Grand Lust Sovereign-Chapter 70: King Alderman Vanderbilt

The grand double doors of the ballroom swung open and the tantalizing tone of the trumpets filled the air as King Alderman Vanderbilt made his way to the ballroom with his entourage.

His crimson and gold robes flowed gracefully while the gemstones on his crown shimmered in the chandelier’s light. His sharp features exuded authority and approachability in equal measure. With measured steps, he began his walk down the central aisle, past rows of round tables, where the nobles rose one by one to greet him.

Julien looked at the sophisticated middle-aged man with interest. He exuded a regal aura and the surroundings that were filled with subservience from the nobles only added to his majesty.

The chattering crowd had gone quiet after the King’s entry and what remained were low murmurs.

Julien turned to look at his mother, wondering whether she had anything to say about this.

Noticing her son’s gaze, under the table, Eleanor interlocked her fingers with Julien’s and gestured him to not look around.

She knew he was a curious boy, but now wasn’t the time for him to satiate his curiosity.

Julien gave her a slight nod and took hold of the teacup in front of him, sipping on some refreshing black tea.

"Your Majesty," came the greetings in hushed yet reverent tones.

The King stopped by Sir Theon Aldrick, a tall, broad-shouldered man with piercing blue eyes. Dressed in a purple suit adorned with golden embroidery on the cuffs, Theon’s posture was composed yet powerful. His short-cropped hair and the faint shadow of a beard framed his chiseled face.

"Sir Theon," the King greeted, his tone warm. "It’s good to see you. How fares the eastern frontier?"

"Stable, Your Majesty," Theon replied with a nod. "The reports indicate continued peace."

"Good," the King said, resting a hand briefly on Theon’s shoulder before moving on.

Next, he approached Countess Isolde Vaelmore. Rising elegantly from her chair, Isolde’s golden gown shimmered under the light, the delicate fabric emphasizing her refined stature. Her auburn hair was pinned into an intricate updo, and her emerald-green eyes held a sharp intelligence. She greeted the King with a soft smile.

"Your Majesty," she said, her voice like a well-tuned instrument.

"Countess Vaelmore," the King replied, inclining his head. "How fares the western provinces under your watch?"

"Thriving, Your Majesty," she answered, her tone composed. "The merchant guilds are pleased with the recent policies."

"Excellent to hear," the King remarked, his smile deepening before continuing his journey.

Further down the aisle stood Lord Balthazar Raiken. Towering over most in the room, his silver cloak adorned with crimson embroidery lent him a commanding presence. The faint silver streaks in his hair and the scar running across his cheek only added to his rugged appearance. His intense gaze softened as he bowed.

"Your Majesty," Balthazar said with a hoarse and rough voice.

"Lord Raiken," the King acknowledged. "Your insights during the council sessions remain invaluable."

"It is an honor to serve, Sire," Balthazar replied, his bow deepening slightly.

The King nodded before continuing towards the dukes’ section near the stage. As he neared Duke Ludwig Barthes, the joyous man dressed in sapphire and gold, the King extended his hand.

"Duke Barthes," the King greeted warmly.

"Your Majesty," Ludwig replied, rising with a respectful bow. His flowing hair framed a face lined with age and wisdom, his eyes gleaming with a sharp pride.

The King clasped his hand briefly and shared a few quiet words.

As his conversation with Duke Barthes came to an end, rhythmic heartbeats of the onlookers reverberated in anticipation as they waited for his next move.

What will the King do now? How will he talk to the House of Lichtenstein members? Are these guys really as mysterious as the rumors say or are they just pretending? Are they really more powerful than the King?

Many questions popped in everyone’s head—the answers to which they couldn’t guess in any way whatsoever.

Julien could feel the stares on him and for the first time in his life, he was such a major center of attention.

King Alderman finished his conversation with Duke Barthes and took slow strides toward Duchess Eleanor’s table.

The Duchess was calmly sipping on tea, unbothered as always.

Around her, Amelia, Jackie, and Sophie too did the same thing and remained unfazed while Julien was trying his best to suppress his curiosity and not look around.

Tip. Tap.

Tip. Tap.

Only the King’s heeled shoes hitting the floor was heard for a moment as he walked towards the Duchess table. It shot up the onlookers’ anxiety and further made them restless.

Just like the rest, even Duke Barthes was clutching firmly onto the armrest of his seat.

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The King finally reached the Duchess’s table…

The Duchess did not get up.

Neither did she spare him a glance.

The onlookers began breathing heavily.

Duke Barthes gripped the armrest tighter and made a few cracks appear in it.

The King turned to look at the Duchess. She did not get up from her seat. Nobody from the House of Lichtenstein did.

The atmosphere within the room turned cold and made the onlookers’ scalp tingle.

*Clink*

Duchess Eleanor put her cup down on the ceramic saucer.

Her serene blue eyes glanced at the man in front.

Alderman Vanderbilt, the 17th most powerful Player in the world and King of the Silverose Kingdom.

He was a man with enough strength to defeat an army. A prestigious figure of the world without whom clearing higher levels of the Tower was not possible.

Such a man,

Such a man was nothing but a speck of dust in the eyes of the veiled blonde woman.

King Alderman gave the Duchess a slight nod. Without saying another word, he walked away and got onto the ballroom’s stage.

Everyone had their jaws dropped on the floor in shock and couldn’t believe what they had just seen.

The interaction with the Duchess lasted no more than a few seconds.

All the King did was nod and leave. The Duchess didn’t even make any gesture, other than looking at the King.

Duke Barthes almost broke the armrest of his chair. The scene he looked at was too scary.

Others weren’t of his level and couldn’t perceive it, but he had clearly felt the Duchess’s aura when she placed her teacup down and glanced at the King.

Like him, even Julien felt a strange change in his mother’s aura.

Usually, she seemed like a beautiful water lily, but right now, her aura was that of dark red roses with sharp thorns. It was scary and unsettling, not that Julien was worried about it since it wasn’t directed at him.

When the King settled down, he began giving a hearty speech to the nobles in the ballroom. It was as if nothing had happened.

The tense nobles were starting to loosen up after hearing his pleasant voice despite the strong impression of the Duchess lingering in their minds.

In a few minutes, the ballroom became lively and it was as if nothing had happened a while ago.

Julien could feel people look away from him and busy themselves in useless conversations.

Beside him, his mother’s aura now seemed like a pleasant jasmine.

Feeling her son’s gaze, Eleanor turned to look at Julien and found his deep blue eyes, the ones he inherited from her, staring at her intently.

She smiled softly and rubbed the back of his hand. "Are you comfortable?"

Julien raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking at the sudden change.

His mother now shone brightly like a sunflower basking in the sunlight.

He nodded his head slightly and said, "Yes."

He wasn’t allowed to speak much or do much. This was the most he could do to appear like a mysterious noble.

Eleanor nodded back at him and went back to sipping her tea quietly.

Julien then narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, ’My mother has a few screws loose.’

It may appear out of the blue, but many thoughts were put behind this one sentence.

Firstly, this strange lady did a lot of abnormal deeds that were truly normal in her eyes. Secondly, didn’t she just milk him before coming here?

She was so cold and haughty here, even Julien felt chills. But knowing the thing that had happened a while ago, he really couldn’t take her seriously.

It wasn’t wrong of him to think in this way, and if he tried to make more sense of the situation, he was sure to get a stroke.

Shaking away the useless thoughts, Julien decided to focus on the important things.

Since he had all the notifications silenced, he didn’t know what he gained from doing all the lustful deeds.

Taking the cup of tea in his hand, Julien thought, ’Open stats panel.’