The tale of the Divine Beast has long been the talk of the town. Even those who know little are aware that the Divine Beast can speak the human tongue—something no other animal could possibly do.
So when the others heard Yuna speak, they finally managed to tear themselves away from the topic of the Grandmaster's Estate's greatest beauty and turned their attention to Ethan Gray's table.
Noticing all eyes on her, Yuna recalled the trouble she'd stirred up at the Grandmaster's Estate and, fearing someone might come to worship her, quickly buried herself in Ethan Gray's robes to hide. She kept muttering like a mantra, "I'm not the Divine Beast... I'm not the Divine Beast... I really am not the Divine Beast!"
Lynn Yee trembled even harder, his hands shaking so much that his chopsticks tumbled to the floor. Yet, afraid to offend Ethan Gray, he could only hold back with all his might—how exhausting!
Though these people were curious about the Divine Beast, they knew it belonged to Lord Ethan Gray and was beyond their reach. As for the Grandmaster's Estate incident and the rumors about the Gold-Silver Mystic Eyes, the news hadn't reached Mingxing Town yet. Partly because those who knew were keeping it secret, and partly because everyone in Mingxing Town was fixated on the famed, unseen beauty.
Yuna curled up completely in Ethan Gray's arms, leaving only a pointed little ear visible, twitching now and then—like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand.
Ethan Gray glanced down at the bundle on his chest and shook his head helplessly. This little cat was adorably foolish when confused. Did she really think people would ignore her and believe she wasn't the Divine Beast just because she hid like this?
But seeing her look as if she wished for a hole to crawl into, Ethan Gray couldn't help but find it amusing. Had she forgotten she was the Divine Beast—who would dare make her do anything? Besides, he was here!
With his icy black eyes, Ethan Gray stared at the crowd craning to see into his chest. He snorted coldly, and everyone instantly snapped to attention, withdrawing their gazes—except for a few bold ones who still snuck glances now and then.
Ethan Gray ignored them and stood up to leave. Lynn Yee, who had been laughing so hard he was nearly doubled over, quickly followed, his seductive face flushed with a strange red—that was pure, suppressed laughter.
“Ethan Gray?” He slowly mouthed the name, his deep, lingering voice curling through the air, carrying a mysterious undertone that made it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
In an elegant private room upstairs, a handsome middle-aged man watched Ethan Gray’s departing figure and nodded, saying, “That’s him—the current Ghostmaster, Lord Dark, the Ghost King of Silvermoon Kingdom. Whether in the court or the martial world, everyone is wary of him.”
The person across from him was still quite young, not much older than Ethan Gray, but his aura fell just short of Ethan’s. Whether he realized it or not was unclear.
Even so, this man was no simple character either. Dressed in blue robes, his features were refined and noble, with an air of distinction about him. His gaze swept toward the entrance of the restaurant, eyes glinting sharply, lips curling into a faint smile as he let out a low chuckle. He nodded, “Indeed, a rival like him is interesting. I hope he won’t disappoint me.”
Although the First Beauty’s birthday was still three days away, the Isle of Paradise had already opened its doors to guests.
For someone as renowned as Ethan Gray, Paradise Pavilion naturally showed no neglect. Surprisingly, the legendary First Beauty, who should have appeared only on her birthday, showed up early to join a group of young lords for a lake excursion—the lake, of course, being the man-made one inside Paradise Pavilion.
The intentions of those eager young lords were obvious—the allure of the First Beauty was undeniable, and Paradise Pavilion itself was hardly lacking in charm, given its immense wealth.
Yuna poked her head out from Ethan Gray’s embrace, squinting at the veiled woman on the distant pleasure boat. After watching for a while, she snorted, “She’s not that impressive!” These men must have never seen true beauty—this woman was nothing compared to her own father, who was far more captivating!
The Paradise Steward, leading Ethan Gray forward, clearly wasn’t pleased by Yuna’s words. But since Yuna was a Divine Beast—and Ethan Gray’s Divine Beast at that—neither she nor her powerful patron could be offended by Paradise Pavilion. He could only pretend not to hear, though the smile on his face faded.
Even so, he remained polite to Ethan Gray. Noticing Ethan’s gaze fixed on the pleasure boat, the steward quickly offered, “Lord Dark, would you care to join the young lords for a cruise? The young lady has always admired you—she would be delighted to meet you.”
Just as he spoke, the woman on the boat, who had been turned away, suddenly looked over and met Ethan Gray’s gaze. She paused, a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes as if she didn’t recognize him. Realizing her lapse in manners, she quickly offered a polite bow.
Ethan Gray withdrew his gaze. Just as the steward thought he wasn’t interested, Ethan unexpectedly nodded, “Very well.”
The Paradise Steward was stunned for a moment before regaining his composure and smiling again. “This way, please!” he said, inwardly sighing. Despite all the rumors about Lord Dark’s prowess, he was still just a teenager—how could he not be moved by beauty? Still, with his status, he was a worthy match for the young lady.
Ethan Gray and Lynn Yee were welcomed aboard the boat. The other young lords clearly disliked their arrival, which was hardly surprising—both Ethan and Lynn were strikingly handsome and elegant, stealing everyone’s spotlight. Ethan was intimidating, so the crowd’s resentment fell on the charming Lynn Yee, who became the target of their jealous glances.
“And this is?” The First Beauty’s voice was melodious, or at least that’s how it sounded to the crowd of men.
Yuna merely gave her a quick once-over, then tucked her head down and went to sleep.
The First Beauty let out a soft laugh, her gaze lingering on the bulge at Ethan Gray’s chest. “Young lord, you are quite caring.”
“Hmph, a grown man walking around with a pet—how shameless.” The jealousy in his voice was unmistakable, envious that Ethan Gray had instantly captured the First Beauty’s attention. But perhaps because Ethan’s presence was so commanding, the sour words were spoken quietly—yet in the hush, everyone heard them clearly.