At 8 A.M., Eileen arrived at the lord’s castle. She had been busy working on flag signals for the army, staying in the staff headquarters for ease of discussion with the officers, frequently visiting the military camps. After the initial development of the flag signals, Paul ordered her to move her office inside the castle.
A servant led her to her “office,” a small room with just a desk, a few chairs, and a bookshelf with a kitchenette. Eileen sighed, thinking to herself, “What a boss who has no sense of living style!” She didn’t complain about Paul being stingy, knowing his own office was just as plain.
“Never mind, I’ll decorate it myself over time.” She looked around the room, pondering over decoration ideas. Then, she heard a door open and close in the next room.
Recalling that the lord’s mansion had another advisor in the adjacent office, Eileen decided to introduce herself, not being the once-sought-after princess anymore.
She knocked gently on the neighboring door. A pleasant voice invited her in. “Sounds like a sweet girl. I hope the count isn’t a lecher,” she thought. Opening the door, Eileen was stunned to see Ladi, the scholar and adventurer who had saved her months ago from a perilous situation.
Both were surprised. Eileen quickly said, “Oh my, Ladi! I didn’t expect to find you here as the new advisor. Hello!”
Ladi smiled back, “Hello, Miss Dias. Lord Grayman mentioned you. I’m sorry I haven’t visited you sooner.”
Eileen waved her hand, “You wouldn’t have found me before; I was at the military staff headquarters. Don’t be so formal with me. You saved my life, and now we’re colleagues. Perhaps it’s divine providence.”
Ladi nodded, her worries disappearing. She had thought Eileen to be proud, but she seemed quite approachable.
“So, you’ve given up adventuring?”
“Yes, after years of traveling, it’s time to rest.”
“Ha, I’m sure you’ve gathered much knowledge on your adventures. I look forward to learning from you.”
“Likewise, as fellow scholars, I’m eager for your insights.”
They chatted amicably, bonding over their shared roles as female scholars.
About half an hour later, a servant knocked and announced, “The Count invites both advisors to the dining room.”
Eileen, puzzled, asked, “The dining room? Is Lord Grayman inviting us for a meal? It’s still early for lunch.” ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelFɪre.net
The servant replied, “I’m not sure; I was just asked to invite you.”
Eileen pouted, “Just when Ladi and I were enjoying our chat.”
The servant, breaking into a cold sweat, had never seen anyone openly complain about Count Grayman before but pretended not to hear.
Ladi gently tugged Eileen’s sleeve, “Betty, let’s go quickly. It’s not good to keep Lord Grayman waiting.”
In just half an hour, they had grown familiar enough to address each other by their first names.
Upon arriving at the dining room, Eileen and Ladi found several people already gathered. Besides Count Grayman, there was the head of the Administration Council, Mr. Ford, several department heads including Hansel, and high-ranking military officers like Schroeder and Bryce.
“Oh, the two beauties have arrived, welcome!” Count Grayman seemed very pleased, warmly greeting them.
Eileen thought, “Really, with war looming, he still manages to be in such high spirits.”
After the two female advisors were seated, Paul announced, “Today, I’ve gathered you all here to try a special kind of food.” He instructed a servant, “Bring them out.”
Soon, each person had a strange glass jar placed in front of them. Eileen examined her jar closely, a wide-mouthed vessel made of thick glass, sealed tightly with a cork and wax.
What caught her attention was the content inside the jar, which appeared to be chopped apples. Ladi’s jar seemed to contain pears. Around them, others had jars filled with various items – vegetables, meats, creating a sense of curiosity.
Only a few from the Administration Council were familiar with these, having heard about them from Paul before. Ford and Hansel had even been involved in setting up the production factory for these items.
Paul cheerfully announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the ‘canned food,’ a method of preserving food for a long time. Now, open them and try the taste.”
He demonstrated by scraping off the wax seal, then using a metal hook-shaped ‘bottle opener’ to remove the cork. He took out a piece of beef with a fork and began to chew thoughtfully.
“Ah, not bad. Everyone, please eat without worry; the food inside is cooked.”
The guests followed his lead, opening their jars and tasting the contents.
“The taste is decent!”
“The juice inside is also good.”
“It’s not as good as freshly made, but for long-term preservation, it’s an excellent invention.”
Discussions arose, especially among the military, about the significant implications of canned food for army supplies.
Eileen tried a piece of apple, “Hmm… the apple tastes a bit strange, but it’s not bad. How about yours, Ladi?”
Ladi nodded, “The pear in mine is quite sweet, tastes good.”
Paul looked at the two female advisors, “You both come from affluent areas, do you think this product would sell well there?”
Ladi, a former adventurer, understood the value of canned food for travelers, “If it really preserves for a long time as you say, it will surely find a market, especially among those who often travel long distances.”
Eileen agreed, knowing well from her journey to the northwest how quickly meat and vegetables spoil. In remote areas, they had to rely on dry, hard bread.
“Ha, excellent! We’re producing these in large quantities and will soon start selling them to the south,” Paul announced joyfully.