The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

This is the charm of music, as well as the cultivation of culture. When nobles regard the piano as an essential possession, playing the piano becomes synonymous with the best of noble temperament.

If, in addition, the man playing the piano is handsome and dashing, that’s even more romantic.

The piece ended.

Liszt waited for the notes to completely settle in the piano room before turning his head and looking at Rona Sally, who was immersed in the music, “Miss Rona Sally, my performance was not very good, I’m embarrassed.”

“Just call me Rona Sally.” She smiled sweetly. “But I think you played brilliantly, really. I’ve always thought there were a few minor details that weren’t quite right. But now I see it wasn’t a flaw in the score but rather in how I didn’t know what technique to use.”

Liszt raised his eyebrows.

Rona Sally continued, “After hearing your performance, I now know that ‘To Alice’ truly is a flawless existence.”

“Nothing in the world is flawless—your belief that it is is because you’ve learned how to appreciate it,” Liszt stood up and extended his hand toward Rona Sally, “Come, try playing it as well. Perhaps you’ll have a burst of new inspiration and find its flaws for me.”

She reached out her hand and placed it in Liszt’s, letting him pull her up.

Rona Sally felt the atmosphere was so good at the moment that she sat in front of the piano with a smile on her face, “If I don’t play well, don’t laugh at me.”

“Nobody would laugh at a beautiful lady.”

Liszt sat down, picked up a cup, took a sip of the coffee he didn’t particularly like, and assumed a listening posture.

Rona Sally took a deep breath. Her not-so-prominent chest quivered slightly, fully revealing her slender figure. Her side sitting posture was dignified, back straight, with an impeccable ladylike demeanor—good manners cultivated from childhood in a household of nobles.

The sound of the piano started, different from Liszt’s style.

Each note was played correctly, but there was something lacking in liveliness, as if played deliberately for accuracy—it was apparent to Liszt after just a short segment that Rona Sally’s piano level was technically solid and skilled, but truly not gifted.

What he heard was not the youthful tenderness of “To Alice,” but rather like a schoolchild overwhelmed by homework.

Honestly, the level of her playing was a stark contrast to the image of Rona Sally. From what Levis had described, Rona Sally often encouraged Loria to pursue a free marriage. It was hard to imagine someone “longing for freedom” could produce such rigid piano playing.

When the music ended,

The contrast was striking.

Rona Sally clearly recognized her issue, “I’m sorry, Liszt. I was too nervous while playing.”

“I didn’t feel that way. Indeed, there were two melodies that were a bit stiff, but the rest was quite good, skillful, not a single note misplaced.”

“Do you really think so?” Rona Sally asked, hopeful, “My piano teacher said I’m not good at expressing my emotions through the piano. But I love playing the piano; it makes me feel like a bird flying.”

Liszt thought for a moment.

It was difficult to praise the playing with a clear conscience, so he replied, “I think you’re lacking a spark of collision, like there’s something missing in your life, some crazy act?”

“Would rebelling against my parents count as a crazy act?”

“Every rebellious young person resists their parents, but those are not the kind of sparks I’m talking about… Have you ever thrown caution to the wind and just ridden a horse at full speed? Instead of having afternoon tea, why not ride a horse and have a good run? That’s what relaxation is,” Liszt suggested a new leisure.

Riding horses, having tea, hunting, playing the piano—those are common diversions for nobles.

He really didn’t want to listen to Rona Sally play the piano—Rona Sally was a fine listener but not a good performer.

Ever since he awakened the soul of a pianist, his appreciation for music had ascended dramatically. Though he needed to please Rona Sally to help Levis, he saw no need to torment his own ears.

The young lady nodded gently, “Then let’s go riding.”

…

Liszt rode on a Li Dragon Horse.

Rona Sally rode a brownish-yellow steed from Tulip Castle, which clearly had a much lesser pedigree than the Li Dragon Horse, and appeared uneasy in its presence.

North of Tulip Castle, along the slope, was a vast grassland perfect for a full gallop.

As the two horses took off, Rona Sally’s brownish-yellow steed clearly couldn’t match the speed of the Li Dragon Horse and fell behind by a length, and that was with Liszt slowing down.

He gently kicked the Li Dragon Horse’s belly, drawing closer to Rona Sally, and shouted against the wind, “From here, further north, is the Rocky Beach by the sea. Rona Sally, when you ride, you must let loose and chase the source of the wind! Only then can you, like the horses, become one with nature.”

“Go!”

The Li Dragon Horse accelerated.

“I understand now, go!”

Rona Sally too urged her brownish-yellow steed to chase continuously.

The wind howled in her ears, a friction of freedom, casting off the restraint of being a noble lady, and letting her spirit soar through the air, which felt extraordinarily liberating.

She tilted her head and, through strands of hair tousled by the wind, she watched the handsome rider ahead on horseback who occasionally turned back to flash her a smile.

Suddenly, she felt that the moments in life worth looking forward to were not when a prince on a white horse slowly led his steed over.

Instead, it was when a dark horse prince unexpectedly arrived to sweep you off your feet.

Thump, thump, thump…

Her heartbeat quickened.

She watched the Li Dragon Horse gradually widen the gap and, with a flick of her riding crop, shouted, “Go!”

The brownish-yellow steed, pained by the whip, broke into a wild gallop, but it still couldn’t catch up with the speed of the Li Dragon Horse, making her anxious as she continued to press it to run faster.

As they streamed across the grassland and entered a rocky wasteland with loose stones, the brownish-yellow steed suddenly stepped on an unstable rock and stumbled, falling over.

Caught off guard, Rona Sally was violently thrown to the ground.

She let out a sharp scream, “Ah!”

“Woah!”

Upon hearing the scream, Liszt immediately reined in the Li Dragon Horse, and with a swift turn, he galloped towards Rona Sally. Dismounting, he knelt on one knee to help her up, and asked with gentle urgency, “Where are you hurt, Rona Sally?”

“I’m not hurt, just a bit sore from the fall.” Rona Sally had trained in Dou Qi, and after flexing her wrist to make sure she was not injured, but only clothed with some soil, she said with a touch of embarrassment, “I’m sorry, I was too impatient with my horse.”

Glancing at the side, the brownish-yellow steed seemed to be injured, lying on the ground without getting up, yet its manner of nibbling grass suggested otherwise.

But it was obviously not suitable for riding again.

Seeing the Retainer Knights had not yet caught up, Liszt carried Rona Sally, “Let’s share one horse for now.” He said, gracefully mounting the horse, and placed Rona Sally on the back of the Li Dragon Horse.

Encircling Rona Sally’s waist.

He nudged the Li Dragon Horse’s belly and spoke, “If you’re not in a rush to go back and change clothes, let’s stick to the original plan and head to Rocky Beach by the sea first.”

Rona Sally shifted her position.

Feeling her heartbeat quicken from being held in an embrace, she pretended to be calm and responded, “I’m fine, Liszt.”

“Go!”

One horse, two riders, continued to gallop in the sunset.

When the Retainer Knights arrived, aside from the horse still lying and eating grass, they saw only the retreating figures of Liszt and Rona Sally, fading towards the seaside.