The ballroom of Castle Rotwald had been carved halfway into the Ancient Tree, while the front half was built from pale white stone.

The contrast created a fascinating atmosphere.

Strangely enough, the construction inside the tree had not harmed it. Instead, massive branches grew from the living wood itself, carrying enormous leaves overhead.

Somehow, the little light streaming through the tall windows carved into the left and right stone wall was enough for them.

Together, they formed a dense canopy stretching across the entire hall.

At the edges of the ballroom, white pillars framing the dance floor disappeared beneath ivy-like vines.

Beyond the dance floor, the ground was covered in soft green moss.

Fireflies drifted through the air here as well, though their glow alone wasn’t enough to illuminate the hall. Because of that, countless lanterns hung from the branches and leaves above, bathing everything in warm light.

A faint floral scent lingered in the air. Tiny blossoms hidden among the vines released it continuously. The fragrance had a refreshing effect, allowing celebrations here to last for days without exhaustion overtaking the guests.

But tonight, even the floral fragrance couldn’t conceal the thick testosterone scent of males competing for territory, status... and females.

Nearly three hundred beastmen waited inside the hall.

Countless races were present, all dressed in formal clothing and meticulously groomed.

Naturally, two groups had formed.

On one side stood the beast nobles of Zasar, sent here by their queen with a clear mission:

Become the first mates of the unmated female nobles of Berghain.

Although a preliminary selection had already been made and many males had been loosely assigned to specific females, the queens understood that compatibility could not always be predicted.

That was why tonight’s banquet existed.

The female nobles would have the opportunity to observe the remaining unattached males as well.

And perhaps... some might even take interest in multiple beast nobles from Zasar.

The other — much larger — group consisted of beast nobles and powerful beastmen from Berghain.

After all, once a female chose her first mate, it was highly likely she would soon take additional partners as well.

Neither side appreciated the other’s presence.

The males of Berghain resented this condition of the peace treaty, while the Zasar males felt openly challenged.

Auras collided throughout the hall as males subtly pushed against one another, testing dominance without words.

But the moment the arrival of the females was announced, those pressures vanished.

Kaelith stood beside Silas, occasionally casting sideways glances at the panther.

A smug smile lingered on Silas’ lips tonight.

Something about him felt different.

Kaelith just couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

The panther gave off conflicting signals.

There was an unusual lightness to his step.

Yet at the same time, his entire body seemed tightly wound — as if he stood on the edge of a fight.

Separated by only a single door, Mirabelle arrived at the side of Leontis where the other waiting females had gathered.

They surrounded the High Duchess of Rotwald.

She still wore the same outfit as before, yet now she radiated a calm authority Mirabelle hadn’t fully noticed earlier.

Curiously, Mirabelle studied the other women as she approached.

She had never seen unmated females around her own age from this close before.

She didn’t recognize any of them as close friends. As far as she knew, every female the old Mirabelle had once interacted with had already been mated by now.

Standing directly beside the Duchess was a breathtaking fox female with blood-red hair and seductive green eyes.

This had to be the heir of the High Duchy.

Further back, Mirabelle spotted a deer female, a rabbit, and an owl female.

There were also two mouse females, a skunk, and several bird beasts.

Not all of them were easy to identify, however.

Not every female possessed obvious beast traits like ears or tails. Some looked almost entirely human.

Mirabelle remembered reading in the book about beast powers that the visibility of beast traits depended on the strength of a female’s bloodline.

For males, there were cultivation levels. If a father possessed a low cultivation level and the mother’s bloodline also carried many weaker generations, the beast traits gradually faded, revealing that the female was physically weaker than females with more obvious beast characteristics.

All the females wore the traditional gowns of unmated noblewomen.

The moment Mirabelle entered, conversations quietly began to falter.

She noticed several females whispering among themselves.

"What is she wearing? I’ve never seen anything like that before," one of the bird females whispered.

"Scandalous. Her shoulders are completely exposed," the skunk female whispered dramatically, fanning herself.

’Just wait until you see my back.’

Mirabelle grinned inwardly, though outwardly her expression remained cold and distant.

"She’s trying very hard to stand out... She’s probably lacking in other assets and needs attention instead," one of the mouse females muttered.

"She could never compare to your beauty, Lady Nissa," the other mouse added, directing the compliment toward the skunk female.

’How cliché.’

Mirabelle nearly rolled her eyes.

Still, she had to admit the skunk female was stunning.

Her skin was very dark. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

And her pitch-black hair contained two white streaks beginning at her temples, giving her an almost mysterious appearance.

Even her tail looked silky soft.

’What a shame. I would’ve liked to be friends with her.’

"Personally, I think she looks beautiful. I’ll ask her later where she got her dress."

The fox heir interrupted the whispering just as Mirabelle reached the group.

A/N: Sorry for the later update today — you guys already know about the annoying health situation. (╥﹏╥)

I’ll try to upload two Chapters tonight instead.

(ง •̀_•́)ง