NOVPUBSiegler’s room door opened, and she still wore her beret even in the hotel, her gaze drifting toward the dining table as the aroma permeated the air.
On the table was a dinner more sumptuous than she had expected.
The main course was a chicken stew with white wine, the rich sauce blending the scents of cream and white wine, with tender, juicy chicken paired with soft mashed potatoes, gently mixed with a silky sauce. The grilled beef steak looked shiny and tempting, slightly charred on the surface, with red wine sauce, truffles, and pepper sauce adding a meaty aroma. The vegetable salad was a refreshing touch—fresh lettuce with crispy duck, mango, and carrot, drizzled with salad dressing.
Cat Boss had prepared a few dishes he excelled at using the winter ingredients specifically requested by Lanci.
Sitting at the table, Siegler gazed at the dinner, sitting rigidly by the rules.
"Why aren’t you starting?"
Lanci came over, pulled out a chair, and sat down opposite her, asking.
"I was waiting for you to come before eating."
Siegler replied.
"You don’t have to be so formal."
Lanci chuckled and gestured for her to help herself.
Siegler nodded, no longer being polite, picked up the cutlery, forked a piece of beef into her mouth, and chewed. She was immediately conquered by the tenderness of the meat and the richness of the sauce, quickening her pace of chewing.
Although her way of eating was far from polite, no matter how hungry she looked, she only took a small portion from the public meal and quickly finished, sitting dryly in her chair.
"Meow..."
Cat Boss stood up from the chair, pawed the edge of the table and checked. It had prepared the meal for two, but it seemed Siegler hadn’t had her fill.
Upon reflection, at her age she was growing, her work was physically demanding—it was normal for her to eat a bit more. Her lifestyle appeared especially frugal, as if it were a rare treat to enjoy such delights.
"I had a rather full meal before I set off today, so I can’t finish all this. Could I trouble you to help us get rid of some of it?"
Lanci looked at Siegler and asked.
He was eating slowly, leisurely cutting through the steak.
Siegler glanced at Lanci and nodded.
She could probably tell that her employer was hinting for her to eat more, in a rather subtle way.
But she wouldn’t awkwardly refuse someone’s kindness.
"Thank you."
Siegler said and continued to eat.
Within a few minutes, the dinner on the table was devoured, and Siegler leaned back in her chair with an expressionless face and belched.
It might be a bit impolite, but she had already realized that as long as her behavior and speech didn’t affect serious matters, this employer would always accommodatingly tolerate her.
Nor was it as exaggerated as the secretary said—that he was such a wealthy and haughty authority figure that she couldn’t do this or that in front of him.
"Tomorrow my appetite should be better too, let’s buy more groceries."
Lanci finished his dinner too, and taking a note from his pocket, he amended the quantity of the items on the shopping list.
Watching the young woman eat reassured him.
Eating well is good, for robust growth.
She didn’t need to worry about getting fat or high blood pressure; the diligent Siegler would surely grow into an outstanding young adult.
"Tomorrow, if you haven’t fixed the statue, I’ll try my best to protect you from getting beaten up."
Suddenly Siegler spoke up.
Truth be told, she had never heard of an artist named Rocky, or a famous craftsman, nor had she seen his works in the Palante Empire.
It was highly likely that it was because Mr. Rocky McCarthy had a distinguished status and wide connections that he could bear such a grand title of Royal Craftsman, occasionally presenting gifts to the royal family.
If indeed he was that impressive, the royal family would probably have made his works famous throughout the Palante Empire long ago.
Based on Siegler’s understanding of the Orcs, only a master craftsman was qualified to touch their sacred level ancient artifacts, and the result of the restoration could be clearly judged through identification magic, as the statue itself was an ancient artifact with magic art effects, and could not be faked in the slightest.
It would be a success if she could barely get the Orcs to approve of it tomorrow.
In a worse case, if the statue was damaged, the Herram’s grand Lord might not take action himself, to avoid spoiling relations with the Palante Empire, but that might not hold for those below him—it was very possible to get a beating from the people.
Just thinking about such a dire situation made Siegler’s head hurt.
If it wasn’t for seeing that this employer treated her quite well, she wouldn’t want to meddle in such troubles no matter the money.
"Oh? Thank you."
Lanci said with a smile, looking up.
The contract only stipulated that Siegler was to ensure his safety in the event of an accident.
If it was a non-accidental incident caused by the employer himself, she actually didn’t have to shield him from disaster.
"Of course, if you want me to make a move, it won’t be for free,"
Siegler waved her hand dismissively and walked toward her own bedroom.
Though she was physically fit, with rare opportunities to rest, she would still sleep any chance she got.
In the following days, her chances to rest would be few, and most of her days would be spent traveling at high intensity in severe weather.
She didn’t even bother changing her clothes, just laid directly on the bed.
...
In the current world of the Northern Continent, the Protoss Empire.
As the first rays of light touched Herram on the horizon, the city began to shake off the tranquility of the night.
Skyscrapers glistened in the dawn, the silhouettes of ancient churches, and the otherworldly suspended road surfaces became even more enchanting in the hazy mist.
The sky slowly transitioned from deep blue to soft orange and yellow, and golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating every corner of the city.
In a private residence atop a skyscraper at the center of the Herram city-state, sunlight filtered through the half-open blinds, gently waking the bedroom.
The bedroom was modern in decor, with simple artistic pieces hanging on the walls that complemented the room’s light color palette, and a neatly made king-size bed with black and green pillows casually placed to one side.
Sigrid’s cheeks were touched by the light, and she slowly opened her eyes from her slumber.
"Huuuh."
She yawned, sat up, shifted her body, dangled her feet, and gently placed them on the carpet.
For some reason, she had been feeling very sleepy these past two days, and she would have slept for a long time if her subordinate, Gloria, hadn’t woken her up.
Indeed, she had been quite busy with work recently.
The alliance between the Protoss Empire and the neighboring Aestheland Kingdom was crucial. As long such an alliance was settled, no matter what threats lay to the north, the entire South Bank front would be very secure, and she would finally have a short vacation.
In the Aestheland Kingdom, the Church of the Goddess of Destiny had been highly esteemed from ancient times. For this alliance, they were also one of the negotiating parties, which was a rare instance in history where the Church of the Goddess of Destiny and a single branch of the Rebirth Church could come to an agreement.
"To think I dreamed of the Saint Heir."
Sigrid smiled and shook her head.
In the dream, she turned into a little girl, setting out on the Snowfield once again with the Saint Heir.
It was a terribly chaotic era, and that little girl didn’t have a moment’s peace, even simply being alive was a struggle for her. Sigrid didn’t understand why she would have such a nightmare.
Now that she was awake, she still felt like she had broken out into a cold sweat, her heart beating an irregular rhythm as if the fear lingered in her heart.
Unfortunately, in the dream, she had no memory of the present world and was cold towards the Saint Heir.
She sat on the bed for a while, reflecting on the dream.
"Damn it, I was a kid in the dream and couldn’t beat him,"
Sigrid muttered disappointedly.
She still remembered the detestable way the Saint Heir looked, tricking her into promising not to speak out of turn during the restoration ceremony, then he even flashed a winning smile.
"Forget it, the favorability in dreams doesn’t count."
A few more days of effort and she’d be able to take a short break to the South Continent.
Sigrid heard from Little Black Cat that apart from Lanci, the Wilford family all believed in the Goddess of Destiny, so she thought that if she was going to visit, she could bring a gift from the North Continent Church of the Goddess of Fate. Thus, she inquired with the Church, who gladly provided her with gifts as symbols of peace and friendship.
She said she also wanted an extra charm for blessing matrimonial matches, and to her surprise, the Church of the Goddess of Destiny actually gave her one.
Sigrid looked at the glowing little ornament on her wrist and showed a slight smile.
Perhaps basking in the comfortable sunlight, Sigrid couldn’t help stretching, using her fingertips to wipe away the faint tears.
As is well known, dreams are hard to continue. She probably wouldn’t have nightmares again tonight.
But even if it was a nightmare, he would surely save her.
