Liya covered her mouth with one hand and yawned.
"Ha…"
Gwen stood in front of her with a very serious expression, hands clasped together, her face full of worry as she spoke, "Liya!"
"Right now, I can only rely on you."
Liya put one hand on her hip, looked Gwen up and down, sighed, and showed extreme helplessness.
"You dragged me over here first thing in the morning just for this?"
"Just because my brother invited you to dinner, you're this worked up?"
"Please, wake up!"
Gwen pressed her lips together, her mood extremely complicated.
"But…"
"If I go dressed like this, wouldn't that be way too rude?"
She spread her arms and lowered her head to look at the knight's light armor she was wearing.
There was no helping it, Gwen had never had a dress of her own, let alone makeup.
Even at the last banquet, she had been forcibly made up by Kefra and made to wear one of Kefra's old dresses.
If Sister Kefra were here, she wouldn't need to be so troubled.
Liya was a bit speechless, looking at Gwen with a mix of frustration and disappointment.
"If this were before, you wouldn't even think like this."
If it were the old Gwen, she would have coldly rejected Viktor outright.
How could she be like this now, acting just like a… little girl who had just started dating, confirmed the relationship, and then became completely at a loss when asked out on a date.
"What kind of love potion did Viktor feed you?" Liya raised a hand and covered her forehead.
"Liya! I can't break the appointment!" Gwen slapped both hands heavily onto Liya's shoulders and looked at her solemnly.
That heavy slap almost sent Liya straight away.
She struggled to pull Gwen's hands off her and held them in her own.
"This concerns a knight's conviction!"
"?"
Liya looked at Gwen with an expression that said she didn't understand, but felt deeply shaken.
'What does this have to do with a knight's conviction?'
'Are you sure you're not just finding an excuse to brush me off?'
Jokes aside, once Gwen asked for help, Liya naturally had to help her.
She took out a pocket watch from her chest and lowered her head to check the time.
"Let me see… counting from now until tonight."
"Alright, it should be doable."
She closed the pocket watch and said to Gwen, "Have your servants measure your size. I'll go spend a lot of money to find a few mages."
Gwen froze slightly. 'Why look for mages?'
Liya sighed tiredly, "Is your head full of muscles? If we look for a tailor now, there's definitely not enough time."
"Mages may be expensive, but they can use magic to make even more beautiful clothes, and it'll be fast."
"Oh… oh…"
Gwen nodded obediently, looking like she half understood.
"And makeup and stuff, sigh, I'll do that myself."
Looking at Gwen's naturally beautiful face, Liya felt a bit troubled.
Clearly a knight who had weathered countless hardships, yet her skin was still incredibly smooth, giving off a bright and energetic impression.
In short, very enviable.
Liya reached out and placed her hand on Gwen's shoulder, planning to forcibly press her into a chair.
But even using all her strength, she couldn't press Gwen down.
Gwen tilted her head, feeling a little confused, only to see Liya raising her eyebrows with a fake smile.
"I'm saying…"
"Can you cooperate a bit?"
"Ah, o-okay."
Gwen hurriedly sat down and properly faced the mirror.
Liya let out a breath and took out a makeup kit from her waist pouch.
"Close your eyes."
Gwen obediently closed her eyes.
She felt faint waves of itchiness on her face as someone dabbed and brushed for a while.
'Mm…'
This feeling was just like when Kefra did her makeup before.
Very uncomfortable.
Soon after, she heard Liya's voice beside her.
"Oh right, Uncle Angus is dead."
"You should have the freedom to handle your own engagement now, right?"
Gwen kept her eyes closed, silent, and didn't speak.
In that silence, Liya didn't continue asking either.
It was as if the two of them shared an unspoken understanding and didn't pursue the topic further.
After a while, Liya put away the makeup kit and clapped her hands.
"Alright, that'll do."
Gwen opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror.
———
[Siver Restaurant]
This was the most top-tier luxury restaurant in the entire empire.
Its chain locations bloomed across many cities of the empire.
Siver Restaurant had an extremely unified design style.
The entire building was like a massive castle, with each room being a private dining room that offered a view of the brilliantly lit royal capital at night.
Gentle cello music flowed through the dim restaurant, while flickering candlelight reflected the unique sheen of golden nanmu wood.
The bright colors reflected from the white tablecloths added an extra layer of mystery.
Crystal pendants hanging from the ceiling reflected every ray of light in wondrous ripples.
An elegant and tranquil atmosphere flowed continuously through the restaurant.
Many nobles frequently dined here.
Because this place was one of the best ways to prove their noble status.
Although each visit required a long reservation.
It was common for reservations to be fully booked days in advance.
At this moment, an ornate carriage slowly came to a stop at the entrance of Siver Restaurant.
Liya stepped down from the carriage, wearing a simple everyday outfit.
The surrounding nobles were very surprised when they saw her.
In the royal capital, almost all nobles knew who Liya was.
But why was she here?
And judging by her appearance, it didn't seem like she was here to dine.
Then, she gracefully extended a hand toward a mysterious woman inside the carriage.
A white-gloved hand rested upon Liya's slender, warm hand.
The woman slowly revealed herself from the carriage.
Beneath the white ceremonial hat was an incomparably beautiful face. Under the adornment of the night sky, Gwen, wearing light makeup, was utterly enchanting.
The large, luxurious dress she wore exuded an air of nobility.
Made from magical materials, the dress shimmered faintly with white light.
It flowed gently like a stream, like a subtle silver galaxy surging around her.
It was as if standing before the nobles was a queen descending from the heavens.
Countless nobles lingering near the restaurant froze on the spot when they saw her.
Who was this beautiful woman?
There was someone this stunning in the royal capital, yet they had no memory of her at all?
Compared to her, even the women accompanying them seemed dull and faded.
And it wasn't just them.
The noble ladies inside the restaurant, looking out through the doors and windows, also froze when they saw her.
She was simply too beautiful.
A face that was captivating even without makeup.
Her beauty wasn't just simple prettiness.
Her sharp features carried the steadfastness of a knight, with righteousness and a kind of handsome charm that cut down both men and women alike.
Some of the noble ladies who saw Gwen even blushed, their hearts pounding wildly.
'Oh no!'
'This is… the feeling of falling in love!'
Meanwhile, Gwen herself looked extremely shy, her head slightly lowered.
She could feel all the gazes gathering on her.
Normally, she could ignore such looks, or even glare back without restraint.
But now, she felt too embarrassed to raise her head and meet their eyes.
Still, compared to last time, wearing a dress this time made it easier for her to adapt.
And she wasn't sure if it was because of the expensive magic-material dress, but it felt very comfortable to wear.
Her chest didn't feel tight anymore.
It was just that without armor, her lower body felt oddly chilly.
Liya led her through the many gazes and walked to the restaurant entrance.
Then, Liya let go of her hand.
Gwen felt slightly unsteady for a moment, her high heels almost failing to support her.
She truly couldn't adapt to such anti-human footwear.
"I won't walk in with you from here."
Liya nodded toward the restaurant doors, signaling to Gwen.
Gwen looked over in confusion.
A figure slowly walked out from the entrance.
He wore a jet-black trench coat, with an extremely mysterious crow perched on his shoulder.
Under everyone's gaze, flames gradually burst from the man's coat, fluttering like tail feathers waving in the air.
At his side, greenery quietly rose.
A tranquil, field-like environment slowly spread across the restaurant.
Green phosphorescent light gradually lit up from the grass, making everyone feel an incredibly rich aura of nature.
The life-filled air made them feel deeply relaxed.
Viktor walked forward slowly. Under the flames, his coat gradually transformed into an impeccably neat suit.
A silver brooch was pinned to his chest, on one side, the emblem of the Mage Council.
The entirely black outfit made him look extremely elegant and dashing, and the detached look in his eyes added a touch of mystery.
Soon, he stood before Gwen.
The surrounding nobles were completely stunned by what they had just seen.
"That's… Viktor!?"
"The head of the Clavenna family is here too!"
"So handsome… I want to learn that outfit-changing magic too…"
But after marveling for a moment, they suddenly realized, if this man was Viktor, then that woman must be…
"The current head of the Delin family, Viktor's fiancée, Gwen!?"
The moment those words rang out, many people present were utterly dumbfounded.
In the nobles' impressions, Gwen had always been the image of a righteous knight.
They found it hard to associate her with the stunning beauty before them, whose presence and looks were both top-tier.
Meanwhile, Viktor had already placed one hand behind his back and leaned forward slightly in a bow.
His other hand extended toward Gwen.
A perfectly standard gentleman's gesture.
Gwen froze for a moment, and Liya softly urged her from the side.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take his hand."
Reminded by Liya, Gwen snapped back to her senses, her cheeks burning red as she reached out and placed her hand in Viktor's palm.
Seeing Viktor's gentle smile, Gwen finally let out a breath of relief.
Holding Gwen's hand, Viktor walked into the restaurant under the watchful eyes of the nobles.
Liya stood outside the door, watching their departing figures.
"Ah…"
"For today's sake, I'll let you enjoy yourselves properly."
With that, she leisurely left amid the returning gazes of the crowd.
Gwen, led by Viktor's hand, slowly walked into the restaurant.
The number of gazes around them seemed to increase even more.
It made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She kept her head lowered, not daring to speak at all.
She had never experienced being the center of attention like this.
What on earth was going on today?
At this moment, Viktor led her to the very center of the restaurant.
Around them, countless gazes converged like beams of light upon the two of them.
"Do you know what day it is today?"
Viktor's voice sounded by Gwen's ear, making her lift her head and look at him in confusion.
Their eyes met.
Suddenly, Viktor snapped his fingers.
Vines filled with natural greenery rose all around.
Clutched tightly within the vines were a suit of armor and a fiery red blade.
The two evolved pieces of equipment emitted a faint golden glow, appearing slightly hazy under the lights.
On the steel surface, subtle patterns seemed to flow slowly, with runes engraved within, appearing and disappearing.
"This is the gift I prepared for you, one that suits you best."
As a knight, Gwen keenly sensed the power contained within the two pieces of equipment.
But she was confused.
Why would Viktor give her these two items?
And even emphasize... that this was a gift?
As she was puzzling over it, Viktor clapped his hands again.
Behind him, several attendants pushed silver-white carts forward.
On top sat a luxurious cake over ten layers tall.
Around them, the beautiful music turned lively.
Even the nobles felt the joyful atmosphere and couldn't help but join in, applauding.
Only Gwen, unaware of the truth, looked at Viktor, who wore a gentle smile.
His soft gaze calmly met hers.
A light breeze brushed her ears, carrying his warm words.
"Happy birthday."
"My dear knight."
[T/N: So guys, I was thinking, what if I publish 14 Chapters every Sunday instead of 2 daily? Someone recommended it to me in my other Account and I am testing if it suits to your all tastes better.]