“How did things end up like this?”
Alicia let out a long sigh, her head lowered, her face full of displeasure.
“Ha…”
Lai En across from her let out a bitter laugh, tilting his head back and staring blankly at the ceiling.
“I want to ask you the same thing. How did you agree to this?”
“When did I ever agree? Your Highness just didn’t refuse directly enough, and Elder Lord Enlaike played us both!”
The girl sat up with a jolt, eyes wide, puffing her cheeks in retaliation.
“Me?”
Lai En was taken aback, then laughed helplessly.
“You’re the one who couldn’t care less about your own future. Why didn’t you just refuse outright?”
“Elder Lord Enlaike is still my superior after all! He lowered himself so much and pleaded so earnestly—how could I have turned him down to his face?”
The girl looked like she was about to cry.
They both fell silent.
A few seconds later, Lai En sighed and rubbed his forehead in defeat.
“The old man is like a father to me. I couldn’t just say no either. Besides, I didn’t want to go through those blind dates with noble ladies anyway…”
“So Elder Lord Enlaike set us up on a blind date instead?”
The girl grimaced, half angry and half amused.
“What do we do now?”
They exchanged glances, but neither could think of a good solution.
Finally, they gave up.
“Since the old man has arranged things to this extent, let’s just sit here a little longer.”
Yes, the first thing Elder Lord Enlaike did after leaving Alicia was write two letters with essentially the same content.
The gist was: “His Highness Lai En/Lady Alicia has already agreed. I have arranged a nice place for you two. Young people should spend more time together. Lay aside your status and have a proper chat!”
Those two letters, like “Fat Man” and “Little Boy,” were delivered to their recipients that very night.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were immediately shaken to their core.
Andrew, who loved watching the drama unfold, immediately dragged his wife over and even used public funds to buy a full set of high-end cosmetics and several dresses, claiming he had to dress up the Young Lord so well that His Highness would fall in love at first sight!
Truth be told, Alicia looked stunning once she put on makeup.
The red eyeshadow masked her slightly immature aura, and the light lip gloss highlighted her modesty and humility.
In Andrew’s wife’s words, Alicia was naturally beautiful with good bone structure.
Her skin was smooth and didn’t need any powder.
A simple touch-up made her a noble and elegant beauty.
That noble and elegant beauty was now slumped in her chair like a dead fish, staring blankly.
Lai En was the same.
Under the old man’s supervision, he was forced into a proper suit of formalwear, and some hair oil was used to style his brown hair, making it glossy and neat.
Lai En was a handsome man by nature.
If he could wear a calm, confident smile and carry his usual lazy yet sharp gaze, he could easily charm countless lovesick maidens in the city, the kind of guy that would make them scream “Big Brother” as they chased after him.
That handsome man who could charm thousands of maidens was now also sitting there lifelessly.
Thinking back, the way they had interacted over the past half year was almost completely devoid of romance and flirtation.
There was no helping it.
Lai En spent his days either in meetings or on his way to meetings, busy handling various decisions and noble relationships within his domain.
As for Alicia, she was either recovering from injuries, writing documents, or running back and forth between the barracks and the food processing plant.
Occasionally, she would visit the workshop outside the city to check on the progress of gunpowder weapons.
Their conversations were either bickering, discussing new policies and plans, or the girl asking for money and Lai En bargaining.
Now that they suddenly had free time, detached from work, their minds went blank, unsure of what to talk about.
Lai En adjusted his collar slightly.
The collar of this formal suit felt a bit tight.
Alicia’s eyes wandered.
She felt a slight itch at the corner of her eye from the eyeshadow but was afraid to scratch and ruin her makeup.
The atmosphere was incredibly awkward.
Finally, Lai En broke the silence.
“Well, Alicia, since the old man went to the trouble of renting out this entire restaurant, we might as well order some food. It is the best place in the city.”
“Alright.”
At the mention of food, the girl immediately sat up straight.
Her arms regained their strength, and light returned to her eyes.
“I want a large portion of roast beef, with some gravy, mashed potatoes, and sausage.”
Lai En looked at her with newfound respect.
That appetite was even bigger than his.
Was this woman really a woman?
“Hm? Lord and Master, aren’t you eating?”
After placing her order, Alicia noticed Lai En was just staring at her.
She blinked in confusion.
“Their roast beef is top-notch! The meat quality is excellent, the fire control is precise, and the sauce is a secret recipe. You’d miss out if you don’t try it!”
Yeah, right, and the price was top-notch too.
He could only imagine the look on the old man’s face when he paid the bill.
And her table manners were far from elegant!
Lai En had eaten with noble ladies before.
Those ladies sat straight, chewed silently, swallowed delicately, and even wiped their mouths with movements that seemed precisely calculated, exuding nobility and grace.
This girl, on the other hand, quickly stuffed her cheeks full, chewing with audible, satisfied grunts.
It was like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey.
Would she die of hunger if she ate a second later?
“Mm-mm!”
Wiping her mouth in a completely unladylike manner, the girl put down her knife and fork, rubbing her stomach with contentment.
“Because of this damn corset, I haven’t eaten anything since last night!”
“…You’ve had a rough time.”
Lai En’s mouth twitched.
Not knowing how to respond, he forced a topic.
“By the way, about that meatloaf and compressed bread you were working on—do you have any finished products? I’d like to try them.”
“Don’t! Your Highness, I advise against it!”
The girl immediately raised both hands, making a “stop” gesture.
“Those aren’t for everyday eating. They’re emergency rations for disaster relief or forced marches. They definitely won’t taste good!”
“I see… How many have you produced so far?”
“The entire first trial batch was scrapped. The second batch passed inspection, but output hasn’t increased yet. Right now, there are only a few dozen boxes, and they’ve all been sent to the Quartermaster.”
“The Quartermaster?”
Lai En raised an eyebrow.
“Preparing for the battle in spring? Not bad!”
“Actually, Lord and Master.”
The girl couldn’t help but let out a long, lazy burp.
“I have a bad feeling. We might not… be able to wait until spring.”
“Oh?”
Lai En leaned forward slightly, his expression turning serious.
“What makes you say that? Give me the details.”
The girl picked up her water glass, warming her hands as she analyzed.
“The harvests have been poor for years now, and the main grain-producing areas are in Xipuaisi’s hands. If we don’t take Biluo’en Castle quickly during winter, the spring plowing might be affected. Now it depends on whether that lady is willing to loosen up and reveal Biluo’en Castle’s weaknesses to us.”
“Is that what you think too?”
Lai En showed a rare, genuine smile.
“We’re on the same page then. But if we launch a winter campaign, the troops we can deploy are very limited. Only seven hundred newly trained Regular Army soldiers—and your EDF is included in that number.”
“Isn’t that enough? The enemy probably won’t expect us to attack in winter.”
Just then, a shadow appeared without warning from the darkness of the roof beams.
It flipped down lightly and landed on one knee, posture respectful yet carrying the crisp efficiency of training.
“Who goes there?!”
Lai En was clearly startled by the ghostly entrance.
He jumped up from his chair and instinctively reached for his sword.
“Your Highness, no need to panic!”
Alicia reacted quickly, raising her hand to stop him almost as he stood up.
Because the hooded figure made no move to approach them, and on its arm was a cloth patch embroidered with the number: 21.
“Your Highness, no need to panic. This is an agent of the Cheka.”
Alicia quickly explained to Lai En, then turned to the kneeling figure.
“Agent 21, speak your report.”
“Yes! Lord and Master! Your Highness! Agent 18 has discovered that a large number of civilians left Biluo’en Castle this morning, apparently heading into the nearby forests to cut wood.”
“I see. The residents of Biluo’en Castle went out to gather firewood? Hmm… Anything else?”
Alicia frowned slightly and sat back down.
“Yes. Agent 78 reports that this morning, a large number of grain sacks were observed being loaded onto carts inside Biluo’en Castle. Approximately fifteen to twenty fully loaded carts have been completed, and about fifteen empty carts are waiting to be loaded. At the same time, roughly one hundred and fifty militia members have gathered in the castle’s open area, apparently to escort the grain convoy. However, the convoy’s destination is unknown. Over.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Alicia took a deep breath, her voice calm as she gave orders.
“Continue surveillance. Make sure to determine the convoy’s final destination, the militia’s specific movements, and the exact purpose of the logging. Stay safe and prioritize your own survival.”
“Yes!”
Agent 21 responded crisply, then leaped out the window.
With a few bounds, they disappeared silently, as if they had never been there.
“To think… intelligence from this morning could be in our hands by noon.”
Lai En murmured in admiration, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
But only for a moment.
He immediately turned serious.
“Alicia, what do you make of the movements at Biluo’en Castle?”
“I don’t know where they’re taking the grain.”
The girl pinched her chin thoughtfully.
“And I don’t know if the civilians cutting wood are just gathering firewood. But I do think that with one hundred and fifty fewer defenders in Biluo’en Castle, now is the time to strike!”
Having said that, she immediately showed an embarrassed, awkward smile, shrinking back slightly.
Her voice dropped an octave as she scratched her head and bowed apologetically.
“Um… but I don’t really know military strategy. That was just me rambling. In the end, Your Highness will have to make the final decision. I was just speaking off the cuff, just off the cuff…”
Lai En let out a soft sigh.
“Alicia, your face sure changes fast!”