Chapter 317 The Prince Turns into a Frog

"Wonderful novels for free!"

"I don't want to go to Flower Town anymore, dear. Let's just stroll around Coral City."

Early in the morning after breakfast, when Liszt invited Ronasa to Flower Town, he received an unexpected answer. The girl who had been passionately eager to give herself to Liszt just last night now stood next to him, yet felt as distant as if an ocean lay between them.

Liszt was at a loss.

He couldn't understand why such a drastic change had happened after just one night.

He brushed off his slight disappointment, smiled, and remained as gentle and sunny as ever. "Then let's go to Coral City. I haven't been to the city in a long time."

The servants brought two specially made dried tulip flowers, their strong fragrance enough to mask the pungent smell of Coral City. His boots were also changed, to tall boots with elevated heels, which could help him avoid stepping on some disgusting things.

Going shopping in the city wasn't a good choice, at least not for Liszt, who wasn't accustomed to the stench that permeated the air.

However, it seemed many nobles could tolerate such an environment, probably because they had been accustomed to the city being like this since childhood, with its dirt and stench.

The carriage bore a flag with a red tulip, traveling through the streets of Coral City. All the shopkeepers, serfs, and commoners would stop and bow as the carriage passed. In Coral City, the Tulip family was like kings in the hearts of the common people, an unchallengeable authority.

Lifting the carriage window curtain, Liszt pointed to various shops on the street, continuously telling Ronasa interesting or not-so-interesting stories.

After circling around Coral City, they went to the castle where Penelope lived, accompanying the old lady to chat about her beloved potted plants.

During this time, Liszt went to the restroom.

Holding Ronasa's hand, Penelope said, "I haven't met your sister Gloria yet, but I like you, Ronasa. I can imagine what Gloria must be like. I hope you will also grow to like Coral City, like Tulip Castle, and convey an old lady's expectations to your sister."

"I will, madam."

"Liszt is an excellent young man. His grandfather, Marquis Merlin, thinks very highly of him. He will become the pride of the Tulip family. When I saw you two step off the carriage hand in hand, it felt like destiny." Penelope continued to chatter.

Being old, she liked to talk about young people's little gossip.

Ronasa forced a smile, feeling a little unnatural, and then asked with a hint of sadness, "Madame, should women sacrifice their lives for the family?"

"Hmm, that's a serious question." Penelope made an impressive expression. "My dream man when I was young wasn't Liszt's grandfather, but when Liszt's grandfather passed away, I truly wanted to follow him and leave this world. Fortunately, I got through it."

"Was yours also a family marriage?"

"Yes, as a noble lady, you either meet a prince charming at a ball or wait for your family to arrange a less-than-ideal match and hope he turns into a tall, handsome human prince." She touched the emerald ring on her hand. "If he doesn't turn into a prince, at least you can find comfort in the sweet memories you shared."

"I don't know how to choose..." Ronasa frowned, a touch of sorrow in her expression.

"Then love without hesitation and figure the rest out later," Penelope said carefree. "My dear, at least once in your life, for the sake of someone, forget yourself. Not asking for a result, not asking to walk side by side, not asking for possession, and not even asking for his love in return. Just hoping to meet him in your most beautiful moments."

"Grandmother, who are you going to meet?" Liszt returned to the living room just in time to hear the last few words of Penelope's speech.

"Certainly not you, dear."

After chatting for a while, Penelope began to shoo them away. "Go, go, I know you young people can't stand listening to an old woman like me going on. Go, I'm not planning to keep you here for lunch."

Leaving the small castle, they walked on the country road. Ronasa said, "Mrs. Penelope is such a delightful person; it's always fun spending time with her."

"Yes, she has her wisdom, as well as her 'sharpness.' As long as her old grudges with my mother don't always involve me, I quite enjoy talking with her."

"Old grudges?"

"Yes, in every big family, the mother of the male head of the family and his wife are always difficult to get along with."

"It seems to be the case. My mother often has disputes with my grandmother over small matters."

"That's probably just life."

In the countryside road in March, the wild grass had already grown, a lush green, soft to the touch when stepped on. The attendant knight and the footmen, maids followed not far behind, giving space to the man and woman. The atmosphere between them could easily become intimate.

Naturally, what followed was kissing and caressing.

After a long while.

Ronasa suddenly leaned into Liszt's ear, breathing heavily, whispering in a small but clear voice, "Come to my room tonight at midnight."

There was no reply, just a continued kiss.

……

At midnight.

Liszt left his room, feeling a bit guilty as he dodged the servants and made his way to Ronasa's door. Seeing the slightly open door, his mind raced with excitement and uncertainty. Finally, taking a deep breath to push aside all distractions, he pushed the door open.

A soft, petite body immediately threw itself into his arms.

"Ronasa..."

"Don't speak, just kiss me."

Everything followed naturally. An hour later, Liszt held the young girl who had just experienced her first moments of pleasure, falling into the clarity that comes after intimacy.

In his arms was the young girl with dazed eyes.

His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts—faces of women from both his past and present life flashed by, but they quickly faded.

There were also completed and pending smoke missions, as well as plans for the next steps in Flower Town and Black Horse Island.

He even thought about how, on Earth, all types of tea—whether black, green, white, yellow, or oolong—are made from fermented tea leaves. But in this world, the tea used for milk tea came from a red tea tree fruit that didn't belong to the tea tree family, while the tea tree rewarded from smoke missions, which he called the green tea tree, was the real tea for brewing.

"Liszt."

"Liszt."

"Dear Liszt, what are you thinking about?" Ronasa, her face still flushed, touched his earlobe.

Liszt came back to his senses, "Nothing."

Ronasa snuggled closer, her voice soft and sweet, "I've fallen in love with you. I will never forget these two days since I met you. You've shown me what real happiness feels like!"

Liszt kissed her forehead and said nothing.

Ronasa continued in her sweet voice, "Sadly, I have to return to Golden Island with my brother tomorrow. I don't want to leave you. I want to be with you forever! Will you love me forever?"

After the moment of intimacy, Liszt's mind was unusually clear, free from the haze of desire. He knew very well that he hadn't truly fallen in love, so he calmly said, "Ronasa, don't overthink it. You and I can't predict the future. Don't throw the word 'forever' around so easily. Let's just focus on living each day to the fullest."

"Let's just take things one day at a time."