Chapter 109: She's My Mother After All

That evening, a grand banquet was held at the Saint Valen Palace.

“This is His Majesty Felix of the Kingdom of Xueman…”

“Greetings, Your Majesty Felix.”

“It’s just Felix.”

“Hello, Your Majesty Felix!”

Vivian introduced the attending kings to Lin Lei. Although he had mentally prepared himself, he was still overwhelmed by the sheer number of names.

Good heavens, not only were the human names complicated, but those of the dwarves and other races were equally daunting. Lin Lei seriously considered just calling them King No. 1, King No. 2…

“So many Western names—who could possibly remember them all?” Lin Lei muttered to himself. Fortunately, the kings seemed to notice his difficulty with names and didn’t take offense.

After about an hour, Lin Lei had more or less recognized and forgotten all the names. The kings finally left him alone and went off to flirt with a beautiful woman.

She was a mature noblewoman, her demeanor cold and expression stern—a true ice queen.

Strangely, this ice queen was surprisingly popular; almost everyone at the banquet came over to greet her.

Vivian, standing beside Lin Lei, stared intently at the ice queen, a flicker of jealousy in her eyes.

“Is that your mother?” Lin Lei asked curiously.

“No!” Vivian turned back. “Your Highness, since you’ve met almost all the kings, I won’t keep you any longer.”

She snorted coldly and turned on her heel.

Watching her retreating figure, Lin Lei muttered, “With such a harsh personality, she’s the perfect match for Brother Lin!”

Lin Wen was no longer young and yet still without a queen—utterly unacceptable. Lin Lei decided he would find one for him.

Since Vivian seemed so difficult, she would be just right to add some excitement to Lin Wen’s dull life.

But Lin Lei wasn’t in a rush to play matchmaker; his stomach was growling. First, he needed to eat.

“Hey, maid over there, bring me some steak—several servings.”

He swaggered over to the dining table and commanded the surrounding maids to serve him.

“That’s your younger brother?”

The only king who hadn’t approached Lin Lei, Caesar, stood at a distance observing him with some surprise.

“He’s a bit different from what I’d heard,” Caesar remarked.

Lin Wen, standing beside him, sighed softly. “Your Majesty, he’s still just a child.”

“…That’s true.”

Caesar rubbed his beard and nodded. After hearing Alman’s report, he had worried he might have misjudged, but seeing Lin Lei in person, it was clear he was exactly as he expected—a child.

Physical and mental maturity go hand in hand across all races. Dragons take a hundred years to mature mentally, elves require decades, though not as long.

This Supreme King seemed so mysterious in the rumors, but on closer inspection, his personality was consistent with his age.

“I’ll go meet him.”

Caesar approached Lin Lei, and Lin Wen frowned slightly as he watched him go.

Today, his brother seemed even more unruly than usual, showing no intention of restraining himself. Didn’t he understand the importance of this meeting?

But perhaps this was for the best—the more he acted out, the more the kings lowered their guard around him.

Lin Wen thought for a moment. Whether intentional or not, this brother seemed to need no further worry from him.

He turned and walked away; a friend recently struck by misfortune still needed his comfort.

“Bring me another glass of milk!”

Lin Lei, head down on the table, was devouring food when a voice sounded beside him.

“Is the food here good?”

He turned to see an elderly man with a long beard take a seat.

“Not bad,” Lin Lei said, swallowing a bite of meat. “Want to eat with me?”

“Of course,” the old man smiled, instructing a maid, “Bring me the same as his.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The maid turned to fetch the food.

“Old man, you’ve got quite the appetite!” Lin Lei quickly noticed the old man ate just as fast as he did, and in considerable quantity.

“...I’ve never had many hobbies; eating is my favorite.”

With his mouth full, Caesar didn’t exactly look like a king. He pointed to a corner of the hall where a blond youth sat and ordered, “He hasn’t eaten tonight. Go call him over.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The maid went to summon the boy.

The youth approached timidly, and Lin Lei’s eyes brightened. The boy had a delicate, pretty face that would suit feminine attire, rivaling even Vivian’s beauty.

“What’s your name?”

Lin Lei felt a spark of fondness towards him.

The boy was about his age but shy: “L-L Reinhardt.”

“He just lost his father and has been sulking in his room all day…” Caesar took a sip of wine and said, “I hope he can learn from you to smile more often.”

Lin Lei was puzzled. “How do you know I smile a lot?”

Caesar laughed heartily. “Just look at your mouth.”

Though Lin Lei wore a mask, his lips curved naturally upward, warm as a spring breeze—a trait either inherited or born from frequent laughter; a clear sign of a cheerful character.

“Smiling more is a good thing. None of my children are like you…”

Caesar said this just as a young girl ran past, crying.

“Waaah!”

The girl ran while sobbing, leaving Lin Lei and Caesar stunned as they both stood.

“Isn’t that Princess Vivian?”

“Why is she crying?”

Caesar’s expression changed drastically as he hurried after her.

Lin Lei watched his retreating figure and muttered, “That old man’s definitely a doting grandfather.”

“You… you know he’s Caesar, Your Majesty?”

The maid was surprised; she hadn’t heard them discuss their identities, and Caesar wasn’t wearing his crown.

“I guessed,” Lin Lei replied, sniffing the air. “I also caught the scent of heartbreak on Vivian.”

He picked up a plate of grilled meat and began searching in the opposite direction of the girl’s path. After a while, he found a secluded balcony.

Looking out, Lin Lei witnessed a shocking scene.

“Your Highness, my husband… *sob*…”

Two figures stood on the balcony. The ice queen lay in the arms of a man, crying until her eyes were red and swollen.

And the man comforting her was…

“Brother Lin.”

Lin Lei nearly shouted in surprise but quickly covered his mouth, trembling. “Impressive! Not only Vivian, but Brother Lin is even charming her mother!”

His ability to win over both mother and daughter was extraordinary.

“That’s not Vivian’s mother…”

But another voice interrupted. Lin Lei turned to see Reinhardt, tears in his eyes, looking at the balcony in disbelief.

“That’s my mother!”

“What…”

Lin Lei was dumbfounded. This poor boy—his father just passed away, and now his mother’s already been seduced by a handsome man.

Unsure what to say, Lin Lei picked the smallest piece of grilled meat from his plate and handed it to the boy.

“…Since it’s your mother, you might as well eat this and forgive her.”