"I''m Belinda. I''m very sorry for keeping everyone waiting."


    The woman, Belinda, stepped into the center of the hall and introduced herself.


    Guests gradually began drifting toward her. And the closer Vespera got, the more something about her felt off.


    Belinda was stunning. She had high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, a prominent nose, and plump lips. Her skin was perfect. Her beauty was so wless that she didn''t seem human.


    Her pale skin had no pores, and her smile was too stiff. With her perfect looks, she seemed uncanny.


    Dominic and Vespera weren''t the only ones who noticed. The other guests noticed it too. The castle was already mysterious and eerie enough. Now, a female owner showed up.


    Some guests frowned, some had a shift in expression, and some were frightened, but most were calm andposed, as if they didn''t sense anything off.


    After all, they knew where they were and what their motives were. Naturally, they had prepared themselves to face anything strange.


    Vespera looked ahead and muttered under her breath, "Belinda means beautiful serpent. It suits her well."


    Behind her, Dominice leaned down, close enough for his breath to brush her ear as he murmured, "Perhaps she might even shed her skin."


    Shed skin? The image alone made Vespera''s skin crawl.


    Meanwhile, across the hall, Belinda''s gaze slid across the crowd andnded on Dominic. She didn''t openly stare, but her gaze returned to him again and again. If one weren''t paying attention, one might miss it. However, Vespera didn''t miss it.


    Vespera nced sideways at Dominic. She thought, "Does Belinda like him? He seriously attracts everyone."


    Dominic rubbed her waist and whispered, "Ms. Gildon, your opinion of me is far too ttering. Why do you always think that every woman I meet falls for me?"


    Vespera was at a loss for words. At first, it sounded humble. Then, it hit her. It wasn''t modesty. It was a humblebrag!<fn6af4> This content belongs to Find~Novel</fn6af4>


    Belinda continued with a few polite remarks, then gestured for everyone to take their seats. She said, "Everyone, please take your seats."


    It seemed that all the guests had arrived. From the looks of it, Belinda was the official representative of the Lumena Order. It was just that no one knew how theworking would be carried out.


    Guests started moving toward the long table, which could easily seat 50. A quick count showed maybe 30 guests in total.


    The invitation had allowed guests to bring a plus-one. Some were tricked by their friends intoing. Excluding the clueless tag-alongs, the number of actual participants couldn''t have been more than a dozen.


    For example, Dominic had originally intended toe alone, but somehow ended up with five people in tow. The man from earlier had also brought two women.


    Most of the guests avoided the seats near Belinda. The seats near her remained empty. On the contrary, Dominic chose the one closest to her. Vespera followed, taking the seat beside him.


    Gerard couldn''t help but hug Calvert''s arm. That woman looked like a ghost. Why were they sitting this close?


    Calvert pulled Gerard down into the seat beside him and pried his fingers off. Heforted, "Gerard, rx. There''s nothing dangerous about her. That isn''t her real skin, that''s all."


    When Gerard heard there was nothing dangerous, he let out a sigh of relief. But in the next second, his face went pale. What the hell did Calvert mean by that was all?


    On the other hand, Evelyn and Vance took their seats directly opposite Dominic. Clearly, they were bold as well.


    Once everyone had settled in, Belinda took a seat in the center. She said, "I''ve arranged for you to try some of the ind''s local delicacies. I hope they suit your taste."


    With that, she gestured to the steward at her side to start serving the dishes.