Chapter 147: The Conflicted Vivian
"Miss Leicester, are you dining here too?" Winchester's clerk spotted Vivian surrounded by guards, and a glint flickered in his eyes. "It just so happens that I'm acquainted with the owner. Come, come, let me find a quiet place for you."
"Ayou!" He called Jiangyou out from the kitchen, "We have a distinguished guest!"
"Hey, hey!" Jiang came running out leisurely. He understood most of what was going on and said with a smile, "Please follow me, there's a private room in the back!"
It was called a private room, but it was actually her own dining room. At first, Jiang You felt the small restaurant was redundant and nearly converted it into a warehouse and brewery. Fortunately, before he even started, servants from wealthy merchants and nobles began arriving for dinner. These people disdained sharing a room with commoners, so they naturally needed a dedicated "private room."
So, Jiangyou renovated the small restaurant and had Andrei make several beautiful screens to separate the most beautiful window area, which became a private room for the nobility. Whether it was the delivery window where the raven was parked or the corner where various supplies were piled, they were all tightly blocked by the screens, absolutely invisible to the guests.
"Your carriage can be parked in the courtyard. We have a back door that leads directly to the backyard. If you don't want to go through the bustling crowd later, you can also get on the carriage directly from the backyard." Jiang You introduced attentively. After the box was ready, she asked Andre to remove the gate between the front and back yards and turn it into a carriageway so that the guests could park and pass.
"That's not bad." Vivian looked left and right, then nodded with satisfaction. "Whatever delicious food you have here, bring it all to me!"
Jiang You handed over a menu. "You've come just in time! Our roast meats are almost ready. Today we have roast duck, barbecued pork, and crispy pork. I can cut you a roast meat platter! For main courses, we have rice noodle rolls and clay pot rice."
Vivian: “…” These are all names of dishes I’ve never heard of!
She waved her hand and said, "I want them all!"
"Okay! We have a regular version and a special version of our sauce. The prices are very different, but the taste is also very different. Do you want..."
"Special edition! I'm not short of money, give me the best!"
"Okay!" Jiang You loved such generous guests the most. "We also serve drinks. We have fruity witch beer, plum wine with a slightly higher alcohol content and a stronger taste, and delicious rose wine that can be used as a sugary dessert! Rose wine has a low alcohol content and is very nourishing for us girls. However, the rose wine needs to be made fresh, so you have to wait a while."
"I want rose wine." Since the shop was safe and secure, Vivian was in no hurry to return to the City Lord's Mansion to see the Baroness's bored expression. "As long as it tastes good, I don't mind waiting."
"Okay~!" Jiangyou laughed happily. She rubbed her hands excitedly and went into the kitchen to prepare food.
Vivian plopped down heavily in her chair. "Phew! Finally, I can eat some decent food! All the scheming with the Baron's family every day, and having to wear a mask while eating that awful food, it's killing me!"
"Miss!" the maid hurriedly spoke out to stop her and glanced at the clerk at the door.
"Why are you still here?!" Vivian's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry, I'm old, my eyesight is blurry, and my reaction is slow." The Winchester clerk smiled. "If you have no other instructions, I'll take my leave."
"Let's go, let's go." Vivian waved her hands quickly. "Tsk, this damn place is just disgusting! I shouldn't have listened to that old man and chosen this place as my debut venue."
"Miss! Hush! Be careful with your words! Be careful with your words!"
"Why should I be so cautious? I'm the daughter of a marquis, do I really have to obey the Baron's wishes?!" She glared at her maid angrily. "If you ask me, the best place to debut would be with Brother Winston... It's a pity that he's been staying indoors for the past few years, with the door locked tightly. Even I can't see him... I suspect he's not even in his own territory!"
"Oh, my lady, can you even talk about this kind of thing outside?!" The maid was at a loss for words and said earnestly, "The social scene is where the old aristocracy truly amassed power and orchestrated their strategies. It's a never-ending masquerade ball, where every dancer is meticulously disguised, everyone pretending to be someone else. Once the mask is put on, it can never be taken off. Choosing the stage and the dance partner are all very particular!"
Originally, daughters of nobles would choose their father's estate for their debut, but now that the royal family has banned social dances, this "custom" has had to change. Noble daughters of marriageable age will travel to a powerful noble estate, under the guise of visiting relatives and friends, and perform at a ball hosted by the other party.
In this way, even if the royal family wanted to punish the daughter, the nature of the incident would change from a social dance specially organized for her daughter to a small gathering attended by the host during a visit to relatives and friends. If the status of the two parties was quite different, it would be even better, and the matter could be easily washed away.
Of course, you can't just pick low-ranking nobles whose status is too different from yours, as that would make you look cheap. The best choices are naturally those who don't show off their power on the surface, but whose strength is well known to everyone. If you already have plans for a marriage alliance or a coalition, that's even better!
"The western city of Eston is very close to the capital, and Baron Neumann is a rising political star. Rumor has it that he's secretly developing his power, and his wealth is already comparable to that of a count... Yes, yes, I understand all that! But you've also seen his foolish son! I wouldn't choose someone like that!"
Vivian sighed heavily. "I don't understand. We're all descendants of nobles, so why do women have to get married to be respected by other nobles?! I am who I am. I don't need to rely on any man to survive!"
"This world favors men who can lead troops in battle." The maid half-knelt down and patted Vivian's hand soothingly. "You don't have to choose Baron Neumann's son. As long as the social dance is held again, you can stand out and use them as stepping stones to help you rise to the top! Be patient, young lady, you need to be patient!"
"This is wrong," Vivian murmured. "These so-called customs, prejudices, and discriminations are all wrong... Even these social balls that waste people's money and time shouldn't exist. Why must nobles rely on pleasure-seeking and reveling every night to develop their territory? Simply managing their territory well can bring a better life to their people and greater wealth to themselves."
——Snap, snap, snap.
Suddenly, applause broke out from behind the screen, and Vivian stood up quickly: "Who's there?!"
A handsome figure in military uniform appeared from behind the screen: "Long time no see, Vivian."
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