Early Morning.
Lucas opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. Thinking about last night's madness—a bunch of drunk, crazy girls—it was truly a scene of "wild demons dancing in chaos."
Last night, Ayesha, Freya, Helen, and Amelia came into the study room just as Lucas and the others were drinking wine. The girls all clamored to join in, and that's when things got out of hand.
The strong aftereffects of the wine, combined with the fact that the beast-eared girls had little experience with alcohol, led to many of them getting completely knocked out after just one cup. And, of course, quite a few of them started acting drunk—Amelia being one of them.
Can you imagine the cold and aloof Amelia getting drunk and losing control? No one could have expected it, but she ended up wailing uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face as if they were free of charge.
As for Ayesha? This horned girl went wild—jumping around drunkenly, shaking her curvy hips, and jiggling her ample assets while shouting and singing some unknown song at the top of her lungs.
"Sigh…" Lucas let out a weary sigh. His beast-eared girls were never ones to give him peace of mind.
No—there was one exception. The only one who didn't cause him trouble was Helen. She simply couldn't get drunk. Even after three glasses of wine, she was completely unfazed, as if nothing had happened.
As for Nicole and Mina, they only took small sips and stopped. Meanwhile, Catherine and Dahlia drank freely, unable to hold back—after all, it was wine worth 200 gold coins.
"Creak!"
The door swung open, and Nicole walked in. Seeing Lucas lying there with his eyes open, she covered her mouth and chuckled. She couldn't help but recall how, last night, Ayesha had clung to the young master, jumping around wildly and slobbering all over his face—just like she was licking a lollipop.
"Hehe… Young Master, did you sleep well last night?" Nicole asked softly.
"Great. Absolutely great." Lucas rolled his eyes. How could he not? It had taken quite a bit of effort to settle down the beast-eared girls.
"Young Master, it's time for breakfast. Don't you have to inspect the fleet today? And visit the farm as well?" Nicole reminded him gently.
"Mm." Lucas got up, washed up with Nicole's help, and headed to the dining hall, where he saw Dahlia and Mina.
"Young Master, good morning." Mina greeted softly.
"Lord Lucas, good morning." Dahlia said in a gentle tone. She had already gotten used to the castle's unique way of greeting in the morning.
"Morning." Lucas nodded before sighing helplessly. "Are they still asleep?"
"Mm, they haven't woken up yet." Nicole replied as she brought over a plate of meat buns.
"Let's eat. We'll head out after breakfast." Lucas picked up a bun, took a bite, and sipped his milk tea, enjoying a quiet morning meal.
That being said, without the usual noisy breakfast, Lucas felt like something was missing. No Annie and Mina bickering with Ayesha, no Freya stepping in to mediate—it just didn't feel like the lively breakfast he was used to.
Breakfast was finished in twenty minutes. Lucas then set out with Mina and Dahlia, boarding the carriage under the protection of the War Wolves squad, heading straight for the dock.
"Clatter, clatter, clatter…"
As the carriage sped along, Dahlia quietly watched Lucas, who had his eyes closed, seemingly resting. Yet, she found herself lost in thought.
How could such a man exist? How could such a noble exist? Everything about him seemed flawless.
She had done her research. Just a few months ago, Sedona City had been nothing more than a backward little town. Its streets were nothing but dirt and mud, filled with filth and waste, no different from any other run-down city.
Many commoners could barely afford to eat one meal a day. Their homes were made of mud walls, they couldn't afford salt or linen, and they were burdened with harsh taxes.
But ever since Lucas became the lord of Sedona City, everything had changed. Day by day, the city transformed at an astonishing pace. In just a few short months, it had become the prosperous place Dahlia now saw before her.
Thinking back, Dahlia completely understood why her father had urged her to pursue Lucas. A man like him—surely, 80% of the women in this world would fall for him.
He was practically the perfect male protagonist straight out of Princess Lucy's novels—the kind who could single-handedly take down a dragon. Dahlia even wondered… If Princess Lucy were to come here, would she also fall for Lucas?
"Clatter, clatter, clatter…"
"City Lord, we've arrived at the dock." Came the shout from one of the War Wolves outside the carriage.
Lucas opened his eyes, only to find Dahlia staring at him in a daze. He was a little confused—did he have a "strawberry" mark left by Ayesha on his face?
"…" Dahlia's cheeks turned slightly red as she awkwardly turned her head away. She hadn't even realized how quickly time had passed while she was lost in thought. Before she knew it, they had already arrived at the dock.
Mina gave Dahlia a strange look. She had noticed the whole time—Dahlia had been staring at the young master, her face occasionally flushing and even breaking into a silly smile now and then.
"Let's get out." Lucas said as he stood up. He ran a hand over his face—didn't feel anything. Maybe he had just gotten even more handsome?
Stepping out of the carriage, Lucas looked toward the dock, where more than a dozen ships were docked. The ropes swayed in the wind as he observed them carefully.
"Not bad… By next year, we should have at least a hundred ships here." He said seriously.
"That's definitely possible," Dahlia stepped up beside him and said with equal seriousness. "Lord Lucas, I'd say there will be more than just a hundred. This place might need to be expanded several times over."
She wasn't exaggerating. Just the fact that Lucas was the creator of perfume—if that news spread—would be enough to bring at least a hundred ships here next year. And most of them would be from other kingdoms.
"We'll continue construction as soon as spring arrives." Lucas said with a light smile. His goal wasn't just a hundred ships but more than that.
"Please follow me, Lord Lucas." Dahlia said softly.
"Mm." Lucas nodded and followed behind her toward the ships. The War Wolves squad had already spread out, securing the area, while Mina stayed close by his side.
Once on board, Dahlia led Lucas into the cargo hold to inspect the goods. And sure enough, there was a problem—canned fish was carelessly placed on the wooden planks, with nothing but a few ropes keeping them in place.
"These canned fish… if you transport them like this, it'll be a miracle if even a few arrive in the royal capital undamaged." Lucas said calmly.
"This…" Dahlia was stunned. His words left her a bit confused, and she quickly asked for guidance. "Lord Lucas, why is that? We've always transported wine this way."
If something went wrong with the canned fish, her family could suffer heavy losses. This shipment alone was worth several hundred gold coins.
"Do you know why canned fish can be preserved for so long?" Lucas asked casually.
"I don't know." Dahlia admitted honestly, tugging at her fingers.
"It's the protective layer of yellow clay on the canned fish. If it cracks due to shaking and lets air in, the fish inside will start to rot in no time." Lucas said seriously.
There are three key factors in preserving canned fish: flavor, proper filling, and airtight sealing.
Right now, the canned fish were simply placed on the wooden planks. If the fleet encountered strong winds and rough seas, the constant shaking would damage the yellow clay seal. Once it cracked and allowed air in, bacteria would enter. After a long journey, the shipment arriving in the royal capital wouldn't be fresh fish—it would be a load of foul, rotting sludge.
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