The arrival of the couple at the heart of the evening instantly became the centerpiece of the entire engagement banquet.
And it was stunning—Adonis appeared in a fitted blue suit, complete with a tie, perfectly complementing Dolores' red gown.
Originally, his outfit had been the traditional Pradian robe. But after Salina saw the male servant uniforms and knight attire from Sardinson—and after looking over the sketches Wei Wei had drawn of Felix in his Western-style suit—she immediately summoned a tailor. Working under tight deadlines, they managed to create this suit just in time.
After putting it on, even Adonis himself was impressed. He was especially satisfied with the mature, composed aura the outfit projected. His smile was even more genuine than usual.
It wasn't hard to imagine that this style, not yet fashionable in the capital, might soon sweep through the nobility like wildfire.
Their entrance—handsome man and beautiful woman—captivated everyone's attention.
With the stars of the evening present and the guests all gathered, the engagement banquet officially began.
Unlike a wedding, an engagement didn't require a formal ceremony in a church. It was simply a matter of the two families publicly announcing the joyful union. The feast was purely a celebration.
Of course, some people liked to add a dramatic touch—such as reenacting the proposal at the banquet.
Adonis did exactly that.
In front of everyone, he knelt on one knee, took Dolores' hand, and held out the same ring that had been temporarily removed for the occasion. With a calm but emotional voice, he repeated his proposal.
"…My beautiful lady, will you marry me?"
His willingness to reaffirm his proposal in public spoke volumes about how much he valued Dolores. All around, female guests—especially the unmarried ones—clutched their hearts, blushing, eyes shimmering with emotion. Some gasped softly behind their hands and moved to the point of near tears. Others silently fantasized about finding a man just as romantic and perfect for themselves.
Dolores was visibly touched. Just like before, she accepted the proposal again without hesitation. She slipped the ring back on her finger and quickly pulled Adonis to his feet, even bending down to dust off his knee—despite it being spotless.
Shortly after, the music resumed—signaling it was time for the opening dance.
Standing at Felix's side, Wei Wei watched as Dolores danced gracefully across the ballroom floor. Her vibrant red dress flared in perfect arcs as she spun, and Wei Wei felt both proud and bittersweet.
The shy, self-conscious little girl she once knew had grown into a poised young lady. Now, even under the gaze of a hundred pairs of eyes, Dolores no longer flinched or tried to flee.
Wei Wei leaned lightly against Felix, eyes still fixed on the dancing couple. "Seeing her get engaged… I don't want to let her go."
She had thought Dolores would stay with them a few more years—especially since the girl had always been apprehensive about marriage. She used to say she wanted to wait as long as possible. But the moment she met Adonis, everything changed. She fell fast and hard. Wei Wei couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.
"It's not that I don't like Adonis," she murmured. "It's just… things moved so fast. From meeting to getting engaged—it's been what, a few months? Maybe not even a full month of actual time spent together. The rest was just letter-writing. It feels too rushed."
As someone from a modern world, where quick romances often led to quick divorces, she couldn't help but worry. Was this real love—or just a fleeting infatuation?
She never fully believed in love. So watching Dolores commit so quickly left her with unease.
Felix gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I don't know if they're perfect for each other either," he said softly, "but they do like each other now."
In the world of nobility, marriages were rarely about love. Most were purely alliances. He felt lucky to have married for love. And Dolores wasn't entering a political match either—she chose Adonis willingly.
As for the future, only time would tell. But even if their feelings changed one day, Felix was confident that the Williams family had the strength to protect Dolores. Whether she wanted a divorce or something else, she would never be without support.
Of course, he hoped she'd find happiness—just like he had.
"Adonis isn't bad," he added. "He and Lola suit each other. And more importantly—she likes him. Would you want her to miss out on someone like that?"
…Not really.
Wei Wei had, after all, not only given her blessing but even helped orchestrate their meetings.
"And we already agreed—she won't marry until after she turns sixteen. That gives her two more years at home. She's not leaving right away."
The Aldridge family agreeing to that condition showed their sincerity. Normally, once an engagement was set, a wedding would follow within months.
Wei Wei still thought sixteen was too young—eighteen would've been better—but she knew it wasn't realistic. Keeping a girl unmarried until sixteen was already considered "late" in this era. Any longer, and people would start gossiping—and that wouldn't be good for Dolores.
That was just how the times were. Having two more years with Dolores was already a luxury.
Still, it was just a passing sentiment. Wei Wei quickly pushed the complex feelings aside.
The first dance ended with the final note of the opening piece, and Wei Wei immediately noticed something—guests were beginning to stir, slowly drifting toward their corner of the room. She recognized the signs and tugged on Felix's hand.
"Let's dance."
If there was one reason she disliked banquets, it was how direct everyone's intentions were—some wanted to network, others to propose business deals, and still more just wanted to cozy up to the influential Williams couple. If she spent the whole evening entertaining these people, no amount of food or music could make her enjoy the event.
She didn't mind polite conversation when needed—but constant social maneuvering? She'd rather avoid it.
Felix let her pull him onto the dance floor. Neither of them particularly loved dancing, but when your partner was your spouse, there was no reason to say no.
In the kind of formal dances popular at the time, couples often switched partners mid-dance. Wei Wei and Felix happened to be dancing near Dolores and Adonis. When the partner exchange came, they ended up facing one another.
Wei Wei seized the brief moment to speak quietly to Adonis. "You better treat Dolores well."
She had meant to say something more threatening—but couldn't come up with anything suitable on the spot. It wasn't the time or place, anyway, so she bit back the rest.
"I will," Adonis replied firmly. "With everything I have."
"I hope you mean it."
A few seconds later, Wei Wei returned to Felix's arms.
They danced two more songs before she complained that her legs were sore and didn't want to continue.
As Felix led her off the dance floor, he teased, "Funny—you didn't seem tired at all when you were shopping for hours. How come you're worn out after just a few minutes of dancing?"
"That's different," Wei Wei said matter-of-factly, spouting nonsense with complete confidence. "When women shop, they're too focused on the goods to notice their feet. You could walk for miles without realizing it. But dancing? All that spinning makes me dizzy. I'm just… getting old."
Truth be told, it wasn't so much that her legs hurt—it was her head that was spinning. One dance had her twirling in circles so much, she was starting to feel woozy.
Felix glanced around. The guests were either mingling or bothering Salina and Prince Andrew on the other side of the room. No one was paying much attention to them.
"Wanna go for a walk?"
It was too early to leave the banquet entirely and return to their rooms, but sneaking out for a stroll in the garden sounded like a fine idea.
Despite being winter—and nighttime—the Aldridge Castle garden was massive. A typical European-style estate garden, it featured mostly evergreen plants. Low hedges lined the walkways, still green and vibrant despite the season. There were arched trellises, pavilions, benches for rest, and even an ornate wrought-iron swing entwined with vines. The vines were bare now—no leaves or flowers—so the swing looked particularly lonely, standing alone on a patch of withered grass.
Wei Wei spotted the swing and immediately felt the urge to sit on it.
She tugged on Felix's hand and headed that way. The garden was dim—the only illumination came from occasional bonfires along the path. Further in, they had to rely on moonlight.
Thankfully, the moon was bright tonight. After a few moments, their eyes adjusted to the darkness, and they could see well enough to walk.
While many people of this era suffered from night blindness, nobles were an exception. Their diets were rich, and carrots—one of the few vegetables available in winter—were always on their tables.
Felix's sharp eyes quickly spotted another couple heading toward the same swing. They were faster.
He gently pulled Wei Wei to a stop beside a hedge and pointed. "Someone's already there."
She looked where he indicated and saw a man and a woman approaching the swing. One sat while the other gave it a push. Despite the cold, the girl's laughter carried through the air—clear and cheerful.
Wei Wei squinted but couldn't quite see their faces. Still, under the moonlight, she noticed the man's outfit—not a robe.
"…One of ours? A knight? Or a servant?"
"Probably a knight," Felix said. "You had Butler Barton take charge of managing the guests, right? With him supervising, none of the servants would be out here now."
Which meant only the knights—now off duty—had time to slip away.
"Let's go somewhere else," Wei Wei decided. That couple was obviously in the middle of a budding romance. Interrupting them would be rude.
So she pulled Felix in another direction.
As they strolled, they noticed something surprising—there were quite a few Sardinson knights in the garden… each with a companion.
"…Looks like spring has come early for Sardinson."