Chapter 15: “Leave it to me!”

Steam rose, carrying with it the scent of the braised meat as the ice crystals clinging to it slowly melted away.

The aroma, once trapped beneath the frozen surface, now floated freely into the air.

Though the portion of braised meat wasn’t particularly large, the heat from the fire gradually revealed its true colors. Each piece had soaked up the marinade, gleaming with a bright and enticing amber hue.

The servant responsible for heating the braised meat had never endured such torment.

How could it smell this good?

And that meat, why did it look so delicious? Even though they had handled many top-quality ingredients before, they couldn’t tell exactly what kind of meat it was made from.

If they hadn’t remembered this was food for the Seventh Princess, they might have already snatched it all away.

Every servant who had carried this braised meat along the way found themselves salivating, unable to resist the fragrance seeping through the cracks of the container lid and precisely invading their nostrils.

Some even fantasized: if the Seventh Princess lost her appetite, would they be allowed to try just a taste?

Those harboring such thoughts couldn’t help but linger near the dining hall, quietly inhaling the lingering aroma of braised meat while hoping that Synthia might leave just a little for them.

They wanted their Mistress to recover quickly, but the fragrance was simply irresistible!

Synthia herself smelled the tempting aroma.

Ever since witnessing the death of her young child at the hands of her husband, her appetite had vanished for a long time.

She had once gone mad with a desire for revenge, willing to sacrifice everything—even going deep into debt.

But it was useless. After taking vengeance on those two despicable men, the whole world still seemed dark and bleak.

Though she knew that sinking into despair would only hurt those who truly cared about her, Synthia couldn’t find the strength to pull herself together.

Every time she closed her eyes, that heartbreaking day replayed vividly in her mind.

She couldn’t even recognize her own husband, nor protect her child. What right did she have to shamelessly live on in this world, or to enjoy such luxurious food?

Synthia picked up the utensils before her, her hands trembling uncontrollably. She had intended to have the braised meat removed, but her gaze was irresistibly drawn to its beautiful color.

“This was a gift from my silly little sister,” she whispered to herself. “It’s a kindness from others—I can’t waste it.”

She took a bite of the braised meat.

The rich marinade melted in her mouth.

For a brief moment, every joyful moment from her life flashed through her mind.

Since childhood, she had loved playing with the bow and arrow. To draw heavier bows, she had endlessly endured tedious strength training, each improvement bringing her joy.

Before meeting her husband, she had so many happy times. She had even joined the archery club, making many like-minded friends and going hunting together during every holiday…

When had the bright, joyful version of herself disappeared?

Tears welled up in Synthia’s eyes, but she did not stop eating. Bite after bite, she finished all the braised meat on her plate, feeling as if she was tasting every bit of her past happiness and pain.

Finally, she stared blankly at the empty plate for a long while before tears finally spilled uncontrollably.

Synthia’s sobbing alarmed her Vice-Captain.

He hurried over, anxiously asking, “Mistress, Mistress! What’s wrong?”

Synthia collapsed into his arms, choking back her sobs: “I miss everyone. Could you write to them? Ask them to come to Hongye Province for a few days? Will you forgive me? Will everyone forgive me?”

She had been foolish, believing that youthful infatuation was unbreakable love, refusing time and again to accept her friends’ doubts and concerns.

The Vice-Captain hadn’t expected Synthia to say such things so suddenly.

He held her tightly, warming her trembling body in his embrace: “None of us blame you. Everyone is just waiting for you to understand.”

“Our archery club’s motto is that no matter where our friends are, no matter where the gathering is, if friends sincerely invite us, we will always show up.”

“They will all be here soon. We must start preparing immediately.”

Synthia cried in his arms for a long time before finally regaining control over her emotions.

She turned and walked to the tightly drawn curtains, reaching out to open them herself.

Bright sunlight streamed in, shining down on her.

…

A few days later.

“Is this Sister’s reply?”

Jiang Zhuozhuo returned from playing outside, her voice tinged with surprise as she leaned against Mei Yin’s shoulder.

“What does it say? Hurry and open it!”

Mei Yin smiled gently: “This is a private letter from the Seventh Princess to Mistress. You have to read it yourself.”

Mei Yin had worried that sending a letter might only result in Hongye Province reluctantly agreeing to trade, but the response had been unexpectedly warm.

The Seventh Princess Synthia had even sent many gifts to Jiang Zhuozhuo and personally replied in writing.

From what Mei Yin had learned, the Seventh Princess had previously locked herself away and refused to interact with anyone.

Seeing Mei Yin in such a good mood, Jiang Zhuozhuo knew the trade negotiations had gone smoothly.

She was also curious about what her sister, whom she had never met, had written back.

It turned out to be an invitation to join a hunting event organized by their archery club, held in the neighboring Hongye Province.

The letter said it was nearby and urged Jiang Zhuozhuo not to refuse. Her sister very much wanted to see her.

If possible, she hoped Jiang Zhuozhuo could bring some braised meat along (the letter even hinted at who might attend).

Jiang Zhuozhuo: ?????

Ha, so you want to see your sister? No, you just want my braised meat!

Jiang Zhuozhuo decided to bring a pot of Old Marinade braised meat over and improvise with whatever meat she found suitable on the spot.

She realized that her so-called Inheritance—or rather, her talent—was simply knowing how to cook any ingredient just by looking at it…

Which made sense.

After all, she had lived in a country that, even after landing on the moon, would still dig up some lunar soil to see what might grow in it!

With this talent, Jiang Zhuozhuo had basically solved her daily meals.

Even better, the kitchen staff under cook Helena had been greatly expanded, ensuring that whenever she wanted to try something new, there was a professional culinary team ready to explore and prepare it.

With her basic needs well covered, Jiang Zhuozhuo wanted to learn more about everything here.

Things were steadily improving!

So naturally, she was eager to accept Synthia’s invitation.

She had never seen anything beyond Woye Province.

“Can I go?”

The little round bird looked up at Mei Yin with pleading eyes.

Faced with Jiang Zhuozhuo’s hopeful gaze, Mei Yin reflected on whether she had been too harsh lately. She smiled and said, “Of course you can go, Mistress, but you’ll need to take Jude and the others with you.”

Usually, Jiang Zhuozhuo flew about on her own, with the Order of Knights taking turns escorting her.

But this time was different—she was visiting another princess’s territory, so it was proper to bring knights along.

Jiang Zhuozhuo nodded enthusiastically.

She valued her life after all. Exploring unfamiliar places was safest in a group!

Having so many knights escort her, being the only novice among them, should be no problem.

Peace of mind.jpg

Jiang Zhuozhuo eagerly invited, “Mei Yin, do you want to come too?”

Mei Yin smiled: “I won’t be going. There are still many affairs to handle.” She glanced at her schedule. “The Government Hall and Staff Dormitory Area are nearly completed. They should be ready for inspection when Mistress returns. You’ll also have to meet the new recruits then.”

Jiang Zhuozhuo was very pleased with such efficiency.

With a full team and a strong assistant like Mei Yin, the territory’s management was on the right track.

By then, Jiang Zhuozhuo could propose all kinds of brilliant—or challenging—new ideas, and Mei Yin would arrange the personnel to implement them!

That was excellent!

Jiang Zhuozhuo felt she was a considerate ruler, definitely not the kind to ruthlessly exploit others.

She leaned against Mei Yin’s hand and said, “Mei Yin, you need to rest too. If you’re tired, take a break. There’s always more work to do, but health is the most important!”

Mei Yin’s heart softened at the sight of the fluffy little bird nuzzling her hand.

She wasn’t born into her parents’ favor. After their remarriage, she had to rely solely on herself, pushing forward without pause.

Mei Yin had always worked hard, not knowing what rest was. To her, resting meant wasting time. She wanted to use her own strength to reach higher.

She had repeatedly ranked first but felt increasingly exhausted.

She had grown weary of the treacherous power plays in the Royal Capital.

Choosing to follow Jiang Zhuozhuo here was both an impulsive decision and one made after much thought.

When she saw that innocent little round bird quietly enduring others’ gossip and ridicule, she suddenly felt a compassionate kinship.

Even as a princess, she too was disliked and unwanted…

“Alright.”

Mei Yin smiled in agreement.

Although Jiang Zhuozhuo was still naive and many of her ideas were childish, she was at least gradually winning people over.

Though their territory was currently remote and poor, once developed, Jiang Zhuozhuo would have plenty of freedom to pursue her ambitions.

The vast fields of Tree Wheat alone were an inexhaustible resource for their territory.

Jiang Zhuozhuo had no intention of selling flour at high prices within her own lands, but trading with other provinces was a good option. Many wealthy nobles in other provinces were willing to pay premium prices for a good meal.

Of course, before that, they had to conduct thorough censuses of the population and Tree Wheat resources to avoid unnecessary disputes as the value of Tree Wheat rose.

The Bird Population Census she casually mentioned was truly necessary!

Mei Yin reviewed her to-do list, her only thought:—

No chance for a vacation. While Jiang Zhuozhuo was out playing and not coming up with new ideas, she had to quickly put these plans into action.

It’s always when you need them most that you realize how little time you have!

Mei Yin smiled and proposed to Jiang Zhuozhuo: “I’ll have them bring the ‘Get Some Fries’ ship over. Helena and the others will come along, too. Mistress can invite the Seventh Princess and her friends aboard for a meal.”

The so-called ‘Get Some Fries’ was a floating restaurant prepared to open to the public.

The shore-based store currently supplied braised beans to commoners around the clock and had difficulty developing other affordable, high-turnover dishes. Therefore, some premium dishes were reserved for sale on the ship.

The ship’s dining environment was elegant, staffed only by handsome and beautiful servers trained and certified for the role. The dishes were unique, unavailable elsewhere… so a single meal could cost as much as a year’s supply of braised beans!

Clearly, their target customers were the wealthy.

The ‘Get Some Fries’ ship had never officially opened, but its current menu was enough to rake in a fortune from the rich.

If they could make this ship famous in Hongye Province, Woye Province would soon start earning foreign currency.

Hearing that her trip could also bring income to the territory, the little round bird declared enthusiastically, “Leave it to me!”