As the banquet stretched into the late hours of the night, there would always be a certain group of unfortunate souls.
In this massive social circle where the empire's elite gathered, they had never managed to find a dance partner.
Consequently, they could only retreat to the garden behind the Duke's estate to savor their loneliness in solitude.
Someone had even given this place a rather fitting name—the Losers' Garden.
“Ah... I want to die.”
The one letting out this despairing wail was Heisha, the daughter of a baron.
She had originally been full of anticipation, believing she would surely find a suitable dance partner tonight.
As it turned out, there was not a single one.
“Sigh, Solemio, life is truly terrible.”
The person next to her was Viscount Mateo.
He looked quite handsome on the outside, but he had a fatal flaw—he would stutter whenever he stood before a woman.
Thus, even now, he had still not found a dance partner.
“Hehe, Heisha, so you are in the same boat?”
“Viscount Mateo... I didn't expect to meet you again.”
Their gazes met.
On extremely rare occasions, miracles would also happen in the Losers' Garden.
...
Elizabeth silently watched the two of them disappear into the depths of the garden.
Having utterly embarrassed herself in front of Li An just now, she truly did not have the face to remain in the banquet hall, leaving her with no choice but to wander aimlessly.
She never expected that she would end up walking all the way here.
A cool evening breeze brushed against her cheeks.
The fragrance of flowers wafted into her nose.
This wasn't bad, actually.
She would enjoy the breeze here to calm herself down before returning to the banquet hall.
“I'm going to curse him! I'm going to curse that man! Since this princess is so perfect, on what grounds does he have to reject me?!”
Just then, a familiar voice drifted over.
Elizabeth paused in her tracks.
This voice was not unfamiliar to her.
Elizabeth took a step forward.
Sure enough, she saw the owner of the voice.
Serena Barba.
The Second Princess of the empire.
And also Elizabeth's elder sister.
“Oh my.”
Serena spotted her as well.
“I didn't expect to meet you in a place like this, Elizabeth.”
Her face once again wore the elegant smile typical of a princess, as though the person shouting curses in the garden just now hadn't been her at all.
“...”
“You heard everything?”
“...”
Serena cleared her throat.
“Ahem.”
“Well, this is life. Who hasn't experienced failure at some point?”
“...”
“Aren't those who are truly strong the ones who can overcome failure?”
“...”
“Hey! Say something, will you!”
Serena stamped her foot in frustration.
Elizabeth looked at her. After a brief silence, she finally spoke.
“Were you rejected by Li An Adolf?”
“...”
A direct strike to her vitals.
Serena's face instantly turned dark.
“Yes, I was.”
“I invited him to dance, and he rejected me without even thinking about it.”
“Why do you think that is?”
Serena glared at Elizabeth.
She hadn't really liked this younger sister of hers for a long time.
Especially right now, when she had just been rejected by Li An and was in a terrible mood.
Elizabeth, however, merely said calmly:
“That's wonderful.”
“What is so wonderful about it?!”
“Oh?”
A voice suddenly echoed from the other end of the garden.
“So you're both here.”
The newcomer was none other than the imperial Crown Prince—Kane.
He had originally just been taking a stroll alone in the garden to think, never expecting to run into Serena and Elizabeth by chance.
This was indeed a rare occurrence.
Ever since the three siblings had reached adulthood, they had rarely gathered together in private like this.
“How nostalgic,”
Kane smiled.
“How long has it been since the three of us siblings gathered together like this?”
“Hey.”
Serena gave him an annoyed look.
“We're still young, so stop sighing about the past. We're in the prime of our youth, okay?”
Kane chuckled.
“In that case, why is our family's little princess hiding out here all by herself?”
Serena let out a sigh and sat down on a bench.
Night was growing deeper.
The banquet was also proving to be exhausting.
Maintaining the posture expected of a noble at all times while simultaneously considering the political interests behind every word made the mental exhaustion just as immense.
“I was dumped by a man.”
“Oh?”
Kane feigned surprise.
“Exactly which blind fool dared to dump our family's little princess?”
“As your brother, I'll definitely give him a proper lesson.”
“...”
Serena expressionlessly spat out a name.
“Li An Adolf.”
The smile on Kane's face instantly froze.
A brief silence ensued.
“What a coincidence,”
he murmured, rubbing his nose.
“I was also rejected by that fellow just now.”
The air instantly fell dead silent.
The brother and sister turned their heads in unison.
Both looking directly at Elizabeth.
“...”
Elizabeth silently averted her gaze.
“I do not know this person.”
“Who is he?”
The solemn atmosphere between the two of them instantly deflated like a punctured balloon.
Kane cleared his throat lightly.
“It seems Elizabeth doesn't know.”
“That being said, I should still be the closest to him out of the three of us.”
“At least, I got to eat a cookie he made by hand.”
“A cookie?”
Serena frowned.
“Exactly,”
Kane nodded.
“Li An made it himself.”
“The flavor was quite good, but eating it left me feeling a bit choked up.”
“A cookie...”
Elizabeth softly repeated.
“Yes, a cookie.”
Kane recalled the flavor of that cookie.
It was sweet, crispy and delicious, practically melting in one's mouth.
The only problem was that it was too dry.
If paired with a cup of tea or juice, the flavor would absolutely make it impossible to stop eating.
However, upon hearing this, the look in Elizabeth's eyes suddenly changed.
“I didn't get to eat a cookie.”
A layer of cold sweat immediately broke out on Kane's forehead.
“There are still plenty of cookies in the banquet hall, Elizabeth.”
“I am not talking about the cookies in the banquet hall.”
“...”
Serena abruptly stood up.
“A cookie?”
“A cookie made by that man's own hands?”
Kane's body tensed up.
This is bad.
He felt an immediate urge to flee.
These two women...
They had been somewhat abnormal for a while now.
“Where is Li An?”
Serena demanded.
“Where is that man right now?”
“Even if I couldn't get a dance with him, if I can at least eat a cookie he personally baked, then my trip won't have been in vain.”
Kane answered honestly:
“The last time I saw him, he was in the corridor on the left side of the banquet hall.”
“But some time has passed since then, so I'm not sure if he's still there.”
Just then,
“Oh?”
a voice suddenly chimed in.
“Your Highness, and the two Princesses.”
Count Deval appeared before the three of them at some unknown point.
“I offer my greetings to the three of you. Tonight's banquet is truly exceptionally lively, isn't it?”
The gazes of the three immediately fell upon him.
They looked at him as though they were looking at a bug that had suddenly intruded.
Cold sweat instantly drenched Count Deval's forehead.
Oh no.
I've chosen the wrong time to come.
This was the first time in his life that he felt the aura of death so clearly.
What should I do?
I have to find a way to ease the tension.
But what should I say right now?
Count Deval's brain worked at lightning speed.
Yet time would not wait for him.
Ultimately, he managed to squeeze out a name.
“Li An...?”
Instantly,
the atmosphere eased significantly.
I made the right gamble!
Count Deval let out a long sigh of relief and hurriedly continued:
“Are your Highnesses looking for Master Li An?”
“If I remember correctly, he should be on the second floor of the Duke's estate right now, speaking with Lady Sushia.”
“Thank you,”
Kane nodded.
“This news is of great help to us.”
“Haha, it is my honor to be of service to Your Highness.”
After confirming that he was temporarily safe, Count Deval finally returned to his usual gossip-loving self.
“By the way, Your Highness.”
“I suddenly remembered something.”
“Have you heard? Among the horses Master Li An brought today, there is a very special white horse.”
“Though it hasn't fully grown up yet, it's already quite beautiful.”
Kane raised an eyebrow.
“Does it have a pattern on its shoulder?”
“Well...”
Count Deval gave it some thought.
“I'm not entirely sure.”
But Kane was already certain.
It was indeed that horse.
That little foal.
In the beginning, he had given a terribly thin and weak foal to Li An as a gift.
To be honest, back then, he had felt it was hard to say whether the little fellow would even survive to adulthood.
He hadn't expected...
that it had actually grown into a beautiful white horse by now.
The look in Kane's eyes shifted slightly.
“Let's go.”
“We will go to the second floor together.”
“I'll take the left staircase, and Serena will take the right.”
“Elizabeth, you take the center.”
“We will find Li An.”
“Fine.”
“Alright.”
At this moment, the strongest temporary alliance of the empire was formed just like that.
And the alliance had but a single goal.
Find Li An.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
“Sigh...”
“I admit defeat.”
Li An had ultimately found Sushia and held a cookie contest.
The two had taken out their respective homemade cookies on the spot for a fair and just showdown.
The result held absolutely no suspense.
Li An won by a landslide.
The difference in taste between their cookies was ridiculously vast, to the point that there wasn't even a need to call for a judge.
Sushia covered her face, utterly accepting her fate.
“I am never bringing up a cookie contest ever again.”
“From today onward, you are permanently banned from entering the office.”
“No!”
Sushia immediately threw herself forward.
“Minister! Please forgive me just this once! I'll do anything you want!”
Looking at Sushia, who was once again clinging onto him, Li An felt a headache coming on.
In the end, he could only take a step back.
“Then clean the toilets for a month.”
“...”
Sushia fell silent.
“I am the daughter of a Duke, for goodness' sake.”
“If you are unwilling, then you'll be permanently banned from entering the office.”
“Ugh...”
Sushia completely wilted.
“Fine, I'll clean them.”
With that, she sat directly on the ground in exhaustion.
She didn't care in the slightest that her expensive gown was getting covered in dust.
Yet from a short while ago, Li An had constantly felt that something was amiss.
There was a faint, lingering numbness on his back.
It was as if his body's instinct was warning him to run!
Moreover, that sensation was growing increasingly intense.
“Sigh...”
Li An massaged the space between his brows.
“I'm probably just tired.”
Just as he was about to ignore this bizarre sensation, a maid from the Duke's estate came rushing over.
“Here you are, Lord Li An.”
“What is it?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince is looking for you.”
“The Crown Prince?”
Li An froze for a moment.
“It seems there is some urgent matter.”
The maid continued:
“Also... Her Highness the Second Princess is searching for you as well.”
“The Second Princess?”
Li An's brow furrowed even deeper.
“Why is she looking for me?”
“In addition...”
the maid carefully added.
“Her Highness the Third Princess Elizabeth is also looking for you.”
“...”
Li An fell silent.
Yeah.
The situation seems a bit unfavorable.
That familiar, yet incredibly strong intuition told him that if he were caught, he would absolutely be dragged into some sort of trouble.
And an extremely troublesome kind of trouble at that.
Li An made a prompt decision.
“Run!”
He didn't even bother to think any further.
“Li An!”
“Wait!”
“Let me see your horse!”
This was Kane's voice.
Without even turning his head, Li An took off at a run.
“I knew you would run this way.”
“As expected, my guess was right.”
Just as he reached the landing of the right staircase on the second floor, Li An spotted Serena blocking the path, waiting for him.
She was full of excitement.
“You have the wrong person!”
Li An didn't waste any words with her at all.
He broke straight through!
Dashing past Serena, he continued sprinting up toward the third floor.
“Wait!”
Serena chased after him.
“The cookie!”
“At least give me one cookie!”
Li An charged up the long flight of stairs in a single breath.
The third floor.
A dead end.
When he had escaped from Kane and Serena earlier, he had still felt incredibly clever.
But the moment his feet touched the third floor...
he realized a grave problem.
This place was a dead end.
If things continued like this, being caught was only a matter of time.
“What should I do...”
Hustling footsteps could already be heard in the distance.
Li An looked left and right.
In the end, his gaze settled on a window.
Outside the window.
The night sky was deep.
The stars shone brilliantly.
It was absurdly beautiful.
But now was absolutely not the time to admire the scenery.
‘Jumping from the third floor... I shouldn't die from the fall, right?’
It was only three stories.
As long as his landing posture was correct, it shouldn't result in falling to his death.
What's more, he was an imperial official with pretty decent physical fitness who commuted back and forth every day.
He could be trusted.
...
Wait.
Lately, he seemed to have been commuting by carriage.
Then ignore what was just said.
Li An stood by the window, falling into a brief struggle.
Right at this moment—
“So you are here.”
Behind him,
Elizabeth's voice rang out.
There was no time left.
Li An gritted his teeth.
“Aaarggghhh—!”
The next second.
Keeping his arms tight against his body, he leapt right out the window.
Crash!
Li An plummeted straight down from the third floor.
“...”
“Wait.”
“Is this higher than I thought?”
He was falling headfirst.
His body continued to fall rapidly.
At this moment, only a single thought remained in Li An's mind.
It's over.
This time I am really going to die.
If the Darwin Awards existed in this world, then this year's champion...
would probably be him.
Yet right at this moment, a sudden neigh echoed from the distance.
A pure white figure came galloping out of the night at high speed.
Its hooves tread upon empty air.
Wings of silver-white unfurled beneath the moonlight.
“Cloudy!”
The white horse spread its wings.
Astonishingly, it was a Pegasus!
It had already noticed its master.
Now, it charged without a shred of hesitation toward the falling Li An.
With a violent flap of its wings,
the Pegasus caught Li An in an extremely agile movement in the next instant.
Li An landed securely on the horse's back.
“Go home!”
“Neeighhh—!”
The Pegasus flapped its wings and soared.
Carrying Li An, it charged into the night sky.
“...”
The painter, Raven, stood frozen in place like a dazed statue.
He had recently fallen into a creative block.
Thus, he had specifically come to the Duke's estate to attend the banquet tonight, hoping to find inspiration from this grand gathering of nobility.
But whether he danced or strolled,
inspiration consistently failed to strike.
Until now.
Raven looked up.
And then, he witnessed a sight that would be etched into his memory for the rest of his life.
Beneath the brilliant starry sky,
a man rode upon a pure white Pegasus, sweeping across the curtain of night.
The moonlight bathed the white wings of the Pegasus.
At that moment,
it was as though myth had descended upon the mortal realm.
A jolt shot through Raven's entire body.
“This is... a miracle!”
He spun around violently and rushed toward his easel.
The canvas was swiftly unfurled.
The pigments were laid out one by one.
He didn't even care about the astonished looks cast by the people around him.
He had to paint it!
Before this inspiration faded away.
He must preserve this scene forever!
The painting Raven completed later became one of the most celebrated works in the history of imperial art.
And the name of this painting would be remembered by future generations.
《The Man Riding the Pegasus》.
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