Chapter 31 Coral City’s Shit Road

The tale of Melissa and Lady Penelope was already an old chapter in the annals of Tulip Castle.

Lady Penelope blamed Melissa for her departure, believing that she could not tolerate her presence under the protection of the Marquis. Unable to provoke her, she had no choice but to leave the castle.

However, Liszt perceived that it was Lady Penelope who was overly harsh—complaining incessantly about events that transpired over a decade ago. Despite Melissa's passing in those intervening years, Lady Penelope still could not return to the castle because she had fallen out with her new Countess daughter-in-law.

"You were fortunate to come back today. The baron's daughter isn't here, or I would have left immediately. There's an unsettling aura about that woman, and only your father can endure her. Now, her presence permeates the entire castle, making me uncomfortable just being here," said Lady Penelope, with Li Weiwei sitting beside her. Hearing this, Li Weiwei wrapped her arm around her grandmother's, adopting a coquettish tone, "Grandmother, if you don't like Tulip Castle, you can come to my Falcon Town. I have a beautiful estate there, and a hot spring as well. You'll surely love it."

"My dear girl, as a noble lady, you must carry yourself with grace. Look at you, you're already nineteen and haven't found a suitable partner. That's because you lack the refinement of a true lady," remarked Levis, teasing his sister before addressing Lady Penelope, "Grandmother, if you find the castle's scent disagreeable, I can add more air fresheners."

Lady Penelope responded, "That won't do. The entrance of two women into this household has drained me. I have no desire to be here unless absolutely necessary." Turning to the butler Louis, who stood at attention, she continued, "Louis, you will convey these words to the baron's daughter, won't you?"

There was a clear note of provocation in her tone.

Louis offered a mild smile. "Madam, you know that I prefer to keep my lips sealed."

"Such a boring Louis, from youth to old age, always so uninteresting."

Ever since Lady Penelope entered the castle, the conversation had revolved around her. Of course, she had done most of the talking, about eighty percent of it.

Liszt could only offer an awkward yet polite smile.

It wasn't until the Earl returned from outside and announced that dinner could begin that Liszt was finally relieved from the uncomfortable atmosphere.

The banquet at Tulip Castle was clearly on another level compared to the small castle in Flower Town.

The sheer number of guests was incomparable.

Tonight's banquet saw almost all the nobles within the castle seated, including the Earl's family, the head tutor, the captain of the knights, and a few visiting followers of the Earl, making a total of sixteen nobles—knights, barons, viscounts, and earls were all present.

With Lady Penelope at the banquet, there was no risk of the atmosphere turning dull; she kept the conversation going at every moment.

Liszt focused on enjoying his food. Although he had yet to fully adapt to Western-style cuisine, the food here was far more delectable than the rough fare of Flower Town. He didn't participate much in the conversation, nor did many people approach him to chat. Just as in his previous life, he remained a minor figure in the castle, unnoticed by most.

Previously, it was a matter of wanting to interject but being unable to do so.

He had no intention of interrupting at this moment. After all, he was merely a transmigrator who had taken over someone else's body; he couldn't truly integrate himself into the Tulip family. He could only observe everything like an outsider, calmly assessing the situation and acting with restraint, doing what was fitting for the era while focusing on his own development. Perhaps, one day, there would come a time when he no longer needed to be discreet, a time when he could act according to his heart's desire.

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The day after the banquet, Liszt woke up early, for the trio was to set off with the fleet to visit their ailing grandfather, Marquis Merlin Longtaro, on Red Crab Island.

" Extend my heartfelt greetings," the Earl said, having also risen early to share breakfast with his three children.

As a son-in-law, he should have paid a visit in person, but his current status was that of an ex-son-in-law, with distant ties to the Longtaro family. It would no longer be appropriate for him to visit.

Lady Penelope had returned from her stroll, her voice tinged with melancholy. "Levis, Li Weiwei, Liszt, please extend my greetings to Marquis Merlin. In my memory, he was a dashing and elegant noble, with an impressive physique. It's surprising to hear that after a few years, he has become so ill that he can no longer fulfill his duties, even stepping down from his position as captain of the royal fleet."

"Life, aging, illness, and death are the natural laws of the world. Mother, you shouldn't take it to heart."

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm also an old woman on the verge of death?"

"Why would you think that? I'm hoping you'll live to be a hundred years old."

From the two women you married, it’s evident that you’ve been eagerly awaiting my departure so you can have peace and quiet. Nobody will bother you with anything on Coral Island."

The count could only manage an awkward yet polite smile in response.

Liszt was accompanied by Marcus, followed by a castle valet who carried his luggage. After bidding farewell, the three siblings walked together to the pier, which was part of Coral City. Though called a city, Liszt would rather describe it as a "large latrine," as the streets reeked of putrid fecal odors.

For this reason, the Tulip Family's fragrant tulips were highly sought after by the citizens.

Citizens would pin a tulip to their chest while out and about to mask the nauseating smell of the streets.

Disregarding the stench of excrement,

Coral City, despite its size, couldn't compare in grandeur to a small county in Liszt's hometown. There were no towering buildings or magnificent mansions, just scattered wooden huts nestled beside stone houses, stretching along irregularly sized streets into the distance. Along the streets, various shops lined up, and hurried pedestrians inevitably trod on feces—locals had a habit of dumping waste on the roads.

One could certainly choose to avoid a single pile of dog feces.

But if an entire street was covered in dog feces, one had to grit their teeth and step on it. That was just the way things were.

Thus, layer upon layer of excrement, trampled incessantly, merged with the roads, forming the city's unique "fecal paths," naturally reeking with an unpleasant odor.

Why was the sanitation so terrible?

It was because the common folk were too busy with their livelihoods to concern themselves with cleanliness. The nobles, on the other hand, resided in castles at the outskirts of the city and cared little about the filth within.

The one saving grace was that Coral City was merely an island settlement with a limited population. The volume of waste it produced could still be tolerated under nature's constant weathering.

In a larger city, the excrement might very well overwhelm and drown the entire metropolis.

"Could it be that the elves' abilities have narrowed their vision to the extent they fail to consider using manure for agriculture?" As Liszt gazed at Coral City, his imagination ran wild. "Perhaps I could gather the feces on the island and transport them all to Flower Town. There, no—around the outskirts of the town, I could construct several biogas digesters."

He understood the principle of biogas production, but utilizing it for lighting and cooking was quite a challenge.

After a simple fermentation, using it as fertilizer would be the quickest method to enrich the soil. The barren land in Flower Town, comparable to loam, was indeed in dire need of nutrients.

"Well, the transportation is rather inconvenient. A carriage ride to dispose of manure costs more than the manure itself... Never mind, let's not contaminate my Flower Town. It's best for the small town to handle its waste locally."