Shawn Rhodes hosted a grand banquet for Talia.
The banquet was held at the newly purchased European-style manor by Shawn Rhodes, the time was set for seven in the evening, and Talia had started her styling at eight in the morning.
At the last Jennings family banquet, Mrs. Jennings said that Eastern girls should wear qipaos. Talia originally planned to have a qipao made at the most upscale boutique in Oakhaven, but then reconsidered as the banquet hall was styled in a European Rococo fashion, so she dismissed the idea.
The dress for this banquet was a light blue European Rococo one-shoulder gown, designed after the blue Rococo dress worn by Marie Antoinette in the 1956 film "The Affair of the Necklace."
The gown used a lot of petticoats and hoops, giving the skirt a very wide, luxurious shape. Inside, a sturdy corset was needed to cinch the waist and enhance the bust, presenting a perfect body curve. The dress was made from luxurious silk fabric, with intricate decorations of lace and gemstones, exuding opulence and solemnity.
To match the gown, the stylist gave Talia a platinum blonde wig, styled in a European updo, with the top portion tied up at the back and the bottom curled into European curls cascading down, adorned with accessories matching the gown.
In terms of makeup, the stylist applied light blue contact lenses for Talia, giving her the appearance of having blonde hair and blue eyes, perfectly matching the Rococo-style gown.
Talia’s fair skin required no heavy makeup, just a light layer of foundation and pale lipstick, making her look like an angel descended to the mortal world.
The manor was located in the western suburbs, about an hour’s drive from the apartment where Talia was currently living.
At five in the afternoon, Adrian Jennings arrived at the stylist’s store to pick up Talia, stunned by her beauty as he stood there.
Talia turned her head and gave him a gentle smile, "You’re here."
Adrian Jennings was also wearing European attire today, his slightly wavy hair styled in a European fashion, adding to his noble aura.
Talia sat at the vanity and looked in the mirror, Adrian approached, bent down to bow to her, and extended his hand, "My little princess."
Talia gently placed her hand on his.
Adrian reverently kissed the back of Talia’s hand, speaking in fluent English, "My princess, please allow me to take you away."
Talia responded with a smile, also in English, "Of course."
An hour later, the Cullinan finally arrived at the western suburb manor.
The car drove along a wide asphalt road, lined with tall sycamore trees. In winter, the trees had shed their leaves, leaving barren branches that painted the gloomy sky with streaks.
From afar, a grand castle could be seen, which was the main building of the manor.
This European-style manor was even larger than that of the Sterlings, covering an area of over two hundred acres, with the main building being a magnificent and grand castle, with several European-style villas elegantly distributed throughout the grounds.
The landscaping comprised of evergreen plants, remaining lush even in winter. The expansive garden was filled with exotic flowers and plants, one more peculiar than the other.
Inside the manor were facilities such as a helicopter landing pad, artificial lake, swimming pool, cinema, tennis court, gymnasium, and a horse track, all with complete amenities.
Shawn Rhodes had studied in Europe for some time during his youth and had traveled around countries big and small there.
Shawn spoke English with a perfect London accent, and in his evening attire, his every gesture exuded the aura of a British aristocrat. He had always favored the architectural styles of Western Europe in the Middle Ages. This manor, recently bought as a bridal gift for Talia Rhodes, had just completed legal procedures and opened for the first time today to host guests.
Luxury cars continuously streamed into the manor, with several uniformed guards stationed at the entrance to check guests’ invitations and verify their identities.
As the Cullinan reached the gate, the guards let it through directly.
Their superiors had already instructed them to memorize the license plates of several cars frequently used by the Jennings and Rhodes families, and Adrian Jennings’ Cullinan was one of them.
The car drove unimpeded into the manor’s grounds, eventually stopping in front of the main castle.
Other guests’ cars were parked in the underground garage, but only the vehicles of the Rhodes, Jennings, and Sterling families were qualified to park in the open space in front of the castle.
As the driver steadied the car, Adrian Jennings opened the door, and the waiting manor butler respectfully bowed as he stood aside.
Adrian extended his hand towards Talia, who took his hand as she exited the car.
The castle’s large doors were open, red carpets extending inward, disappearing into the distance.
On both sides of the red carpet, dozens of servants stood in two lines, dressed in uniform. They bowed in unison and shouted, "Good evening, Miss! Good evening, Young Master Jennings!"
Talia, holding on to Adrian’s arm, gracefully stepped onto the red carpet and slowly walked into the castle.
The banquet hall on the first floor of the castle was designed in imitation of the Vienara Cascade Palace’s banquet hall, splendid and ornate, with several huge crystal chandeliers in the center, and the ceilings were covered in European Renaissance-era frescoes. Entering the hall felt like stepping into a medieval European palace.
This banquet hall was larger in size compared to the one in the Cascade Palace.
The music played by the band inside flowed gently, guests mingled, talking and laughing, amid clinking glasses.
Once Talia and Adrian made their entrance, they caught everyone’s attention.
The crowd automatically parted to make way, as Talia and Adrian walked hand in hand, gracefully entering the hall amidst admiring glances, resembling a prince and princess from royalty.
Selina Hughes, hoping to please Mrs. Jennings, wore a qipao today, starkly out of place with the banquet hall’s style.
However, no one stipulated that attire had to match the event’s style, and she initially didn’t think much of it.
But seeing the princess-like Talia Rhodes and Adrian Jennings, Selina felt so jealous her teeth clenched.
The moment they appeared, they stole the spotlight, making even the most meticulously dressed guests fade into insignificance, including Selina Hughes.
Selina, holding onto the arm of Mrs. Jennings, watched Talia and Adrian conversing with others and said mockingly, "Grandma, look at how Talia’s dressed. You already mentioned her outfit was inappropriate last time and that she should wear a qipao. But today, she’s dressed even more exaggeratedly, even dyed her hair platinum blonde. Isn’t she just pretending to be some foreigner? Is she deliberately wanting to vex you?"
Mrs. Jennings had a conservative mindset and adhered to old customs. During her childhood, imperialism was a massive burden on the people, and the ideology she received regarded foreigners as the enemy.
Although times have changed, and today is not like the past, and cultural exchanges between China and other countries have become increasingly frequent, globalization is inevitable. However, her conservative views were deeply ingrained, and she still held strong biases against foreign cultures.
Upon hearing Selina’s words, Mrs. Jennings grew furious.
She glared at Talia Rhodes, who was not far off chatting and laughing with others, an expression of disgust crossing her eyes, "She knows I don’t like it and still deliberately dresses in front of me, even bringing Adrian down with her. Her hair is neither human nor ghost! Such a woman being my granddaughter-in-law is a disgrace to the Jennings family!" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel⦿fire.net
"Yes, Grandma, brother never used to wear this sort of attire before. It must be Talia Rhodes forcing him to."
Mrs. Jennings’s gaze grew cold, "How foolish of me to apologize to Adrian last time, saying I was wrong about the family banquet. Such a woman shouldn’t be indulged, I wasn’t harsh enough at the last family banquet."