Cycle of Destiny

Chapter 28 Helpless Woman

The next day, Harry was leaving the capital and reflected on his experiences in the capital from his hotel room.

He still didn't understand why the goddess would go to such great lengths to ask him for help regarding the lost bracelet from Holy Light Lake. This matter happened twenty years ago, and he had never even heard of it.

He had no idea what his connection was to this matter. And given his meager abilities, how could he possibly be of any help?

What puzzled him most was that the goddess had gone to such lengths to find him just to find a bracelet.

Do you want a magician to help you?

This is all so strange.

But damn it! Despite Harry's best efforts to be cautious, Veronica still got what she wanted.

The day after attending the banquet, Harry woke up in a guest room at Veronica's house, and by the time he arrived at the dining room, it was already lunchtime.

Lunch was simple, consisting of only a stewed lamb leg, served with green peas and tomatoes, and a freshly baked apple pie.

Veronica only took a small amount of lamb leg meat, but she ate quite a lot of green peas and tomatoes, and she also ate the apple pie with relish. She seemed to be in a very good mood.

After finishing his leg of lamb, Harry found there wasn't much else to eat, so he picked up some pies. But after taking one bite, he put down his knife and fork, frowned, and clearly didn't like them.

It is too sweet!

Harry really couldn't understand why Veronica liked eating such sweet things so much.

Veronica noticed the change in Harry's expression and asked with delight,

"How's that woman from last night?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

This remark completely amused Veronica, and she winked at Harry.

"There's some big news this morning. Do you want to know?"

"Oh?"

"A knight's wife fell in love with a nobleman at a banquet, but after their intimacy, she was driven away in the middle of the night. The angry knight argued with her and then threw her out of the house. Now the whole capital knows about this."

"What will happen to that woman in the end?" Harry asked again.

"She moved back to her old house before she got married, and you've ruined her reputation."

Harry's face tightened upon hearing this, and he shook his head.

"I still don't know what this has to do with me."

Harry actually knew about what Veronica was talking about, and he was the one who started it.

Harry actually knew the knight Veronica had invited; they had both studied at the same knightly academy.

Unfortunately, this knight had an older brother who inherited their father's viscount title, leaving him with only the knighthood. He then chose to join the army, becoming a squad leader in the Imperial Guard, hoping to earn a noble title through military merit.

Veranica's parties often encounter this problem: as the appointed time approaches, some guests suddenly have something come up or receive a more prestigious invitation and cannot attend.

At this point, Veronica would be like an ant on a hot pan, anxiously looking for someone to fill the vacancy.

Although nobles are enthusiastic about attending banquets, everyone knows why they're asked to attend at the last minute. Being a last-minute substitute is hardly respectable, so Veranica has a hard time finding a suitable replacement.

However, she later discovered that she could find gentlemen with only the title of knight to fill the vacancies. For these knights, simply being able to attend a banquet of this caliber was already quite satisfactory, so they wouldn't care whether the invitation was given at the last minute.

Although inviting knights to her banquet would make her lose face, she would be even more embarrassed if there weren't enough people, so Veranica ultimately insisted on having a full party.

However, she was also very cautious, and only knights whose fathers held noble titles were likely to be considered by her.

After all, with the admission requirements for knight academies becoming more and more lenient, knights without titles and wealthy merchants can also send their descendants to knight academies. The aristocratic society generally does not have a good opinion of such a corrupt social trend.

The Cavaliers and his wife that she selected as substitutes this time were carefully considered by Veranika.

He met this knight at the Knights Academy. His father held the title of viscount, and although he did not inherit the title, he served in the Royal Guard.

His wife, though her father was only a knight, had a grandfather who was once an empire count, though those glories had faded from her life.

With two seats vacant, inviting the couple was the best option.

After the guests for the banquet were arranged, the goddess unexpectedly wanted to meet Harry, who was a magician.

She considered inviting Harry to the banquet and then finding a time for the goddess to meet him. However, it wasn't the season for socializing, and this was the only banquet she had hosted recently. The problem was the knight couple. If the goddess saw that someone at her banquet wasn't wearing a noble's insignia, it would have a significant negative impact on her.

However, Veranika eventually came up with the perfect solution.

She moved the start time of the banquet forward, leaving the restaurant alone for Harry and the Goddess.

In this way, the goddess's request can be met, and the possibility of the knight couple smearing her reputation can be perfectly avoided, allowing her banquet to proceed as normal.

So when Harry arrived at the restaurant, he discovered that the dinner had been moved up.

But later...

The knight's wife was named Avril, and she admired aristocratic society from a young age.

My mother had mentioned my grandfather's greatness to me countless times.

The pleasures of aristocratic banquets, the anecdotes of the hunting grounds, and the afternoon teas and concerts specially held for ladies of leisure had always been her paradise, but unfortunately she had never experienced them herself.

Avril is in her thirties, of medium height, and slender build.

Her face was well-proportioned, and her skin was a well-maintained ivory white, delicate and smooth.

Brown eyes, lighter than her hair, and a delicate, well-defined nose bridge—she's considered quite attractive.

Her mother left her a large dowry, hoping she would marry a nobleman, and she gladly accepted this responsibility that brought her joy.

She searched for many years but could not find a suitable partner. In the end, she had no choice but to compromise and marry a young knight who did not have much wealth.

The banquets he usually attended and hosted rarely had any real nobles present, and those he could invite to afternoon tea were mostly the wives of knights.

So Avril was flattered by the invitation to the banquet. She heard that it was a very grand castle, and the other guests were all nobles, except for her husband and herself.

The two made thorough preparations for the banquet, putting a lot of effort into their attire.

She chose a floor-length gown made of dark blue silk.

The dress is tailored to fit well, gradually widening from the waist down, with fitted cuffs and a neat, low, round neckline edged with fine white piping. A short shawl in the same color family is worn over it, with simple geometric piping along the edges.

She combed all her dark brown hair upwards and coiled it into a smooth and tight bun, securing it with a silver hairpin inlaid with freshwater pearls. She wore a pair of simple pearl stud earrings on her earlobes.

The overall color scheme is calm, showcasing its beauty without being too vibrant, conveying a sense of careful calculation and a reluctance to make mistakes.

She chose a dark gray wool suit for her husband. The coat was stately, double-breasted, with straight shoulders. Underneath, he wore a white linen shirt and a deep red turban—the accessory he received when he was knighted. His trousers were impeccably tailored, and his boots were polished to a gleaming shine.

She specifically instructed him to wear the ceremonial short sword he had received as a gift during his investiture at his waist. The scabbard was simple, without any jewels, but this was the highest level of formality and honor they could display without overstepping the bounds of etiquette.

As she was being led into the restaurant, Miss Veronica introduced the couple. The other guests at the banquet were all important figures. The husband held Avril's hand tightly, and Avril knew he was telling her not to be nervous.

There were more than a dozen people present, all of them noblewomen and hereditary nobles. They were talking about things Avril wanted to know. She was very happy, but at the same time felt a little shy. Fortunately, her husband was by her side.

They were all very kind and humble to the couple. People of status always make this gesture when they encounter people of lower status, to show that they have never realized the difference in their status.

Although most of the time Avril and her husband were just listening to them talk, they were still very happy, as if they too possessed a noble title.

In the drawing room, Avril danced two dances with her husband when a servant suddenly announced that someone was looking for him.

When he came back in, he had a worried look on his face.

The knight told his wife that a fire had just broken out in the city defenses under his jurisdiction. Although it wasn't his shift today, he had to return to the city walls tonight because of the magnitude of the incident.

Avril wanted to leave with him, but the knight knew that Avril was looking forward to the party and he hoped that she would have fun. The ball had only just begun, and he might be back soon.

So he left on his own, while Avril stayed behind alone.

But after her husband left, Avril realized that things were not as she had imagined.

Everyone had their own dance partner, and those who weren't dancing seemed to be talking to others. She was the only one sitting there quietly, and she felt very embarrassed.

Since the guests were all chatting in small groups about their own things, Avril felt too embarrassed to squeeze into any of the crowds.

Miss Veronica is a very considerate hostess. If she were here, she could definitely help Avril join in the conversation.

Strangely, Avril didn't see her. When Avril asked the servants about her, they told her that Miss Veronica had important matters to attend to and was unable to come out.

Avril sat alone in the drawing room, wanting to leave, but feeling it would be impolite to go without saying goodbye to her hosts. Miss Veronica had treated her and her husband with such great hospitality; she couldn't afford to be so rude.

Just as Avril was at a loss, a nobleman appeared...