The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

Before even meeting the Golden Wheat Sheaf Family, Levis rushed over and pulled Liszt into a corner of the hall, speaking with some urgency, “Whether my brother’s marriage can be happy falls on your shoulders!”

What did that mean?

Liszt didn’t catch on at first, even wondering if there was something wrong with Levis physically, needing him to stand in.

But the next moment, Levis gave his own answer: “Loria has some resistance to Marquis Roderick’s arrangements, and she didn’t show a good face to me during my trip to Golden Island. Although the marriage is settled due to pressure, she might back out at any time.”

“Why? With your status, you are definitely a qualified marriage match.”

An earl’s heir in his ascendant, the future heir to Coral Island, with talent of his own too, an Elite Earth Knight, ready to break through as a Sky Knight – an ideal match for many noble maidens, that was Levis.

“Because she has a bastard sister!” Levis said through gritted teeth, “Who always instigates Loria to defy Marquis Roderick and pursue true happiness. I really want to kill her! But I can’t, Loria is very close with her sister, I must win over Rona Sally!”

Rona Sally Golden Wheat, Loria’s younger sister, had just turned sixteen this year.

Liszt inquired, “So what do you need me to do?”

“Win over Rona Sally!”

“What?”

“Conquer her, just as you did at Long Taro Castle. With your looks, winning over a sixteen-year-old girl should be easy… If the two sisters marry us brothers, it would make a classic love story that could be written into a knight’s novel.”

“I’m sorry, brother, I refuse,” Liszt said bluntly, “I have no intention of getting married, at least not for now.”

“You will eventually need a noble wife to accompany you for life. Rona Sally is an excellent choice, the daughter of a marquis – you won’t get a better marriage prospect than this.”

“Sorry, I prefer to let things take their natural course, I don’t like to force matters of status.”

“I really can’t fathom your thoughts!” Levis complained, then added, “But no matter what, you must help me win over Rona Sally… My dear brother, for your brother’s happiness, you wouldn’t refuse, right?”

He had put it that way.

Liszt couldn’t refuse, unless he wanted to ruin Levis’s marriage: “Of course, I will try to win over Rona Sally.” Being too handsome, sometimes… is also a kind of trouble.

Seeing Liszt nod,

Levis then took him upstairs to the second-floor hall, where there was something like a family tea party in progress. Around the round table spread with various fruits and pastries sat Lady Penelope, Lady Marie, Li Vera, Lidun, and two unfamiliar young people.

One was a male, quite handsome, around twenty years old.

The other was a female, with brown-black hair, large eyes, a pure face – like a fairy. The lady’s dress fitted her perfectly, her extraordinary beauty instantly reminded Liszt of Deborah Silva, a Brazilian model he had once followed online.

On a scale of ten, she could score an 8.5, almost equal to Duniko Hyacinth’s rating.

“Roger, Rona Sally, let me introduce to you, this is my dear brother, Liszt Tulip. He is currently the Baron of Fresh Flower Town, but on Coral Island, everyone knows that Liszt’s future is boundless, he is the glory of the Tulip Family.”

In front of others, Levis gave Liszt a lot of face, turning a country baron into the light of Coral Island.

He then introduced to Liszt: “This is Roger Golden Wheat, the son of Marquis Roderick, the heir of Golden Island, Loria’s brother; and this is Rona Sally Golden Wheat, Loria’s sister, the most beautiful flower of Golden Island.”

“Sir Roger, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Liszt said with a smile.

“Likewise, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Liszt,” Roger responded with a standard nobleman’s smile, using the customary courteous phrases.

Liszt looked toward Rona Sally, and from the moment they met, he had decided that, for the sake of his brother’s happy marriage, he must lend a hand, “Miss Rona Sally, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hello, Sir Liszt,” Rona Sally responded with slight reserve.

After the greetings were exchanged.

Liszt took off Flack Abaie’s coat and handed it to a servant to hang on the rack, then he took his seat. He wasn’t in a hurry to join the conversation, merely smiling and listening quietly.

The topics were tedious — just some nobles’ anecdotes or mutual flatteries about the prosperity of each other’s families.

Throughout the luncheon, he barely said much, certainly not because he couldn’t get a word in, but purely out of disinterest. Discussing trivial noble anecdotes wouldn’t make him appear witty or conversational; in fact, he only needed to maintain a presence as beautiful as the flowers beside him.

The presence of a noble with his aura evidently raised the overall caliber of the gathering by a great margin.

Confidence endowed him with charm; no one could overlook the Liszt of today.

As lunch ended and afternoon tea began, Rona Sally approached Liszt to strike up a conversation, “I heard from Levis that ‘To Alice’ is a wonderful piano piece you heard in a distant land?”

“I don’t know if Levis has told you the story behind ‘To Alice,’ the heart-wrenching, sincere love between a brother and sister… I heard someone play this piece, but it was incomplete, so I added and altered some of the melodies myself.”

“Then you must be a talented pianist; I tried playing ‘To Alice’ several times, it sounds so perfect, it’s almost flawless.”

“Almost flawless means there are still some minor flaws, Rona Sally. May I discuss with you where the flaws might be and how to correct them?”

“I’m afraid my skills might not be enough to offer you a better suggestion.”

“That’s alright, it’s just a mutual exchange. On the piano, I am but a novice. I have a decent grasp of melodies, but I don’t often play the piano, so I need someone who can play proficiently to work with me.” Liszt extended an invitation, inviting Rona Sally to the piano room.

The Tulip Castle’s piano room was large, housing several grand pianos.

The servants quickly lifted the covers, brought in tea, and fetched a score of ‘To Alice’, placing it on the stand.

Liszt sat at the piano, his hands gently caressing the keys, the touch of the grand piano incomparable to that of his upright piano.

“I will play it through first, to familiarize myself with the melody,” he stated.

Rona Sally smiled and said, “I look forward to your performance.”

Dong!

Without further ado, he began to play like a focused concert pianist, seemingly there only to discuss the piano. His long, powerful fingers danced across the black and white keys, his whole demeanor merging seamlessly with ‘To Alice’.

He had been emanating a calm aura before.

Now, it seemed as if a stream of warm affection was flowing from him.

Suppressed and led by the singing of the Sea Sprite Ake, his current technique in playing was masterful, at least for ‘To Alice’ and ‘With You’.

Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong ding…

The crisp notes fluttered through the empty piano room; the slightly chilly atmosphere gradually warmed, the charm of music at work.

And the radiance that Liszt exuded.

Seated on the stool, her legs together, knees touching, Rona Sally maintained her dignified ladylike posture, her eyes lighting up as she watched Liszt’s shoulders move with the rhythm.