The noble finally stopped interrogating Theo and went inside the gathering entry.
While they were going, Theo could see Tobias’s daughter eyeing him with curiosity before moving away.
Theo took a deep breath. It had only been a few minutes since he came off his carriage, and there had already been this big conversation about his affinity and level.
"We are going inside now, no need to entertain more outside here," The Baron clicked his tongue before moving forward.
Everyone did the same, and Theo felt the eyes on himself and the other Merricks increase in number.
There were whispers all around, no matter where they passed by, before they reached the gate of the grand estate.
Now that Theo realized, there were many guards with swords hanging by their waists around the estate. It seemed as if they were the security for this gathering.
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
At the entrance gate, there were multiple guards clad in silver medieval armor from top to bottom. Theo couldn’t see their faces at all, yet even the hilt of their swords shone brightly.
The guards, after looking at the Baron, opened the gates almost immediately. The gate was rather big, too.
Theo felt the murmurs on his back now as multiple nobles just kept whispering while looking toward his family.
Experience more content on freewebnovel
’Just what is this behavior against us?’ Theo thought with an inward frown.
Just when the Baron stepped inside the estate, a man wearing pristine clothes shouted out loud with grandeur.
"The Merrick Barony has arrived at the gathering!"
The Baron just moved past him as if he didn’t even acknowledge his existence, and everyone did the same. The man seemed to be the announcer for the gathering.
Before he could properly enter, the man shouted again as another family head entered through the gate.
The estate from the inside was like an unbelievably massive ballroom. The ceiling was so high that it reminded Theo of the structure of the ceremony temple.
Only much less luxurious. Big glass chandeliers were hanging high up toward the ceiling, and when Theo acknowledged the surroundings at his eye level, he was in awe.
Polished marble floors, even better than those in his castle, stretched endlessly. The golden-colored chandeliers seemed to cast a warm glow over the floor, giving it an even richer look.
There were many nobles dancing around at the far side of his vision. Theo felt a cold shiver as the gathering was much more pressing than he had liked.
’Even the parties I had in the previous world are nothing compared to this one…’ Theo thought, his awe still there.
All the younger siblings were like this, yet the older ones seemed unhinged, as if knowing that this place was nothing but a pretty ground inhabited by snarky nobles who would get offended at anything said around.
Along the long walls, Theo saw the same banners again, and this time too, his family’s banner was one of the leftmost ones.
Yet everything in the ballroom seemed to dull down when Theo’s gaze fell on the long curved stairs on each side and a grand balcony-like area where he saw the shadows of some figures, yet it was too high up to make out their details.
When the Baron saw Theo looking at that area, he simply commented,
"That’s the High Seat, where the royals sit and watch the nobles frolic around."
Theo looked at his father with surprise and nodded. He hadn’t even realized he was observing him this closely.
Just when the Baron was going to say another thing, another noble family came and greeted him.
The same procedure went on, and Theo was fortunate enough not to get interrogated this time.
There was food everywhere in the gathering, and Theo could see dishes that he had never tried before.
Nobles came and went after introducing themselves and their families to his father, yet Theo didn’t find a single one as daring as the Baron he met at the start.
It felt like all the others were just being respectful and wanted to get away as soon as possible.
With all the grandeur everywhere, what Theo didn’t find was a seating arrangement. It felt so dumb to just keep standing in one place and moving around to meet others.
All this gathering felt like was a big social and networking event where nobles made new alliances and whatnot.
Yet Theo was not surprised to see that nobody was approaching them, as if it was like walking on thin ice—and Theo respected it.
All around him, he only saw frail and arrogant nobles who seemed nothing compared to the pressuring personality of the Baron.
"Are you nervous, Clara?" Theo asked as a servant brought a small plate with delicacies to him and the others. Theo ate with grace and felt surprised at the savory taste.
"I am not, Young Master. Believe it or not, I have been trained to handle situations like these." Clara had a beautiful smile on her face, and Theo chuckled. She really seemed too well-trained for just being an attendant.
"How are you feeling, Older Brother?" Theo asked Bram, who was just beside him.
The others had scattered around yet were still close by if an introduction was needed.
Bram looked at Theo with his big eyes, "It feels much better than when everyone kept looking at us. Why was that happening anyway, younger brother? I don’t see anyone else getting such treatment…" Bram said in one go, which clearly felt like a development on his part. It might have also been curiosity that did so.
Theo was going to give him an answer which himself didn’t know was right or wrong when Lucien chimed in,
"Well, younger brother. It’s all because our father is better than most of the people frolicking around at this level. It’s just that his status doesn’t match his presence." Lucien said after moving a little down, speaking near Bram’s ear.
Theo was glad that no one aside from the family was near enough to listen to what he just said.
Lucien was going to come and speak near Theo’s ear too, just to play around, when they heard a voice from the side that was clearly directed at them.
"Lord Evolution Tamer?"
"!!"