The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

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The wedding was underway.

Liszt removed the sapphire ring from his left middle finger, lifted Angela's right hand, and carefully placed it on her right ring finger, saying, "Friend—with this gemstone ring you shall understand, I am yours—all my love, forever loyal."

Angela did the same, removing the sapphire ring from her right middle finger, and sliding it onto Liszt's left ring finger, she repeated the same words, "Friend—with this gemstone ring you shall understand, I am yours—all my love, forever loyal."

The landlord witnessed, rings exchanged.

The ceremony was now complete, and by law, Meioubao Taro and Angela Sapphire were husband and wife, protected under the kingdom's laws.

Shortly thereafter.

The bride and groom were sent to change clothes, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen were finally liberated, able to shed their peculiar formalwear for more comfortable attire.

Liszt was almost the first one to rush into the bath, taking a quick shower.

He then changed into a well-fitting Flack·Abbieye—though in reality, Flack·Abbieye was also quite elaborate, and it was still suffering to wear it in the heat, but at such formal gatherings, nobles must dress in Flack·Abbieye, which at least was more comfortable than the earlier outfit.

Once dressed, he stood before the crystal mirror, meticulously attending to the details, letting a servant make sure every hair was in place.

Only then did he step out of the room to attend the upcoming noon banquet.

Standing at a height of 188 centimeters, his tall, upright figure, handsome face, and extraordinary demeanor, along with a pair of deep sapphire-blue eyes.

No matter where Liszt went, he was always a sight for sore eyes.

He had already noticed several bold noble ladies sending him the 'spinach of autumn'. Of course, he had no response for them, not even a smile—there was already one bridesmaid watching him like a hawk, and he really didn't want to invite more trouble; indulgence didn't bring too much pleasure.

The banquet didn't adopt a fixed dining format due to the lack of space, instead, a buffet style was chosen.

Only the Grand Duke and those marquises, earls, and other great nobles were privileged to sit in the castle's second-floor dining room, enjoying an undisturbed lunch.

The lesser nobility or noble heirs circulated around the buffet tables in the first-floor hall and the garden.

Liszt, who was already hungry, naturally did not hold back, picking up a plate and casually selecting food. As most of the food in this world did not suit his taste, he would usually only pick the nutritious ones for the banquets, needing a lot of nutrients for practicing Dou Qi.

He had just chosen a few pieces of magical beast meat and placed them on his plate.

A servant holding drinks came by, smiling and offering Liszt a glass, but he simply shook his head. If he had the chance to avoid alcohol, he would never miss it.

"Hi."

A woman's voice greeted him from behind.

Liszt sighed inwardly, sure enough, being handsome was a hassle, always attracting moths to the flame. He turned around to see a woman, around thirty years old, holding a glass of golden champagne. Dignified and of noble demeanor, yet her eyes betrayed an irrepressible slyness.

"You are Liszt, right? The groom's cousin. I saw you as a groomsman, and you looked very cute," the mature woman said. "I'm Martha Yiniang Peng; my husband was the Earl of Diagonal Island before he fell in battle."

"Lady Martha, nice to meet you."

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"I heard from a few bridesmaids that you played a very moving piano piece at Matsutake Castle, 'With You,'" she began. "I must tell you, I am utterly fascinated by the piano, so I couldn't help but take the liberty of making your acquaintance. I can't afford to miss out on a talented noble pianist like yourself."

Li Si Te replied, "I play the piano merely as a hobby."

"But your talent is exceptional, just as dazzling as your demeanor. I walked into the buffet corridor, and I saw and recognized you at a glance."

Such flattery usually comes with strings attached.

Li Si Te, while enjoying the praise, did not let down his guard: "I am just one among many young nobles."

"But you are the most special one to me," Lady Martha blurted out. "My husband left me with only a three-year-old son. I live alone in Daisy Castle, and the piano is like a spiritual companion to me... I wonder if I might invite you to be my personal piano teacher, just for a while."

"I'm afraid I don't have the time."

"In my castle resides a Little Minor Elf who is just as obsessed with the piano as I am. Perhaps, you should come to the castle and take it away, so it can listen to your wonderful piano playing every day."

The subtext of those words was not lost on Li Si Te—Lady Martha was proposing to keep him as her patron for a while in exchange for a Little Minor Elf.

Any young viscount would find such a temptation hard to resist.

Li Si Te's heart skipped a beat, even with the help of Smoke Mission, he still had only two Little Minor Elves, each one a treasure in its own right, enough to be passed down through generations. Being kept for a while would cost him little to nothing, yet he would acquire a Little Minor Elf—the offer was almost irresistible.

He took a serious look at Martha Yiniang Peng, in her early thirties, not too old. Although she wore a bit too much makeup, the foundation was good, at least a 7 out of 10 by any standard.

Her husband had passed away, leaving her only a three-year-old son.

The castle was hers alone, free from the interference of family relations—she was virtually the ideal lover for most impoverished nobility. He could definitely rely on Lady Martha's finances and resources to acquire a noble foundation and return to the routine life of high society.

Yet Li Si Te declined, "Sorry, Lady Martha, I don't have the time to teach piano lessons."

Lady Martha was not upset but just smiled slightly and left him with a phrase, "The doors of my castle are always open to you. Whenever you wish to become my personal piano teacher, feel free to write to Daisy Castle... I will personally welcome you and let you experience the wonderful life at Daisy Castle."

Having said that, she twisted her perky hips and left without hesitation.

Looking at Lady Martha's receding figure, Li Si Te felt a vain sense of pride swell within him: "With the piano and good looks, I could completely rely on my own face and talent to live a luxurious life in high society... Yet I chose to stay in a remote and barren domain, farming day after day."

Only through continuous struggle and the help of the Smoke Mission did he manage to cultivate Jela, the Little Minor Elf.

But simply by spending a few months entertaining a lady of stature, he could easily obtain another Little Minor Elf. This thought filled him with sudden regret.

"I should have accepted!"

Before he could go after her to seal the deal, a cheer burst out from the buffet at the luncheon. Meioubao and Angela, having changed into their reception attire, had arrived to join the banquet. Arm in arm, each holding a glass of red wine, they accepted the well-wishes and toasts from everyone present.

Li Si Te then remembered he needed to toast the newlyweds, so he took a glass of red wine from a servant's tray and joined the line of well-wishers.

"Cousin, Your Highness..."

"Call me Angela, Li Si Te," the Little Princess said with a smile.