King Alexander picked up the wine glass and said to Duke Arthur, "Congratulations to the Duke on his triumphant return after a great victory. I respect you with this glass."
Duke Arthur responded, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
First Consort Jace would occasionally interject a few words. As for the other consorts, they were not qualified to interrupt.
Lance, a man of few words, stole glances at King Alexander, his eyes secretly filled with affection that others could see.
Though King Alexander remained oblivious, First Consort Jace and Duke Arthur both noticed Lance's hidden feelings.
First Consort Jace, wore a sweet smile, interjecting his charming remarks whenever he could.
He playfully teased Lance, saying, "Dear Consort Lancelot, your splendid banquet organising skills deserves a generous reward from the King."
Hearing this, Lance glanced around anxiously before replying, "Please don't, First Consort Jace."
King Alexander looked at Lance, reassuring First Consort Jace, "This banquet is his duty, you don't need to worry, Jace."
Upon hearing this, Lance's face turned pale, and he stared at the sumptuous table.
First Consort Jace couldn't resist a provocative smile, unseen by King Alexander. Lance's complexion grew even paler, unable to bear the situation.
Secretly, he inquired from his trusty companion, 007, ["I can't see his expression from here. Did Duke Arthur feel bad for me?"]
007 responded, ["I think so.."] It could only see Duke Arthur's ever lasting cold poker face.
Lance expressed his desire, ["I wish I could see his reaction."]
007 regretfully replied, ["Apologies, the monitoring screen transmission is locked and requires soul coins to unlock."]
Lance sighed with a playful tone, ["You're just a fancy gaming app, aren't you?"]
007 clarified, ["We are a formal organisation!"]
Meanwhile, Lance sneakily stole glances at Duke Arthur from the corner of his eye.
Duke Arthur remained composed, having no reaction to the drama in front of him.
Lance aimed to build a strong relationship with Duke Arthur, considering his military power and the influence of the De Vere family, it might lead to King Alexander's downfall.
Based on what he had learned, Duke Arthur's character appeared to be a safer bet than King Alexander's.
Regarding the strategy against King Alexander, he knew they had to proceed carefully.
During the banquet, King Alexander attempted to discuss military matters with Duke Arthur, but the latter politely declined.
While King Alexander tried to mask it, there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
Lance ate in silence, wondering why Duke Arthur had travelled here if he had no intentions of being polite to the King.
As he pondered, he glanced at Duke Arthur from the corner of his eye. He sat in front of him, his thin lips slightly pursed, revealing neither happiness nor anger.
Duke Arthur didn't seem like a fool; there was more to him than meets the eye.
In the following days, Lance didn't encounter King Alexander. He sent out a letter and asked his brother to come meet him.
As he awaited his visitor, he asked 007, ["What happens if the task isn't completed?"]
007 replied, ["Soul coins will be deducted by 500."]
Losing 500 coins when the targets simply gave a hundred or so. Capturing the target was of utmost importance for the system.
Lance furrowed his brow, contemplating, and then asked, ["Does it matter if I do Arthur instead of Alexander?"]
007 explained, ["The task is considered a success when one person is successful brought to 100% favorability."]
In other words, conquering just one person was considered a success, but the greater the benefit, the higher the risk.
Duke Arthur's reward coins were double times that of King Alexander, implying the difficulty of conquering him was double.
Lance wasn't sure if he could successfully woo Duke Arthur, but he was more inclined to focus on him.
Not long after, Liamsworth, Lancelot's brother arrived at the palace. Seeing Lance's pale face, he felt deeply sad and held Lance's hand, tears threatening to fall.
He exclaimed, "Oh, my little brother! Why put yourself through such trouble?"
Lance grinned mischievously, pretending not to understand his brother's concern. He reassured Liamsworth, "No need to worry, I've learned from my mistakes, brother."
Hearing his brother's comforting words now, Liamsworth felt even more emotional. He believed his younger brother possessed exceptional character and talent, deserving of a worthy partner, and that's why he shouldn't have entered the palace.
Looking at Liamsworth, Lance sensed his emotions and quickly added, "Even though the King doesn't favour me, life in the palace is quite pleasant. Don't worry, brother."
Nervously biting his lower lip, Lance expressed his concerns, "My only worry is the King..."
Liamsworth was alarmed by his brother's expression and asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"
"When the King reprimanded me, he accused the De Vere of having a heart of disobedience, and he said I will also be implicated."
Lance paused for a moment, making a playful gesture with his hand as if his head was filled worries, and then continued in a theatrical tone,
"Oh, brother! You won't believe the audacity of the King! He accused our noble father, who's loyal to the kingdom, of such preposterous things!"
Tears flowed down Lance's cheeks, though they were born of his dramatic flair rather than genuine sorrow.
"How can the King utter such slander against a man of integrity like father?"
The scene was heartrending, and those who witnessed it were moved to tears, not knowing if it was hand movements or the sincerity that touched them more.