Felix said, "His name is Antonio Wei Williams."
…Well, she should've guessed.
The pride with which Felix announced the name was matched only by how speechless Weiwei felt.
In Huaxia, people usually avoid giving their children the same names as their ancestors out of respect. But even so, with such a large population, name repetition is inevitable. Many complain about it often—if changing one's name wasn't such a hassle, many would probably make it their priority upon reaching adulthood to pick a more unique one.
Foreigners, however, had a completely different attitude. While they, too, complained about how common their names were—calling out on a street might attract several people at once—it didn't stop them from recycling ancestral names, or even their own, for their descendants. Some families even had three generations sharing a single name.
It made one wonder just how uninspired they were at naming.
Weiwei should've expected this. She really shouldn't have had such high hopes for Felix's naming skills.
And now that the name had been publicly announced, how could she possibly change it? Not to mention, it was the name of Felix's late father—her deceased father-in-law. Even if she disliked it, she couldn't voice it aloud.
She could only comfort herself with the thought: at least the name had a nice meaning.
Still, if naming was done this way, she could already foresee that if they had another child, a boy might end up named after Felix's late uncle, and a girl… might just inherit her grandmother's name.
Glancing sideways at her husband, who was basking in everyone's praise with a smug expression, Weiwei rolled her eyes inwardly, though her face had no choice but to show a happy smile.
What else could she do? She was helpless here too. After all, Huaxia names didn't suit European usage.
Now that little Antonio had an official name, it also marked the completion of his naming ceremony.
The ceremonial candles used by his parents were put away. These arm-thick candles carried symbolic meaning and would be kept as cherished mementos by the parents—assuming they could afford them. These candles were provided by the church and were not cheap. Most commoners couldn't afford to buy them. Though the church allowed them to be used for free during the ceremony, if one wanted to take them home, they had to be purchased.
With the naming ceremony concluded, the next event was naturally the celebratory feast.
As the newly appointed godfather of little Antonio, Allen earned the right to hold the baby during the celebration.
The soft, boneless weight of the infant in his arms made Allen freeze up instantly. Stiff and clueless, he shot a desperate look toward Felix.
Felix knew the feeling all too well—that had been him at the start, too.
At the master's signal, a maid stepped forward to guide Allen on how to properly hold the baby. Under her careful instruction, Allen adjusted his posture, and little Antonio, who had just started to frown, finally settled down. Still, Allen's expression of facing a great enemy discouraged the other curious knights from following suit. This fragile life, which could be harmed by the slightest mishap, wasn't something they dared take lightly.
But even if they gave up on holding the baby, that didn't stop them from gathering around to offer their blessings.
Everyone wished him good health and intelligence, and that he would grow up to be as strong and capable as his father—while also praising how good-looking he already was.
At nearly one month old, little Antonio no longer resembled that red, wrinkly little old man from birth. His skin was fair, and his features combined the deep contours typical of Europeans with the refined delicacy of the East. You could see traces of both his parents on his face. The result was a remarkably beautiful and unique mixed-race child. While mixed-race children weren't rare in Europe, ones with a blend of Eastern and Western heritage were certainly uncommon at this time, which made his appearance all the more fascinating to those around him.
On this day, the little star of the show received an abundance of love and well-wishes. Weiwei, too, smiled so much her face went stiff, but she couldn't get enough of it. For a mother, hearing everyone bless her child was a source of immense joy.
The naming ceremony had been held on the fourth weekend after Antonio's birth, on his twenty-eighth day. Since he was born on May 1st, his full-month banquet was scheduled for June 1st. Weiwei found this arrangement perfect—born on Labor Day, celebrated on Children's Day—both were holidays worth celebrating.
With the naming ceremony on the 28th complete, the main event was now the full-month banquet. Guests who received invitations had already calculated their travel time to arrive in Sardinson. They intentionally avoided coming on the day of the naming ceremony, planning instead to arrive a bit later—but not so late as to inconvenience the hosts.
Of course, those not planning to stay overnight at the castle would still arrive on the day of the banquet and leave afterward. But this was one of the grandest feasts Sardinson Castle had hosted in a long time. Most nobles would opt to stay, even for just one night, to allow more time for socializing.
Fortunately, Sardinson Castle had ample rooms. With careful preparation, they were able to free up over two hundred guest rooms, ensuring at least one room per guest. However, if someone brought too many family members, the young ladies and gentlemen might have to share rooms with others—or find their lodging in the nearby town.
Bringing the whole family to such events was a common practice among nobles. Most hosts weren't expected to provide lodging for every guest. The arrangements at Sardinson Castle were already considered quite generous, and guests were more than happy to accept them, seeing it as a chance to expand their social network.
Before the guests arrived, Weiwei made sure to speak to Dolores in private.
The timing was a bit rushed, but once the large wave of guests arrived, both she and Dolores would be far too busy to sit down for a chat.
So once she found her, Weiwei dismissed the other servants and pulled the young girl into a private room to talk.
She didn't beat around the bush. "Do you have a crush on that Earl Aldridge?"
Dolores hadn't expected Weiwei to ask her so directly. Though she had a vague idea of what the conversation might be about when Weiwei came to find her, being asked outright still caught the shy girl completely off guard. Her face flushed red instantly.
Seeing her reaction, Weiwei knew she had guessed correctly.
But she waited patiently for Dolores to speak on her own.
After a while, when it became clear Weiwei wasn't going to break the silence, Dolores finally lowered her head and mumbled without meeting her eyes, "I just think he's really good-looking…"
Adonis Aldridge was handsome. In Dolores' opinion, he was the most attractive man she had ever seen. Even her brother Felix and his friend Allen couldn't compare—Aldridge's looks hit all the right notes for her aesthetic tastes.
In a way, Weiwei wasn't wrong—Dolores and Felix both valued appearance quite a bit, and their sense of beauty wasn't exactly in line with conventional standards.
To most people, sure, Adonis Aldridge was handsome—but not necessarily more so than Felix or Allen. The mainstream ideal, cultivated from a young age, favored bold and masculine men—the dashing knight type, the kind that girls dreamed of marrying. Adonis, though undeniably attractive, hadn't fully matured yet. He was beautiful, yes, but not quite what people typically saw as marriage material—especially since not every woman wanted a man prettier than herself.
It was the classic difference between the rugged heartthrob and the delicate pretty boy—people had strong preferences one way or the other.
Weiwei, for example, could appreciate both types of beauty, but if she had to choose a partner, she would go for the former—someone who gave her a sense of security.
Felix, in this case, fits her ideals perfectly.
Dolores, however, clearly favored the latter. No wonder she had taken a liking to Aldridge.
Weiwei sighed. "Earl Aldridge was only sent here by His Majesty by chance. We don't know much about him. If you're interested, you can try getting to know him, but after the full-month banquet, he'll be leaving. We probably won't have many chances to interact in the future. If things don't work out, will you be able to let it go?"
Young girls falling in love blindly wasn't uncommon. From what Weiwei could tell, Aldridge didn't seem to have any special interest in Dolores. If this was just a one-sided crush, she wouldn't recommend pursuing it. Long-distance relationships were hard enough—even more so in this era. Sending a letter could take ages, and there were risks involved in written correspondence too. Dolores was unmarried—if nothing came of the relationship, those letters could easily become a source of scandal. There was even a case in history where a king was blackmailed with letters from his deceased mistress.
Luckily, Dolores, while fond of Aldridge, hadn't fallen head-over-heels like Felix had once done. So she wasn't resistant to Weiwei's suggestion.
After thinking for a moment, her shoulders slumped. "I guess I don't like him that much after all."
"Why not?"
"You told me to try talking to him. But when I imagined doing that, I realized I don't even dare to say a word to him."
She had always been shy. Though she had improved a lot recently, she still got nervous around unfamiliar men. She wasn't the type to take the initiative, and while she did like Aldridge, the feeling hadn't given her enough courage to take the first step.
Now it was Weiwei's turn to feel frustrated.
"You're giving up that easily?" Weiwei tapped her on the forehead. "Lola, you know your brother and I won't let you marry just anyone. But you also need to understand—if you keep dragging your feet and don't get engaged, people will start to talk. And you don't exactly have a lot of chances to meet suitable men. Now someone you actually like shows up, and you're not even going to try? What if you look back one day and realize you missed your chance? That Earl Aldridge may be young now, but he'll get married eventually."
If Dolores later regretted letting him go and turned him into some untouchable ideal in her heart, it wouldn't be good for her—or her future husband.
Weiwei had always believed that if you had feelings for someone but never even gave yourself the chance to interact with them, they'd end up becoming a permanent "what-if" in your heart. Time would romanticize the person until they outshone any real partner you met later.
But if you gave it a try and found out they weren't as perfect as imagined, you might just get over it. Then you wouldn't turn them into some unreachable white moonlight in your heart.
That's why, in Dolores' case, Weiwei was inclined to let her test the waters.
Since Dolores was too shy to make the first move, her sister-in-law, Weiwei could lend a hand.
"I'll ask your brother to talk to Earl Aldridge and see if he'd be willing to be your dance partner," Weiwei explained her plan. "He's smart—he'll understand the meaning behind the request. If he agrees, just take a deep breath and try talking to him."
Dance partners at a banquet usually carried some special significance, especially for unmarried girls. If the partner wasn't a relative, it was often seen as a public hint of romantic interest. And since the Williams family was hosting the banquet and Dolores was part of the host family, her choice of partner was especially meaningful. If Felix went to ask Aldridge, it would be a roundabout way of asking whether he was interested in Dolores.
If Aldridge agreed, it would mean he was at least open to getting to know her. If he declined, then that was that.
Dolores understood the implications, and though nervous, she blushed and nodded in agreement.
Satisfied, Weiwei didn't linger. She got up and went to find Felix. The guests were arriving soon, and she was sure many would be bringing their unmarried children. A noble banquet like this was a matchmaking event. Once people discovered that a young, handsome, wealthy, and unmarried Earl Aldridge was attending, Weiwei could bet all the girls without suitors would instantly be smitten. After all, he was indeed an ideal match—especially for girls who didn't come from particularly noble lineages.
Felix had been considered a top bachelor even before he rose to prominence. Compared to him, Aldridge was even younger, already had a prosperous territory, was from a renowned noble family, and was the brother of a royal consort. There was no doubt he'd be more popular than Felix ever was.
Weiwei could already picture the frenzy once the guests realized who he was.
That's why she warned Dolores that even if Aldridge agreed to be her dance partner, it might just be an excuse to decline others' invitations.
Still, when she went to talk to Felix, she phrased it differently.
"Ask him what he thinks. Try to make our intentions a bit clearer. He should understand what it would mean if he agrees—so he better not think of using Lola as a shield." Weiwei added one final instruction, "But don't spell it out too directly either." She didn't want Dolores to be embarrassed if he turned her down.
With the Williams family's current status, Aldridge would have to be foolish to agree without genuine intent. Doing so would only offend them if he didn't mean it.
Felix hadn't expected his wife to be plotting matchmaking these past few days, but he readily agreed.
Then he went to find Aldridge.
The young Earl was an excellent guest—polite to everyone, respectful to the servants, and not at all demanding. Apart from occasionally going out hunting with the other knights, he spent most of his time quietly reading in his room.
So Felix had no trouble locating him—he simply went to his guest quarters.
When Aldridge saw him, he looked a bit surprised but greeted him cordially as always.
Just as Weiwei had said, Adonis Aldridge was shrewd. Though still young, he kept his thoughts well hidden—an admirable trait for a nobleman. Only fools wore their hearts on their sleeves. Protecting one's house and honor required far more subtlety.
Felix, too, could be like a fox when needed. He just chose to be transparent only around Weiwei.
After a polite round of meaningless small talk, Felix finally got to the point. "The full-month banquet is coming soon, and my sister hasn't found a suitable dance partner yet. I wonder if I could trouble you, my lord?"
The moment he said this, Aldridge understood.
He had long grown used to people trying to introduce their daughters or sisters to him, so he wasn't surprised by Felix's request. Instead, he thoughtfully recalled that Miss Williams, whom he'd only met a few times and never spoken with, had left quite an impression on him.
For starters, she was undeniably beautiful—tall, blonde, and blue-eyed. Aside from being a bit young, she perfectly matched the Pradian ideal of feminine beauty. Her poise also suggested an excellent upbringing.
Moreover, among all the unmarried girls he'd met, the ones interested in him often tried to engineer "coincidences" to appear in his path, hoping to catch his attention with lingering glances and bashful smiles. But Miss Dolores Williams had never done any of that.
Still, he couldn't say she had no interest—he distinctly remembered her shy gaze the first time they met.
It was unusual for him to remember such details. Adonis Aldridge had always been popular. He was courteous on the surface but rarely gave anyone his real attention. It was rare for any woman to make such a lasting impression after only a few brief encounters.
After a moment of thought, he replied, "May I have a little time to consider?"
That caught Felix off guard. He had expected a quick yes or no. Aldridge's careful consideration suggested he was taking this quite seriously—not just a dance, but something more.
"Of course. But I hope you'll let me know soon so I can make the necessary arrangements." If Aldridge declined, he'd need to find someone else to act as Dolores' "shield." With so many noble guests attending, Dolores would attract just as much attention as Aldridge—perhaps even more. Felix intended to find someone to fend off most of those advances.
Certainly not Allen, though. With his notorious playboy reputation—and having just broken off an engagement—pairing him with Dolores would only create rumors. Felix would have to look elsewhere.
Speaking of Allen, he too would likely become a target of the unmarried young ladies, wouldn't he?
Aldridge said, "Can I give you an answer tomorrow?"
"Then we'll speak again tomorrow," Felix agreed, taking his leave.
Once he was alone again, Aldridge sat back down and pondered.
His servant came in to clear the table and noticed his young master spacing out. "My lord, is something the matter?"
Was that Williams fellow giving him trouble? That would be rare.
Aldridge came back to his senses and suddenly asked, "Do you think it's time I got married?"
The servant froze, then broke into a wide smile. "My lord, are you finally going to marry? Who is it? The Williams girl? Shall I write to the lady of the house and ask her to start preparing the wedding?"
Good heavens, their workaholic young master was finally thinking of fulfilling his family duties.
"…Shut up. Don't you dare write anything!" Dropping his usual refined demeanor, Aldridge glared at his servant and pointed to the door, clearly annoyed.
But the servant wasn't scared at all. He cheerfully finished tidying up and headed out. Just before the door closed, he popped his head back in and asked with a grin, "So… it is the Williams girl, isn't it?"
"GET OUT!" came the indignant shout.
The servant closed the door quickly, but his thoughts were racing. The young master didn't deny it! It is her!
He was writing to the lady about this. Right now.