Winnie pondered over the opening plot before the official storyline began.

He remembered that before the start of the semester at Carillian Academy, there was a noteworthy event—the birthday celebration of Princess Mirexia Pavone of the Camella Kingdom.

As the only child of the king and the first heir to the Camella Kingdom, the scale of Mirexia’s birthday celebration was naturally grand.

She was the king’s one and only cherished daughter.

The nobles of the entire Camella Kingdom were eager to attend, vying for a spot at the banquet.

However, the number of seats was limited, and only those who received an invitation had the privilege to attend.

For nobles, banquets were crucial social events.

Minor nobles would bring their heirs to meet the heirs of their more powerful counterparts, signaling future allegiances.

Meanwhile, major nobles would introduce their heirs to the heirs of their subordinate families.

Moreover, the scale of the banquet determined its value.

A banquet attended by major nobles and even royalty was of the highest caliber, offering significant opportunities.

Most collaborations and marriages among nobles were finalized at such banquets.

While the chances were slim, there was always the possibility that the heirs of major noble families might take a liking to one’s own children.

Even if no romantic sparks flew, if two families had much to collaborate on, a marriage alliance could still be arranged.

Many noble heirs’ marriages were decided by their family heads.

Having enjoyed the family’s glory and wealth, they had to bear the corresponding responsibilities.

This was a reality that neither the daughters of dukes nor princesses of royal families could escape.

In this regard, everyone was a bargaining chip, always prepared to sacrifice personal feelings for the sake of the family.

As the princess of the Camella Kingdom, Mirexia was fortunate.

She did not need to forsake her freedom in love for the sake of family interests.

The king of Camella was a pure romantic, as evident from his refusal to remarry after the queen’s death.

The king deeply loved his family, especially after the death of his beloved wife, pouring all his affection into his daughter.

He respected her choices and would never force her to act against her will for the sake of family interests.

Both in private and public morals, this king was a model of virtue.

He was also devout in his faith, always ready to help the declining Varelis family.

Although he did not approve of many of Winnie’s obsessive behaviors in pursuing Mirexia, he kept matters separate.

At this thought, Winnie sighed softly.

Even families without marriage intentions would actively participate in the banquet, seeking to build good relations with the major nobles and royalty in attendance.

It was also an excellent opportunity to resolve misunderstandings and conflicts with colleagues that had arisen due to lack of communication.

Many things, when clarified, were entirely different from leaving them unspoken and letting others speculate.

In summary, the royal birthday banquet was something nobles were eager to attend.

But what did this have to do with Winnie?

The king might, out of respect for the goddess, symbolically send him an invitation, but he had no intention of going.

What would he do there? Although there was free food, if he really went, he would likely be met with disdainful glances before he even started the main course.

Having a rare feast tainted by such looks was not something he was willing to endure.

Winnie didn’t care about others’ opinions, but he disliked trouble and had no interest in engaging in battles of wits with those haughty major nobles.

Instead, tinkering with the system to see if there were any new features seemed far more meaningful.

After a morning of exploration, Winnie discovered that since his bloodline awakening, the system had added more than just a skill tree, there was also a periodically refreshing shop system.

The shop was filled with a dazzling array of strange and wonderful items, with prices ranging from the affordable to the exorbitant.

Some items looked impressive but cost only a few digits, while others, with prices followed by countless zeros, looked utterly unappealing.

However, Winnie was currently extremely poor, with only single-digit virtue points.

He couldn’t afford anything, whether expensive or cheap.

Perhaps to accommodate paupers like him, each refresh of the shop included a free item, though what it was depended entirely on luck.

Winnie was curious about the items in the shop and turned his attention to the only free item he could currently afford.

A black collar adorned with a heart in the middle.

Wow, this shop is quite bold, selling… adult toys?

But the size… it didn’t seem like it was meant for humans.

Puzzled, Winnie clicked on the item’s description.

‘Pet Collar: When activated, the wearer will unconditionally obey the commands of the one who put it on, lasting for one hour. Suitable for creatures at or below the Wraith level (Note: Only for small pets).’

What the hell.

After reading, Winnie was speechless. Ignoring the note in parentheses, the item might have some use.

But with that note, it was utterly useless.

Only usable on pets? What good was that? Was he supposed to catch a stray dog on the street and play around with it?

He could understand the shop occasionally offering strange items, but they shouldn’t be completely useless, right?

And the indicated suitability for certain power levels was redundant.

What pet could possibly be at the Wraith level? A Muscular rabbit?

Well, it was free, so he might as well take it.

But even so, Winnie couldn’t think of any use for it.

He could barely support himself, let alone a pet.

And it only lasted an hour?

Hmm, maybe he could put it on a monkey and perform street shows?

After purchasing it, a black collar, seemingly only suitable for small dogs, appeared in his palm.

Winnie examined it closely. The collar had faint magical patterns.

Such enchanted items that compelled obedience were usually complex in their craftsmanship.

He wondered where the virtue system sourced its products.

Tossing it into his pocket, Winnie estimated the timeline.

If he remembered correctly, in the original story, Aesphyra encountered demons in the forest about half a month before the semester started.

Yes, in a few days, he could set off and lie in wait in that forest, catching as many as he could.

The bell in the courtyard rang, signaling the arrival of a visitor.

When Winnie opened the door and went downstairs, he found the courtyard empty.

It seemed the visitor had already left.

Looking at the still-swaying wind flag on the mailbox, Winnie had a thought.

He walked over and opened the old mailbox. Sure enough, inside was an invitation.

Winnie didn’t even need to open it to know it was an invitation to Mirexia’s birthday banquet.

But although it was a birthday celebration, the person who might be the least happy about it was probably Mirexia herself, because…