That night, a grand dinner was held in the annex of the Duke's Mansion in Xiqiu City. Local officials from Xiqiu, representatives of local noble families, and some well-known celebrities all gathered, just to welcome Duke Tulip and his entourage. 's arrival
In a banquet hall in the annex, men and women dressed in costumes were shuttled back and forth. The band around them was playing lively tunes. People were talking in low voices. From time to time, there was the sound of clinking wine glasses and light music. , these sounds are mixed together. Roddy and Nicole appear together.
Tonight, Nicole wore a fiery red evening dress. The back part of the gift showed a ""-shaped slit, revealing half of her white and smooth back. Her golden hair was tied in a simple bun behind her head. The knot was then spread over the smooth back, and the whole person was like a delicate and blooming rose, attracting the attention of countless men in the banquet.
Roddy, on the other hand, wore a very exquisitely tailored dress, which perfectly showed off his slender and strong figure. There were not too many gorgeous decorations on the dress, making him look full of masculinity!
Nicole gently held Roddy's arm and leaned against Roddy's side. The smile on her face was full of the flavor of a happy woman. From time to time, her eyes met with those of Rody beside her. The watery tenderness was clearly visible to everyone around her.
Many people were speculating on the identity of the young man standing next to the Duke's sister - and then they learned that this young man named Roddy was the commander of the escort army for the Duke's trip, the Royal Guards. Officer, Imperial Viscount Roddy.
Some people have some doubts in their minds: This young man who is obviously favored by the eldest lady of the Tulip family is not from a big family? Just a little officer of the Royal Guards, a little viscount
But more people think a little deeper - interpersonal relationships in upper-class circles are complicated. Maybe this young man has some background behind him...
There are also one or two well-informed people who have heard rumors about the young man Rody in the imperial capital. They can't help but look at Rody with a bit of relief and awe.
Many people gathered around Nicole and Rody. Although Rody didn't like this kind of communication between nobles, fortunately he had undergone strict training, and his previous status as the Tulip Duke also made him He has considerable experience and can handle it easily. Others feel that this young man behaves with a standard aristocratic temperament, and they all confirm their suspicions: this young man must be Have an extraordinary background!
Seeing Miss Nicole clinging to the young man's side all night long, the young man even put his arm around Nicole's waist. The two of them always leaned together in a standard couple's posture - this made many ambitious men tonight extremely frustrated.
Many people attending the banquet tonight are well prepared. Although she clearly knows the eldest daughter of the Tulip family. Miss Nicole's beauty has long been famous! Moreover, she currently does not have a partner of the opposite sex, which makes many people even more hopeful! Especially some young nobles from well-off families and quite a bit of influence, all dressed in grand attire tonight...
Didn't give anyone a chance. Roddy and Nicole were together throughout the dinner, just like a couple in love.
Nicole had a smile on her face tonight. This was completely different from the rumored cold and arrogant temper of the eldest daughter of the Tulip family - but it could be seen that her tender smile was only for Roddy. When she spoke to other people, her smile was entirely out of etiquette.
Especially when faced with a few flies who didn't know whether to live or die, Nicole simply had a cold look, which was intimidating.
Halfway through the dinner, Nicole's cheeks were already stained with crimson. She seemed to have drank a lot tonight. As the heroine tonight, she is the focus of everyone and the only representative of the Tulip family. Gradually, she became overwhelmed with alcohol, and her body hung limply on Rody's body. As the alcohol evaporated, her face was filled with an alluring blush, making her look delicate and charming.
Roddy sighed. He was the only one who felt that Nicole was abnormal tonight—she drank so much on purpose. In fact, Nicole's mood has been a little strange since the two talked in the afternoon. Although she was calm on the surface, Rody could feel the waves in her heart.
What surprised Roddy was that he actually saw Nidis at the banquet hall tonight! ! !
When Nidis walked in, the party was already halfway through!
This extremely charming woman was wearing an extremely conservative long dress tonight, which tightly wrapped her impressive figure!
But the charming smile on her face and the seductive look in her eyes formed a very sharp contrast with the clothes on her body!
This woman is definitely a seductress who understands men’s psychology very well!
In the minds of most men, when such a charming and alluring woman wears clothes that look like a saint, this stark difference will actually stimulate the imagination of men...
And what troubles Roddy is that Nidis obviously saw Roddy - in fact, it was impossible not to see Roddy. Roddy stood next to Nicole tonight and had become the center of attention.
Nidis showed a bit of hatred in her eyes, then she put on a smile and walked over with a silver wine glass...
In just a dozen short steps, with every step she took, her waist swayed gently like a willow, almost making the men around her stare straight!
Rody immediately felt a headache - is this woman here to cause trouble
The eyes of the men with straight eyes around were full of fascination. It was obvious that they all knew Nidis. Several people of high status immediately gathered around, with flattering smiles on their faces, and led Nidis to the door. Roddy and Nicole's side.
Rody was slightly surprised by the introduction from the person next to him—he originally thought that Nidis was just a tavern owner.
"This is Miss Nidis, the president of the Liquor Guild in Xiqiu."
The assistant political officer of Xiqiu opened his mouth to introduce, and then Nidis raised her wine glass gracefully, nodded slightly, and said softly: "Hello, Miss Nicole. I am Nidis. The charming style of the Tulip family that I witnessed tonight is mine. pleasure."
Although she was a little drunk, Nicole's eyes immediately showed some vigilance - this is a woman's nature. When an outstanding woman meets another strange and outstanding woman, this level of vigilance is natural.
Almost subconsciously, Nicole leaned a little closer to Roddy, then raised her chin slightly and whispered: "Hello, Miss Nidis."
Nidis smiled slightly and slowly stretched out her hand towards Rody - the back of her hand was facing down.
Rody hesitated for a moment, frowned, took Nidis's hand, and gave her a kiss.
Immediately, several people started a hypocritical conversation, and the fake harmony made Roddy feel a little uncomfortable. The only thing that made him a little confused was that he was no stranger to Xiqiu!
In fact, after returning from the Northwest War, he put down the rebellion of the previous auxiliary officer in Xiqiu! At that time he killed many people in Xiqiu. The power structure of the entire Xilin Province has almost been reshuffled! And this Nidis had never heard of it when he was reorganizing Xiqiu!
But with this posture tonight, it seems that DS is not low in the upper class circles here. Even the auxiliary officer next to her showed a hint of respect when talking to her...
"Miss Nidis." Roddy finally began: "Just now, the Auxiliary Lord mentioned that you are the leader of the Xiqiu Liquor Guild, but based on what I know, it seems that I have never heard of your name before - of course, please forgive me. I am ignorant in the imperial capital."
Nidis smiled slightly and glanced at the aristocratic man in his thirties next to her. The man's face immediately turned red when Nidis glanced at him. He straightened his back and said proudly: "Your Excellency Rody. , You don’t know. Miss Nidis just came to Xiqiu half a year ago. Her business covers many provinces in the empire, not just in Xiqiu.”
Nidis smiled and said softly: "Thank you for the compliment." The man immediately showed a somewhat intoxicated expression, and couldn't help but stretched out his hand to wrap his arms around Nidis's waist. Nidis smiled slightly, took a step back calmly, and avoided the other party's hand.
Rody frowned and smiled slightly: "Really? Then I am ignorant. Today I only heard that a tavern near the military camp is owned by Miss Nidis... Alas, my soldiers made a little noise there. It's not pleasant, but we are all friends now, so I hope Miss Nidis doesn't mind." He picked up the glass, gestured slightly, and drank it down.
The words were very subtle, but they were a faint apology to the other party - after all, everything he did to this woman today was a bit too much.
Nidis didn't seem to care, she just smiled slightly and cast a charming look at Rody.
The auxiliary officer noticed that the atmosphere seemed a little strange, and quickly smiled and said: "Miss Nicole has come from a long way, so she is naturally a little tired. Why don't we sit down in the back and chat slowly, it is still a bit noisy here."
Several people then walked towards the back of the banquet hall, where there was a side room specifically for private use - of course, only guests with high enough status could be invited here by the host.
The only people accompanying him were the two masters Rody and Nicole, plus Nidis and the auxiliary officer. In addition, the aristocratic man in his thirties who introduced Nidis just now also came with him-several others. , thinking that his status was not enough, he did not follow him.
One wall of the side hall has been completely remodeled and turned into a huge window. Xuhun opened the curtains, and you can see the charming night outside - Xiqiu is located in the northwest of the imperial capital, with a bit of city prosperity. There is also a hint of the scenery of the northwest, especially the Duke's Palace here. Looking out of this huge special window, you can see the high mountains of the northwest in the distance, as well as the birch forest that is a specialty of the north, and the night wind outside the window. Suddenly, there was the sound of rustling leaves in the woods, and with the dots of stars in the sky, it was indeed a somewhat charming scenery.
The assistant political officer was a well-rounded person. Before Rody and Nicole could speak, he had already ordered some drinks and snacks to be delivered, and then led everyone to sit down.
On weekdays, no one comes to this Duke's Mansion. If the Duke hadn't come up to Xiqiu to recuperate at this time, this place would have been abandoned. All the arrangements to welcome the Duke were arranged by the adjutant, so he was far more familiar with this place than Rody and Nicole.
Several people sat down one after another, but Nidis finally showed a somewhat embarrassed expression on her face, and she glared at Roddy calmly. Slowly sitting on a chair, there was a somewhat unnatural expression between his eyebrows, which seemed to be a bit painful...
Rody couldn't help but feel a little funny in his heart - he remembered when he spanked the other person's butt hard during the day, and now he thought about whether he had hit the other person too hard. He could imagine it when he saw the other person sitting there in such an unnatural posture. Thinking of this in his mind, he couldn't help but reveal a strange smile on his face, but unprepared for Nidis' eyes to find him and sweep over. Seeing Rody snickering, Nidis glared at him fiercely, but she blushed first.
Nicole caught a glimpse of the strange look between the two of them, and couldn't help feeling a little unhappy. She cleared her throat and looked at Roddy. Then he slowly said: "Miss Nidis. Although Xiqiu is the fiefdom of our family, I rarely come here. I heard that you are the leader of the wine guild here, so you must know a lot about the wine industry. ”
Nidis smiled and said slowly: "Thank you, Miss Nicole, for wine. Most people always like it. Especially men..." At this point, her eyes swept across the few people present intentionally or unintentionally. A man then continued in a tired voice: "But in fact, the culture contained in wine is still very profound. It's just that in this world, most people like to enjoy the fun of wine, but few people are interested in its culture."
The few men present only glanced at the wine glass in her hand - and most of their attention glanced at her waist, as soft as a water snake, intentionally or unintentionally. This woman was simply a natural enchantress. She was so casual just now. The ground spun in a circle, but with a strange alluring charm.
Roddy saw her leave her seat and walk to the middle, but he couldn't help but maliciously guess: Could it be that her butt hurt too much when she was sitting there... As for her attractive walking posture, it was probably because of the pain in her butt. Which leads to an unnatural walking posture...
Nidis' tone seemed very calm: "Miss Nicole, I want to ask you a question... Do you know what the most romantic and serious things in this world are?"
Nicole smiled slightly: "Miss Nidis, you are testing me..." She pondered for a moment and said slowly: "The most serious one, I think, is naturally the religion of God. Religion has always been the most serious. Serious things. I think everyone has no objection to this. The most romantic thing..." When she said this, she couldn't help but smile, looked at Roddy tenderly, and said softly: "The most romantic thing, naturally. Four love."
After she finished speaking, several men nodded in praise.
Nidis also smiled and whispered: "What Miss Nicole said makes sense. But I have to ask, is there anything that can combine the seriousness of religion with the romance of love?"
Nicole is so smart, he immediately understood what she meant after hearing her words, and couldn't help but said: "Is it wine?"
Nidis finally stopped smiling, and revealed a somewhat pious and serious look in her eyes - this look surprised Roddy a little. It was a kind of seriousness towards a certain truth that she was pursuing. In the past, Mr. Qiu mentioned Sword, I have seen this look in the eyes of the black veil messengers when they talked about magic. It seems that this Miss Needy is not a simple seductive woman. In her heart, wine is such a thing, but wine is a noble pursuit in her heart.
Nidis said slowly: "For example, the glass of red wine in my hand is brewed with grape juice and filtered with calf blood. It is bright red in color and crystal clear. As far as I know, it seems that men and women who fall in love are all I like to use it to adjust the atmosphere. During a candlelight dinner, a glass of red wine can not only make people more happy, but it is also a symbol of romantic love.”
Nicole smiled slightly: "Yes, this is a custom."
Nidis nodded and said slowly: "As early as about eight hundred years ago...human beings learned to make wine—but not in the Bright Continent! But in the Roland Continent! In the Rhona Valley of the Kingdom of Gordon on the Roland Continent, hundreds of There used to be a beautiful vineyard there. The beautiful scenery inspired human creation. However, did you know that this kind of wine was not recognized by the world at first? At that time, the Kingdom of Gordon was not a legal kingdom until about five hundred years ago, when the temple of the Roland continent recognized the kingship of the Kingdom of Gordon and recognized the Kingdom of Gordon as a religious kingdom recognized by the temple, and wine became a religious mass ceremony. The indispensable utensil is a kind of wine used in religious baptism!”
Nicole smiled: "You mean, wine was originally used in religious rituals in the religion?"
Nidis nodded and smiled: "This is not easy to say..." Her eyes were a bit cunning: "It should be said that wine is something used by pagans in the northern continent in their evil religious rituals. Our great divine religion in the Guangming Continent does not recognize such evil rituals." The auxiliary officer and the man immediately raised their glasses and shouted in a serious tone: "Long live the Guangming Divine Religion!"
Roddy and Nicole didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so they could only raise their wine glasses and gesture - after all, under the religious influence of the Guangming Continent for hundreds of years, it is impossible to openly oppose the divine religion!
Nidis looked delicate, but she cocked her neck and drank the wine in one gulp. Then she smiled softly and said: "This wine was later spread to the empire from the northern continent. In the Roland continent This is a sacred and serious religious ritual wine, but in the empire, after hundreds of years of evolution, this wine became a thing for harmonizing the atmosphere of love between men and women. "
The few of them chatted and laughed casually for a while. Nidis always changed the topic to Rody intentionally or unintentionally. She didn't need to speak, she just inadvertently made side remarks, guiding the auxiliary officer and the aristocratic man next to her to ask. Her sophisticated communicative skills allowed her to Rody was filled with surprise, and his graceful and graceful dancing style made him a little tired to deal with it.
Gradually late at night, the banquet was over, and everyone came out to say goodbye to the guests outside. Nicole was already seventy percent drunk and leaned softly into Roddy's arms. Although Nidis' face was also flushed with red cheeks, her eyes were still very clear. When saying goodbye, she actually gave Roddy a gentle kiss on the face, and then said something hateful in Rody's ear while others were not paying attention. He said: "Boy, wait!"
Roddy was stunned, but Nidis had slowly jumped away, but she took Nicole's hand and said goodbye affectionately, and then walked away gracefully under the gaze of a group of men.
After everyone left, Nicole, who seemed to have fallen limply in Rody's arms, suddenly stood up straight from Rody's arms, and her drunken and hazy look was instantly reduced. Looking at Rody, her eyes were clearly sober, and then she curled her lips, as if there was a bit of sourness in her tone: "You are not allowed to get close to that woman in the future!"
Rody glanced at Nicole blankly and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Woman...
Before he could come to his senses, Nicole had already hooked her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear: "Take me back, don't forget, you were once my little servant, Roddy..."
A surge of blood surged in Rody's heart, he hugged Nicole sideways, and said with a low smile: "As you command, my mistress."