Adonis invited Dolores for a walk on the morning of the 30th—meaning there were only two days left before the full-month banquet. It was clearly too late to make a new dress, but making some stylistic tweaks was still possible.
And there was no need for any drastic changes either. As long as the makeup was done right, even a sweet, girlish style could be transformed into something more youthful and alluring.
So Weiwei simply guided Dolores to remove the bows at the neckline and waist, then modified the ruffled high collar into a neckline that exposed her collarbones. This kind of design was still rare at the time, but not outrageous—despite the era's conservative clothing norms, square necklines were starting to show hints of curvature, especially among noblewomen at banquets. If you made such a square neckline wider and deeper, it would resemble the low-cut, opulent gowns European noblewomen would wear in the future.
Of course, Weiwei wouldn't have Dolores wear something that revealing—those would definitely attract criticism in the current time. But revealing just a bit of her delicate collarbone and pairing it with an elegant necklace made for a classy, subtly alluring look.
Especially on a girl as pretty and well-developed as Dolores, who looked nothing like a fourteen-year-old.
Weiwei only provided instructions—the actual hands-on work had to be done by Dolores herself. There were simply too many things Weiwei needed to handle over the next two days as guests continued to arrive at the castle.
Because they hadn't been invited to the naming ceremony, most guests were considerate enough not to show up before the 28th, avoiding any awkwardness for the hosts. Since the full-month banquet was scheduled for the evening of June 1st, most guests chose to arrive either the day before or the morning of, giving them time to rest before the evening festivities.
Meanwhile, unlike the formal banquet in the castle, a more public "flowing feast" (a communal banquet with rotating seating) was already underway in the surrounding territories at noon.
Ten locations were hosting such feasts in Sardinson alone, and the smaller Slot region held three more. Although many workers couldn't join the feasts directly, they still received generous bonus meals. It was a celebration for the entire county.
Residents voluntarily brought gifts and headed to the nearest feast site. Aside from the ones located along major roads, towns like Dingle, Uke, and Melk were chosen as venues too. Tables were set up in public squares, and besides the locals, even traveling merchants and migrant workers wouldn't miss a chance for free food. Of course, truly eating for free was rare—those without gifts would usually offer cash instead. A silver coin if they were well-off, a copper coin if not. In return, they could grab a seat and enjoy the food.
Though the feast wasn't particularly fancy, the taste was solid—reminiscent of rural banquets in Huaxia, with stewed meats and hearty dishes. Each table offered at least ten items, and the local women serving food were quick and efficient. As soon as one person finished eating, they'd clear the spot for the next. If a dish ran low, a simple shout would summon a fresh tray in no time. Guests were orderly and considerate—they ate, then promptly gave up their seats so others could take over.
The flowing feast continued from noon until nightfall. Some locals even managed to have two full meals there. And they weren't freeloading either—once the feast ended, nearby villagers helped clean up. Some carried bowls, others wiped tables, and others swept the streets. When all was done, they even helped return borrowed tables and chairs.
Back at the castle, Antonio's formal full-month banquet was just beginning.
The noble banquet also kicked off with a shared dinner. Golden candelabras lined the long tables, silver cutlery gleamed in the candlelight, and the tables—decorated with fresh flowers and fruit bowls—were overflowing with delicacies, making everyone's mouths water.
Among the guests, Felix's knight friends held relatively low status. Even though they were close friends, seating still had to follow protocol based on rank—otherwise, other nobles would have complained. Nobility was notoriously obsessed with rules at events like these.
The dinner, however, was only the prelude. The real highlight came after.
Though the banquet was meant to celebrate the birth of the Williams family's heir, the little star of the show only made a brief appearance before dinner—paraded around for everyone to see—and was promptly sent back to his room. The rest of the celebration had little to do with him. The adults had merely found a convenient excuse to throw a party. Children were expected to go to bed early.
The opening dance of the ball was, of course, performed by Felix and Weiwei. Only after they finished could the rest of the guests enter the dance floor.
Dolores was supposed to dance her first number with Adonis—but before that, they ran into a bit of trouble.
As the highest-ranking guest at the banquet, Adonis was swarmed with attention. Nearly every unmarried young lady had her eyes on him. Some even shed their reserved manners to approach him directly, asking him to dance—completely ignoring the fact that he already had a partner. Worse still, his partner was one of the event's hosts.
The Williams family's lady might be of noble birth, but if one could become the Countess of Aldridge, who would care about offending her?
Even if Dolores and Adonis were already engaged, many of those girls would still compete without hesitation—let alone now, when they were merely dance partners.
Dolores was furious—her eyes nearly reddened with frustration. This was her first time formally attending a banquet hosted by her own family. She had carefully asked Weiwei to do her makeup and hair, wanting to look her best for Adonis. He had even complimented her appearance during dinner, and they had a lovely conversation.
And then, just as the ball began, this mess happened. Who wouldn't be angry?
But she wasn't the type to confront others head-on. Besides, the noble ladies' behavior—though outrageous—was technically just dance invitations. If she lashed out, it would only make her seem petty.
As the opening dance neared its end and everyone prepared to enter the dance floor, Dolores grew more and more anxious. The girls vying for Adonis's attention were all beautiful, and she was terrified that he might say yes to one of them.
Luckily, that didn't happen.
Adonis was used to being surrounded by events like these. He politely declined each and every invitation. No matter how dazzling the young lady was, his answer remained the same. Not just the first dance—he rejected offers for the second, third, and beyond.
As soon as the opening dance ended, he invited Dolores to the dance floor.
As the music began to play, Dolores's mood gradually lifted—only to be replaced by nerves. This wasn't her first time dancing, but previously, her partners had always been her brother or his friends. Dancing with a stranger—especially someone she liked—was a whole new experience.
Being led by the hand, with his palm resting lightly on her waist—it was impossible not to feel shy or tense.
More than anything, she was terrified of misstepping and ruining the moment. What if she stepped on Adonis's foot? That would be mortifying. So as she danced, she didn't dare look anywhere else—only focused on her own feet, counting the rhythm silently over and over in her mind.
"There's no need to be so nervous. You're doing just fine."
Adonis's voice suddenly came from above. Dolores jumped, nearly losing the rhythm. But then his hand gently guided her into a turn, smoothly bringing them back into sync.
Startled, she looked up—and found herself staring into his smiling green eyes.
And suddenly… she wasn't afraid anymore.
From a distance, Weiwei, who had only danced the opening number with Felix before stepping off the floor, watched the pair in the middle of the crowd and smiled.
Dolores and Adonis were getting along. It was obvious that there was mutual interest. Though it was too soon to talk about marriage, this was already a strong start. If nothing unexpected happened, things would likely progress from here.
But despite the budding affection between them, Adonis did not choose to remain in Sardinson any longer. After the full-month banquet, like the other guests, he formally informed the hosts of his departure.
Felix made a polite effort to persuade him to stay a few more days, but Adonis had already been away from his family estate for some time and wished to return. He courteously declined the invitation.
Not long after, Adonis left Sardinson Castle with his servant and carriage.
Dolores saw him off at the castle gates. She only turned away after the carriage disappeared—right in time to meet Weiwei's teasing gaze.
"Already missing him?"
Dolores flushed with embarrassment. "A little… but we agreed to write to each other."
Weiwei patted the girl on the head. The Aldridge family's territory wasn't anywhere near Sardinson—it would take ten days or more for a letter to reach him. Staying in touch wouldn't be easy.
Fortunately, they were nobles.
Weiwei gave her a small suggestion. "You could borrow one of Phil's pigeons."
Carrier pigeons have a long history. They were used in ancient Huaxia, and in Europe, they'd already been in service since the Roman Empire. It was the fastest means of communication at the time. Every noble family kept pigeons for correspondence. Some even issued strict decrees in their territories prohibiting commoners from hunting them, and the locals took that seriously—no one wanted to get on a noble's bad side over a pigeon.
Sardinson Castle also kept pigeons—though not many at first. As the volume of information they had to receive increased, so too did the pigeon population. Felix wouldn't mind lending his sister one.
Dolores's eyes lit up. Pigeons were far faster than horses. A day's gallop for the finest steed might be covered by a pigeon in just a couple of hours. With one to carry her letters, she might even get a reply within two or three days.
The girl lifted her skirt and hurried back inside. "I'll go ask my brother right now!"
Not long afterward, Adonis, who had already traveled quite a distance, heard the sound of galloping hooves behind him.
He signaled the coach to stop. A knight caught up on horseback and handed him a woven carrier box. "This is from Lord Felix."
Inside the box, a clever little creature was cooing softly.
Adonis smiled and accepted the gift. "Please tell the lord I will take good care of it."
He understood exactly what the gift of a pigeon meant. He would make sure to send one back once he returned home, so they could exchange letters freely.
After Adonis's departure, Felix's knightly friends also began taking their leave. Most had come with their lords' permission and couldn't stay indefinitely. Some of the nobles they served had also attended the banquet but arrived later—now that the lords were leaving, their knights had to follow.
Allen had originally planned to stay a few more days. Aside from visiting his friend Felix, his main reason for leaving the capital had been to assume control of the Princia territory. But he hadn't considered it urgent. As long as he felt like it, he could remain in Sardinson for a while longer.
Unfortunately, while Allen wasn't in a rush, the stewards of Princia were. Barely had the banquet ended when letters began pouring into Sardinson urging his return. Reading a heartfelt, almost tearful letter from Princia's butler, Allen could only sigh and begin packing.
"Once I've settled things back at the estate, let's go hunting again."
Truth be told, Allen's only real attachment to the capital was the crowd of lovely ladies. His romantic flings wouldn't follow him to Princia, so this trip effectively marked a peaceful farewell to those liaisons.
With no new romantic pursuits at the moment, hunting with Felix was the only pastime that appealed to him.
Felix agreed—though he doubted they'd find time for such leisure anytime soon. Taking control of a territory wasn't a simple task. He remembered how long it had taken him to fully grasp Sardinson's reins. Allen was underestimating the challenge.
With the final guest finally gone, Sardinson Castle regained its usual peace.
Over the past few days, Felix had signed cooperation agreements with several nobles—including Allen and Adonis. These were in preparation for the launch of Sardinson's newest products: mirrors and improved self-chiming pendulum clocks. The market was too large for one person to monopolize, so after careful consideration, Felix chose to bring in several partners.
Glass mirrors have already been on the market since last year, but only small hand mirrors. Large half-length or full-length mirrors were exclusive to the Williams household's two ladies. Producing such big pieces of glass was still too difficult. Weiwei's mirror had been made by Master Raymond himself. Dolores's mirror had only been completed after many failed attempts by the glassmakers—making it too labor-intensive to become a mass-market item.
But this year, thanks to Master Raymond's guidance, the glassworkers had made a breakthrough. Full-length mirrors were still difficult, but they could now produce mirrors large enough to reflect the face and neck. Framed in ornate, luxurious casings, these tabletop vanity mirrors could sell for hundreds or even thousands of gold coins—and the cost mostly depended on the frame. Profit margins were enormous.
Due to the handmade nature of production, the workshop could only produce about thirty mirrors a month. From raw material to finished product, a single mirror took more than half a month to complete. Production was slow, but noblewomen who had already bought hand mirrors were eagerly awaiting larger ones. There was no shortage of buyers.
Still, the current production pace was too slow. Sardinson couldn't expand the factory. So Felix, following Weiwei's suggestion, sought reliable partners. They'd provide the technology, the partners would handle production, and profits would be split—Felix taking 30%, the partners 70%, after Master Raymond's cut.
He chose five partners in total. Allen and Adonis were among them. The other three were powerful and reputable nobles from Pradi. If all went smoothly, at least four new mirror factories would be established next year, each in a different region. Production and management wouldn't burden Sardinson—instead, Felix and Weiwei could simply sit back and collect profits.
The pendulum clock market was also enormous. As the most advanced timekeeping device currently available, pendulum clocks raised people's awareness of time. Their size made them suitable as home decor too.
But the simplicity of their design had prevented Sardinson from selling them publicly. Too easy to copy. If released without improvements, knock-offs would flood the market.
Plus, Weiwei had originally asked Master Raymond to develop a mechanical clock that chimed automatically. The one he produced lacked that feature, and he wasn't satisfied with it. He kept asking for more time, promising that he'd improve it.
Weiwei wasn't in a rush. The pendulum clock's simple gear mechanism could only be handmade—making it slow to produce anyway. So she agreed.
She'd thought Raymond had forgotten the project after becoming obsessed with steam engine blueprints. Since her pregnancy—and especially as her belly grew—Felix had forbidden her from entering dangerous areas like the new research lab, and she hadn't visited it once.
But before she could even follow up, Raymond had his newly accepted apprentice deliver a redesigned clock.
This improved version was far more complex. After being wound up, it would chime on the hour, the number of chimes corresponding to the time. The sound was clear and resonant—audible even in large, quiet rooms.
Its internal structure was intricate—no longer something that could be easily replicated. Anyone unfamiliar with mechanics wouldn't be able to reassemble it once taken apart. And if it were placed in a beautiful, tamper-resistant outer casing, it would be even safer from imitation.
To further prevent counterfeits, Felix mischievously asked Raymond to add some unnecessary internal parts—purely to confuse potential copycats. Even if someone bought one and tried to study it, they'd likely break several in the process before figuring it out.
Of course, Felix also found partners for this business. But unlike the mirror factories, these collaborators only helped manufacture the components. Final assembly was handled in Sardinson, ensuring the production method stayed secret—at least for now.
There was a risk that some parts might not meet quality standards, and transportation increased costs, but with proper samples, the margin of error would be low. And for the sake of secrecy, the extra cost was acceptable.
Given the logistics, Felix chose partners located close to Sardinson. Allen qualified thanks to Princia's proximity to Slot, and as Felix's close friend, he even got an extra factory opportunity that others didn't.
Until those new factories were up and running, mirrors and clocks remained exclusive to Sardinson. Especially the first chime-equipped pendulum clock, which Felix sent to a royal auction house to build hype. In the end, the king himself purchased it for a staggering ten thousand gold coins.
Those who learned of its origin flooded Felix's shops, eager to place orders. Letters of inquiry came pouring in, each offering a higher price than the last. But Felix wasn't about to reassign his already short-handed blacksmiths. The next clock wouldn't be available for at least a month.
While Felix busied himself with business, Sardinson entered its annual wheat harvest season. After last year's bumper crop, the peasants had high hopes. Many believed this year's yield would be even better.
Normally, at this time, Weiwei would've begun checking on the estate's crops. But now, she was completely tied up.
A horse's gestation lasts about eleven months. Her jade lion had become pregnant before Weiwei herself, and now—by June, with baby Antonio already over a month old—the horse was showing signs of labor.
For several days, Weiwei made daily visits to the stables to check on it. Then one night, a maid on night duty woke her up with urgent news:
Her horse was finally going into labor.