“Let’s get changed first,” Cassman interrupted before the two could continue their conversation.
He glanced at Catherine, then at Luca, his expression turning rather peculiar as if some thoughts crossed his mind.
“Alright, I’ll go change. You guys chat in the meantime,” Luca replied casually, bidding farewell to the group before following a servant upstairs to the second floor.
With Rudolph and Matthew killed by Luca, the position of the City Lord of Riverfall City was now vacant. For the time being, all affairs here were being managed personally by Ryan.
All the previous servants had been replaced, and the current staff were brought over from the Howard Manor. Many of them recognized Luca, including the old butler, Charles, whose attitude was noticeably more respectful than before.
“Mr. Luca, Miss Sophia and Miss Lucia are already waiting for you. Please allow me to escort you personally,” Charles bowed slightly, his expression full of respect.
He was well aware of how much importance the Howard family placed on this young man in front of him, so he dared not show the slightest bit of negligence.
Soon, the two arrived on the second floor.
Sophia and Lucia were already standing in the hallway, waiting patiently.
Even though Luca had seen countless beauties in his two lifetimes, his eyes still lit up when he saw them.
Sophia was dressed in a sky-blue and pale gold intertwined noble gown, with an exquisite sapphire necklace adorning her fair neck. According to the customs of the Clinton Empire, nobles must wear formal attire to demonstrate their dignity on official occasions. Even so, it couldn’t hide her captivating beauty and graceful demeanor.
Her delicate face, however, remained as expressionless as always, maintaining that usual aloofness.
Lucia, on the other hand, wore a deep purple V-neck dress, accentuating her slender waist and voluptuous figure. Her chest revealed a generous expanse of porcelain-like skin, while her long and perfectly straight legs added an air of allure. Despite standing next to Sophia, the acknowledged jewel of the Emerald State, Lucia’s charm was in no way overshadowed by her presence.
“Why are you only arriving now? The banquet is about to start!” Lucia urged impatiently, her dissatisfaction evident. “Hurry up and change your clothes.”
Luca initially wanted to explain the reason for his delay, but upon seeing the barely contained excitement on Lucia’s face, he suddenly felt that his teacher’s focus was not really on the matter of his tardiness.
Before Luca could say anything further, Lucia grabbed his arm and pulled him into the dressing room, reaching out to start undressing him.
Noticing the fervent excitement in her eyes and her overly eager expression, Luca’s mouth twitched slightly. “Teacher, I can change clothes on my own…”
Lucia didn’t pay it any mind and waved off his words, “Aww, are you shy now? You’re just like your senior sister—growing up and getting more distant from me. She used to sleep with me when she was younger, and I haven’t even had a chance to…”
“Ahem!” Sophia couldn’t bear to listen any longer and interrupted with a couple of dry coughs to prevent Lucia from saying anything too out of line.
“Just get dressed,” she said, waving her hand as the maids outside brought in seven or eight luxurious suits.
Luca let out a breath of relief, silently expressing his gratitude to his senior sister. He randomly picked out a beige double-breasted suit.
Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Sophia frowning.
“This one doesn’t look good. Change to another,” she stated calmly.
Luca nodded slightly, not overthinking it. He swapped to a blue one, smiling as he said, “Alright, let’s go with this.”
Sophia’s frown deepened further, her tone turning cold. “This size is too small. Change again.”
Luca paused for two seconds.
Turning his head to look at Sophia, he asked, “Senior Sister, which one do you think suits me better?”
Without hesitation, Sophia picked up a white suit embroidered with golden patterns and handed it to Luca.
“I think this one suits you best,” she said indifferently.
Luca’s lips moved as if to speak.
In the end, he refrained from asking the question on his mind: why did she make him choose when she had already prepared the clothes?
“Is there not a single normal person around me?” Luca sighed inwardly as he took the suit and walked into the dressing room.
Lucia’s eyes shone with excitement as she secretly leaned over, intending to sneak a peek. Suddenly, she felt a chill down her spine. Turning her head, she saw Sophia standing with her arms crossed, staring at her coldly.
Her gaze was full of scrutiny.
Lucia blinked and put on a serious face. “I was just worried he wouldn’t know how to dress himself. You didn’t really think I wanted to peek at my own student getting changed, did you? Your teacher isn’t that much of a pervert!”
Sophia stared at her calmly, not saying a word.
Sophia knew her teacher all too well—free-spirited, unconstrained, completely unconcerned about worldly norms or moral codes. If she didn’t keep an eye on her, who knew what kind of things she might do.
Inside the dressing room, Luca dressed as quickly as he ever had in his life.
Only after he was done did he let out a long breath of relief.
Having a teacher like this—who knew if it was good luck or bad luck…
Luca pushed the door open and walked out of the dressing room.
Outside, both Sophia and Lucia were momentarily stunned.
The young man had sharp brows and bright eyes, his facial features distinct and defined. His tall and slender figure was adorned in a perfectly fitting white suit. The luxurious outfit masked a bit of his youthful inexperience, exuding an undeniable air of nobility. The calmness in his gaze added a layer of maturity beyond his years, keeping him from appearing frivolous like other boys his age.
“Absolutely stunning! Who knows how many girls you’ll end up charming in the future!” Lucia exclaimed in admiration. Before Luca could react, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek, leaving a satisfied smile on her face.
Luca wiped the lipstick mark off his face with a helpless expression, already accustomed to Lucia’s affectionate antics.
“This suit suits you perfectly,” Sophia nodded slightly, her eyes showing a hint of approval.
Luca glanced at his reflection in the mirror and spoke tactfully, “Senior Sister, isn’t this a bit too flashy?”
He was just here to accompany others, so why wear something so eye-catching? Wouldn’t it just draw unnecessary attention?
Hearing his words, Sophia shook her head gently, speaking with a hint of deeper meaning, “Being eye-catching is precisely the point. After all, tonight’s banquet—you are the main character.”
“Me?” Luca was taken aback, completely clueless.
Sophia didn’t seem to want to elaborate further. “Let’s go. You’ll understand soon enough.”
Luca could only suppress the confusion in his heart.
When he returned to the main hall, the spacious banquet area was already packed with people.
As the three entered together, they instantly became the focus of everyone’s attention.
Today, both Sophia and Lucia were truly breathtaking.
With two stunning beauties by his side, Luca naturally became the center of attention as well.
He could feel the numerous envious, jealous, and even hateful glances directed at him.
But Luca was already used to it.
There was still some time before the banquet officially began, so the three of them found a place to sit.
Luca observed the people attending today’s event and recognized many familiar faces.
Besides Catherine and the Iron Mountain soldiers, there were other prominent figures like Bayou, the president of the Adventurers’ Guild; Bright, the head of the Assassins’ Guild; Kurk, the Lord of Redwind City; and Old Carl from the Mages’ Association.
Additionally, people from the Red Maple Academy in Southwind City had also arrived.
Thanks to Sophia’s introduction, Luca learned that the elderly man wearing glasses was named Kruse, the Vice President of Red Maple Academy and a high-level Diamond-grade Elemental Mage.
Fred, on the other hand, was the Dean of Freshmen at Red Maple Academy and a Diamond-grade Blood Warrior.
The two had played indispensable roles in the successful hunt of the Hydra.
Behind them stood the third-year students of Red Maple Academy.
Most of them were at Silver-grade, each with an extraordinary aura and engaging in conversations effortlessly.
Only the most gifted talents of the Southern Territory could join Red Maple Academy, and such a scene hardly fazed them.
Luca’s gaze swept across the group, lingering only for a moment on a girl named Fratis.
It wasn’t her appearance or figure that caught his attention.
It was that he noticed her gaze was fixated on the various delicacies laid out at the banquet. Even when someone tried to engage her in conversation, she would smile and respond politely, yet the corner of her eyes never strayed from the food.
This girl must be really easy to please…
Luca mused to himself with a slight smile.
Noticing his gaze, the girl looked up, meeting his eyes.
Their eyes locked briefly, and Luca responded with a polite smile.
The girl’s face lit up with a bright smile, displaying a natural grace and confidence.
To Luca’s surprise, the girl then directly walked over towards them.
“President Lucia, Miss Sophia, it’s been a long time!” Fratis greeted them cheerfully.
It was clear she was an old acquaintance of both.
Sophia nodded slightly as a form of response.
Lucia, on the other hand, looked pleasantly surprised and embraced her warmly. “Oh, it’s you, Fratis! It really has been a long time!”
“When I left Dawn City, you hadn’t even hit puberty yet. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown up in just a few years!”
The moment these words were spoken, a peculiar silence fell over the people around them.
Luca’s expression turned odd. It was the first time he’d heard someone describe “growing up” so vividly…
“President Lucia, after so many years, your way of greeting people is still as unique as ever…” Fratis stuck out her tongue playfully, looking quite adorable.
The two chatted for a while longer before Fratis seemed to remember something. She turned to Lucia and said, “Before I came to Riverfall City, my mother sent me a message, saying that if you have time, you should visit Dawn City. She hasn’t seen you in years and misses you.”
Lucia pouted and responded, “That stubborn old woman doesn’t miss me—she just wants to mock me!”
“Every time she writes, she’s bragging about her happy family life and then proceeds to introduce me to a bunch of so-called successful men. I’m so sick of it.”
“My mother is just concerned about you. After all, you’re already at the age to get married.” Fratis’s words were quite tactful. In the Clinton Empire, the average marriage age was around 16 to 18. At 26, Lucia was considered an older single woman by societal standards.
But Lucia seemed completely indifferent, waving it off. “That old woman shouldn’t worry about things like this. I haven’t had enough fun yet—why would I even think about getting married?”
“I really envy your freedom.” Fratis’s face showed genuine admiration, but her expression quickly dimmed, as if recalling something unpleasant.
The two chatted for a while longer.
After Fratis left, Luca turned to Lucia and asked, “Teacher, who exactly is this girl?”
Reaching Platinum Grade at such a young age and having a rare support-type class meant her talent was almost on par with Sophia’s. She definitely had an extraordinary background.
Lucia casually took a sip of red wine and replied offhandedly, “Fratis? She’s the Sixth Princess of the Empire. Her mother and I were childhood friends, but we haven’t seen each other for years.”
“The Sixth Princess of the Empire?” Luca gasped, stunned.