Noise, laughter, body warmth, and the savoriness of food.
None of these related to Lyle.
The banquet hosted by Kevin turned out to be livelier than he'd imagined, with nobles, wealthy merchants, ladies and misses dressed to the nines, and even the proud young up-and-comers; the sheriff had been invited too, though it was unclear whether it was to network with governmental bodies or simply to rely on their order management.
At least Ralph was like the eye of a rampaging storm, maintaining absolute calm and chilliness over an area.
Ralph didn't come over to Lyle; he didn't want to disturb his nephew's relaxing party.
Yes, the banquet was largely a matchmaking dance, and at least Lyle had already seen no fewer than ten couples choosing their futures. But he stood leaning against the wall, just five meters away from the table with the roasted suckling pig. It was the perfect spot—not too distant, and not revealing his true intentions.
