Arthur was led into the mansion by Eliza. She seemed as excited as a young girl, and although he knew she wasn't innocent, he didn't sense any malicious intent from her.
So, he let her guide him through the long corridor of the mansion until a magnificent sight unfolded before his eyes: a gigantic hall, dozens of meters long and over a hundred meters high.
The space appeared circular, with an oval ceiling, contrasting the usual shape seen from the outside of the house. But as expected, everything inside was incredibly luxurious.
The floor was made of marble, covered with wooden floors and carpets; the walls were made of various colors of marble and wood with different textures, decorated with dozens of paintings of elegant people, landscapes, and even abstract figures.
There were all sorts of furniture throughout the hall, such as large and small tables, extremely comfortable chairs, and sofas. But undoubtedly, the most impressive feature was the ceiling decoration: a sea of chandeliers in various sizes, shapes, and colors, whose lighting was so efficient that it made the night seem like day.
Under that brilliant ceiling was a lively hall with dozens of people, nobles, and servants. While Eliza's guests enjoyed the food and company, waiters carried drinks between the tables, and musicians filled the place with pleasant melodies.
When Eliza appeared with Arthur behind Aria and the Drummonds, all attention was redirected to them in a mixture of surprise, creating an expected commotion.
"Who are those with Lady Eliza?"
"That's definitely Madame Drummond."
"But what about the others?"
"Oh, they..."
No matter the situation, Aria, Arthur, Eve, and Margaret always drew attention due to their looks.
But now there was something more, the way Eliza was personally accompanying them, especially Arthur, whom she was literally holding hands with in front of everyone.
"Who are those with the Drummonds?"
But one person had a more extreme reaction. It was a beautiful woman with a calm and gentle face sitting near the brothers, Lucia, Emilio's mother.
Upon hearing Preston's words, Lucia's expression changed from gentle and curious to sorrowful and hostile. She analyzed Arthur and Aria with her gray eyes, searching for any answers.
Lucia knew nothing about Arthur other than that his appearance was the most exceptional she had ever seen, so she glanced at Preston with an expectant expression.
Preston nodded slightly at Lucia before getting up and heading towards the center of the hall. Tobias quickly stood up as well and tried to stop his brother. "Brother!"
But Preston didn't listen and continued striding towards Arthur's group, attracting curious glances.
Aria was the first to notice the brothers' approach due to their powerful aura compared to the other nobles, both Champions. Josephine and Oliver, who were at the front, also noticed them, and she could see that Preston's expression was far from friendly, which made her apprehensive.
"Sister?" Preston called out loudly before even reaching the group.
Josephine and her family made way, and Preston ignored them, casting his arrogant gaze directly over Arthur. Eliza's eyes turned cold for a second, and then Tobias appeared behind his brother and looked at her with a sorry and concerned expression.
"Oh, you arrived at the right time," Eliza continued to act gently and amiably, smiling at Preston. "These are our guests of honor." She glanced at the Drummonds, then at Arthur's girls, before finally gazing at him.
Preston didn't speak at first but continued to stare at Arthur before shifting his gaze downwards to their hands still together. "Guests of honor?" Preston's tone was clearly displeased.
Eliza followed her brother's gaze down and saw her and Arthur's hands still joined. She quickly let go and smiled at Arthur with an embarrassed expression. "Ah, forgive me, I guess I got too excited to introduce you to the others..."
To most people, Eliza seemed like a sweet and innocent girl, but Arthur didn't believe in her performance. Yet, he liked to play along with her and smiled amicably. "No problem, Lady Eliza..." He looked at his own hand with a happy expression before whispering. "I was enjoying the special treatment."
Aria, Margaret, and Josephine had the same lack of reaction to Arthur's comment, but a glint flashed in Eliza's eyes, a feeling Arthur believed was genuine because she quickly tried to disguise it.
'It seems she likes to play too...' he commented mentally to Nyx.
'Probably because she doesn't know how dangerous this game is...' Nyx responded.