Evil dragon has a warm heart-Chapter 150 - 149 Saisiluo

Chapter 150: Chapter 149 Saisiluo

Chapter 150 -149 Saisiluo

Following Lord Fisher, guests at Bluebird Castle arrived one after another, with most of them hailing from the Volcanic Oasis.

No one could rival the prestige of Count Merlin, who had presided over the Council of Elders for ten years.

Moreover, as one of the few Flying Dragon Knights in the Shadowflame Grand Duchy, his renown was destined to remain undiminished, even if he were to retire to his fields.

The birthday feast is tomorrow, and most of the guests would arrive over the course of today and tomorrow.

However, aside from a few individuals, such as Lord Fisher, a Grand Duchy envoy who needed to be received by Count Merlin personally, most guests were greeted by Viscount Mejie and his wife. There were even some who only needed to be welcomed by Lord Mel.

As for Russell, he followed closely behind Baron Romand and his wife, making an effort to acquaint himself with these guests.

After all,

In the eyes of his parents and older brother, his future role was to replace Uncle Rosen and become the new social butterfly of the family.

Thus, Russell’s smile was so forced it practically numbed his face, feeling more taxing than training Battle Qi.

“Isn’t it over yet?”

“It might continue for quite a while, at least until midnight,” Lady Meryl whispered, “Hang in there, Russell, it’s just for tonight.”

“Okay, I will.”

After Lady Meryl finished speaking, she turned back to warmly engage in conversation with a noblewoman who had just arrived.

At this moment, the castle’s assistant steward hurried in and reported to Viscount Merlin and his wife: “My lord, madam, Lord Saisiluo and Lady Melinda have arrived.”

“Let’s go, we should all go greet my older sister and my brother-in-law,” Viscount Merlin rose from his seat. However, no one bothered to inform Count Merlin; they simply led the others to greet the Saisiluo couple at the castle’s main entrance.

Russell promptly went out with his parents, while his cousin Mel pulled him to stand in this row of nobles on the left side of the door.

As the hosts, Viscount Merlin and his wife stood at the very center of the entrance, waiting.

Baron Romand and his wife stood on the right side of Viscount Merlin and his wife, rather than with the other nobles lined up on the left side of the door.

This was because the arriving guests were merely of knight’s status, not high enough to necessitate the formal reception protocol of standing to the left of the door—hosts would only stand to the left for guests of high status, otherwise, they would greet them at the doorstep.

The carriage came to a halt, and Lord Saisiluo and his family stepped forward.

“Welcome home, sister, brother-in-law,” Viscount Mejie stepped forward and embraced Lady Melinda, who looked somewhat aged.

Lady Melinda smiled, but her voice carried a touch of resentment: “This isn’t my home, my home is at Mount Mei Garden. Mejie, we are here to wish the Lord of Tributary River Mouth a happy birthday, as is the duty of his vassals.”

“Sister, why focus on such things?”

“It’s not about being fixated, it’s about propriety,” Lady Melinda released Viscount Mejie and exchanged a perfunctory greeting with Kuna Yingyan.

She then did the same with Baron Romand, before pausing and looking at Lady Meryl with a complex expression.

They were sisters,

Both daughters of Count Merlin.

However, under the illumination of the castle’s lights, Lady Meryl still looked charming, making it difficult to discern her actual age. In contrast, wrinkles had already formed on Lady Melinda’s face, making them particularly noticeable under the light.

She was only three or four years older than Lady Meryl, but at that moment, she seemed an entire generation apart.

“Meryl.”

“Sister.”

“It’s been a long time, my younger sister,” Lady Melinda embraced her sister tightly, concealing all her complex feelings.

As for Lord Saisiluo, he merely followed behind Lady Melinda with an uneasy smile, considering that a sufficient greeting.

Russell had been observing his aunt closely,

And his bearded uncle-in-law, who had “stolen” his aunt away, nearly causing his grandfather to sever ties with her.

It was hard to imagine that this ordinary-looking, timid knight would have made Auntie resolutely and fearlessly resolve to marry no one but him—even at the time of their marriage, Saisiluo hadn’t even contracted a Fantasy Beast and was merely a Great Knight.

As Russell’s gaze moved beyond the slightly uneasy Saisiluo, he then turned toward Saisiluo and his wife’s two children.

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Their son, Saither, was seven years Russell’s senior and a year older than Roland.

In the order of seniority, he was Russell’s eldest cousin, with Mel being just the second cousin.

Their daughter, Saither Wei, was the same age as Russell, but since she was born two months earlier, she was considered Russell’s older cousin.

Saither was already married. His wife stood by his side with a similarly anxious look, clutching a little boy’s hand and holding a baby in her arms. The little boy hid behind his mother, showing signs of shyness.

After Lady Melinda and Lady Meryl had finished embracing and parted, tears had welled up in both sisters’ eyes, having not seen each other for many years.

“Seeing how you are now, I know you’ve been living well all these years, and that gives me peace of mind.”

“Sister.”

“It’s fine, I’m crying tears of joy.” Melinda wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, stood up to embrace and then kiss Mel’s forehead.

She then embraced Roland following the same pattern, kissing his forehead as well.

Next, it was Russell’s turn.

Just as Russell was preparing to repeat the same with Mel and Roland, Lady Melinda paused in her steps, gave Russell a careful look, and then laughed, “It’s been years, and that stubborn little radish head has grown into a fine young man.”

“Auntie, have you been well all this time?”

“Quite well.” Lady Melinda hugged Russell and then kissed his forehead before she turned to Lola.

Russell also greeted Lord Saisiluo, “Hello, Uncle.”

“Hello, Russell.”

He then turned to his eldest cousin, Saither, and his wife, “Eldest cousin, eldest cousin’s wife, what are the kids’ names?”

“Ah, this is the older one, Saiken, and this is the younger sister, Saihan,” Saither quickly introduced his children.

“Hello, Saiken.” Saihan was still too young, just a few months old, so Russell simply waved at Saiken. However, Saiken immediately hid behind his mother, daring to peek at this handsome uncle with only one eye.

Russell then asked with a smile, “And I have not learnt the name of my eldest cousin’s wife yet?”

“Nella, her name is Nella.”

“Hello, Nella.”

“Hello, Russell,” Nella made a concerted effort to appear composed, but she was visibly nervous in this setting, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.

After greeting everyone in turn, the protocol smoothly concluded.

The night was deepening, and rather than lingering in the living room, Viscount and Viscountess Mejie began arranging for their guests to retire to their rooms.

Russell could go and rest, too.

However, he stayed behind to chat a little longer with Saither and his wife, to deepen the affection among relatives—according to the memories of his former self, he had met with his aunt’s family very infrequently, and their last encounter had been several years ago.

At that time, Saither had not yet taken a wife and had only recently celebrated his coming of age, while Russell had been just a child over ten years old.

In a blink of an eye, Saither now had two children.

“Eldest cousin, eldest cousin’s wife, I won’t disturb you any longer. You must be weary from the journey, so rest early,” Russell said.

“Sure, Russell, you should get some rest, too,” Saither responded.

Watching Russell ascend the stairs, Saither’s eyes were filled with envy. As grandchildren of Earl Merlin just like Russell’s family, they could stay in the main building, but his own family was lodged in a different tower designated for guests.

The difference in treatment was stark.

And it all stemmed from the fact that Lady Melinda, against the wishes of Earl Merlin, married a mere Great Knight like Saisiluo.