Elder Bernard couldn't care less about their reactions. After he was done with his announcement, he turned to one of the hall masters and asked, "Hall Master Heitor, you're in charge of preparing the disciples for today's banquet, correct?"
Mary Heitor was indeed in charge of the preparation for the banquet. She was the best at preparing for things like that. She had a good fashion sense than most of them. She immediately nodded and replied curtly, "Yes, Hall Master."
"Okay." Elder Bernard replied. Then, he said, "I'll leave my disciple in your care. Please prepare her for the banquet."
"Yes, Master."
Mary Heitor looked in Lyca's direction and ran her gaze over her figure. Although, she was cloaked and her figure couldn't be seen clearly, Mary already had a rough outline of her figure. She concluded that she would easily find a uniform for her to wear.
Elder Bernard didn't say anything else. He stood up from his seat and walked out of the main hall. Soon, he disappeared from their sight.
After Bernard left, the hall instantly became rowdy. It was loud and everyone was discussing in groups. They gathered around whispering to one another as they looked Lyca's way from time to time.
Lyca could feel their gaze. Some were full of jealousy and envy. Some were just curious. There were even some gazes that were sharp and hateful.
Mary walked up to her with two of her disciples. Then, she asked one of them to direct her as they walked toward the inner part of the hall. She was in front while Lyca and the two disciples were walking behind her.
It was evident that Mary was a proud and confident woman. As she walked down the hallway, her shoulders were straightened and she took elegant and poise steps. She wouldn't talk unless necessary.
The two disciples were different though. As they walked, they chatted with Lyca in low voices.
"Your name is Lyca, right?" The first one who was leading Lyca along asked. She grinned and Lyca could almost imagine how wide her smile would be. "My name is Jeida."
"My name is Isabel." The other chimed in.
"Okay," Lyca replied. She didn't say anything more.
Lyca was reclusive and quiet. She didn't have anyone to talk to so she grew to be detached. No one was willing to talk or be seen with her. So, she was unable to react properly to the enthusiasm of the two girls.
But, these girls didn't seem to notice. Or, their curiosity and gossipy nature did not allow them to get angry.
They continued to ask, "Why are you hiding your face? It's not a big deal to be blind."
"Yes. It's not as though you killed someone."
Lyca was tongue-tied. "I…"
Just then, Mary who had kept quiet and acted as though she didn't hear their little whispers cut in and grunted, "What are you muttering about?"
The two girls immediately shut up. They straightened up and began to lead Lyca as ordered. But one of them didn't forget to whisper in her ears.
"We'll talk later."
They soon reached their destination. It was the costumes room. Mary opened the door and entered with the two girls behind her.
Lyca was taken in and she was made to stand in the middle of the room. Mary retrieved a long piece of tape from one of the shelves. Then, she stood in front of her and began to take her measurements while Isabel was assigned to note the measurements in a book.
After they were done, Mary immediately went in search of a proper and fitting uniform for Lyca. By the time she returned, it was time to prepare for the banquet.
Lyca was taken to the bathhouse and she took a bath under the guidance of the other two. After they were done, she dressed in the uniform.
The uniform of the divination hall was a set of garments. It had a wide-sleeved frail top over a long skirt. There was a cape over it that Lyca could pull over her head. She pulled it over her head, this, entirely covering her face.
Soon, all the disciples gathered at the main hall and began to advance toward the banquet being held at the king's royal palace.
***
At the banquet…
The palace of the Azov Kingdom was wide. It was huge and stood magnificently in the territory. The hall used for the banquet was also very wide since it would be holding a large number of guests.
The King was holding a banquet in honor of his general who had just returned from war with a rebel kingdom. So, a lot of people were in attendance. It was personally arranged by the king himself.
The hall was adorned and decorated grandly. Red tapestries were laid on the floors and colorful designs were hung in the room. Music was playing at a moderate volume in the room and the atmosphere was lively.
The dessert table was in a corner of the hall. There were all sorts of desserts in different flavors on the table. The cutleries were arranged neatly on the side with a server pouring wine into the wine glasses.
The banquet had already begun in full force when Lyca and the other disciples arrived. Master Mary was the only teacher with them.
The moment they arrived, the disciples quickly dispersed to several corners of the room. Most of them had friends they were chatting with whilst some were chatting amongst themselves.
Mary had also left to represent the divination hall amongst the elders. Lyca was left with Jeida and Isabel. But, the two soon left to join the fun.
Lyca sat quietly in her seat with her head lowered. She didn't talk to anyone and seemed detached. She was especially noticeable amongst the people who were enjoying the party.
In a corner of the room, a young lady was standing by a pillar with her friend. She was dressed in a ball gown. She was also adorned in accessories and her attire screamed wealth.
She was initially chatting with her friend. But, when she turned around, she suddenly caught sight of Lyca's figure. Although her face was cloaked, her figure was indistinguishable.
Her eyes widened at the realization. Her gaze was sharp and there seemed to be a calculating going in her eyes. Her friend also noticed the train of her gaze and looked in that direction.
When she saw the figure seated ahead, she exclaimed, "Martha, is that not the jinx, Lyca?"
Martha didn't react to her friend's words. Her eyes were seeing red and she was extremely annoyed. After so much effort, she had finally gotten rid of that jinx. But, she actually appeared at the palace. She was even dressed so beautifully.
She couldn't accept it at all.
She was driven by emotions and forgot that she was in a crowd of people. She pranced towards where Lyca was seated with her fists clenched.
The moment she reached her, she pulled her back. Her action was so abrupt that Lyca was taken by surprise. The cape was pulled down before she could react and her face instantly came into view.
The moment Martha saw her face, her eyes burned with more anger. She barked, "You jinx! What are you doing here?"
Lyca immediately recognized her voice. She stiffened and her body began to tremble violently. She was terrified. She knew what Martha was capable of and she was defenseless against her.
"I… I don't know you. Let me go."
Martha was so infuriated by her words that she laughed. She pushed her with a shrug and Lyca immediately lost balance. She missed her step and was about to fall but she quickly reached out to grab something.
When Martha saw what she wanted to do, she pushed her even harder and Lyca was hurled away due to the impact. She was descending and was about to fall.
But suddenly, a pair of arms grabbed her before she could reach the ground. Lyca trembled from fear she moved her face frantically.
Fenrir looked down at the little woman in his arms and he could see her clearly. His eyes met with her pair of blank eyes.