Two servants were in the process of changing the quilt and sheets on Jian Qiao’s bed. The billowing fabric disturbed fine particles of lint which floated in the air like mayflies in the candlelight.
Jian Qiao sat in his rocking chair, gazing at the tiny specks of dust as he rocked to and fro.
“My lord, you can go to bed.” The two manservants bowed.
“I’ll sleep in the chair.” Jian Qiao’s voice was full of exhaustion.
The two servants were taken aback for a moment, then they skillfully placed a pillow behind Jian Qiao’s back and covered him with a heavy blanket. They didn’t persuade their master to go to bed, because this had long since become his habit.
“Good night, my lord. I wish you good dreams.” The two servants retreated backwards from the room.
Jian Qiao, however, stared at a spot of mildew on the ceiling for a long time, not daring to close his eyes. To have good dreams, such a thing was unimaginable for him. The reason he chose to sleep in a rocking chair was because when he was strangled by the nightmare and struggled violently in the dream, he would convulse his body in reality.
And the jerking of his body would shake the rocking chair. This, in turn, would wake him from the terrible dream.
Thus, throughout the entire night, he would suffer a cycle of falling asleep and waking up and falling asleep again. But at least this intermittent sleep was enough to ensure he wouldn’t faint from lightheadedness the next day.
He no longer dared to ask anyone to read for him or ramble on all night. Even if it was just a cash transaction, there was no guarantee it would be safe. He might have changed his body, but the agony of being stabbed in the heart with a sharp blade would never disappear.
In the silence of the night, Jian Qiao would rather hug a rocking chair than a warm, flesh-and-blood body.
With his palm he gently rubbed the arm of the rocking chair and joked bitterly, “You know what, partner? You’re the greatest invention of the century, you saved my life.”
All through the night, the rocking chair sporadically clattered and creaked.
—
Three days later, as promised, Rege held a grand banquet. The most powerful lords of Gloria gathered at the Duke’s residence, and luxurious carriages clogged the streets outside the palace.
Some lords jumped down from their carriages and strode into the castle with amazing momentum, their eyes directed forward; some lords gently and considerately handed down their female companions, then walked arm-in-arm with them in style; some lords laughed heartily and waved at the crowd, and ordered their servants to open the boxes they brought with them, spilling out a large number of copper coins.
When they met such a lord, the commoners who came to see the fun would shout in surprise, then raise their hands and shout with gratitude, “Your Lordship, may you live to be a hundred! God bless you! God bless you!”
Reckless children emerged from the crowd like small rats, frantically scrambling for the coins on the ground, rushing and grabbing en masse like a pack of feral hyenas.
Some cursed, some frolicked, and some went on their knees praying sincerely to God.
Seeing such a variety of reactions, the lords who gave out money laughed with greater delight. It was exactly what they wanted—joy, sorrow, anger, struggle. It gave them the illusion they could dominate everything around them.
Every guest was a mighty lord of high prestige, power, and wealth. Among such people, Prince Andrew could only show his humility.
The great lords were actually the de facto monarchs of the major provinces. Without their support, Gloria would cease to exist and the king’s throne would be an empty symbol. Prince Andrew understood this truth.
Jian Qiao, who was standing on the balcony watching all this in silence, pointed at these people. He asked in a low voice, “If not for you, would I even be eligible to be invited?”
“Never.” Rege wasn’t at all worried about puncturing the gentleman Earl’s fragile ego. He added, “Here you’re just a tiny ant. Very, very tiny, understand?” He gestured as he spoke, pinching together his finger and thumb.
Jian Qiao: “…”
He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at this childish man.
Rege pretended to be shocked and cried out, “Have my eyes gone blind? The most elegant and noble man I know, the Earl of Flowervale, just rolled his eyes at me in the least elegant and noble way imaginable! My God, I’m so disillusioned.”
In fact, he didn’t feel disillusioned at all. This Jian Qiao, who was willing to show him such an uninhibited expression, was like a plant lying dormant in a snowy field. Only when the bone-chilling frost was melted by a spring breeze would he sprout clusters of tender green buds.
He was alive with warmth, fragrance, and vitality. This was the real him, a little boy hidden beneath a heavy heart.
Rege circled twice around Jian Qiao, clicking his tongue.
Jian Qiao rubbed his forehead, apparently quite disgusted with this person’s mockery and blather, but his eyes shone brightly.
The two men sneered at each other as they walked towards the stairs, like a pair of old friends who’d known each other many years.
—
Two hours later, Jian Qiao, who’d established good relations with the major lords, walked towards a secluded corner with a glass of red wine. He needed to have a rest.
Rege walked towards him with a glass of juice and joked, “Your cheeks are as red as a monkey’s butt. Put your glass down and have something else.” After saying that, he replaced Jian Qiao’s drink with juice.
“You’re so good.” Jian Qiao held his dizzy head with his hand and sighed gratefully.
Three simple words. No exaggerated rhetoric, no emotional flourishes, but they still made Rege’s heart flutter.
“What’s good about me?” He extended his arm and placed his hand on the back of the sofa, a position in which he indirectly held Jian Qiao in his arms.
Jian Qiao, who was unaware of this, leaned back against the sofa, but in the view of onlookers, he was reclining in Rege’s arms. The intimate atmosphere between the two gradually deepened.
“You’re good everywhere.” Jian Qiao replied immediately.
Rege, however, felt very dissatisfied. “You’re just being patronizing. You didn’t think about it seriously at all. I’ll give you another chance so answer properly. What exactly is so good about me?”
He couldn’t have said why, but he cared what Jian Qiao thought. In the past, many people had loudly cursed him as the devil to his face and said they’d spend the rest of their lives damning him to hell, but it hadn’t made his heart waver at all.
He only seemed to care about Jian Qiao, which was really too weird.
In the midst of his thoughts, he heard Jian Qiao sigh with deep emotion. “I’m not patronizing you, it’s true. There’s a proverb in the ancient East, ‘Xi Shi in the eyes of a lover’. Xi Shi was a beauty without equal. When we love someone, even if the other party is as ugly as a monster, we’ll still think he’s the most beautiful. You aren’t my lover but you are my only, most important, and most cherished friend. And that means you’re the best in my eyes.”
Jian Qiao pointed to his dark eyes and emphasized again, “I can’t see your flaws because when my brain thinks about you, my emotions inevitably overcome my reason.”
Rege: “…”
For a moment there, he nearly burst out into foul language. Of course, that wasn’t because he wanted to scold the gentleman Earl. It was because he needed fierce words to help him vent the hot steam surging through his heart.
He licked his sharp tiger teeth, then couldn’t help raising the corners of his mouth to reveal a bright smile.
Without knowing why it came to mind he suddenly asked, “Do you have a lover?”
Jian Qiao shook his head. “No.”
Rege stared at the unrivaled beauty of the gentleman Earl’s face and pursued, “Did you have one before?”
“Never.” Jian Qiao continued to shake his head.
“Then do you want to find a lover in Grande to take back with you? The beauties here are more outstanding than anywhere else.” His mouth spoke tempting words, but Rege’s eyes were dark and forbidding.
Jian Qiao refused without thinking. “No, there won’t be a lover. I have you and that’s enough.”
He only wanted a friend, not a lover. Love is possession, conflict and ruin. Love is the most terrible existence in the world. His past experience had repeatedly proved to him the truth of this statement.
Rege froze for several seconds before he realized what an ambiguous thing the gentleman Earl had said. Although he understood the intended meaning, his heart was boiling up. He picked up his wine glass and took a large sip, his eyes gleaming.
Jian Qiao turned to look at him and asked curiously, “How many lovers have you had?”
The bright smile on Rege’s face went stiff, and the drink that hadn’t been swallowed made him burst out coughing. He quickly put on an impatient expression and waved his hand. “That isn’t a topic for discussion.”
Jian Qiao squinted at him.
Rege awkwardly scratched the tip of his nose.
At that moment, Prince Andrew led a group of nobles over and asked with good cheer, “Ray, I was told you invited Cassia of Candice? Why haven’t we seen her?”
To cross the threshold of the ducal residence, a man must have wealth, power, and status, but matters were very different for women. As long as they had enough beauty, charm, talent, and prestige, they could be invited anywhere.
To put it more bluntly, their purpose was to liven things up for the lords, and their identity, rank, and fortune were naturally not important. They were just ornaments for the party.
According to Prince Andrew, Cassia was a courtesan, the foremost lorette of the city of Candice. It was said she was beautiful enough to compete with Charles III’s new favourite, Lady Mia.
Recently, she’d happened to wander to Grande, so she received an invitation from the ducal palace.
“She passed a message before the banquet began, saying she was delayed and wouldn’t arrive until the second half.” Rege took out his pocket watch and looked at it, musing aloud, “I think she’ll be here soon.”
As soon as his voice fell off, the door to the banquet hall slowly opened. An incomparable beauty stepped onto the plush carpet which was woven with roses and walked forward step by step. Her golden-red dress was like a mass of clouds stained with the sunset, exuding a surpassingly magnificent glamor, and at the same time captured everyone’s eyes.
She stood at the doorway and looked around, her emerald green eyes reflecting the brilliant lights just as she was reflected in the eyes of the guests. But the strange thing was that although she could plainly see, she put no one in her gaze.
Her hauteur, indifference, and detachment seemed inborn.
Her entrance had more splendor and solemnity than the arrival of any great lord.
TL Notes:
美丽无双 – unrivaled beauty – beautiful and unparalleled, referring to Jian Qiao’s face
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情人眼里出西施 – “Xi Shi in the eyes of a lover” – As beautiful as Xi Shi in the eyes of a lover; beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Xi Shi was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China.
名妓 – lorette – renowned prostitute. Specifically, a type of 19th-century French prostitute who wasn’t kept by a benefactor but played the field, so to speak
绝世佳人 – an incomparable beauty – the most beautiful woman in the world
Transliterated names, titles, and places—new in this chapter:
坎达斯 – KǎnDáSī – Candice, a city. Alternatively: Candace, Candas
加西亚 – JiāXīYǎ – Cassia, a courtesan from Candice. It’s possible this is supposed to be “Garcia” , but right now her name is being used without any honorific or title like she’s Rihanna or Cher. Since it seems to be a given name or stage name I’m going with Cassia. If it later turns out to be her surname, I’ll switch it. Alternatively: Garcia, Jiashia, Jarsia, Jasia, Chasia, Casia