NOVPUBThe provincial minister and the aristocracy at his side were still trying to ingratiate themselves with the governor sent from the Demon World.
In a way, the status of the governor was higher than any of theirs, and to offend him would undoubtedly be an extremely serious diplomatic incident.
But should they gain his favor, the support they would receive in return could be immeasurably great.
The governor nodded in acknowledgment, barely got to his feet, and wandered among the crowd.
It seemed to be either to deal with those overly attentive noblemen or perhaps just to clear his mind.
"I came to the human kingdom precisely to escape the marriage arranged by my family; I don’t want to marry a Half-Demon I have never even met, so how could I possibly take a fancy to a human female here? Absurd."
The Demon Race Governor muttered his monologue, sighing with languid disinterest.
Through his relentless efforts, Lanci had finally gotten most of his lines memorized, thanks to his good mindset and long-term administrative ability in handling documents.
The character of this Demon Race Governor was probably that of a Demon aristocrat with a mind full of ambition, who now actually only wanted to be a good governor, but had to show enthusiasm for human society in order to deal with the families in the Demon World.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure with gray hair appeared in the governor’s field of vision.
The figures at the banquet were constantly moving, and everyone was always watching the governor.
And at this moment, the governor was staring blankly across the crowd at the enigmatic beauty whose face appeared and disappeared among them.
The dessert tower on the banquet table was adorned with gold-leaf cheesecake coconut crisps; the shimmering dark chocolate had been cut into geometric shapes, and the soufflé baked with fruit wine glowed, resting on the purest ice cubes made from mineral water, and someone would occasionally take a piece.
She was engrossed in enjoying the desserts.
It seemed that the banquet made her quite uncomfortable, and eating something was the only thing that could bring her comfort.
"How could there be such a pure girl who, in a banquet like this, is unconcerned with power and gain, focusing solely on the enjoyment of fine food..."
The governor murmured.
Truth be told, under normal circumstances, he couldn’t say such a line.
Fortunately, he held himself together.
Talia hadn’t eaten dinner, and these pastries were sweet and delicious; the extravagant Brilda Opera House had even chosen the top-grade custom desserts for the banquet. As Talia ate, a smile of happiness appeared at the corners of her mouth, and she gradually forgot that she was on stage.
Following the governor’s gaze, all the guests in attendance looked toward the gray-haired girl from time to time.
"My goodness, who is this sacred girl? She has such an exquisite beauty."
The provincial minister exclaimed in admiration.
"Yes, how can there be such a pure and refined girl in the world? No wonder the governor is so captivated by her. She is indeed beautiful. Whose daughter is she?"
Another minister who followed close by asked.
"Humph, she must be a princess from some duchy, otherwise why would she dress herself so beautifully."
A lady, jealous, turned aside and whispered beneath her fan.
However, amidst such a change in the atmosphere.
Talia was indifferent.
"Tata, stop eating. It’s your line now."
Lanci reminded Talia in his mind.
"!"
Talia jolted back to awareness, realizing the gazes of everyone at the banquet.
Looking at the half-eaten pastry in her hand, she hurriedly stuffed it into her mouth before turning her head, smiling sweetly at the governor.
The instant their eyes met, time seemed to slow down.
It felt as if it wasn’t the first time they had met, yet as if they had never seen such a unique person before.
It wasn’t until a moment later that a faint smile finally danced upon the governor’s lips.
"Interesting woman, you have successfully attracted my attention."
The governor descended the steps, emitting a sacred, soft light all around him, and came to stand beside Cinderella.
Everyone at the banquet followed the governor’s direction with their gazes.
And Cinderella, too, was looking at the governor.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Lanci asked Talia.
"You’ve interrupted my eating, sir."
Talia, struggling to recall the script, concocted a line that was reasonably fitting for the scene.
"Oh?"
Lanci thought to himself that something was amiss, as he remembered the original line being, "Because you looked at me first, sir."
But now he could only go along with Talia and continue the act.
"Your answer is really quite interesting."
With a confident smile in his eyes, Lanci moved towards her with an imposing air.
After all, the governor’s character was supposed to be quite domineering.
Being retorted by a girl in such a manner.
On the contrary, it might spark even more interest in her.
"What, what are you going to do?"
Talia, unable to remember her lines anyhow, saw Lanci showing no signs of stopping, and she hastily asked.
She took a half-step back until she was up against the banquet table with nowhere left to retreat, but the governor had already reached her, leaving no escape.
"Beautiful·girl, may I have the honor of sharing a dance with you?"
The governor placed one hand on the banquet table, nearly pressing his body against hers, and asked her earnestly.
His movements were polite, but his eyes and attitude were firm, suggesting there was no option for refusal.
"I..."
Talia, with her heart racing and blood pressure soaring in response to Lanci’s clear intonation, began to breath heavily.
Yet, she felt... Today, Lanci was somewhat more domineering than usual...
Indeed, the role of the governor was somewhat authoritarian, unlike her foolish disciple who had never acted as a governor.
Talia’s gaze shifted left and right, avoiding Lanci’s intense stare.
Unexpectedly, she found the strong-willed man to be somewhat exhilarating.
But that was only in the play.
In reality, even if you gave Lanci ten thousand times the courage, he wouldn’t dare to corner her against the wall.
