This banquet held at the royal palace was essentially a real-life version of a bride selection event.
But for Wei Wei, it felt more like a live-action version of Cinderella.
The three royals in newly tailored formalwear were undoubtedly the center of attention that day—especially Crown Prince Edward. Among the king's three sons, he had always been the most handsome, but years of chronic illness had left him pale and gaunt, giving him a morose and eerie appearance. Many avoided him because of his condition. However, now that he had regained some color and built up a bit of strength, Edward appeared tall and striking in a smartly cut princely suit of royal blue and white. All he needed was a white steed to become the very picture of a fairy tale prince, attracting the attention of every unmarried girl in the room.
By contrast, the way those girls had dressed for the event was, frankly, an assault on the eyes.
Their gowns were bright, almost garish, festooned with bows and lace. Their hair was piled high and glittering with jewels and gold, perfume doused on them as though it were free, so overpowering that the scent could be detected from meters away. Their makeup was so heavy and mature that it was hard to believe they were only in their teens—each one decked out like a gaudy showpiece.
It seemed many noble families had the same idea in mind. Countess Nelson, for instance, had assumed the crown prince's taste would differ from that of his former fiancée, who had been demure and refined. So she deliberately instructed the girls in her family to present themselves as lively, radiant, and outgoing—hoping to attract the crown prince's attention. Unbeknownst to her, other nobles had the same plan. The result was a group of girls vying for the title of Crown Princess, each more flamboyant than the last, fluttering like brightly dressed butterflies.
To Wei Wei, this style of dressing—like birthday cakes topped with decorations—was simply painful to look at. She glanced at Crown Prince Edward, who was now surrounded by the overwhelming scent of perfume and overly eager young ladies and eyed his reddening face with concern. She couldn't help but worry—would all that perfume trigger an asthma attack?
The other women, however, didn't seem to find anything unusual about the scene. Countess Nelson, standing beside Wei Wei, fanned herself with a folded fan and winked at her. "See? I knew it. His Highness likes bold and lively girls. Just look—he's blushing!"
"Are you sure he's blushing out of shyness?" Wei Wei mimicked her gesture, covering her mouth with her fan as she leaned in and asked, "Which one is yours?"
"The one in the green dress," said the Countess, lifting her chin slightly. "She's to the left of the crown prince, with the rose hairpiece. Isn't she lovely?"
Although the king's invitation had explicitly banned real flowers, the ever-fashionable young ladies had worked around it by using realistic-looking artificial blooms. Many saw this as an opportunity to stand out—after all if no one else wore floral accessories, wouldn't that make them more noticeable?
Unfortunately, this clever idea occurred to more than just one or two people. A glance revealed that plenty of girls were sporting similar floral touches. Trying to stand out that way was a lost cause.
If Countess Nelson hadn't pointed out her family's girl—who was practically glued to the prince—Wei Wei might not have been able to spot her in that crowd at all.
She took a closer look and had to admit, the girl had the makings of a beauty. But she looked too young—even with the heavy makeup, her face still bore the soft roundness of childhood.
Considering how early Europeans matured, Wei Wei wouldn't be surprised if the girl wasn't even twelve.
"I think you might be disappointed," Wei Wei warned the countess gently. "His Highness won't choose someone with too large of an age gap."
Wei Wei was certain that Crown Prince Edward wasn't the type with any inappropriate interests. Out of concern for his health and emotional well-being, she had even offered some advice—encouraging him to consider someone more mature when selecting a future princess. Both the king and the crown prince had agreed. The king's reasoning was pragmatic—older girls were more likely to have safer pregnancies. As for Edward, he simply wasn't interested in marrying a child bride.
And there was something else Wei Wei recalled—just a few days before the banquet, she had overheard Edward and Andrew chatting during a fitting session about what kind of wife he hoped to find.
As many suspected, Edward did want a cheerful and energetic partner. Because of his illness, he had to manage his emotions carefully, and he was naturally drawn to positive and warmhearted individuals. But he didn't entirely reject quiet or gentlewomen either. Had his former fiancée not become so depressed and withdrawn, he might never have divorced her at all—despite the king's disapproval.
So in short, the ideal match for Crown Prince Edward would be a girl who was bright and lively but dressed in a simple and elegant style. And that didn't mean plain-colored clothes—it referred to clean lines, minimalist designs, and a lack of flashy accessories. The perfume was acceptable, but only in light amounts—he couldn't tolerate strong scents.
Given all that, the group currently swarming him could probably all be eliminated.
Seeing that Edward looked truly uncomfortable now, his face flushing for all the wrong reasons, Wei Wei quickly grabbed a passing servant with a tray of drinks and whispered for him to go alert the king—to rescue the prince before he collapsed. An asthma attack at an event like this would be a disaster.
The servant hurried off at once.
If the crown prince was the most sought-after man at the banquet, then the second was undoubtedly the king.
Though in his early forties, the king remained quite popular with women. And with Queen Mirabelle gravely ill and unlikely to recover, even some widows and unmarried young ladies had begun to eye the soon-to-be-vacant position of the queen with interest. Besides his known mistresses, the king was now surrounded by hopeful suitors at every turn.
Wrapped in this fragrant, feminine attention, the king was in high spirits—until the servant delivered the message. Alarmed, he immediately turned toward his son and realized that the boy's flushed face might not be shy after all.
He quickly ordered the head steward to intervene.
"Take him outside for some fresh air and rest," he instructed. The king, ever concerned for his son's condition, now understood that certain environments were simply too overwhelming for him.
The steward received his order and briskly made his way through the crowd. In just a few short words, he extricated the crown prince from the throng.
Away from the suffocating circle of young ladies, Edward finally caught his breath. He inhaled deeply, feeling as though he had just been given a second chance at life.
He no longer cared about anything else. All he wanted now was to escape this place. Women were terrifying.
With the king's blessing, Edward didn't hesitate to leave the ballroom. He hadn't had his usual walk today—now was a good chance to make up for it.
Many people noticed his departure, but since they were in the palace, wandering around aimlessly wasn't an option. They couldn't follow him openly.
However, when some sharp-eyed girls realized he had gone not toward the palace halls but toward the garden, their eyes lit up. One by one, they quietly slipped away, plotting a romantic "chance encounter" with the crown prince in the garden.
With no one else around to get in the way, I'll finally make him notice me!
Exchanging brief but hostile glances, a new round of silent competition began as the girls dashed off into their new battlefield.
Wei Wei, meanwhile, had no idea what was going on in the garden. As a marquess' wife with zero interest in fighting for attention, she spent the entire banquet dodging dance invitations from eager gentlemen. About an hour later, Crown Prince Edward returned to the ballroom—this time, with a new girl by his side.
To everyone's astonishment, he invited this stranger to dance the very first waltz of the evening.
From Edward's expression, it was clear he was quite taken with his dance partner.
Like everyone else, Wei Wei stared curiously at the unfamiliar girl. She looked around seventeen or eighteen, about the same age as the prince. Her golden curls were tied neatly behind her head, adorned with nothing but a simple circle of woven olive branches. She wore a plain blue gown, old-fashioned in both fabric and cut. The only decoration was the lace embroidery at the chest.
Compared to the dazzling outfits around her, her appearance was almost shabby—certainly not what one would call "appropriate" for such a grand occasion. She came from a family of modest means.
But she was stunning. Her smile was cheerful and natural—not the reserved, demure expression nobles preferred, but the kind that lit up her whole face, even showing her teeth when she laughed. Her bearing was poised, and she didn't seem the slightest bit embarrassed about her simple appearance. Her brown eyes crinkled with warmth like melted chocolate when she smiled.
As the pair danced past Wei Wei, a soft breeze carried a faint citrusy scent—lemon, perhaps. Perfume, no doubt, but applied in such a subtle way that it was refreshing rather than cloying.
This girl was cheerful, confident, and in every way a perfect match for what the Crown Prince had described as his ideal consort.
"Who is she?" Wei Wei, curious, turned to Countess Nelson for answers.
But for once, the usually well-informed countess had no idea who this girl was either.
Countess Nelson had high hopes for her own family's girl, but seeing the way the Crown Prince looked at the stranger, she knew those hopes had just been dashed. Still, unwilling to give up so easily, she promised to go find out who the girl was.
Wei Wei didn't stop her. But the moment the countess left, several others—who had been watching Wei Wei—started to stir. Some looked like they were about to strike up a conversation.
If the Crown Prince and the King were the most sought-after men of the evening, Wei Wei was probably the third. Her popularity had soared recently—everyone knew the royal family was grateful to her, Felix had been awarded the title of marquess, and if the rebellion was successfully put down, he was likely to be promoted to duke. Naturally, this made Wei Wei a person worth befriending.
Sensing trouble, Wei Wei quickly slipped away and headed toward Princess Elina. Ignoring Prince Andrew's resentful gaze, she affectionately linked arms with Elina, pretending she had something very important to discuss.
As the host of the banquet, Elina had been kept incredibly busy. Even Andrew had only danced with her once before she was pulled away to socialize. Now, seeing Wei Wei approach with urgency, others wisely kept their distance.
Elina let out a breath of relief.
They found a quiet corner to sit down. Prince Andrew silently followed and attentively brought them plates of dessert.
Elina, clearly used to being doted on by her husband, smiled and took a bite of cake. "Your pastry chefs are amazing. I'd love to steal one to work at the palace full-time."
The idea to have her milk tea shop's pastry chefs help with the banquet had been Wei Wei's. It was her way of making sure Elina's first time hosting a royal event went off without a hitch. No one else could've persuaded her shop's bakers to accept such a job.
"If you like it, just send someone over to learn," Wei Wei said, choosing her favorite dessert. "But the limited-edition items? Those are off-limits. I still need to keep my business running."
Many of her cakes were trade secrets, after all.
Elina immediately agreed. "That's fine. I won't be greedy. Can I send someone tomorrow?"
Wei Wei thought for a moment and shook her head. "I'll send someone instead. It's not convenient at the shop."
"Okay," Elina nodded. "Whenever it works for you, just let me know. I'll coordinate everything on my end."
After discussing cake matters, Elina glanced toward the bustling ballroom—many noble girls were now crowding around the dance floor, biting their handkerchiefs in jealousy as they watched the Crown Prince dance with the mysterious girl. The rest of the guests were also speculating about her identity, so no one was paying attention to Wei Wei and Elina.
Elina sighed, "I hope the Crown Prince finds the right one tonight. I don't want to host another one of these banquets."
"It's starting to look like he might have," Wei Wei agreed. Then she asked, "Do you know who that girl is?"
Elina shook her head. "I've never seen her before."
It was Prince Andrew who suddenly spoke up, "I know."
Both women turned their gazes toward him, urging him to explain.
Shrinking a little under their eager stares, he said, "I happened to see her arrive earlier. The servant announced her as the wife and daughter of Baron Campbell."
Baron Campbell?
Several noble families came to mind for Wei Wei—there were quite a few Campbells, and most of them were reasonably well-off. She couldn't imagine any of their daughters showing up in such plain clothing.
Elina, too, wasn't very familiar with lesser-known nobility, especially the less prestigious families.
The two women exchanged glances, still unsure who exactly the girl was.
Prince Andrew had only overheard the name in passing. He didn't know her either, but added, "I think they said it was the Campbell family from Cadley County."
That Wei Wei did know—Cadley County was a small territory in the northern region of the Pladi Empire. If she recalled correctly, it bordered the lands of Duke Romanov.
And if she remembered right, Duke Romanov had launched a war after fleeing back home and quickly annexed several neighboring territories—including Cadley County.
Elina had come to the same conclusion and gasped, "Isn't there a war going on over there?"
That meant the girl had likely fled to the capital with her family.
Just then, Countess Nelson returned, eager to share the gossip she had gathered.
Hearing their conversation, she sat down beside Wei Wei and immediately began spilling the latest news.
"It's true—Cadley County was seized by Duke Romanov, and Baron Campbell was killed in the conflict. The family fled to the capital to take refuge with the lady's family, but they didn't have time to bring much with them. They're living in poverty now, and her mother's side isn't treating them very well."
Given that, Miss Campbell might just have lucked into a miracle tonight.
Ordinarily, a girl from such a fallen noble family wouldn't even qualify to attend the banquet, much less be considered as a potential royal bride. But this time, the king had relaxed the entry requirements and left the choice entirely up to the Crown Prince. As long as the girl came from noble blood, she was allowed to attend. And though the Baron had died, his son retained the noble title, which meant Miss Campbell was eligible.
And judging by the Crown Prince's expression, he had quite a favorable opinion of her.
Wei Wei asked, "She must be a bit older, right? Still unmarried?"
Most noble girls were expected to marry by fourteen—only a few were allowed to delay the process, and usually only if they were already engaged. Since only unmarried girls were allowed at the banquet, Miss Campbell being here meant she had no fiancé.
If she had recently broken off an engagement, the nobility would've made a scene, especially those who saw her as a threat. Since no one had said anything, she had to be truly single.
At this point, Countess Nelson seemed to have gotten over her disappointment about her girl not being chosen. Now she was excited to gossip.
"I heard Miss Campbell is the daughter of the Baron's first wife, who died shortly after childbirth. The current lady of the house is his second wife, and she gave him another daughter and a son. Naturally, the stepmother didn't care much for the first wife's child. Something happened between them, and that girl never ended up with a suitor."
What exactly had happened wasn't clear, but a strained stepmother-stepdaughter relationship said enough.
"I suspect the family didn't want to pay for a dowry and were planning to send her to a convent when she got older."
A girl still unmarried at twenty was considered a spinster. Most were sent to convents, where life was hard. Many of these noble-born girls couldn't adjust to the harsh conditions and eventually fell into depression or died young. It was a cruel fate.
Hearing that, Elina looked horrified. "No way. Didn't her stepmother bring her here to the capital? That must mean she cared at least a little."
"Why not?" Countess Nelson lowered her voice. "This is just what I heard—don't spread it. But apparently, the lady brought her here to turn her into a courtesan and use her to support the family."
Among fallen noble families, it wasn't unheard of for girls to end up as courtesans. Miss Campbell's looks were striking, and while she might've been considered a bit old for marriage, for men seeking beauty and novelty, she was just the right age. If her stepmother had such plans, it might have worked.
If that rumor was true, it would make the Baroness unbelievably cruel.
Elina turned pale. "How could she? That's her husband's daughter!"
Seeing her reaction, Countess Nelson quickly tried to calm her. "Like I said, it's just a rumor. Might not be true."
Wei Wei, however, wasn't surprised. Tales of evil stepmothers existed even in modern times. She looked over at the crowd gathering around the prince and Miss Campbell. Though she couldn't see them clearly through the throng, the scene still reminded her of something.
"A real-life Cinderella story," Wei Wei mused. "Now all she needs is a pair of glass slippers."
Countess Nelson nodded. "That girl seems smart, too."
Among so many well-dressed noble girls, some even more beautiful, the fact that this plain-dressed girl had caught the prince's eye said something. Countess Nelson believed there had to be more to her than met the eye.
"She does seem clever," Wei Wei agreed. "Which honestly makes her a better match. A queen can't be foolish—especially not one like Mirabelle: dumb and mean is the worst combination."
But ultimately, this wasn't their decision to make. It all came down to the Crown Prince and the King.