes, may I inquire who you are…?” Komer politely bowed, his inquisitive gaze resting on her face. He was certain he had never seen such a woman before; a woman of such unique allure would have left an indelible mark in his mind had they met.

With a “clucking” laugh, the woman covered her mouth gracefully with one hand, her bosom heaving with the motion of her laughter, drawing the attention of everyone present. “Your Excellency the Baron, I’ve heard that you were a dashing and carefree figure in Cyprus, but today I find you quite different from the legends, wouldn’t you say?”

A twinge of concern tightened Komer’s heart. Here was another person who knew his past, and it seemed that his dubious history had truly spread throughout the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Nicosia. However, he was puzzled as to how his past misadventures as a wayward noble could have caught the attention of Jazair’s high society.

With an odd smile surfacing on his face, Komer had to be extra cautious. The woman before him appeared to know everything about him, yet he knew nothing of her. Such a conversation was decidedly challenging, “My lady, not all rumors are reliable. The many can turn gold to dross, rumors end with the wise.”

“Haha, Your Excellency the Baron, you do have a sense of humor. Are you saying all those romantic anecdotes from your past were fabricated by others? I doubt it. Even my brother, who idolizes you, is said to have had an encounter with you in Cyprus, a fact well-known to the public. Isn’t that so?”

The woman’s words suddenly became crass, and her voice rose several notches, drawing noticeable expressions of interest on the faces of the noblewomen eavesdropping on the conversation.

Komer’s face went pale as he began to guess the identity of the woman.

Lady Princess Katya, His Majesty the King’s third daughter and the third in line to the kingdom’s succession, a woman of scandalous reputation, already engaged to Viscount Mebon, the Deputy Corps Commander of the Royal Fire Shadow Knights of the Kingdom, a noble from a family whose power was in decline but still had widespread kinship ties throughout the kingdom.

It was said that the fiance was chosen by herself, and her choice caused a commotion at the time, with no one understanding why she would choose such a fallen knight with no economic strength. Furthermore, it was believed that she had fought to secure the deputy corps commander position for him.

Some speculated that Princess Katya had deliberately chosen a powerless knight as her fiancé to facilitate her dalliances. The rumors and speculations were endless.

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