Arthur was dressed up. Then the two of them also went to find a seat.
The seat they found was at one of the long rectangular tables placed around the fighting pit at the center of the tents. There was food and drinks on the table for all the guests to eat.
The table was for the parents and guests from the outer courts. Those from the inner court had smaller tables that could sit six at most.
Normally, Lady Vena would feel unhappy sitting in this kind of seat and being put in such a situation. But this time, she didn't mind as much.
Lady Vena was a proud woman who took pride in her beauty, intelligence, and talent. She doesn't like to be relegated because of her status. But when she has a sweet victory humiliating her rival publicly, she is willing to bear the situation with a smile.
It is a genuine smile too. Not one of the strained fake ones she offers to keep up with appearances. She is genuinely happy.
Arthur didn't care too much about where he sat. He sat at the table comfortably and began to eat without a care in the world.
Lady Vena pretended to drink as she whispered, "Nice performance."
He said between mouthfuls of meat, "You too."
They hadn't planned what happened. But the two of them have a tacit understanding of each other from years of Arthur being a nuisance in the neighborhood and his mother helping him get away with it.
He knew what his mother wanted, so it was easy for him to act in that regard. He also knew how much it meant to her, so he put in a lot of effort and made sure to win.
His face was bruised, and he had many other such bruises all over his body, which made him ache all over. But he felt it was worth it to put his mother in a good mood because he got a reward from the fight and because he knew that if he is to get an allowance from her, she must be in a good mood for it.
Lady Vena smiled when she saw Lady Delia's phony face. She even decided to drink the wine instead of pretending to do so.
She said to Arthur, "With your work, no one will accuse me of setting her up. After all, she asked for the fight, not me."
"I also liked how you pretended to laugh at that boy's crass behavior. I didn't think you had it in you to bear being called a rooster."
He shrugged at that comment.
He didn't speak because he had food in his mouth and because what he had to say might not please Lady Devia.
He doesn't actually have a problem with Tyson. At most, he would be jealous of Tyson's good luck. But that jealousy has been reduced ever since his mother became so supportive.
He understands that might be because of his ignorance. If he knew what sort of expensive luxury Tyson and the other children in the inner court were enjoying, his jealousy might rear its ugly head more.
But he is sure that it can't be more than that because he also has his own advantage, and it is definitely stronger than whatever the children in the inner court have.
Besides, there was no way for him to be angry at such an adorable face. Tyson looked innocent and cute. It wasn't his fault that he was born to such rich parents, so Arthur was not willing to hold it against the boy.
Lady Vena might not like to hear that, so he kept his mouth shut.
He didn't need to speak anyway. Lady Vena was savoring her victory, and she didn't need him to speak to enjoy it.
She chuckled and said, "Your request for the technique to transcend the first mortal coil is diabolical. I was like a wild beast when I sensed that bloody opportunity. I swooped in and tore a hole in her sides. It was so glorious."
Arthur listened without commenting. He let her have her moment without interrupting her. It also let him be with his thoughts.
Besides, he doesn't think he did anything special with that request. He knew how important that technique was because his mother had told him about it.
There are a lot of things he doesn't know about his mother, such as who her parents are and where her family lives. He doesn't know how strong she is either.
But he knows why she seduced his fatter and became a concubine of the Dyson family. She had told him it was to gain connection to the Dyson family and use it to acquire the technique to transcend the first mortal coil.
She has been incredibly open about her crime of seducing his father and her motive for giving birth to him. But she wasn't willing to speak about his grandparents or his uncle and aunties from her side.
He doesn't really care about her family. But he has to admit that the revelation of her motives changed his opinion of his father. He doubts he too would be happy about being used, so he can sympathize with his father.
The revelation also helped him understand just how valuable the technique is. According to his mother, the technique isn't acquired for money because of how valuable it is and because those in possession of it rarely lack money and power.
Usually, such an important technique is shared amongst the core members of an organization or the family members of powerful families like the Dyson family.
Even then, those core members and family members still have to pay a high price for it, and they have to swear not to share it with others or sell it.
People with poor backgrounds wouldn't be able to access this technique, so they might never be able to transcend the first mortal coil throughout their lives even if they are wealthy.