At the end of the red carpet, a crowd had gathered. In the center stood Susanna, dressed simply in a traditional tunic and loose pants, as if she had just come from an exercise at the park.

Despite her grey hair, she looked vibrant and youthful, with bright eyes and only faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

Her slightly round face had a touch of fullness, proving that age was just a number.

Cynthia thought to herself, ‘Now that’s what they call aging gracefully.

Behind Susanna was a gift table loaded with presents from guests, a mountain of beautifully wrapped boxes of all shapes and sizes.

Shirley was opening a square silk box to present her gift. “Mrs. Susanna Bennett, this is a birthday gift from the Jones family of Roncrity–a complete set of custom jewelry from QUEEN, worth three million dollars.”

QUEEN was an internationally acclaimed luxury jewelry brand that had taken the world by storm just three years ago, favored by elite women for its stunning designs.

Susanna glanced at the jewellery in the box and smiled, “Thank you, Ms Jones.”

Shirley continued excitedly, “I’m so glad you like it! But it’s not just about the price. QUEEN only makes custom pieces, each one unique. It took a lot of effort to get this necklace because I thought only a brand like QUEEN would suit you.”

Susanna raised her hand, signalling a nearby server to take the gift. Just as Shirley was about to say more, the server whisked the box away and put it onto the growing pile behind Susanna casually.

“The next gift comes from the Zimmerman family of Betrico,” announced the elderly butler, Zach Z.

Guests had to register their names at the door and present their gifts in the order after arrived.

Frustrated at being cut off, Shirley stepped back to join Selena. She couldn’t understand why Susanna didn’t seem impressed by the extravagant gift. Even the guests watching nearby didn’t offer her a single compliment.

But then it hit her. The families from Betrico were all presenting gifts worth a fortune–items like stunning sphene sculptures, Victorian ceramics, and antique paintings, each valued at least tens of millions. By comparison, her 3–million–dollar jewelry felt insignificant.

“Now, presenting the next gift from the Yates family,” announced Zach.

Cynthia and Filip stepped forward together. Shirley’s eyes shifted to Cynthia, and an amused smirk crept onto her lips as Cynthia offered her gift.

Cynthia opened her box, revealing a neatly arranged set of small incense sticks wrapped in red velvet. “This is a birthday gift from the Yates family. I hope you like it, Mrs. Susanna Bennett.”

‘Cynthia really thinks her little habit of making incense sticks will stand out at such a high–profile party? It feels so self-indulgent. What value do her tiny sticks have compared to the extravagant gifts Susanna has already received?‘ Shirley sneered to herself.

Susanna picked up the box and sniffed it with a pleased smile. “Thank you, Ms. Jones.“,

Cynthia was taken aback. ‘How does Susanna know my last name? I registered as Mrs Yates.

Just as Susanna was about to hand the box to the server, Shirley piped up, “Mrs. Yates, I heard you like making incense. Did you make this yourself?”

Cynthia had already spotted Shirley before. But only then did she turn to face Shirley and smiled, “Yeah, it’s just a little

hobby of mine. This scent is called ‘Laron Floral Essence, and it’s made using traditional methods with roses, agarwood, and various spices…”

Shirley’s eyes lit up with a mix.