My Wife is a Hidden Big Shot-Chapter 171 - 165: Miss Sinclair, Please Show Mercy
The brief interruption didn’t cause much of a stir.
The banquet continued, and waiters began serving the food.
Eve Lowell sat across from Alvin Morgan, a smug feeling growing inside her. ’So what if Aurora Sinclair is close to Young Lord Morgan? Right now, she’s still standing behind him like a servant, just watching us eat.’
’People from minor families just don’t belong in high society!’
Just as she was thinking this, Alvin Morgan suddenly pulled out the adjacent chair, turned his head, and said, "Eat."
Aurora Sinclair and Dean Morgan sat down on either side of him without hesitation.
Eve Lowell pursed her lips and asked with a smile, "Young Lord Morgan, it must be wonderful to work for you. Are you still hiring female bodyguards?"
Arthur Lockwood teased, "Morgan is fine with just Aurora. Your skills are hardly worth mentioning..."
This immediately drew a sharp protest from Eve Lowell. She slammed down her chopsticks, stood up, and demanded, "What do you mean, my skills are hardly worth mentioning?" Then, she turned to Aurora Sinclair. "Do you dare get in the ring with me?"
At her words, half the hall fell silent. All eyes turned to Eve Lowell. Hugo Lowell’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he glared at her. "Stop this nonsense!"
Because of Aurora Sinclair’s special status, the Lowell and Lockwood families had worked together to suppress the results of her talent and Combat Power tests. As a result, the public remained unaware of her true strength.
Furthermore, since Aurora Sinclair showed no fluctuations of Power, most people in the room dismissed her, assuming she was just a companion Young Lord Morgan had brought along to attend to his needs.
Otherwise, with the Sinclair Family’s low status, how could she possibly have gained entry to the VIP section?
To the Great Families, the "job" was merely a convenient excuse to hide an ambiguous relationship. It was a common practice among the young heirs.
And a woman as beautiful as Aurora Sinclair could easily capture any man’s heart.
Even the famously ascetic Young Lord Morgan was only human, after all.
Everyone was sneering inwardly, but their faces remained plastered with pleasant smiles.
A certain female martial master, who had always looked down on women like Aurora Sinclair—those with no real strength who relied on their bodies to get by with men—spoke up in an aggressive tone. "Since you’re Young Lord Morgan’s bodyguard, your skills can’t be too shabby. You must be at least a martial master, right? Get up there and fight. We’d all like to see what standards Young Lord Morgan has for his female bodyguards..."
The moment she spoke, the atmosphere turned strange. Hugo Lowell’s face was as black as thunder; the woman who’d spoken was his niece, who doted on Eve Lowell more than anyone.
"In that case, Eve, go ahead and challenge Miss Sinclair," Marshall Lowell said, glancing at his eldest son with a flicker of sternness in his eyes.
Hugo Lowell smiled bitterly to himself.
’This might be for the best,’ he thought. ’A lesson now is better than her getting herself killed later.’
But Aurora Sinclair just shook her head and stated bluntly, "You can’t beat me."
Hearing this, Hugo Lowell let out a secret sigh of relief.
’A martial master challenging a Great Martial Master? Isn’t that just asking for a thrashing?’
But to his surprise, his granddaughter sneered, "Don’t tell me you’re scared to fight? If you forfeit now, we can just drop the whole thing."
Arthur Lockwood let out a snort of laughter, which only infuriated Eve Lowell more. "Aurora Sinclair, are you looking down on the Lowell Family?"
Aurora’s hand, which was in the middle of picking up food, paused. She shook her head. Alvin Morgan glanced up at her and said coolly, "Aurora, some people don’t deserve your courtesy."
His words were a slap in the face to the Lowell Family. The female martial master, in particular, glared daggers at him and retorted, "Young Lord Morgan, respect is earned, not given!"
Aurora Sinclair considered for a moment, then put down her chopsticks and stood up.
Seeing that she was actually going to go up, Hugo Lowell was about to speak, but a pointed "ahem" from beside him made him fall silent.
A flash of delight crossed Eve Lowell’s eyes as she leaped onto the fighting stage first. Aurora Sinclair, however, walked over at a leisurely pace, causing onlookers to frown.
’Is this girl always so sluggish?’
Arthur Lockwood, eager for some excitement, ran up to act as referee. With a cry of "Begin!", Eve Lowell launched the first attack. But Aurora Sinclair wasn’t the least bit rushed. Standing firmly in place, she neutralized all of Eve’s attacks with just one outstretched hand.
Eve Lowell was stunned. Her attacks grew more vicious, each punch packing a solid thud, her momentum seemingly unstoppable. But Aurora Sinclair was like a calm lake, serene and gentle, deflecting every single move.
Without realizing it, Eve Lowell was the first to use her Power.
The families in the audience had originally been watching for entertainment, but gradually, their expressions turned serious.
Even though Aurora Sinclair still showed no fluctuations of Power, she had managed to force a martial master to use hers.
When Martial Artists used Power in combat, their punches were faster and heavier than those of ordinary practitioners. Their Punching Power would be at least five to six times greater, yet Aurora Sinclair still handled it with ease.
To the casual observer, it looked like an inseparable struggle, with Eve Lowell on the offense and Aurora Sinclair on the defense. But everyone understood that Aurora Sinclair was the stronger one—and not just by a small margin.
Marshall Lowell remained silent until Eve’s stamina was nearly depleted. Only then did he announce, "Miss Sinclair, Eve Lowell forfeits!"
Aurora Sinclair immediately stopped and put some distance between them. Eve Lowell, panting with exhaustion and her eyes full of defiance, shouted, "I have not forfeited!"
But Aurora Sinclair simply turned and walked off the stage, leaving Eve alone like a performing clown.
Arthur Lockwood patted Eve Lowell’s shoulder and advised, "You can’t beat her..."
"A member of the Lowell Family would rather die on their feet than kneel in surrender—" Eve Lowell declared, wiping the sweat from her face, her voice ringing with conviction.
In that instant, the unwillingness to lose that was ingrained in every member of the Lowell Family erupted. The Power emanating from Eve Lowell began to surge.
"Aurora Sinclair, I haven’t forfeited yet—"
But the words had barely left her lips when an incredibly fast figure blurred in front of her. A small fist stopped just inches from her face.
The Strength contained within it was terrifying.
Eve Lowell’s expression finally changed. She took two steps back out of pure reflex.
If Aurora Sinclair had actually thrown that punch, she wouldn’t have even had time to defend herself.
The onlookers were so shocked their eyes practically glowed. That speed was at least at the level of a martial master.
’Could it be that this girl is also a martial master?’
Hugo Lowell finally couldn’t hold back any longer. "Miss Sinclair, please be merciful."
Aurora Sinclair lowered her fist, turned, and walked away.
Eve Lowell’s face was deathly pale. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
In the face of absolute strength, no amount of backbone mattered, unless one was truly fearless and unafraid of death.
’But she was afraid of death...’
***
Aurora Sinclair slowly descended the stage and walked back to her seat, her expression serene.
Her breathing was even, as if she had just gone for a leisurely stroll around the ring.
Down below, the various Great Families, both large and small, were all starting to get ideas.
This girl showed no fluctuations of Power, yet she could fight a martial master with ease.
Talent like that was exceptionally rare.
The gazes fixed on her grew more and more intense.
Out of respect for the Lowell Family’s pride, they didn’t say anything, planning instead to ask Alvin Morgan about her in private.
Just then, Marshall Lowell spoke up. "Eve, let this be a lesson to you. From now on, you must guard against impatience and rashness. Do not be so arrogant and conceited again."
His voice was deceptively calm, as if he were merely reprimanding his great-granddaughter, but it was laced with the power of a Martial King, causing the expression of everyone present to change.
This was clearly a warning to them all.
Under this pressure, the color drained further from Alvin Morgan’s face, and his body began to tremble slightly.
A flicker crossed Aurora Sinclair’s eyes. Pursing her lips, she walked to Alvin Morgan’s side and took his arm. To an observer, it looked like a simple gesture, but she was actually blocking all of the surrounding Power from affecting him.
"Morgan, can we go home now?" Aurora Sinclair asked in a low voice.
Alvin Morgan recognized her concern. He stood and addressed Marshall Lowell, "Mr. Lowell, we have some matters to attend to at home, so we’ll be taking our leave now."
Marshall Lowell studied Aurora Sinclair for a moment before giving a slight nod. "Give my regards to your patriarch."
The three of them were just about to head out.
Suddenly, the doors to the banquet hall were thrown open with great force.
Sonya Sherwood stormed in, leading a large contingent from the Sherwood Family. They all looked furious, their eyes fixed on Marshall Lowell.
"Martial King, we have no quarrel with you. Why did you cripple a member of my family?"
