Twenty minutes later, the black limousine stopped smoothly at the end of a long, well-maintained driveway.
Ren and his group exited the car, taking in the grandeur of the large mansion looming in the distance. With steady steps, they began walking towards the magnificent building.
Glancing at the expansive gardens and the sparkling fountains, Godou was awestruck by the surrounding luxury. He didn't even notice when each of his hands had been taken firmly by Erica on his right and Liliana on his left.
On the other side, Ren took the initiative to hold Masha's hand on his right and Alya's hand on his left. The three of them walked in unison.
As they approached the entrance of the mansion, Ren noticed the security guarding the property.
The uniformed guards looked professional; there wouldn't be any unnecessary misunderstandings here, unlike what often happened in Chinese urban novels. After all, the formal attire they wore clearly indicated that they were not ordinary people.
"Rokuhara-sama."
They immediately bowed deeply as a sign of respect. After all, the Shinomiya Family had pledged their loyalty to Ren.
"Um."
Ren simply nodded slightly in response and continued his steps towards the main entrance of the mansion.
"..."
Still captivated by the surrounding luxury, Godou stared at Ren's back with admiration.
'How can he be so calm?'
'He walks as if a place like this is his second home. If I were in his position, I would definitely be nervous and not know how to act. Even greeting those guards earlier would have felt awkward for me.'
Godou sighed softly, feeling a little inferior to Ren's calmness and natural charisma.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Inside the mansion, the sounds of conversation and clinking glasses already filled the spacious and luxurious banquet hall.
The hall was filled with elegantly dressed guests, Japanese tycoons, and influential figures. Most were engaged in polite conversation and exchanging pleasantries, while others were diligently trying to forge new connections and alliances.
In particular, those from families with less influence were eager to curry favor with the big players, fully aware of how a strategic alliance could significantly change their family's fortunes.
The Yukinoshita family was among those smaller families, and Haruno, with a friendly smile and business card in hand, was actively socializing and trying to build relationships with the more influential guests.
'This place is full of hypocrites. I shouldn't have come.'
Meanwhile, Yukino watched her older sister's flattering smile, feeling very uncomfortable.
Since childhood, she had been used to being above others in terms of intelligence and ability. Now, facing people whose social status and power far exceeded her own, she could only restrain herself from uttering her usual sarcastic remarks.
"Huh?"
Yukino immediately realized that the attention of all the guests in the banquet hall had suddenly turned towards the main entrance.
When the figure at the center of attention finally became clear, Yukino was stunned. Her eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.
"Why is that boorish man here? And also, the woman beside him... Isn't that Kujou's sister from the student council? Holding hands with two women at the same time, and what's more, they're both sisters, how shameless!"
Yukino still clearly remembered her verbal altercation with Ren some time ago. That bad first impression was still firmly etched in her mind. In fact, on her scale of dislike, Ren was even higher than Hayato Hayama.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Ren stepped into the banquet hall with a calm smile, completely unaffected by the countless gazes directed at him. Beside him, Godou looked uncomfortable being the center of attention.
"..."
The atmosphere inside the hall was filled with a mixture of respect, admiration, and a hint of unspoken fear. Of course, among the crowd, there were also some skeptical individuals like Yukino, who stared at Ren with a cold and prejudiced gaze.
"Look at those Kings. The girls beside them... don't they look Western?"
"Do you think their taste in women is Western? Maybe they prefer a beauty different from Eastern women?"
"I don't know. But that could be a clue. Maybe we should consider introducing some of our acquaintances who have a similar background."
Whispers began to spread among several groups of guests. Although they tried to whisper as quietly as possible, in the ears of Ren and Godou, as well as Erica and Liliana who had exceptional hearing as knights, their words were clearly audible.
Ren was completely unbothered by what others thought of him. He was used to being the center of attention and didn't care about superficial speculation.
However, Godou felt differently. He was very embarrassed and uncomfortable with the misunderstanding.
'Oh man, this is so embarrassing! Why do they think I have some weird fetish for Western women? Erica and Liliana aren't Japanese, but... but I've never looked at them from that perspective! They're... Well, they're... important to me. Not because of their race or appearance!'
'Damn it, why do I feel guilty even though I haven't done anything?'
Godou grumbled inwardly, his face slightly flushed with embarrassment.
At that moment, an old man with a dignified aura approached them. It was the head of the Shinomiya Family, Shinomiya Gan'an.
"This is our first meeting, Ren-sama. My name is Shinomiya Gan'an. Please, just call me Gan'an."
"Hello, Gan'an-san. Thank you for your financial support, I appreciate it."
"No, no, no, it is an honor for the Shinomiya Family to serve Ren-sama."
After a brief conversation with Ren, Gan'an turned his attention to Godou with an equally friendly smile.
"Welcome, Godou-dama. Thank you for taking the time out of your precious schedule to attend this small banquet. Your presence is a great honor for us. We deeply appreciate your willingness to celebrate with us."
Godou felt very strange hearing an old man his grandfather's age speaking with such respectful tones.
"Ah, n-no problem, Shinomiya-san. Ren invited me, so I came."
"..."
Gan'an carefully observed the two beautiful girls standing gracefully beside Ren. Masha and Alya clearly had facial features that blended Oriental and European beauty.
'So, this is the Seventh King's taste, I see. A combination of Japanese and European beauty... mixed-race.' He thought with a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
'Now everything makes sense. The Seventh King's favor towards Hayasaka Ai is not without reason; that girl is also Japanese-Irish.'
Gan'an felt he had gained a valuable new understanding of the Seventh King, Rokuhara Ren.
'It seems the Eighth King's taste isn't that different from the Seventh King's.' He thought, observing Erica and Liliana beside Godou with a discerning gaze.
'Rokuhara Ren likes mixed-race women with a blend of Japanese and European features, while Kusanagi Godou seems to have a preference for pure European women.'
Gan'an sighed slightly, a subtle feeling of disappointment creeping into his mind.
'It's a pity that Kaguya is destined not to be the chosen woman of either of these two Kings. Kaguya is indeed beautiful, like a true Yamato Nadeshiko. However, the girl's personality is too cold, and... Well, her chest size also seems to fall short of both king criteria.'
Sighing again, Gan'an realized that fate sometimes had its own course that couldn't be forced.