007's voice sounded: ["Please pay attention, if the strategy of this world fails, 1000 soul coins will be deducted. If the negative value of the coins reaches 500, the host will be sent back to the original world. Your current balance is 0."]
Lance simply rolled his eyes.
The next day, Lance finally went to First Consort's castle to pay his respects to First Consort Jace.
First Consort Jace was in the highest position, with a pure and sweet face full of innocent smiles, like a boy who hadn't left the palace.
Consorts of high and low rank sat below, either joking with each other or complimenting First Consort Jace.
The atmosphere in the room was lively and noisy, and Lance couldn't figure out why First Consort Jace was so keen on this process of meeting his husband's other toys.
He thought that Jace would just send everyone back to their own quarters, out of sight and out of mind.
However, besides First Consort Jace, Lance was still the second highest-ranking consort, and he held real power in his hands.
This group of consort's not only surrounded First Consort Jace but also surrounded Lance.
A few consort's asked him with concern about his health, and there were some who wanted to bring him pastries and medicinal meals.
Lance evoked a gentle smile and declined one by one.
007: ["I thought the host would not reject them... After all, you've been here for a month, and you ate pastries like a glutton!"]
Lance seemed to hear its complaint and said with a smile, ["I don't know which one is sincerely seeking refuge, how dare I eat the things they send. Be good, go eat some walnuts."]
After rejecting them, the faces of the consort's clearly showed disappointment.
But First Consort Jace, who was sitting above, had an innocent smile on his face, though a flash of insidiousness and hatred in his eyes gave away his true feelings.
Lance noticed the fleeting emotion but didn't dwell on it.
In a flash, First Consort Jace started talking to the consort who complimented him again, and after hearing how beautiful the hairpin the King bestowed upon him for several times, he covered his lips and chuckled contentedly.
He touched the hairpin on his head and turned his gaze to Lance, saying, "My dear consort is finally healed. I asked the King a few days ago to have the royal doctor treat Consort Lancelot well."
He sighed and complained, "The King always tells me not to ask about these things, but I am really worried about Consort Lancelot."
Several consort's had different expressions, and no one spoke, but their eyes all fell on Lance.
Lance replied casually, "I appreciate your concern, Your Highness. Fortunately, I healed in time, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to attend the royal banquet in a few days."
First Consort Jace's smile froze for a moment, then the corners of his lips lifted up, and his smile became brighter. "Consort, you must take care of your health and not overwork yourself."
His tone seemed to be words squeezed out between his teeth, and he secretly squeezed the cup in his hand.
Lance won the final victory, looking around with smiling eyes.
The more painful they were, the more comfortable he felt physically and mentally and he was satisfied to see the discomfort in the other consort's expressions.
After all, First Consort Jace had mentioned that they were just brought into the palace to alleviate his boredom. With that in mind, no one should dare to challenge his position.
Lance had just recovered from a serious illness, and his face was still pale. First Consort Jace noticed this and said a few words of relief, pointing out that it was his protection that helped Lance recover so well.
First Consort Jace couldn't help but feel a bit smug, knowing that Lance was now displaying his pale appearance just to please him.
In the following days, Lance began organizing the Royal Banquet.
Fortunately, his servant Alferdo handled everything in an orderly manner. As long as Lance made arrangements, Alferdo could handle everything perfectly.
Three days passed quickly, and Duke Arthur also entered the castle grounds as scheduled.
The royal banquet was kept simple, with only First Consort Jace, Lance, and two other consort's sitting at the banquet.
Lance sat at the King Alexander's lower head, and First Consort Jace opposite him.
Duke Arthur entered from the castle gates, and the banquet fell silent for a moment.
007's voice sounded again, [The second target has appeared – Duke Arthur. Achieving 100% progress will reward you with 200 soul coins. Please don't be passive and sabotage your work.]
Lance's eyes lit up; he had been waiting for this opportunity. He thought of bringing Duke Arthur to his side, and this could be a chance to earn some coins.
King Alexander kept his attention on Duke Arthur, taking in all the changes in his eyes. He also noticed Lance glancing at Duke Arthur thoughtfully.
Duke Arthur was a man dressed in all black, with cold eyes, full of indifference. His thin lips curved with a natural sarcasm, yet he exuded an aura of a beast.
Lance couldn't help but admire Duke Arthur's appearance, and their eyes met.
He smiled at Duke Arthur with a clear and friendly smile. Duke Arthur was startled by the sudden attention and looked away.
He didn't know much about the people in the royal castle, but he knew that there were only a few who were qualified to sit at a royal banquet beside the King, the King's harem.
This person should be a prominent figure in the palace grounds, recently conferred as Consort Lancelot De Vere. He looked different from the rumours he had heard.
Lance thought to 007, ["He's a general who has been on the battlefield. He must have a keen eye."]
007 suggested, ["According to the statistics, looking at each other is helpful for the strategy. You can try to look at the characters more often."]
Lance sighed, ["This is the palace grounds, and I'm just a consort. If I look at a man too much other than the King, it may be dangerous."]
007 replied, ["The host is smart!"]