The night of the banquet glimmered with soft laughter and bright lights.
Lanterns still burned above the Duke's courtyard, their golden reflections floating on the pond's surface. Inside, the hall pulsed with music, perfume, and the clinking of wine cups.
As the celebration continued, one man seemed almost too composed for the chaos around him — Lian Ruo, the Duke's nephew.
---
Eyes in the Hall
He stood near a column, his posture effortless yet commanding. The torchlight caught the line of his jaw, the slight curve of his mouth — and it was enough to send half the young women in the hall into fits of flustered whispers.
"He looks like he stepped out of a painting."
"If he glances this way, I'll faint."
"Maybe he'll ask me for a dance—"
Their words buzzed like bees, soft but relentless.
