Chapter 318: Laputa, the City in the Sky

Some people are superficial, and some are like a wolf in sheep's clothing. One day, you will meet someone as brilliant as a rainbow. Once you meet this person, everyone else will seem like mere shadows.

...

Ronasa leaned against the window.

She looked out at the deep blue sea, and it was as if the words spoken by Liszt during their deepest moments of passion were still echoing in her ears. In those moments, love felt so deep, but when she woke up in the morning, she found herself alone, with only the disarray of the bed remaining.

Her brother Roger had said to never fall in love.

Madam Penelope had said that at least once, one should forget themselves for someone else.

She had followed Madam Penelope's words, and it was easy to do so, just let go and enjoy. But she found it hard to follow her brother's words, not to fall in love.

"Are you trying to tell me that you're just a beautiful exterior with nothing inside?"

She gently wiped away the wet tears from the corner of her eye. "But how do you know that you're not the one who is as brilliant as a rainbow? Do you know how many nobles on Golden Island have pursued me? But after I met you, those people have become mere shadows."

She bit her lower lip, then looked up, trying to appear calm. "Unfortunately, I was born on Golden Island, a woman of the Golden Wheat family, while you are nothing more than a country baron. Even though you have great prospects, you are still weak now... Thank you for the unforgettable moment of joy, looking forward to seeing you again, Liszt!"

The sea breeze howled.

The large ship sailed into the vast blue.

...

Tulip Castle.

Liszt stayed in the piano room for half a day without hitting a single key.

Until Lvera walked in. "Why are you hiding in the piano room and not playing the piano? I saw your knight-in-waiting and your dog haven't left; it's very strange. Usually, you never like to stay in Tulip Castle for long... Is it because of the beautiful Miss Ronasa, my sentimental and cruel brother?"

"Cruel?" Liszt asked lightly.

"Not saying goodbye, isn't that cruel? Sneaking out of her room, isn't that cruel? Taking away the most precious thing from a girl and giving nothing in return, isn't that cruel?"

"Did you see everything?"

Lvera smiled proudly. "Of course. There are many servants in Tulip Castle, all my eyes and ears. Do you think after I was enfeoffed, this place became Madam Mary's domain? Absolutely impossible!"

Liszt remained noncommittal.

To be honest, this place was now the domain of the Earl, and in the future, it should be Levis's domain, so it really had nothing to do with Lvera.

"I must say, I admire your skills, Liszt. At Longtaro Castle, you slept with Duniko Hyacinth and left without a trace; at Tulip Castle, you slept with Miss Ronasa and again, left without giving anything."

"Don't always use such an unrefined word," Liszt said, his mood not great as he found his younger sister acting like a dramatic teenager.

Probably because he couldn't accept his own fuckboy attributes, feeling suffocated and overwhelmed.

But the development of events was beyond his expectations. He just wanted to help Levis, to please Ronasa and leave a good impression on her. To stop encouraging her sister to seek freedom and happiness and to be a steady future lady of Tulip Castle.

From the moment things went awry, everything spiraled out of control.

Not to mention the impulsiveness after midnight.

"Actually."

He really wanted to find someone to talk to, and Lvera was barely suitable: "I originally planned to give her a newly composed piano piece before parting, and tell her a story about the Sky City... But there was limited time, and who would have thought that Roger would leave right after breakfast."

"Maybe he was afraid you'd make his sister fall for you," Lvera said gently. "In the eyes of the Golden Wheat family, women are just tools for networking. Since they've already made a connection with Coral Island through Rolia, there's no need to leave another behind. By the way, what's the story about Sky City?"

"It's just a tale to amuse little girls; you wouldn't like it."

"What about the piano piece? I'm surprised you can compose piano music. Play it for me now."

Lvera stood up and moved away from the grand piano. "You seem really relaxed, but unfortunately, I’ve lost my inspiration and can't play anything right now. Maybe next time. It's quite late, and I should head back to Flower Town. I haven't been practicing seriously for the past two days, which is quite unbecoming of a knight."

He just managed to shake off the slightly irritated Lvera.

Then, Lvera was stopped again by Levis, who had just returned from seeing someone off. "Levis, are you still my brother? I'm starting to admire you so much. You really managed to win over Ronasha. Do you know how upset Roger was when he left in the morning? It was priceless!"

"Roger was upset, and you're actually happy? Aren't you afraid he'll sabotage your marriage with Rolia?"

"He's not like Ronasha, a naive girl. No matter how upset he gets, he won't stop the marriage between Golden Island and Coral Island. Besides, you won over Ronasha fair and square. It was mutual, so no one can fault you," Levis said, not very concerned. "I truly envy you for having such a handsome face."

His own appearance was quite ordinary, and even with the status of the eldest son of an Earl, he still faced many setbacks.

After all, not every noble lady would be dazzled by the title of Countess. It was the handsome nobles like Levis who were more popular, with people not seeking long-lasting love but just a moment of indulgence.

"Handsome people have their own troubles too."

Levis didn't want to dwell on this topic.

He didn't want to admit that he had become one of those playboys. He felt that he had genuine feelings—after the passionate encounter with Duniko, if she had asked him to stay, he would have been willing to marry her, regardless of her past; after the intimate encounter with Ronasha, he was eager to play the piano but ended up sitting alone, staring at the empty air.

Perhaps this was the true face of the nobility—desires and interests intertwined.

Everyone was sacrificing or indulging for the sake of benefits.

So, after careful consideration, he still believed that he should shift his focus from romantic entanglements to preparing for his dragon-riding ambitions and strive to become a Lord of Dragon Domain!

"By the way, brother, when are you and Rolia getting married?"

"From the moment you won over Ronasha, there's been no obstacle between Rolia and me. Our wedding will take place this September," Levis said excitedly.

Levis nodded. "You should also start focusing on your marriage. It's important to manage it well."

"Of course, a marriage needs to be managed carefully, especially since it concerns the future development of Coral Island, so it must be taken seriously. But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun outside of the marriage," Levis winked. "There’s an underground ball next week in Snake Spear City. I’ll take you there!"

"No, I want to go home."

After a night of irresponsibility, he needed time to heal his emotional wounds. There was no way he'd attend a debauched gathering.

...

The sound of hooves grew louder as Flower Town came into view.

On the gravel road of Thorns Ridge, the convoy caught up with a carriage that had no emblem. The carriage pulled to the side, and Elkson got out, removing his hood and waving to Levis's carriage.