Raised From The Wild-Chapter 363: Engagement Party: Man of the Hour

"That man." The reporter pointed to a dignified man wearing a dark navy blue suit who entered from the side entrance of the banquet hall. He stood tall at around 1.8 meters, with broad shoulders, and his strides were firm as he walked toward a group of dignitaries from Usturia.

The other reporter’s attention shifted from the man in the dark navy blue suit to the guard trailing behind the Princess of Lireya. "I believe you are mistaken. Despite their similar height and build, they have distinct differences. Their hair color differs, with one having ash-blonde and the other sporting auburn locks. Furthermore, their eyes are dissimilar - his are gray, while the guard’s are as black as the depths of night. While their facial features share some similarities, I find the guard’s rugged handsomeness more striking compared to the polished appearance of ’that man.’ But isn’t that Charles Gray, the man of the hour? The groom-to-be." The woman in a black blazer and pants wearing black-rimmed eyeglasses spoke to the reporter in maroon dress.

"Indeed, he is quite handsome, don’t you think?" the reporter in maroon dress said with a hint of shyness. She had always been drawn to men who exuded an air of neatness and cleanliness.

"Are you kidding me? How can he not be handsome? He is the fiance of Adelle Black. And who is Adelle Black? The number one socialite in Uropa, the pampered daughter of the Defense Minister."

"Shhh! Stop gossiping. Start using your cameras to capture important people." a male reporter from the same media company reprimanded them.

Princess Amaya and her entourage proceeded to where Charles Gray was. "Congratulations on your engagement, Chancellor Gray." Princess Amaya greeted the man in the dark navy blue suit. Despite her attempts to appear cheerful, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease, as if her heart ached a little.

"Thank you for coming, Princess Amaya and Prince Raquim. Your presence is truly an honor." Charles replied politely. He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes.

Princess Amaya gazed pensively at Charles, noting an unease that seemed to linger around him. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. However, she opted to suppress her thoughts, attributing them to his likely pre-engagement nerves. After all, it was the night of his engagement.

Prince Raquim coughed lightly when he noticed Princess Amaya staring at Charles Gray and the man also looked back at her.

"Where is your fiancee, Chancellor?" Raquim tried to break the awkward atmosphere by bringing up Adelle. He looked around but did not find her.

"She is still in the dressing room," Charles said nonchalantly. "It is still early anyway."

Meanwhile, Leon and Vasquez were paying attention to their surroundings while the two guards accompanying Prince Raquim seemed to have let down their guard. They looked relaxed.

Leon was fiddling with his wristwatch while observing the Chancellor under hooded eyes. At that moment, the two reporters who had been gossiping approached them and asked to take a photo.

"No."

"No."

"No."

Three different voices converged into a single word of rejection. Chancellor Gray, Prince Raquim, and Princess Amaya looked at each other briefly. Princess Amaya smiled and advised the two reporters to take pictures if they wanted, but they would not pause for the camera.

The two reporters retreated a few steps and took a picture of the group as quickly as possible.

"Hey, Sophie, I told you, Charles Gray and that guard look too similar. It became more apparent now that they are standing near each other." The reporter in the maroon dress called out to her partner.

"So what if they are similar? There are so many people who are similar to each other, you included." The woman, Sophie, sounded unhappy. She was trying to figure out how to take a closer group photo.

"You are superficial. I am interested in that guard, and I will try to seduce him. You have to help me." She changed her target to the guard because targeting Charles Gray was impossible.

"Damn it, Grace! Shut your mouth. We are here for work and not for you to flirt around." Sophie glared at her companion, and she was furious. She and Grace had been working in tandem covering important events, and Grace has been very professional until tonight.

Grace could feel Sophie’s anger radiating off her in waves. Helpless, she lowered her head and obediently began capturing photographs. As an assistant, she lacked the authority to speak up for herself. However, beneath her compliant exterior, a well of resentment towards Sophie simmered. They had been college classmates and had interned together at Uropa Cable News TV. Despite this shared history, Sophie had swiftly climbed the ranks to become a supervisor, while Grace remained in her subordinate role.

Charles Gray accompanied Princess Amaya and Prince Raquim to their designated table before going back to talk to the other guests.

"There are only a few minutes before the program starts. Why is Adelle not yet here?" Prince Raquim murmured as he looked toward the entrance.

Amaya made a casual comment, "She must still be getting ready. It always takes her some time. You do know that the bride-to-be is entitled to arrive at the last hour, right?" As she spoke, she cast a glance at the man in the dark navy blue suit. "Have you noticed that Chancellor Gray seems different tonight?"

"Of course! Did you forget that he is the man of the hour? He is indeed different. He is shining in his brilliance." Princes Raquim replied to her, his voice hinting at sarcasm. As a man himself, he noted that Charles Gray liked Princess Amaya.

"Do you find him handsome?" Prince Raquim found this a bit childish, but he still asked.

"Yes. Don’t you?" Amaya answered honestly.

"Not as handsome as me." Raquim joked lightly.

Princess Amaya giggled, and then she turned serious.

"What with that look? Why? Don’t you agree that I am handsome?" the Crown Prince of Albanya leaned closer to tease her.

Leon, who was seated on the left of Princess Amaya frowned. He looked at Prince Raquim disapprovingly.

Raquim felt the hostile glance. He sized up the man seated beside Amaya. "What are you looking at, and why are you sitting down? Aren’t you supposed to stand guard behind the Princess?" Raquim said in a stern voice. His own guards were awkwardly standing behind him.

"Your Highness, my job is to keep the princess safe. I cannot do that while standing behind her. In fact, I would only attract more attention which is detrimental to the Princess’s safety." Leon retorted.

Prince Raquim was about to retort the guard when there was a commotion at the entrance of the banquet hall.