Chapter 30 Lady Penelope’s Unwelcome Meeting

History is non-existent, perceivable only through the tales of chivalric romances that hint at bygone landscapes, customs, and societal progress.

This was Liszt's understanding.

He was equally ignorant of the exact era when humans first emerged in this world.

What was certain was that the Sapphire Grand Duchy had been established for 150 years, with a grand anniversary celebration held last year, which Liszt remembered vividly.

There were numerous knightly novels within the country that revolved around the Sapphire family, some of which claimed that the family's lineage spanned a thousand years.

As for the Tulip family, there were no ancestral records. All Liszt knew was that his great-great-grandfather, his grandfather's grandfather's father, lived in a time before the Tulip Great Spirit or even the Tulip Lesser Spirit existed, meaning the family didn't bear the surname Tulip yet.

Their original surname was "Tiling," indicating that they were once of the common folk. According to the orally transmitted family history, his great-great-grandfather was born with extraordinary strength and followed a noble, serving the newly-established Sapphire family in their nation-building endeavors. He earned military merits during battles and was subsequently ennobled as a Knight Companion.

From then on, the family ascended into the ranks of nobility.

In the generation of his great-grandfather, they became Barons; in the generation of his grandfather, they became Viscounts; and it wasn't until his grandfather's time that they obtained a Tulip Lesser Spirit. It wasn't until Lee William inherited the title that the lesser spirit evolved into a greater spirit, prompting the family to adopt the surname Tulip. A few years later, Lee William became a Sky Knight, achieving significant military accomplishments, and was elevated by the Grand Duke of Sapphire to the rank of Earl of Coral Island.

In honor of their ascension to the upper echelons of nobility, Lee, the serpentine prefix in Lee William's name, became the starting moniker for successive generations. Each descendant would bear a name beginning with "Lee," followed by "XX," "X," or even "XXX," "XXXX," and so on, depending on the mood of the one bestowing the name.

Liszt's understanding - the character "Li" in his name likely corresponds to a "clan name" beyond the conventional concept of a "surname."

Thus, the Tulip Family, from its inception to the present, has a history spanning only six generations, amounting to roughly one hundred and fifty years.

Beyond that, the lineage becomes obscure, lost in the mists of time.

"Patriarch, Ancestor, Great-Ancestor, Illustrious Ancestor, Mystic Ancestor, Grand Ancestor, Great-Great Grandfather, Grandfather, Father... For an esteemed count's family to not even recall their ancestors beyond six generations, let alone eighteen, truly, this is a primitive age." Liszt scoffed at this. Without a history, how could a civilization boast of continuity?

In his homeland, his family had a genealogy with specific names dating back to the Ming Dynasty.

As for tracing their ancestry, it could even be linked to the era of Emperor Huangdi.

"As for these chivalric novels that boast about the Sapphire Family, they're all nonsense. The family's thousand-year legacy has a myriad of origins. Some say it originated from the southern region of the Steel Ridge Kingdom, others claim they migrated from the Blastfurnace Kingdom, and still, others believe they drifted from the distant Azure Dragon Empire... If these novels are indeed self-glorifying tales by the Sapphire Family, they've put in very little effort."

He desired to piece together a general history of this world but felt it was hopeless. Among the chivalric novels he had read, the one with the most distant historical record was titled "The Foolish Knight and the Red-Tailed Fire Dragon."

This novel took place in the Eternal Radiant Empire, one hundred thousand years ago. However, Liszt had verified that the Eternal Radiant Empire had existed for no more than three thousand years.

The Eternal Radiant Empire, also known as the continent's longest-reigning nation.

Many kingdoms were born from the friendship of dragons, only to wane with their passing or departure. It was not uncommon for a kingdom to perish in the midst of a dragon-slaying conflict.

When the Sapphire Duchy was first established, it witnessed such a battle.

During that fateful event, the Sapphire Dragon narrowly escaped death at the hands of invaders from the Eagle Kingdom. It was unable to establish a stronghold on the vast continent. In its desperate flight, the dragon's blood stained an entire mountain range blue, giving birth to countless sapphires within the mountains. These became the core mineral range of the Steel Ridge Kingdom - the Blue Blood Mountains.

Though the dragon survived, the First Duke of Sapphire was gravely injured.

Forced to retreat from the continent, they established their kingdoms on distant islands. Of course, this part of history is Liszt's inference.

In the chivalric novels glorifying the Sapphire Clan, the origin of Blueblood Mountain is narrated as an event where the Sapphire Dragon was wounded by the White-Iron Dragon of the rival Eagle Kingdom, its blood staining the mines a vivid blue.

As for why the blood of the Whitejaw Iron Dragon could create a mountain range from which sapphires could be mined, well... that is a matter of differing perspectives and interpretations.

It suffices to deceive the ordinary folks, no need to elaborate too much.

...the ancient forest, where the whispers of leaves harmonized with the elusive melodies of the elves. In this enchanted realm, dragons, with their scales shimmering like captured sunlight, soared through skies painted with hues unknown to mortal eyes. Their fiery breaths illuminated the cloudy vistas, casting an ethereal glow upon the land below—a land where legends walked alongside dreams and where the boundaries between reality and fantasy intertwined.

Knock, knock, knock – the sound of a knock on the door echoed.

"Enter," Liszt said, lifting his head from a book titled 'Guide to Developing Fire-Attribute Battle Aura.'

The one who entered was the castle's deputy steward, Silva, in his early forties. He was Louis's right-hand man and the designated successor to the position of steward within the family.

"Sir Liszt, your grandmother, Lady Penelope, has arrived. She is currently in the parlor, accompanied by Young Master Levis and Miss Li Weiwei."

"My grandmother is here? I'll be right there."

Liszt rubbed his forehead, feeling slightly annoyed. His grandmother didn't have much affection for him.

His father's disdain was more out of disappointment, but since he had returned with a changed demeanor, the Earl no longer showed any dislike, clearly pleased with his transformation. However, his grandmother was different. She disliked Liszt simply because he reminded her of Melissa, her daughter-in-law.

Penelope resided in a small castle in Coral City. The reason she didn't live with her son was due to the strained relationship between her and Melissa – the classic mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict.

As someone who resembled his mother, Liszt became the outlet for Penelope's frustrations.

Regardless of how annoyed he was, he still needed to go downstairs and pay his respects.

"Oh, look, look, who's here!" Penelope's wrinkles were deep, a sign of her nearly sixty years. "Liszt, if you hadn't spoken, I would have thought Melissa was here to argue with me again. Such a lovely face... Thank heavens she's enjoying peace in heaven, allowing this old woman to visit her son's castle."

Liszt's face remained expressionless as he sat down quietly, saying nothing.

Since the old lady didn't take kindly to him, there was no point in seeking her favor. They rarely met anyway, so he might as well treat her like a stranger and maintain a superficial respect.

Li Weiwei chuckled. "Liszt, Grandma heard you were back and immediately rushed to the castle. Usually, at this time, she'd be praying for the family for hours."

Penelope turned away from Liszt and muttered softly, "I didn't come here just to see him."

Was this what they called 'saying one thing but doing another'?

Liszt thought to himself that Mrs. Penelope probably cared for her grandson but had a habit of lashing out at him due to his resemblance to Melissa. It was a habit that had lasted over a decade—whether it was love or dislike, it didn't matter to Liszt. He only wished to be a quiet, handsome man.

"Your sister mentioned that Flower Town looks even more primitive than expected, almost like a small village?" Mrs. Penelope inquired.

"Yes, it is rather simple, but it offers more room for development. I already have plans for the growth of Flower Town."

"Look, look, such grandeur in tone, that's more like the spirit of our Tulip family. Don't always imitate Melissa's composed demeanor, as if she were inherently superior to everyone else. You already resemble her enough; if your temperament follows suit, it would truly drive this old lady to despair, casting an irreparable shadow."

Liszt didn't respond.

He had very few memories of his mother, as she passed away from illness when he was very young.

Lady Penelope continued her nagging, criticizing Melissa's shortcomings – essentially saying that the Marquis' daughter looked down on her and constantly opposed her, urging them not to inherit those flaws.