Chapter 288: Chapter 98 The Banquet Begins_3
Just as they were about to step into the banquet hall, Du Xixi held onto Ke Lian’s strong arm. Her nervousness magically disappeared with every step, and Du Xixi’s lips once again lifted into a confident and poised smile.
"Miss Xixi! Marshal Ke Lian! Arrived!" The not-so-sharp announcement resonated throughout the banquet hall, drawing everyone’s gaze to the entrance, to those two people who seemed to gather all the light.
What first met the eyes was deep purple; a handsome couple dressed in regal deep purple, their expressions indifferent yet courteous, with every move full of etiquette, occasionally nodding and acknowledging the crowd they passed, leaving no room for error.
"Madam! Sir!" The enthusiastic greeting unmistakably came from the Iron-eating Beast, someone whom both Du Xixi and Ke Lian were very familiar with. Covered in thick fur that seemed to have been meticulously cleaned, he appeared today without the two clingy Iron-eating Beast cubs seen the last time they met.
"Your Majesty, it’s been a long time, how have you been lately?" To avoid misunderstandings, Du Xixi’s tone when speaking to the Iron-eating Beast was unchanged, still gentle and calm. However, anyone with keen eyes could see that when Du Xixi faced the Iron-eating Beast, there was undeniably more sincerity than before.
Such a scene could not help but make people think? Especially those Empire representatives who had kept their distance from the Iron-eating Beast and now carefully contemplated, deciding to further probe the Blue Star Empire’s stance.
Du Xixi is the sister acknowledged by Chen Yin himself, even without a blood relationship. With Chen Yin’s affection and Ke Lian as her protective husband, Du Xixi undoubtedly represents the Blue Star Empire in such a setting.
Whichever empire she associates with, is the empire the Blue Star Empire associates with; whichever empire she distances herself from, is the empire the Blue Star Empire distances from.
Earlier, when facing the greetings and gazes of everyone, Du Xixi merely smiled, responding perfunctorily with polite nods and words. Yet when facing the Iron-eating Beast, she took the initiative to inquire with concern.
Except for people within the Blue Star Empire who seemed indifferent about it, those from other empires watched Du Xixi and the Iron-eating Beast’s next conversation without showing any emotion.
If indeed, as the rumors suggest, the Blue Star Empire and the Iron-eating Beast Empire have established a friendly diplomatic relationship, their attitudes towards the Iron-eating Beast Empire will have to gradually shift.
With the ever-changing interstellar situation, most empires still choose to go with the flow, following the actions of a grand empire like the Blue Star Empire.
It seemed many people’s hearts were racing due to the conversation between Du Xixi and the Iron-eating Beast. But Du Xixi herself did not think much about it; she merely exchanged a few greetings with the familiar Iron-eating Beast then returned to her gentle and poised distant demeanor when facing unfamiliar strangers.
This time, before everyone could think too much, Chen Yin had already stridden in from the doorway. The Rob was responsible for guarding Chen Yin’s safety and was now appropriately dressed in a fitted suit, safeguarding Chen Yin’s side.
As the ruler of the Blue Star Empire, Chen Yin obviously represents the Blue Star Empire’s intentions more than Du Xixi, an "unofficial member" of the Imperial Family; hence, everyone’s focus shifted from Du Xixi to Chen Yin.
Du Xixi seemed to remain oblivious to the attention previously on her. She was now carefully observing Chen Yin, and quietly, stealthily, she focused her gaze on Chen Yin’s attire.
The wine-red suit accentuated Chen Yin’s broad shoulders and narrow back. The pants, hem, cuffs, and the gold patterns on both sides of the collar mirrored those on Du Xixi’s attire. The only difference was that Du Xixi had the pattern embroidered on one side of her collar, while Chen Yin had it on both.
Du Xixi noticed this small detail, as did other observant individuals. Their gazes alternated between Du Xixi and Chen Yin, or rather, scanned the golden patterns on both their attires.
An elderly man, leaning on a cane, adjusted his glasses, and squinted his eyes. His gaze toward Du Xixi had changed. In his eyes, Du Xixi was no longer just the Marshal’s Wife, nor merely an adopted sister beloved by His Majesty.
The Empire’s golden pattern is not something just anyone can wear...
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Chen Yin stood high on the stage, allowing him to easily control the situation and watch everyone’s expressions change with ease. "Before today’s banquet begins, please allow me to announce something important."
The audience’s attention gathered on Chen Yin. Accustomed to being the focus of all eyes, Chen Yin straightened his demeanor and took a long scroll from Rob’s hand.
Chen Yin took a deep breath and, following the contents already written, read aloud: "Bear in mind the ancestral instruction, not daring to neglect it, having found a woman of both talent and beauty, I hereby consider her an adoptive sister. Grant her to enjoy a status equal to mine, carry the name of the Imperial Family, bask in the Imperial Family’s glory, and during my childless reign, her children may also succeed!"
Upon this proclamation, the whole room was in an uproar, as people stared at Chen Yin, thinking he might have gone mad!
Adopting Du Xixi as a sister was something everyone could guess, given Chen Yin’s bias towards Du Xixi was well-known throughout the Star Network. He even once, in defiance for Du Xixi, harshly rebuked the Morri Empire and the Chengsta Empire in the interstellar court without uttering a single curse word.
But the rights granted to Du Xixi thereafter were what truly shocked everyone.