Chapter 314: An Accidental Embrace

A man playing the piano has a way of making things feel romantic.

This is the magic of music and the result of cultural refinement. When pianos became a must-have for nobles, playing them became the ultimate symbol of elegance and sophistication.

And if the man playing is handsome and elegant, it becomes even more romantic.

As the last notes faded away.

Liszt waited for the last notes to fade before turning around to look at Ronasa, who was still lost in the music. "Ronasa, I didn’t play as well as I could have. Please forgive me."

"Just call me Ronasa," she smiled warmly. "I think you played wonderfully. Really, I always thought there were a few minor details that weren’t quite right. But now I realize it wasn’t a flaw in the score, just a matter of technique."

Liszt raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Ronasa continued, "I see now that *Für Elise* is absolutely perfect."

"Nothing in this world is ever truly perfect," Liszt replied. "You find it perfect because you’ve learned how to appreciate it." He stood up and extended his hand to Ronasa. "Come, try playing it yourself. Perhaps you’ll find new inspiration and help me see its imperfections."

She placed her hand in Liszt's, allowing him to help her up.

Ronasa felt the perfect atmosphere and smiled as she sat before the piano. "If I don’t play well, don’t laugh at me."

"No one would laugh at a beautiful lady."

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

Ronasa took a deep breath. Her slight breaths revealed her slender frame, but her posture remained graceful. Her sideways pose was elegant, her back straight, exuding impeccable ladylike demeanor—a trait well-cultivated in noble families from a young age.

The music began, in a style different from Liszt's.

Every note was accurate, but there was a lack of liveliness. As if the playing was too deliberate, Liszt quickly understood Ronasa’s level—technically solid and proficient, but lacking real flair.

Instead of the gentle warmth of *Für Elise*, it sounded like a student struggling through homework.

To be honest, her playing contrasted sharply with her image. From what Levis had told him, Ronasa often encouraged Gloria to pursue a free marriage. It was hard to reconcile her passion for freedom with such a rigid performance.

When the music ended.

A comparison between the two was inevitable.

Ronasa clearly noticed her own issue. "I’m sorry, Liszt. I was too nervous."

"There were indeed two passages that were a bit stiff, but the rest was very good. Your technique was proficient, and you didn’t miss a single note."

"Do you really think so?" Ronasa asked with expectation. "My piano teacher said I’m not good at expressing my emotions through the piano, but I love playing. It makes me feel like a bird soaring in the sky."

Liszt thought for a moment.

Not wanting to praise her dishonestly, he replied, "I think you lack a spark, like something’s missing in life. Have you ever tried riding a horse without holding back? Instead of having afternoon tea, why not hop on a horse and run freely? That’s true relaxation." Liszt suggested a new form of entertainment.

Riding horses, drinking tea, hunting, and playing the piano—these were typical noble pastimes.

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

Ever since he had awakened the soul of a pianist, his standards for music had skyrocketed. Although, to help Levis,

Liszt rode the Black Dragon.

Ronasa rode a brownish-yellow steed from Tulip Castle, which was clearly of inferior breeding compared to the Black Dragon. It seemed nervous beside the Black Dragon.

Beyond Tulip Castle, the land opened up into a vast grassland where they could gallop to their heart's content.

As the two horses took off, Ronasa's brown horse struggled to keep pace with the Black Dragon, falling a full length behind, even though Liszt had slowed down.

He lightly kicked the Black Dragon’s sides, rode up alongside Ronasa, and shouted over the wind, "From here, further north, is the rocky beach by the sea, Ronasa! You must ride to the fullest, chase the origin of the wind! Only then can you feel at one with nature, just like a horse."

"Giddyup!"

The Black Dragon accelerated.

"I understand now, giddyup!"

Ronasa also spurred her brown horse to keep up.

The wind roared past her ears, a rush of freedom that swept away the constraints of being a noble lady, letting her body soar in the air, feeling extraordinarily open-hearted.

She tilted her head and, through her wind-blown hair, looked at the handsome rider on the horseback in front of her who occasionally turned his head and smiled at her.

Suddenly, she realized that the moments worth waiting for weren’t when a prince on a white horse gently approached.

But when a prince on a black horse suddenly appeared and scooped her up into his arms.

Her heart raced, pounding in her chest.

As the Black Dragon pulled ahead, she lashed the reins and urged her horse forward: "Giddyup!"

The steed beneath her, stung by the whip, galloped wildly but still couldn't catch up with the Black Dragon, which made her somewhat anxious, constantly urging the brown horse to run faster.

As they passed the grassland and entered a stretch of rocky wasteland, the speeding brown horse suddenly stepped on a loose rock and fell.

Caught off guard, Ronasa was violently thrown off, landing on the ground.

She let out a scream, "Ah!"

"Whoa!"

Hearing the scream, Liszt immediately reined in the Black Dragon, spun around, and charged towards Ronasa. Dismounting, he knelt on one knee and helped her up, asking gently yet urgently, "Where are you injured, Ronasa?"

"I'm not injured, just a bit sore from the fall," Ronasa, who had trained in battle aura, moved her wrist to confirm she was unharmed, though her clothes were covered in dirt. She said somewhat embarrassed, "Sorry, I was too anxious urging the horse."

Looking over, the brown horse seemed to be injured, lying on the ground and not getting up. But from the way it was chewing grass, it didn't seem seriously hurt.

However, it was clearly no longer fit to ride.

Seeing that the accompanying knights hadn't caught up yet, Liszt lifted Ronasa directly. "For now, share my horse with me." With that, he nimbly mounted the Black Dragon, placing Ronasa behind him.

He wrapped his arms around Ronasa's waist.

Kicking the Black Dragon’s sides, he said, "If you're not in a hurry to go back and change clothes, as per the original plan, I'll take you to the rocky beach by the sea first."

Ronasa twisted her body.

Feeling her heartbeat accelerate from being embraced, she forced a calm response, "I'm fine, Liszt."

"Let's go!"

A horse with the two of them continued to gallop in the sunset.

When the escorting knights finally caught up, all they saw was the silhouette of Liszt and Ronasa heading toward the coast, while their horse lay grazing in the grass.