Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 270: Invitation of an Imperial Banquet

Her tone was gentle, yet unmistakably resolute. "If you still refuse, then I’ll go back to my original proposal."

Silver and Storm exchanged glances, realizing they had no room left to argue.

"Thank you, Princess Consort," the two said in unison, bowing sincerely.

Zora waved her hand with a light smile. "You’ve earned this with your own abilities. There’s no need to thank me. I was just telling Big Brother Eric earlier—why don’t we all gather at a restaurant tonight?"

"That would be great!"

Silver and Storm responded eagerly, their faces lit up with excitement as the atmosphere instantly became warm and lively.

*

The night was cool and clear, a gentle breeze drifting through the courtyard like flowing water.

After returning to her room, Zora poured herself a cup of tea and took a slow sip. The gathering earlier with Eric Welsh and the others had put her in an unexpectedly good mood, the kind of warmth that lingered even after the laughter faded.

Black and White lay sprawled nearby, each rubbing their round bellies with obvious satisfaction. They adored this kind of lively atmosphere. To them, a joyful meal was the very definition of happiness.

"Haha, today’s food was amazing," Black exclaimed with heartfelt emotion. "Eating well every day like this, now that’s living!"

White nodded vigorously in agreement. "These kinds of gatherings should happen more often. The restaurant today was really good."

Listening to the two little fellows chatter, Zora couldn’t help but laugh softly. These two had been stuck in the Chaos Ring for so many years. They didn’t lack intelligence or ability. Their only weakness was an almost sacred devotion to food.

Shihtzu, lounging nearby, shot them a look full of disdain. To this beast king, Black and White were simply gluttons without dignity.

Although... the food had been delicious.

Shihtzu sat atop the table, holding a crystal-clear demon crystal between its paws. For it, this was the real delicacy. With a crisp crunch, he bit down, the sound sharp and satisfying.

Watching the three of them indulge so freely, Zora couldn’t help feeling secretly relieved. Fortunately, she had plenty of ways to earn money. Otherwise, raising these three alone would have driven her into poverty.

Black and White were easy enough to support. Shihtzu, however, consumed demon crystals as if they were snacks, and each one was worth a small fortune.

Soon, her thoughts drifted back to the time she had spent studying inscriptions in the Chaos Ring. The old man in the stone chamber had started her with relatively simple inscriptions. Nothing too complex or high-level, but that made sense.

Just like alchemy, understanding theory was one thing. Actually executing it depended on one’s cultivation. No matter how profound the knowledge, without sufficient strength, it was impossible to use.

From the old man’s bearing alone, she knew he had far more advanced inscription techniques. And considering how many sealed stone chambers still existed in the Chaos Ring, there were likely even greater inheritances waiting.

But for now, her cultivation wasn’t enough.

That was fine. She wasn’t in a hurry. Cultivation and learning were long journeys. Rushing would only backfire.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Darling, are you back?"

Black and White reacted instantly, shrinking their bodies and leaping onto Zora’s shoulder. They compressed themselves tightly, becoming even smaller than usual.

"Come in," Zora replied.

The door opened, and Prince Kael stepped inside. The moment his eyes fell on her, a smile bloomed across his handsome, flawless face.

"Did you have a good time going out with them today?" he asked gently.

He had originally planned to go along, but considering he wasn’t particularly close with Eric Welsh, he decided it might be better not to intrude. Letting her enjoy herself freely felt like the better choice.

Zora nodded with a smile. "I did. I don’t have many friends in the Imperial City. They’re important to me."

The smile in Prince Kael’s deep eyes softened, carrying warmth straight from his heart. He had always known she was someone who valued loyalty and sincerity deeply. Those she acknowledged were never insignificant in her life.

"There was news from the palace today," he said after a pause. "They’re holding a banquet in the Imperial Garden tomorrow and specifically invited us. They want us to attend together. What do you think?"

He watched her quietly, waiting for her answer.

Zora’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, a captivating curve lifting at the corner of her lips. "Since the invitation comes from the palace, of course, we should go and take a look."

Their return this time was never meant to be quiet. With Prince Kael’s identity no longer what it once was, the imperial palace was bound to be restless. She could almost imagine the headaches this sudden change would bring to certain people.

Tomorrow’s banquet would be the perfect opportunity to see the palace’s attitude clearly.

More importantly, this trip back was also about settling old accounts.

Those who once humiliated them, mocked them, or trampled on their dignity should now open their eyes wide and see clearly who stood before them. If they still failed to recognize reality, then they could only blame themselves for whatever lessons followed. After all, debts left unpaid eventually came due.

As for House Phoenix and the so-called general’s residence, Zora had already made up her mind. This matter would be settled properly. From now on, she wanted no ties, no involvement, and no lingering connections with them. The title of "General’s Miss" had never truly belonged to her anyway.

Forget about the fact that she was a transmigration; even as the real Zora, she had never been a real daughter of that household, and she had no blood ties or so whatsoever with General Helius.

Watching the cold resolve flicker across her expression, Prince Kael’s smile deepened. "Tomorrow should be quite a show. If my lady feels displeased, then let them learn their lesson."

He knew very well that over the years, Zora had endured far more injustice in the imperial city than he ever had. His own three years of humiliation were painful, but hers had been longer, sharper, and more relentless.

Now, there was no need to swallow those grievances anymore. He only wanted her to vent them fully and walk forward without burden or regret.

Zora’s lips curved faintly, a trace of playful cunning flashing in her smile. "Then I suppose I’ll have to borrow your prestige and play the fox that bullies with a tiger’s might."

"My lady has always been formidable on her own," Prince Kael replied with a light laugh, his eyes filled with indulgent affection.

Once the matter of the banquet was settled, Zora’s expression grew more serious. "Kael, the medicinal list I gave you before. How much of it have you managed to find?"

This had always been one of her biggest concerns. Although Prince Kael could now stand, the issue of his body’s constitution was far from fully resolved. To truly transform his cursed Protos’ physique into a destiny-defying one, every required ingredient had to be gathered.

Only then would his body undergo a fundamental change, and his cultivation speed would rise dramatically.

"Heaven’s Gate has extensive medicinal reserves," Prince Kael replied calmly with a nod. "I searched through the guild’s resource pools and managed to gather most of the materials. However, there are still four that I haven’t been able to find."

Ever since he had stabilized his position, he had devoted considerable effort to this search. Even with Heaven’s Gate’s vast resources, some things remained elusive, which spoke volumes about their rarity.

Zora let out a soft breath. That outcome was already better than she had expected. Many of those ingredients were priceless treasures under normal circumstances. Being able to collect most of them was no small feat.

"Which four are still missing?" she asked.