Chapter 270 This Is Not A Dream
The party dragged on for the rest of the night. Lux and Iris found themselves talking to a lot of people because of their statuses.
Lux was the Champion of the Tournament, so it was normal that many people would want to talk to him to form connections.
Iris was the princess of Barbatos Academy and her father was a Saint, so befriending her could make anyone feel that they had a pillar to lean on to.
Surprisingly, Cai and even Keane, also found themselves being talked to by many people, including many high ranking nobles.
The Skinny Swordsman found himself hard-pressed because he was surrounded by many beautiful ladies, asking where he lived or what his hobbies were.
Lux and Cai watched this scene from the side with amused expressions on their faces. Clearly, Keane had no idea how to mingle with the opposite sex, seeing that he looked like he was having an anxiety attack, just by simply talking to the ladies who found his mysterious identity quite attractive.
"I'm so proud," Cai said while munching on some steak. "Our little Keane has grown so much. The time I spent raising him wasn't in vain. Um~ I'm going back to the buffet area. I ran out of food to eat."
Lux smiled at his two companions, whom he had met in the tournament. He didn't enter the Tournament to make friends, but in the end, the persistent Boar still managed to stick to him through thick and thin, while dragging Little Swordy along the way, like a kite flying on a string.
Nero, who was also meant to sit on their table, stayed with his Guild Members for the duration of the party.
Vera stayed with Iris most of the time, but she also mingled with her friends in Wildgarde Stronghold. Gilbert, Natasha, and Rainer talked to her about a lot of things, but the important matters were kept on hold.
All of them knew that this was not the place to discuss such matters, and they would talk in private when they returned to Wildgarde Stronghold.
Alexander, Iris' father, talked to the dignitaries, high-ranking nobles, as well as members of the Royal Families from the Six Kingdoms.
As the Saint who sat at the head of Barbatos Academy, he was often sought out by these influential and powerful people, keeping him busy all throughout the party.
Finally, midnight struck, and the last dance for the night was about to commence.
Lux stood up and walked steadily towards Iris' table to ask her to dance. The two of them had already agreed that he would be Iris' first and last dance for the night.
The moment the two stepped onto the dance floor, the other guests followed with their partners.
The last song was a very slow and romantic one, allowing couples to take it easy and dance in a more intimate manner.
Iris rested her head on Lux's shoulder, while both of them swayed slowly for the last song of the night.
"I feel like I'm in a dream," Iris said in a voice that was only loud enough for Lux to hear. "This is not a dream. Right, Lux?"
"No," Lux replied before sneakily planting a kiss on her head, making it look like he was just whispering something in her ear. "This is not a dream."
"I'm glad."
"Mmm."
As the two danced in each other's embrace, Vera, Alexander, and Alicia watched from a distance.
"Iris looks so happy," Vera commented as she gazed at her two grandchildren. "So, when will the marriage ceremony be held?"
Alexander didn't comment, and simply kept on looking at his daughter who was dancing with Lux. Naturally, Lux's sneaky kiss didn't escape his eyes, but he didn't say anything about it. His step-son had proven himself worthy of his daughter, and he had already decreed that whoever became the Champion would become Iris' fiance.
Since that was the case, what was the point in getting in the way of their love?
Alicia, who stood behind Vera and Alexander, was smiling. As someone who handled Lux's registration in the tournament from the shadows, she was quite satisfied with how things worked out.
Of course, there were times when she doubted Lux's ability to win the tournament, but after the event was over, she felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.
"I know that Iris is still young, so you are worried about her," Vera stated without even turning her head to look at her son. "Don't worry, although I want to hold my great grandchildren right away, I know that childbirth isn't an easy thing. I'll wait until Iris turns eighteen for that. I worry for her health as well, you know?"
Alexander briefly nodded his head in agreement. He didn't have a problem with this arrangement and decided to leave things in his mother's hands.
"Give this ring to Lux," Alexander said as he handed a ring with a red gem embedded in its center. "Make sure he puts it on before he retires for the night."
Alexander didn't wait for Vera's reply and went back to his seat, with Alicia following close behind him.
Vera chuckled as she watched her son go before looking at the ring in her hands. She knew what this ring was because it was a ring mostly used by members of the Royal Family. Its main function was to prevent the user from siring children with women whom their family didn't approve of.
In short, this ring was an artifact that acted as a contraceptive, preventing Lux from getting Iris, or any other young lady pregnant.
"Well, I guess this will have to do for the time being," Vera muttered, "But I have a better one prepared for this occasion."
Vera placed the ring inside her storage bag, and took out another. This ring almost looked exactly the same as the ring Alexander had given her, but with one major difference.
It was the color of the gem embedded in its center. The one Alexander had given her was red, but the color of the gem in Vera's hand was purple.
This was a special artifact that their family had kept as an Heirloom, and was passed down the male line of the family.
This ring was called Everlasting.
This also had the contraceptive property, but had one unique feature added into it.
Any lady who received the seed of the man wearing this ring, would only be able to give birth to that person's child. This ring was one of a kind, and there was no other ring like it in the World of Solaris.
Alexander had used it at one point in time, and now, it was Lux's turn to inherit it.
'I wonder how Alex will react if he sees this tomorrow,' Vera mused. She was already looking forward to what her son would say the moment he saw the ring on Lux's hand, which previously belonged to him.
After the last dance ended, Iris headed to the platform meant for making announcements and thanked everyone who had come to celebrate her birthday with her.
Alexander also took this opportunity to officially inform everyone that Lux was now Iris' fiance, and they would get married as soon as his daughter turned eighteen, which was still two years away.
All the ladies cheered and clapped their hands before glancing at the Half-Elf who was called up to the stage to stand beside Iris.
The young men, on the other hand, felt so envious of Lux. Some even cursed him and hoped that he would be unable to get it up, preventing him from making a move on the lady of their dreams.
Naturally, Lux didn't know what these bastards were thinking. If he knew, he would definitely send Orion after them, so that the Rock Golem could give all of them a good beating.
Half an hour later, the guests left the Event Hall one by one.
Lux and Iris left using the secret passage that was meant for this occasion, preventing them from having to deal with the crowd when they were supposed to leave.
When they had finally left the venue, the two walked hand in hand through the hallways of Barbatos Academy and headed straight towards Iris' private residence, which was in the inner and most protected area of the academy.
As the two walked, Iris could feel her heart beating wildly inside her chest. She was feeling very nervous and excited at the same time.
Tonight will be a special night for the both of them, and the emotions swirling inside her chest made her think that her heart was beating loud enough for the Half-Elf who was walking beside her to hear.
What she didn't know was that Lux was feeling the same.
The red-headed teenager didn't have any experience when it came to making love with women, but he had watched enough of those kinds of contents back on Earth to get an idea about what to do on their first night together.
When the two arrived in front of Iris' room, the young lady summoned one of her guardians, the White Tiger, Hanz, to guard the door that led to their room.
Lux chuckled after seeing this scene, making the blue-haired lady blush. Clearly, Iris didn't want to be disturbed on her special night, so she decided to make preparations.
Eiko was staying with Vera for the night, so there would be no one to disturb the two of them.
When the two entered the bedroom, Iris turned around to give Lux a hug. The Half-Elf hugged her back, and the two of them stared at each other.
A minute later, Lux lowered his head to give Iris a passionate kiss on the lips. Only the sound of kissing could be heard inside the room, marking the beginning of an unforgettable night that they would share together.
