The day of the banquet arrived sooner than everyone was ready for, but with 5 days of intense preparation, they managed to get both the hall and the food ready. As a result, those who worked on the preparation were out of commission from the load of work and were granted rest on the day of the event.
Shen Yuan needed to be in the hall to monitor things, so he refused the holiday and volunteered to work as a waiter, but this time, Harper refused his volunteer.
"You're not trained to serve a party yet. This time, the seniors will do the work. You can go to bed early or play in the city with your peers. You're free until tomorrow morning."
Without giving a chance for Shen Yuan to reply, Harper turned and paced away as she checked the time through her pocket watch. He crossed his arms and heaved a sigh. Considering the guests for the banquet, was there a need to be so thorough?
Seems like he needed to find another way in.
The banquet hall had a second-floor mezzanine where guests could take a break from the banquet. With the nature of the banquet tonight, he doubted many people would leave the main floor, so he should be fine watching from there.
He had bought an alteration potion after knowing about it the other day just in case he would need one, but it would be troublesome if the knights thought of him as a suspicious person. They were chosen people who could detect traces of magic, even if they were imbued, diluted, or consumed.
After some brief thought, he went back to his room to fetch the potion before heading to the knights' quarter. When he reached there, the knights and guards had just finished their final briefing, and he found Matthew in the knights' office, more dressed up than usual in his navy and gold uniform.
"Sean? What are you doing here?" Matthew fixed his sword at his waist, ensuring its firmness one last time, before approaching Shen Yuan.
"There's a little favor I need to ask you." Shen Yuan scratched his cheek with a sheepish smile.
"Let me guess, you want to enter the banquet?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Considering the timing, it's not that difficult to guess." Matthew rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I'm a bit surprised though. You don't seem like the type to care about parties."
"It's not exactly about the party." Shen Yuan cupped his mouth and leaned closer to whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but I was told the first trial is going to be held in this banquet tonight. That's what I want to see."
"You were told…?" Matthew widened his eyes. "You mean from Prince Zain? He told you something that important?"
"After he got summoned with Prince Vesper by the king, I couldn't help but ask. I don't think he's lying. He's been stressing over it since then."
Matthew rubbed his chin in thought and mumbled to himself, "I guess that explains the guest list."
"So…?" Shen Yuan wrapped around Matthew's arm and plastered himself to his side.
"Wow. I almost couldn't recognize you. You know how to use that pretty little face of yours, huh?"
Shen Yuan lightly chuckled, not denying it. "Please?"
"Alright. Alright. What do you want me to do?" Matthew raised his hands in surrender. "I'll listen first. If it's involved anything dangerous, I'm out."
"It's nothing complicated. I'm going to drink this potion and change my appearance." Shen Yuan showed the potion he brought to Matthew. "I just need you to cover for me when the other knights notice. I promise I won't cause any trouble."
"Be honest. If you didn't know about our ability, you would've just sneaked in without notice, wouldn't you?"
"There's no point talking about things that didn't happen~"
"I thought you were just a workaholic cat, but it turns out you're a fox." Matthew shook his head with a defeated sigh. "Alright, fine. Drink it here, so I'll know what you look like."
"You're the best."
Shen Yuan popped open the vial and downed the liquid. His black hair soon melted into toffee, his iris swirled into emerald, and his features softened, leaving only his alluding phoenix eyes. Seeing the result through the window, he controlled his sharp gaze and in a blink, matched his overall soft impression.
Now, he looked like a gullible young master who had yet stained his eyes with the filth of the world.
"…This is not going to send me to prison, is it?" For some reason, Matthew felt like he was on his way to becoming an accomplice to a crime.
"That's hurtful. Do I look like a criminal to you?"
"No, but I feel like you can cause someone else to become one."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It's not."
After making sure that Shen Yuan truly wasn't sneaking in to commit a crime, Matthew gave him several precautions and warned him not to attract too much attention before escorting him out of the building to not get mistaken as a suspicious person.
Shen Yuan let Matthew deal with the arrangement on his side while he returned to his room to change his clothes. Nothing elaborate. Just sophisticated enough for formal wear: a black three-piece suit with a silver necktie and a matching lapel chain. The potion didn't change his figure so it fit perfectly as he bought it.
The servant quarter was currently empty with those on duty busying about upstairs while those who were given rest for the night had left to play and drink in the city. When the clock struck seven, he headed up to the second floor to directly access the mezzanine.
Soon after he closed the door behind him, trumpets blared in the hall, welcoming the royal family's arrival. The guests dropped their conversations and hustled towards the front, wanting to get the frontmost view.
On the contrary, Shen Yuan settled behind a pillar furthest away from the entrance. The guards opened the door in trained sync and the guests bowed in the presence of the monarch.
The king and queen walked hand in hand at the front, wearing a matching set of golden royal coat and dress, the color that could only be worn by royalty. Unlike in their casual days, proper crowns adorned their head with the purest crystal embedded at the center of the king's crown, representing the northern star.
Behind them was Zain, bearing a silver crown around his snow-white hair, further veiling him in a cold hue. He held his chin high, no trace of his previous uncertainty in his aloof appearance and firm steps. His dignified back overshone the rumors surrounding him that some of the guests were already drawn to his light.
Following last was Vesper, adorning the same silver crown and his trademark deep crimson garment. Every time the ladies stole a glance at him, he generously threw them a smile, causing muffled squeals to resound among the guests. Despite his seemingly playful actions, his gait was no less sophisticated and his radiance wasn't suppressed by his brother the slightest bit.
One carried the mystery of the moon while the other spread the brilliance of the sun. Their battle to claim the sky would begin today.
Shen Yuan was prepared for Zain to notice him at any time, but the eyes that caught him were the blood-red orbs, sucking him into their vortex of greed. His stomach fluttered.
He curled a smile and, not bothering to try hiding, gave a small wave with a wiggle of his fingers.
Vesper narrowed his eyes, "…"
The opening went without a hitch. Not much was said, and the king didn't speak a word about the hidden intention of the banquet. A slow, relaxing melody started flowing across the hall, but, contrary to their enthusiasm, none of the guests dared to be the first one to approach the princes.
Shen Yuan wasn't surprised. As regular commoners, they probably never had imagined there would come a day in their life when they would step into the palace, much less be invited to a royal banquet and have an opportunity to talk to the princes. The merchants were probably the closest they were to nobles.
The first to make the move must be the princes.
"Don't waste my effort, Your Highness." Shen Yuan leaned to the pillar and crossed his arms in wait.
As if hearing his words, Zain took the head start from Vesper. He recognized one of the girls in the crowd as the staff at Golden Farm who helped Shen Yuan on his errand the other day and approached her.
He didn't know what the king wanted them to prove, but standing around doing nothing definitely wasn't the answer. He also couldn't disappoint Shen Yuan with such a lame display.
First thing first, he should be a proper host.