Despite this, a whole host of problems awaited the Duke in Erie.

But Arthur still made time to have a sweet dinner with Ellie.

The sweetness of dinner depends on the quantity and quality of desserts on the table.

The Duke traveled day and night to get here just for this meal.

"What special experiences did you have on this adventure?" the Duke asked, cutting into the roasted blue-footed dragon snake meat steak on his plate.

The meal was very 'sweet' because the pastry chef was so skilled that the vanilla cupcakes completely captured his wife's attention.

Li Aili was 'destroying' a fruit cream roll when she casually remarked, "Everything's fine, my brother-in-law was a great help."

The Duke paused in his hand as he cut the charcoal-grilled steak.

The elegant and poised Duke slowly put down his knife, raised his arm and placed it on the back of the lady's chair, then forcefully pulled Li Aili, chair and all, towards him.

The two men stood knee to knee, chair to chair.

Li Aili, forced to leave the fruit cream roll: "???"

“My dear, tell me, what important emergency is it that you had to come to that other guy, brother-in-law, instead of me?” The Duke raised his hand to wipe a small dot of cream from the corner of Li Aili’s mouth, his smile unusually gentle.

Li Aili blinked innocently, "What did you say, darling?"

Just then, Conrad strode in from outside. "Sir, a letter from Erie."

Arthur sighed softly, took Ellie's hand, and gently kissed it. "Wait for me a little longer, Ellie, it'll be soon."

Li Aili recalled the 'overseas phone call' during the adventure, "Busy?"

Arthur said, "Elie still has some 'tails' that need to be cleaned up."

Seeing that Ellie's steak was untouched, Arthur simply took the knife and cut it into evenly sized 'small cubes' for her.

"The bishops and missionaries of Erie need to be taken away by the Holy See."

Li Aili recalled the old bishop who always smiled very warmly, but whose head was covered in bubbles of dog excrement...

Having met him twice before, Li Aili couldn't help but ask, "How is that old bishop?"

Arthur thought for a moment and used a very appropriate adjective, "Very energetic..."

Li Aili: That's good. (*｀*)

Arthur slowly added, "He used rich words to 'comfort' the women of all the knights' families."

Li Aili: "..."

The plate for the steak replaced the plate for the cream roll.

Li Aili was forced to put down the cream cake roll and start eating the veal steak.

Watching her dawdle through half a plate of veal steaks, finally unable to eat any more, Arthur expertly took the plate and swiftly and elegantly devoured the remaining veal steaks.

After finishing his meal, the Duke stood up and took the dark red cloak from Conrad. "I'm going to Erie. I should be back tomorrow or the day after if things go smoothly."

Li Aili was stunned, and then she realized that this person had put aside important matters to come back and pick her up and have dinner with her.

Arthur stood up to leave.

Ellie and Conrad escorted the Duke to the front courtyard and watched him mount his warhorse.

"Arthur, how much longer will this war last?"

The Duke gripped the reins, his blue eyes fixed on her, and said earnestly, "It'll be soon, Ellie, almost there."

The warhorse impatiently raised its front hooves, and the Duke leaned forward, holding Li Aili's chin with one hand and using the other to lift his dark red cloak to block others' view. Their lips met, and the two shared a brief kiss.

After they parted, Li Aili's cheeks were slightly flushed.

The Duke said, “Wait for me a little longer, my dear.”

Having said that, the Duke straightened up and cracked his whip. His black warhorse shot off like an arrow, galloping onto the castle drawbridge and disappearing into the night with its master.

“Conrad,” Li Aili said softly.

Conrad replied, "Madam."

Li Aili looked up at the bright starry sky and said, "Why do you think he loved war so much..."

Conrad said, "Perhaps it's to create a space where you can live without worry."

Li Aili looked at the old butler speechlessly, "You really are... good at speaking up for him."

Conrad said, "Some things, time will tell, madam."

Li Aili said seriously, "Conrad."

Conrad smiled and replied, "Yes, madam."

Li Aili: "Tomorrow, keep an eye on the newspapers for me. If there's any scandal involving a certain important person, send it to me."

Conrad: "..."

The smile vanished from the old butler's face.

"Yes, madam."

...

Li Aili went to the alchemy room before going to sleep.

I tidied up the back garden.

If you enter the back garden at night, you're more likely to encounter a 'shadow mushroom'.

There is only one chance to harvest the magical plant per day, so choosing the right time to enter the back garden is important, depending on the needs of the alchemy factory.

After sorting the harvested magical plants into their respective categories and placing them in the insulated boxes, Li Aili went upstairs to the second floor to study "Merlin's Alchemy Notebook" on her own.

Today, my students noticed a gray hair on my head, and this gray hair made me think a lot.

Alchemy is more vast than the endless starry sky, but human life is as fleeting as a shooting star.

Perhaps I can only glimpse a fraction of alchemy in my entire life.

This makes me very frustrated.

I have an idea: could I extend my lifespan through alchemy?

In this way, I can swim freely in the vast ocean of alchemy...

Turning the page, there was only one line: "This is the initial reason I created the Philosopher's Stone."

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