Zhang Fan felt like he was throwing money away; was he trying to seduce someone else's older sister but ended up seduce the mother-in-law instead?
But no matter how you look at it, the woman in white in front of you is at most 35 years old, if you guess she's over 30. Alice only turned 19 today, so does that mean she gave birth to her at 14? Considering the time of pregnancy, this is a crime, isn't it?
"Do you talk like this to every girl you meet for the first time?" The woman in white stopped laughing and looked at Zhang Fan with interest.
"Haha." Zhang Fan covered his embarrassment with laughter and quickly changed the subject, "Sister... Marquis, how did you come up with the idea of inviting me to Alice's birthday party?"
"What?" The woman in white's eyes were full of amusement. "You called me 'Miss' just now, and now you're calling me 'Madam'?"
puff--
Zhang Fan felt like vomiting blood.
What is all this about? This Marquis is nothing like the virtuous and dignified noblewoman he imagined. She doesn't seem like a mother at all and still has the heart of a young girl.
"Ah, this..." Zhang Fan dared not take the bait. To flirt with the Marquis's wife in the Marquis's mansion was a crime punishable by death. "Madam, you may not know, but Alice and I have a rather bad relationship at the academy."
“I know.” The woman in white nodded.
"You knew?" Zhang Fan was stunned. "Then why did you..."
"Don't you think this is interesting?" the woman in white said with a smile. "After all, Alice is still your servant. Isn't it normal for a servant to invite her master to her birthday party?"
“…” Zhang Fan was covered in sweat.
"Alice might be too embarrassed to do it, so I, as her mother, have to do it for her."
"Don't you think it's exciting? Two people entangled in love, hate, and passion are about to meet in this strange and wonderful setting!"
The woman in white clenched her fists in excitement; it's unclear what story she was imagining.
“Wait a minute…” Zhang Fan keenly caught the unusual information in the other person’s words, “Can I understand it this way? Alice didn’t know I was attending the birthday party?”
"Yes, yes, yes!" The woman in white nodded excitedly. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You're very smart; you understand things immediately!"
"Have you ever thought about this?" Zhang Fan's eyes widened. "Aren't you afraid that your daughter might beat me to death here?"
"What's there to be afraid of? If you're not afraid, why should I be?"
“How could I not be afraid?” Zhang Fan immediately retorted, “I’m terrified!”
"Afraid you'd still come?" The woman in white tilted her head and looked at him. "I just wrote your name on the invitation randomly, I didn't expect you to actually dare to come."
Damn it!
Zhang Fan was speechless for a moment. Did this mean he was handing himself over to his death?
I used to think Alice had some hidden meaning in sending me a birthday invitation, but I wouldn't turn my back on her at her birthday party. Turns out she never even intended to invite me!
Looking at the woman in white in front of him, Zhang Fan thought, "This mother is really unreliable."
Oh no, oh no, what should we do?
Why don't we find a place to hide and sneak away after the birthday party is over?
But wouldn't that mean we'd come all this way for nothing?
Judging from the situation at the dock just now, there will be at least seven or eight hundred people in the banquet hall, including the guests attending the birthday party, as well as the workers and servants preparing the banquet. I should be able to find a corner far away and observe secretly without anyone noticing.
It's settled then!
As evening approaches, the city lights begin to twinkle.
The entire Marquis's mansion was illuminated by various lights, making it look magnificent. Even the garden was covered with various light strips, as bright as day.
As carriages arrived one after another into the Marquis's mansion, the number of guests grew.
Inside the brightly lit banquet hall of the Marquis's mansion, well-dressed nobles and gentlemen gathered in twos and threes, holding wine glasses and chatting and laughing.
The noble ladies chatted and laughed in the tea room, fanning themselves, commenting on each other's clothes, complimenting one another, and spreading gossip about their social circles.
Delicious snacks and desserts were prepared in advance on the lawn of the garden outside the Marquis's mansion, showing meticulous care for the guests who had come from afar.
There was even a horse farm in the distance of the lawn, where, in addition to horseback riding for leisure, many nobles would also participate in a horse race with small stakes.
For Alice's birthday banquet, almost every prominent noble family in the entire Duchy of Ryan sent a representative. Although the banquet rarely invited noble children directly, quite a few noble children accompanied their elders.
Intermarriage among nobles was an important way to exchange benefits and maintain family status. These social occasions were excellent opportunities for nobles to build networks and find suitable partners for their descendants.
As a member of the Ryan nobility, a son-in-law with a bright future, or a daughter-in-law from a powerful family, can provide strong support for the family to reach a new level.
Those who came to the banquet were essentially "screened" by the Marquis's mansion in advance, and those who could catch the Marquis's eye were either powerful figures of noble status or promising new forces, making it a rare opportunity.
Of course, this excludes a young man in the crowd who is idle, loitering around, looking around furtively.
Soothing music was playing in the banquet hall, and Zhang Fan was struggling with quail eggs on the buffet table while holding chopsticks.
The music suddenly stopped, all the lights in the hall focused forward, and everyone in the hall looked at the spiral staircase leading to the second floor.
Tonight, Alice is wearing a pristine white evening gown adorned with crystals, rhinestones, and lace.
Bathed in the light of the crystal chandelier, Alice now shone brightly, like a princess descending the castle stairs. Even the brightly lit banquet hall seemed to pale in comparison at this moment.
The men were amazed, the women were envious, and everyone's eyes were completely drawn to her radiance.
Of course, there's an exception: a young man who's still stubbornly fixated on the quail eggs on his plate.
A girl not yet twenty years old, so charming, yet those present felt no sense of disrespect, at least not outwardly.
After all, this is the accepted fact in people's minds; she is a girl who will become royalty in the future.
Swish swish swish—
Amidst enthusiastic applause, Alice descended the stairs, where the Marchioness was already waiting, smiling as she took her daughter's hand.
The people in the hall were completely captivated. Both Princess Alice and the Marchioness were stunning beauties. When they stood together, people felt that perhaps only someone who had once saved the galaxy could possess both of them at the same time…
Cough! Cough!
Zhang Fan pounded his chest a few times, choking on a quail egg.
He gulped down several mouthfuls of water, trying to flush down the quail egg stuck in his throat.
The lesser hermit lives in the wilderness, the greater hermit lives in the city.
Zhang Fan hid in the dimly lit corner, engrossed in his food, figuring no one would notice him. He looked up at the distant lights and saw the Marquis de' Marquis whispering in Alice's ear...
The Marquise put a beautiful necklace on Alice, making the surrounding noble ladies envious, but Alice was not grateful and took it off and put it aside.
Alice had just learned from her mother that her father had sent a gift because he was busy with work, but he couldn't attend her birthday party.
Alice's face turned very pale.
Pleasant dance music has already filled the banquet hall...
In the past, my father would dance my first dance with me at this time, but who will it be now?
Even the banquet hall fell silent instantly, with everyone listening intently.
"Now," the banquet emcee's voice rang out in the hall at just the right moment.
"Please, Princess Alice's classmate."
"Second Lieutenant, Royal Military Command Academy, Duchy of Ryan..."
"Mr. Zhang Fan danced with Princess Alice."
puff--
Zhang Fan spat out a mouthful of water.
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