NOVEL NEXT Chapter 45: To the Capital!
Since Ren Xiyang had decided to head to the Capital with Prince Rian, he didn’t dawdle. With all the important jobs now delegated to the new council of workers across the estate and waste-improvement task force, Ren Xiyang determined that they could leave the very next day. He told Kel to prepare to leave tomorrow.
When Mrs. Cooks heard about Earl Rosewood’s forthcoming departure, she was shocked. She galvanised her team of chefs to prepare an impromptu feast for the earl.
Kel carried the news back to Earl Rosewood, who was back in his suite entertaining the two princes.
“She doesn’t need to bother,” Ren Xiyang tried.
“She’s already started. Mrs. Cooks won’t take no for an answer,” Kel replied promptly.
“You should accept this feast before you leave as an expression of Mrs. Cooks’ feelings,” Rian said.
Ren Xiyang sighed in his heart. Defeated, he said, “Then hold the feast in the main hall. Make enough food and bring in enough tables and chairs so that everyone working at the estate can sit and eat, including Mrs. Cooks. You can adjust the guard schedule so that they can also take turns to come in to eat.”
Kel straightened. “Yes, my Lord!”
The news spread among the Rosewood staff. As dinner time approached, anticipatory employees headed over to the main hall and took a seat. They liked their new earl; the more they compared him with other nobles, the higher his standing in their hearts.
Before dinner was served, Earl Rosewood came in with the two princes and their entourage.
All the staff got to their feet. “We greet His Highness, Prince Rian! We greet His Highness, Prince Alexius! We greet our Lord, Earl Rosewood!”
Rian and Alexius gracefully acknowledged everyone, while Ren Xiyang uncomfortably said, “Take a seat, don’t stand.”
The three of them sat at the reserved table, alongside Sir Gerlach Aegean and some of the Royal Guards.
The kitchen staff, with Mrs. Cooks overseeing, efficiently carried out all the dishes. The earl’s favourite dishes—with the spiciest spice levels—were placed near him.
“Mrs. Cooks, thank you. Don’t leave, take a seat too,” Ren Xiyang told them.
Mrs. Cooks’ cheeks were red from all her efforts. “It’s my pleasure, my Lord!”
Once the kitchen staff took a seat too, Ren Xiyang was about to reach out for some food, when he realised that the hall was quiet and that everyone was looking at him.
“Earl Rosewood, do you want to say a word to everyone first?” Rian whispered.
Ren Xiyang: “…”
Ren Xiyang inwardly sighed and stood up. “Thank you for everyone’s hard work. I hope you can keep the estate and fief running smoothly while I’m gone. I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, my Lord!” came a surprisingly coordinated cheer.
Ren Xiyang’s eyes softened. “And let us thank Mrs. Cooks and all the kitchen staff for the feast today.” Ren Xiyang led a few claps.
Maria stood up. “And let us also thank Earl Rosewood and wish him a safe trip to the Capital! The Rosewood fief is getting better every day!”
The clapping intensified.
Ren Xiyang was embarrassed. He cleared his throat. “Enough. Eat, don’t wait for me or the princes.” He promptly took a seat again.
Rian’s lips curled up in amusement.
Despite Ren Xiyang’s words, the staff waited until he started serving himself before they began. Chatter started quietly but soon the entire hall was lively with conversation.
Alexius looked around the hall. “This is not like the Imperial Palace at all!” Aside from the different selection of food on the table, this was the first time he had dined with the servants! His initial ingrained unease at the unusual arrangement soon gave way to curiosity.
“Your Highness, what would you like to eat?” Sir Gerlach Aegean asked his young charge.
Alexius’s attention turned back to the food. “Hm, this, and this, and that too...”
Ren Xiyang glanced over to Rian. “Your Highness, what would you like to eat?”
“Let me try what you’re eating,” Rian said.
“Oh? Are you sure?”
Rian’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure, Earl Rosewood.”
“Very well.” Ren Xiyang served a small taster portion of the different foods he had on his plate.
Not long after, Rian was calmly-as-possible drinking down a full glass of water and regretting his life choices. He was very close to numbing his entire mouth with ice to see if that would help.
Ren Xiyang didn’t look at him, lest he laughed.
Once Rian seemed to be back to normal, Ren Xiyang put some less spicy food on Rian’s plate.
“This should be more to your liking.”
Rian hesitantly took a bite, relieved that Ayden was telling the truth.
“By the way, Prince Rian, before we depart, I need your help.”
Rian perked up. Ayden was asking for his help! “Ask away, Earl Rosewood.”
“Do you know how the magic in crystal balls works? I want my crystal ball to work for the staff so that they can contact me while I’m in the Capital.”
“Do you have two crystal balls?”
“Oh, I thought I would be visiting the Imperial Palace enough to use yours,” Ren Xiyang said directly.
Rian: “…” Well, the earl wasn’t wrong. Rian had planned to steal Ayden Rosewood for as long as he could. Heh, this was confirmation from Ayden that he’d spend time with Rian at the Capital!
“I’ll modify it tonight for you then,” Rian said, in a good mood. He couldn’t wait to show Ayden off to the other nobles and noble kids at the Capital.
Ren Xiyang himself woke up extra early the next morning to pick a whole cartful of fresh vegetables.
The entire Rosewood summer manor was also busy that morning preparing for the earl’s departure.
The time of departure was mid-morning, with a lunch stop planned at the border between the Rosewood fief and the Azure fief.
Ren Xiyang had a checklist, which he checked twice to make sure everything he wanted was packed.
There was a cart of vegetables, a cart with the new plough, and a cart with Rosewood products, including chilli products, tofu, and hand-made rose soap. Using his fire magic, he created a cool zone over the food to keep it fresh.
“Alexius, you can sit in the Imperial carriage with Sir Gerlach, I’m sitting with Earl Rosewood,” Rian said.
Alexius pouted. “No, why? Why can’t you sit with Sir Gerlach? I…I want to teach Earl Rosewood some more ice magic!”
“Because I’m the eldest one,” Rian said.
“Or perhaps I can sit with Sir Gerlach, and the two brothers can sit together,” Ren Xiyang said drily.
Rian’s and Alexius’s heads both snapped towards Ren Xiyang. They both had the exact same aggrieved expression.
Ren Xiyang could understand Alexius having that kind of expression, but Rian was a fully grown adult man…
Sir Gerlach was an innocent bystander. He looked between the young earl and the two princes. Did the princes like the earl so much that they would fight over him like a toy?
In the end, they all squished into the Imperial carriage together, with Sir Gerlach taking a seat at the front of the Imperial carriage with the coachman. Kel sat in the Rosewood carriage by herself.
The large entourage set off: aside from the two carriages and the many carts, there were also all the Royal Guards on horses and Earl Rosewood’s self-proclaimed guards, Sir Allen Copper and Sir Tielo Russet.
In the Imperial carriage, Alexius and Rian ended up spending a lot of their time teaching Earl Rosewood some more spells. Alexius took his role as a teacher very seriously, explaining various simple and complex ice spells to Ayden Rosewood. Rian also showed off his direct-magic ice flowers, much to Alexius’s envy.
They reached the border between the Rosewood fief and the central Azure fief in time for a late lunch. On the Rosewood fief’s side of the border, there was a Rosewood manor house that the Rosewood family would occasionally use as a place to rest or stop overnight.
It was also one of the places Ren Xiyang had asked Manager Gregory to transform into a hotel and thus start turning a profit instead of being a money sink. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t ready yet, despite the fact that even the tofu factory was now underway. In fact, none of the houses Ren Xiyang had marked to be transformed had been completed.
Regardless, the Rosewood staff at this manor house had been notified ahead of time and thus prepared lunch for the entire entourage and snacks for the rest of their journey.
After that, they had one more stop in the afternoon to take a bathroom break and have some food at one of the Imperial Azure properties, before pushing onwards to the Capital.
The sun was starting to dip down the horizon as they approached the Capital.
The farmlands with fields of wheat were dyed gold in the dusk light. There were haphazard clusters of houses and settlements outside the city. The outer city housed the relatively poorer citizens, while big, tall white walls enclosed the inner city, where the aristocracy and Imperial family lived and work.
Aside from the medieval-styled architecture that was similar to Redmond town, the inner city also had some physically difficult or impossible structures that were built with magic.
The entourage went to the Rosewoods’ house first.
The Rosewoods’ Capital residence was located in the inner city, not too far from the Imperial Palace. This represented the prestige of the Rosewood family as having the rank of Earl.
Solicitor Carmine and Manager Gregory were waiting outside alongside the head butler and the head maid. They didn’t expect Earl Rosewood to climb out of the Imperial carriage along with the two princes, while only the servant Kel climbed out of the Rosewood carriage.
“Good evening, Your Highnesses, Earl Rosewood, Sir Gerlach,” Solicitor Carmine greeted politely.
Manager Gregory echoed the greeting. His face was a little stiff, though not as stiff as it had been those weeks ago.
“Hello.” Ren Xiyang turned to the princes. “Prince Rian, the plough is yours, as promised. Before you leave, I’ll give you some tofu and other things. You have a share too, Prince Alexius.”
Manager Gregory’s expression almost cracked. Others might gift a prince precious jewels and exotic items, but the new Earl Rosewood gave a common plough and food that commoners ate!
“Thank you for your kindness,” Rian said courteously. He had also packed some tofu, but that was mostly for Count Aegean. The items that Ayden gave him personally were for himself.
Alexius smiled happily. “Thank you, Earl Rosewood.”
Kel helped Earl Rosewood transfer over some boxes of food and items.
“Earl Rosewood, I will send a carriage to fetch you tomorrow morning,” Rian said.
Ren Xiyang had plans, but he also expected this—one of the purposes of going to the Capital was to accompany Rian, after all. “I’ll see you tomorrow, your Highness.”
They farewelled each other, and the Imperial entourage headed off to the Imperial Palace.
The head butler and head maid were dressed in austere black and white with the red Rosewood emblem. Ren Xiyang supposed they simply liked wearing stuffy clothes.
“Good evening, Earl Rosewood,” the head butler greeted respectfully. “Your suite has been prepared for your arrival.”
“Dinner will be served at 8 pm in the first-floor dining room,” the head maid said.
“Earl Rosewood, do you mind if I and Manager Gregory join you over dinner?” Solicitor Carmine asked respectfully.
“That’s fine,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Then we’ll let you settle in first,” Solicitor Carmine said.
“Hm.”
Solicitor Carmine and Manager Gregory headed inside first.
The head butler himself came forward to take the Earl’s two personal suitcases. “My Lord, I will lead you to your suite.”
Ren Xiyang turned to Kel. “Kel, if you can help the workers here put away the food and soap, then you can have dinner afterwards with us.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“And Sir Copper and Sir Russet, return to your usual training here at the Capital.”
The two accompanying knights disagreed. “We’re here to guard you, my Lord.”
Ren Xiyang sighed in his heart. “Then do as you wish.” He followed the head butler inside.
The Rosewood house in the Capital was more richly decorated than the summer manor. Large portraits of past Rosewoods hung in the corridors, elegant vases held roses of various colours, and the lighting was provided by advanced fire-type lighting spells. The memories of the original owner, Alyssa Rosewood, made this house feel a bit familiar.
As the Earl, he was assigned the master suite. It consisted of a front sitting room, an adjoining study room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a large walk-in wardrobe. The suite stretched along the side of the house, so the windows on one side looked over the front garden and the inner-city street, while the other side looked to the back of the house to the well-kept garden.
“Set those down here,” Ren Xiyang said to the head butler. “I’ll unpack my things myself.”
The head butler frowned. “But, my Lord—”
“Myself, please.”
The head butler was shocked at the ‘please’ directed toward him. “Yes, my Lord.” He placed the two suitcases down in the front sitting room.
“My Lord, would you like me to run a bath for you?”
“No, I can do it myself,” Ren Xiyang said.
The head butler lowered his head. “Yes, my Lord.”
“Direct me to the dining hall later, knock first,” Ren Xiyang instructed.
“Yes, my Lord.” The head butler took the hint and exited the suite, closing the door behind him.
Ren Xiyang went forward and locked it from the inside. He explored the suite briefly, before selecting some clothes and going into the bathroom to clean off from the travel.
After dressing again, he explored the adjoining study room in greater detail, especially going over the available books.
More history books, more account books, some family genealogy books, more geography books, politics, advanced fire magic…
Nothing that Ren Xiyang needed right now. He’d have to go and purchase some books after all.
Not long after, the head butler knocked on the door. “Dinner, my Lord,” he called through the door.
Alexius: Everything my brother does, I want to do it too! Unless it’s a meeting. Unless it’s boring. Unless it’s…
Rian: ……..….…
I wonder how many people read these end comments from me. I wonder if I should put in important information here and see who notices 😆
If you head over to the latest BL Newsletter, you can see Killokii's chibi drawing of Ren Xiyang with the most shit-eating grin from Rian Azure 😆😆😆😆
