With Vivian leading the way, the guards at the door naturally didn't ask Lynn for an invitation.
That kind of cliché entrance requirement was something Lynn didn't encounter, and he entered smoothly along with Vivian.
To be honest, Lynn had never attended a noble banquet before, but he had been to many feasts, and there was a certain exchange of etiquette.
The opulent banquet hall didn't intimidate Lynn; after all, he had visited many star-rated hotels.
However, apart from Vivian, he didn't know anyone here, and most of the time he simply held a glass of red wine, serving as Vivian's escort, nodding to the nobles they met.
Not far from them, Marquis Jones and his wife were secretly observing them. Seeing their linked arms, they were slightly displeased.
But noticing Vivian kept a certain distance and wasn't overly close, they had to admit their daughter was a bit dull but not irredeemably so.
Vivian insisted on bringing an escort herself to the banquet, and as her parents, Marquis Jones and his wife naturally wouldn't embarrass their daughter. Yet, considering that Lajian Wilson was also interested in Vivian, they worried the host here might embarrass the young man.
If Vivian's self-chosen escort were to be troubled, the straightforward Vivian would inevitably step in, possibly causing discord with the favored son-in-law. More worrying was the potential conflict between the Wilson Clan and Jones Clan.
The concern of Marquis Jones and his wife was not without reason, as not every man could maintain gentlemanly conduct upon seeing the woman he was interested in paired with another man.
Take Lajian Wilson for example, as the eldest son of Duke Wilson and the future heir of the powerful Wilson Clan, there was nothing he wanted that he couldn't get.
Vivian Jones, a marquis daughter with poor talent yet blessed with good looks, was famous throughout Celestial Destiny City. The most crucial fact was that she was Marquis Jones's only daughter, and marrying her meant bringing the Jones Clan under one's banner.
Lajian Wilson was a person who prioritized interests. With his power and status, he could have aimed for the noble Princess, but His Majesty the Emperor had already chosen a fiancé for the Princess, forcing him to set his sights on other noble young ladies.
The Prince's daughters didn't need consideration, as the princes of the Celestial Destiny Empire held no real power, and his status wasn't on par, offering no benefits in marrying them.
The Duke's daughters were also not to be considered, as the Empire's ten dukes were in a competitive and irreconcilable relationship, leaving no possibility for union through marriage.
What remained, then, was the marquis daughters, with Vivian Jones of the Jones Clan being the best choice. She herself was weak and couldn't restrict him, yet her family, the Jones Clan, was strong and worth winning over.
The most key factor was her status as the only daughter. Marrying another family's daughter would only forge in-law bonds, but marrying Vivian Jones would bring the entire Jones Clan in tow.
But now, the Vivian he had set his sights on was linked arm-in-arm with a stranger, standing out at his birthday banquet.
Accustomed to the carefree lifestyle of noble descendants, he wasn't thinking of being cuckolded, but the reality of being thwarted was evident.
Clearly, Marquis Jones had already loosened up, allowing him to get along well with Vivian, but now it seemed he must first "communicate" well with that man before getting along with Vivian.
"Come here!"
Lajian Wilson summoned his trusted subordinate, whispered a few words in his ear, then the man left to follow orders.
Soon, a heavily made-up woman found Lynn in the crowd, wanting to cozy up to Vivian but hadn't succeeded yet.
"Vivian, your escort is impressive, just let him go to me."
Upon seeing Lynn, the woman was amazed, thinking such a handsome man deserved to belong to her. What was a mere Jones Clan little girl compared to enjoying such a man?
"Miss Mary, he is my boyfriend, not an item, so please respect yourself!"
Upon hearing the command-like tone, Vivian's demeanor changed, recognizing the heavily made-up woman as the notorious libertine of Celestial Destiny City, who had gone through numerous men. However, due to her father, Duke Soros's influence, few dared criticize her.
Conversely, with her father's backing, Mary acted without restraint in Celestial Destiny City, and she was known for snatching men from others multiple times. Even royalty was beyond her reach, but she wouldn't mind targeting fellow Duke Mansion origin fellows.
It was rumored that even Lajian of the Wilson Clan was targeted by her. After persistent entanglement, he had no choice but to accompany her for a night to settle the matter.
"Of course, the man I set my eyes on isn't an item, but since I've chosen him, he's no longer your boyfriend, but my new boyfriend. I advise you to be sensible and let him go to me, otherwise, if things get serious, your Jones Clan cannot afford it!"
Mary's words were extremely arrogant, giving no face to the Jones Clan. With her father's influence, making the Jones Clan bow was easy, so she saw no need to be polite to Vivian.
"You! You're too much!"
Vivian's upbringing prevented her from uttering too vulgar phrases, as her sarcastic quips during arguments with Bada Bruce were the limit. But against this unreasonable opponent, sarcasm proved ineffective.
"What's wrong with me being too much? If you have the guts, hit me! You 100-level weakling!"
Mary also didn't have much cultivation talent, but compared to Vivian's ineptitude, she was at least at level 250, albeit through a pile of resources. Yet when challenging Vivian, she could even spare one hand.
"You..."
Vivian became speechless with anger at being poked at her sore spot. Lynn, hidden beside her with Vivian's hand pressing against him, couldn't help but want to teach the opposite side a lesson, but unexpectedly someone beat him to it.
"Miss Mary, please don't argue with my Vivian. Our Jones Clan may not have the power and influence of your Soros Clan, but while I'm here, if you dare to harm a hair on my precious daughter, I'll forego my title just to show you the anger of a Saint Tier expert!"
Stepping forward at this time was an older handsome man, and although Lynn didn't know him, from his words he could naturally deduce he was Vivian's father, Marquis Jones.
Encountering the future father-in-law under such circumstances momentarily stunned Lynn, but he didn't intend to back down. If he feared even his father-in-law, then how could he have a happy union with his daughter?
Moreover, seeing his father-in-law's current performance made him sincerely want to give him a thumbs up.