474 Beginning of the Promotion Ceremony
Hours after Lina's convoy arrived in the city, all of Millfall's nobles and wealthy individuals were already aware of the First Princess' arrival and her purpose in coming to the city.
It was late in Millfall, and all the relevant local powers were already preparing for the event that would take place later that evening at the local Martial Court.
Such was the case with Shelby and Levi, the survivors of the Staples family massacre, who were preparing for it now in the largest local hotel.
They hadn't returned to the Staples estate after all that had happened. Levi had a lot of nightmares almost every day at the hotel where they were staying, so going back wasn't in their plans.
Anyway, things were improving daily, and Levi was getting over his grief.
Now, he was at Nina's side while Eve and Molly helped him get dressed.
On the other hand, Vicente was in front of Shelby, alone with the orange-haired woman in her room.
"What do you think of this event?" He asked as he saw the woman's beautiful dress that showed off her perfect body without being vulgar.
Shelby saw Vicente's eyes fall on her rear end and smiled, seeing that underneath Cesar's mask and terrifying powers, there was a man's desire in this 15-year-old fellow.
"I think it's going to be tranquil. Lina Seidel is a busy woman. She likes to fight, so this is a boring mission for her. She'll try to finish her business and leave as soon as possible. In other words, she shouldn't try to interfere in local affairs." Shelby said while putting some kind of product on her lips.
The women of Polaris Realm had their vanity, and there were beauty products. They were very different from what existed on Earth, and no level 5 Acolyte like Shelby would use much of it.
Still, there were products with well-defined purposes, and women, in general, had their options, even if they didn't use them daily.
Shelby finished and turned to Vicente. "How do I look? Do I look innocent?" She smiled at him as she pouted and winked.
"You look beautiful." He complimented her, but Shelby's beautiful appearance didn't fool him.
He knew what this woman was capable of!
Shelby realized Vicente wasn't looking at her like other men and took a step closer. "Tell me, what happened to your little girlfriend?"
"She's in Saltstar City. She'll be serving in the city for a while."
"Oh? So, are you still together? Or are you single again?" She stopped in front of him with a smile on her face.
When he felt Shelby put her hands on his shoulders, Vicente understood what was on her mind. "As far as I'm concerned, we're still a couple."
"Is that so? Do you think there's a future between you? How do you feel about marriage, Vicente?" She asked him.
"I don't care about that. Maybe I'll get married in the future, but it's not a necessity for me." He replied, seeing that Shelby had something on her mind.
"I think differently. To me, marriage is a business. I'll find pleasure and enjoyment in other ways." She looked at his lips provocatively.
"I thought you didn't want to marry for business..." He remembered Marcus.
"I didn't want to marry for the benefit of other people. But it's different now. I choose my future so I can choose the right man for it." She found no contradiction in her words.
"So that's the case... Who do you want to marry?" Vicente narrowed his eyes. "It wouldn't be me, would it?"
She laughed when she heard that. "It wouldn't be, haha. I could have fun with you if you want... But I have someone else in mind." She looked at the door to her room while thinking of something that would surely frighten many people.
Vicente was surprised to hear this. 'Who is she talking about?'
"Aren't you going to give me a name? After all we've been through together, I think I deserve to know." He smiled.
'If you knew what I had in mind, you'd be disgusted with me, Vicente.' Shelby turned away from him.
"You'll find out when it happens." She laughed. "It's going to take a while. Maybe we won't be close then. But I'm sure you'll hear about it."
He narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything, finding her words rather strange.
"Anyway, are we going to the Martial Court? I hear the princess is stunning." She showed him one of her hands.
Vicente smiled. "Unfortunately, I can't go with you. Take Nina and Eve with you and Levi. I'm going back to the Mazzanti estate."
"Are you sure?"
"It would be risky for me to show myself around the princess after everything that's happened." He spoke before saying goodbye to Shelby, Eve, and Molly and leaving.
Shelby didn't insist and soon left with her group and the Mazzanti family soldiers currently serving House Staples.
...
By the time it was evening in Millfall, the Martial Court building was full of local dignitaries, with emissaries from the Scarlet Syndicate, the Mazzanti family, and all the local nobles present.
In the main courtroom of the building, Lina sat in the highest position while her trusted men were lined up around the area.
The witnesses of the event were already in their places. At the same time, all those who had sent proposals to the king sat in their designated positions around the area.
There was also a small open space for citizens to observe the event since this was not a secret or closed procedure.
However, given the power of the individuals present, only influential people were there, without rioting, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
While many nobles chatted among themselves, Lina stood up, wearing army armor but also a crystal tiara on her head and a small wooden hammer in one of her hands.
She tapped the hammer on the table in front of her and said loudly.
"This ceremony is about to begin. Sit down and be quiet. Let's get it over with quickly!" She said as she looked toward the people her father had chosen.
Everyone took their seats as they stopped talking, those competing for the two promotions to be announced eager to hear the king's decision.
When there was silence, Lina sat down and got straight to the point, starting with the announcement of the new local Commander, Cora Brock.
