Chapter 262 Liszt’s Piano Music

The ball, as expected, did not have Athena Salmon.

Levis and Levera blended into the crowd, engaging in animated conversations with the noble gentlemen and socialites. Meopo still wore his smile, doing his utmost to maintain the dignity of the host of Longtaro Castle.

He was very good at this kind of work.

Liszt remained his usual self, not taking the initiative but not refusing either. When someone came to exchange pleasantries with him, he would engage in casual conversation. Although he had never planned to make a name for himself on Red Crab Island, why turn down an opportunity to expand his network?

The pianist played a beautiful melody.

Pairs of men and women danced gracefully in the ballroom.

Laughter constantly erupted from various corners, evidently from people enjoying their conversations. After making a round, ensuring all the nobles were attended to, Meopo finally sat down next to Liszt, holding a glass of wine.

"More exhausting than charging into battle," he breathed out.

"Lucky for me, I'm just a baron. I don't have to speak to hundreds of people."

"They are all followers of Longtaro Castle, coming from afar hoping to speak to me. How could I bear to disappoint them?"

It was unclear whether this remark was self-mockery or pride.

Suddenly, he asked, "Aren't you going to dance?"

"Those who invited me are not to my interest."

"Then go and invite someone. A gentleman should take the initiative."

"I haven't decided who to invite yet."

"Your thoughts are strange. If it were me, I'd invite all the pretty ones. It's not like you can only dance one dance. If you find someone compatible, find a corner to have a heart-to-heart, it wouldn't be a wasted trip. If you hit it off, you might even bring her home as the lady."

Liszt remained reserved, "Too fast, don't you think?"

Meopo shook his head, not understanding his cousin, "If you don't want to dance, can you play the piano?"

"Maybe... a little." Liszt himself couldn't play any instrument, but as a member of the nobility, he had learned the piano.

He could barely remember a few pieces.

The nobles loved music, and the piano was the most popular instrument. Especially at a ball, without piano accompaniment, how could you create a charming atmosphere? Many down-and-out nobles relied on playing the piano to maintain their upper-class lifestyle, even becoming the private guests of noblewomen.

"Prepare yourself. We'll each play a piece soon."

Meopo waved over a manservant, "Go inform the pianist, after this piece, come down quickly. I and Liszt are going to play the piano."

"Yes, young master."

"Have you decided on a piece? I'm going to play 'Euleria by the Water,' my favorite piano piece. The melody is beautiful, and the story is touching. Do you like it?"

"I don't want to play the piano, and I've never heard of this piece."

"Heavens! How can you not know? It's a composition by the piano master Cherni Windmill, based on his own story! Euleria, the legendary Gorgon, when Cherni gazed into the eyes of Euleria by the water, he turned to stone!"

"Turned to stone, so he died?"

"You really have no artistic sense! It's a figure of speech. Cherni didn't really turn to stone, but seeing Euleria's beauty made him feel as if he had turned to stone. It wasn't her eyes that turned him to stone, but her beauty. He might not have even seen Euleria; it's just a metaphor."

Meopo was animated when talking about the piano piece, "Euleria is a legendary creature, not real. In the legend, she had two sisters, all Gorgons, beautiful but deadly. Cherni saw a woman by the water whose beauty was like poison, turning him to stone, understand?"

"I think I understand." Liszt responded casually.

"Prepare yourself, you'll go up and play a piece too. Only art can make people forget their troubles, trust me." Meopo left a very artistic figure as he prepared to perform.

It seemed he was shocked by Liszt's ignorance.

During the performance, he deliberately used his battle aura to amplify his volume, first explaining the background story of "Euleria by the Water" before starting to play.

Undeniably, his piano playing skills were superb, with the melody alternating between gentle and passionate, truly immersing the audience in the scene of "I saw Euleria," "I turned to stone," "Her beauty left me breathless."

The piece ended.

The nobles, lost in the music, applauded.

Meopo rose gracefully, bowing slightly in thanks, "Next, my cousin, Liszt Tulip, will play the next piano piece for everyone."

...

Liszt really wanted to smash Meopo's head with a hammer.

He really didn't want to play any piano piece. Indeed, most nobles learned instruments like the piano to enhance their noble aura. In his past life, Liszt had played the piano a lot, but the current Liszt was a music idiot who preferred pop songs!

Since his transmigration, he had never touched any instrument again.

The piano fingerings from his past life were rusty, and going up to play would be embarrassing. He didn't know if this was Meopo's revenge—perhaps during the earlier conversation by the window, he had revealed his schadenfreude mindset, as he really wanted to laugh then.

But.

At this moment, there was no embarrassment.

His mindset was somewhat detached. He hadn't planned to find love at this ball, so if he had to embarrass himself on stage, so be it.

With his mindset adjusted, a smile on his face, Liszt ascended the stage step by step.

Sitting before the piano, his hand swept across the keys, producing neat high and low notes. He glanced at the keys, referring to the memory of his past life, identifying the corresponding keys for the notes do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, and then a melody surfaced in his mind, quickly figuring out how to play it.

Like Meopo, he also prepared an introductory prelude.

Using his battle aura to amplify his volume, "A very ancient legend... a long, long time ago, in a distant forest kingdom on a far-off continent, there was a pair of siblings, each possessing special abilities. The older brother's eyes could see far away, and the younger sister's ears could hear far away. They grew up together, sharing joy and sorrow."

Liszt's voice was highly magnetic.

When he recited the monologue, there was no sense of abruptness; on the contrary, it was easy to become immersed in his story.

"In their spare time, they would always run to the mountains. The brother would gaze towards distant lands and tell the sister about all sorts of bizarre things. The sister would listen to the messages carried by the wind and sing those heavenly songs to her brother... They fell in love, cast aside all constraints, and enjoyed their love."

"But society would never permit this love. No matter how hard they tried, they were defeated by the shackles of morality. To prove their eternal love for each other, the brother blinded his eyes, and the sister blocked her ears. Without the blessing of the crowd, what use was their ability?"

"A long, long time later, a foreign musician heard this beautiful yet tragic love story and was deeply moved. Overwhelmed with emotion, he composed a heart-wrenching piece. By chance, I heard this song and couldn't help but feel deep sorrow. The fate of the siblings is truly lamentable!"

"Unfortunately, I didn't remember the entire song or all the lyrics. I can only share the melody and the lyrics that I do remember with everyone."

Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Liszt's hands swept across the piano, pressing the keys forcefully, and began to play the piece.

A simple, brisk melody quickly rose, with a touch of faint melancholy amidst its clarity and refinement. His voice blended with the melody, floating above the dance floor. It was in Chinese, a language no one understood: "Two Tigers, Two Tigers, running fast, running fast..."