To the people of Aldridge City, their Lord's wedding was destined to be the most attention-grabbing celebration of the spring.
As a young, handsome, and wealthy earl, Adonis was undoubtedly the golden bachelor of every noblewoman's dreams in the city. Ever since news of his engagement broke out, a slew of women had been left heartbroken. Yet many remained undeterred—even after the wedding date was announced, there were still those who thought that even if they couldn't marry him, becoming his mistress would suffice. After all, he was not only good-looking but also powerful and influential.
Of course, none of those women with such thoughts ever succeeded. No matter how beautiful they were, Adonis remained indifferent. He was incredibly good-looking and therefore never paid much attention to appearances; no matter how stunning another woman might be, she simply couldn't capture his interest.
Perhaps the harder someone is to attain, the more others long for them. As the wedding date drew near, Adonis found himself with more and more romantic "opportunities." It even reached the point where someone snuck into his bedroom during a banquet, stripped naked, and tried to seduce him. The result? Adonis, with a face like thunder, ordered his servants to throw the woman out of the castle—and forbade both her and her family from ever stepping foot inside again.
To Adonis, this incident was practically a scandal. That's why, when it came time to pick up Dolores, he was particularly nervous. Adonis knew just how formidable his future brother-in-law's influence was—and he was certain the man had planted an intelligence network in Aldridge City. He worried that once the news spread, it might lead to misunderstandings about his loyalty to Dolores, and perhaps even the annulment of the engagement.
Fortunately, no such situation occurred. It was clear that the brother-in-law already knew the truth, so aside from a brief warning during their meeting, he didn't make things difficult. The wedding proceeded smoothly.
The noble ladies who had admired Adonis had no choice but to attend the wedding filled with jealousy.
They dressed to the nines, donning the most fashionable gowns and makeup in an underhanded attempt to outshine the bride. If they couldn't win the Lord's favor, then at least they could steal the bride's thunder and vent their frustrations.
Of course, they had met Dolores before and admitted that she was good-looking. But at the time, Dolores hadn't fully grown into her features—no matter how pretty she might have been then, to them, she was still just a naïve little girl. Many of the noble ladies remained confident that they were more beautiful.
Unfortunately, before the bride even appeared, her dowry alone had already crushed their confidence. When noblewomen marry, what do they compete on? Dowry, of course. With such a lavish dowry, even if Miss Williams were hideous, plenty of men would still be eager to marry her. Not to mention, she was also a rare beauty.
As for their plan to steal the spotlight—well, that quickly fell apart. When the bride finally appeared, her beauty was nothing short of breathtaking. She wore a wedding gown made of silk, embroidered with intricate floral patterns across the bodice and adorned with gemstone-centered flowers along the hem. She looked like a woodland fairy come to life. Her now fully matured features were exquisite and radiant, her beauty dazzling and impossible to ignore.
At the moment the bride stepped onto the stage, all the women who had arrived with a competitive mindset knew they were destined to be nothing more than background decorations. Even their meticulously applied makeup and trendy gowns paled in comparison to the bridesmaids whom Salina had chosen, let alone the bride herself. In short, they had lost completely.
Compared to these love-struck girls who couldn't hide their disappointment and gloom, the rest of the guests, regardless of their true feelings, at least wore sincere smiles on their faces as they offered their blessings to the newlyweds.
The wedding banquet that followed was personally arranged by Salina. As the bride's family, Felix and Wei Wei naturally sat in the best seats. After enjoying a gourmet feast, the ball officially began.
And for this banquet, Wei Wei had specially prepared a performance.
The opening dance was, of course, led by the newlyweds. But just before that, the musicians who had been quietly playing in the corner were suddenly replaced by a new group.
The music abruptly stopped, drawing the attention of everyone present.
A group of unfamiliar performers took the place of the previous musicians. One among them stepped forward and uncovered a large instrument hidden beneath a cloth, opened the lid, and sat down.
If it had been someone else, the guests might have spared only a curious glance. But when they saw that the person seated was none other than the Duchess of Williams, their attention was immediately captured.
Wei Wei gently touched the keys. It was a piano—a product she had developed in collaboration with a group of master instrument-makers during her trip to the royal capital. Along with other instruments such as the violin, which had yet to appear in this era, the piano had been specially created for the opera house she was building.
This particular piano was the prototype. Its tone still had much room for improvement, but that didn't stop Wei Wei from moving it to Aldridge and using it to perform at the wedding banquet.
The reason she played it herself was simple: the piano had only just been invented, and she was the only one who knew how to play. With no other choice, Wei Wei had to take the stage and collaborate with the other musicians in this performance.
The decision to perform at this moment wasn't just to bless the newlyweds—Wei Wei also had a small personal motive.
Once the other musicians were in position, a beautiful young woman lifted her gown and stepped forward, stopping before the musicians and offering a graceful curtsy to the guests.
This young woman was Ovira, originally just an ordinary girl from the royal capital. Unfortunately, due to her charming looks and talent for singing and dancing, her greedy parents had sold her to a brothel. Unwilling to become a courtesan, Ovira resisted with all her might. Multiple escape attempts nearly cost her her life—she was almost beaten to death on the road during one such attempt. Had she not run into Wei Wei by chance, she would likely have died.
In the end, Wei Wei paid to buy her freedom. Upon discovering Ovira's vocal talent, and with the girl's consent, she began to train her in opera.
Of course, Ovira wasn't the only one receiving lessons. Wei Wei had recruited quite a few men and women—some from similar backgrounds, others from church choirs or circus troupes.
Although Wei Wei had studied the konghou (an ancient Chinese harp), she had also taken elective courses in classical opera appreciation and had attended numerous performances with friends. She had even participated in a school play. So, while she wasn't a professional, she knew enough about opera to teach complete beginners the fundamentals.
Wei Wei had seen great potential in Ovira and felt she was a perfect fit for a leading role. She had put considerable effort into cultivating her.
And Ovira didn't disappoint. After over six months of training, she finally graduated from Wei Wei's tutelage and was ready for her official debut.
This wedding banquet marked Ovira's first time on stage. Faced with so many guests, she was understandably nervous—her palms were ice-cold. But when she turned to look at Wei Wei, who sat at the piano, the latter gave her a reassuring smile, and her nerves miraculously disappeared.
You can do this!
She gave herself a mental pep talk. After taking a deep breath, she nodded at Wei Wei, who then raised her hands and brought them down. Her fingertips danced across the piano keys, and elegant, vibrant music began to flow through the banquet hall.
True to its reputation as the "King of Instruments," the moment the piano's notes rang out, all voices in the hall were silenced, swallowed by the melody.
Ovira opened her mouth and sang the first line, syncing perfectly with the music.
Unlike the popular singing styles of the current era, her drawn-out vocalization was reminiscent of the ancient theatrical styles from classical Greece. Though such styles had long since fallen out of favor, one could still occasionally catch a performance here or there. Yet if one listened closely, it was clear—this wasn't just a mimicry of outdated traditions. There was something fundamentally new about it.
The song she performed was an operatic piece describing the process of a wedding. It wasn't a famous opera from later centuries, but rather a newly composed work, with both lyrics and melody written by a court poet in service to the king, commissioned by Wei Wei herself. The structure was simple, but the storytelling was rich. As the piece unfolded, every guest was drawn into its narrative, and it felt as though they could see the grand wedding play out before their very eyes.
Adonis, who had briefly frozen in surprise at the start, soon came to his senses. Taking the hand of his new bride, he stepped into the center of the hall, and together they began the opening dance.
The soaring and joyful voice, accompanied by the graceful melody, surrounded them. In that moment, they truly were the bride and groom from the song—holding their wedding with hearts full of happiness, receiving the blessings of all present, and ultimately stepping into a life of marital bliss.
As the music continued, the newlyweds looked into each other's eyes and smiled. The fairytale-like lyrics may not reflect the complexities of reality—their marriage was only just beginning, and no doubt would face its share of challenges. But as long as they loved and understood each other, they believed that their future could indeed be as beautiful as the song promised.
The wedding went off without a hitch, and both Wei Wei's piano performance and Ovira's singing were met with unanimous praise. The guests, intrigued by the unfamiliar instrument, eagerly inquired about the identity of the mysterious singer. The groom's and bride's families, clearly prepared for this moment, took the opportunity to promote the charm of opera. The guests, caught up in the novelty and splendor of it all, were quickly persuaded to attend a full opera performance scheduled a few days later.
That upcoming opera would be the complete version of the piece sampled at the banquet, titled The Wedding. Though it would be the performers' first official stage appearance, and their nerves would lead to a few inevitable mistakes, the noble audience was too fascinated to care. The dramatic plot pulled them in, and they found themselves emotionally invested in the joys and sorrows of the characters. Minor imperfections faded in comparison to the freshness and immersive nature of the show.
Besides, the pianist of this opera was none other than the Duchess of Williams herself. While a few more traditional or stiff-minded nobles might frown upon such behavior from a duchess, far more people felt honored to witness her performance firsthand. Wei Wei's piano playing, refined through recent intensive training, won over even the most skeptical of guests. And even though she remained hidden behind a curtain the entire time, never once revealing her face, it didn't stop the new instrument from becoming a hot topic of fascination.
Unfortunately, this opera, The Wedding, was only performed once, and never again. This left many of the nobles, who had just developed a taste for opera, deeply dissatisfied. They clamored for an encore, insisting they were willing to watch the same performance multiple times if that's what it took.
But Wei Wei wasn't about to give in so easily. She dangled the carrot just out of reach, telling everyone that the Sardinson Opera House would soon be completed, and that the next performance would be held there.
To stir up even more interest, she had people spread the word that the future performances would include full sets, costumes, and props, promising a spectacle far grander than the hastily arranged wedding show. She warmly invited everyone to attend when the time came.
And just like that, with curiosity piqued and expectations high, she reluctantly bid farewell to Dolores and set off on her return journey to Sardinson.
Trailing behind her entourage was a long procession, composed of merchants seeking fortune in Sardinson and nobles eager to attend the next opera performance.