By the time Jessica recovered from the "uncle" bombshell, Sean had already stormed the kitchen, barking orders at the chef. She sighed, shooting a withering look at Lucio, who stood nearby wearing a similarly perplexed expression.
First he insists on killing prey himself, now he makes girls of the same age call him "uncle." What a bizarre hobby.
Wait—if Jessica was now Sean's "niece," did that make him Sean's nephew? Lucio's face fell at the thought.
Under Jessica's "gentle" gaze, he forced a grin. "You're in for a treat, Jessica. I've never seen Lord Sean cook before! Consider yourself lucky." He gave her a thumbs-up, which she pointedly ignored.
Sean's chef, a Riverside recruit who'd mastered his "divine" recipes, had already prepared dinner before Sean's kitchen intervention. The lord merely adjusted the seasoning and ordered an extra portion.
While he cooked, Lucio rattled on about Sean's culinary genius. Jessica, skeptical at first (after all, Lucio was Yorn's only self-proclaimed "young gourmet"), found herself softening as fragrant aromas wafted from the kitchen.
When the meal arrived, Sean gestured to the spread: "Secret family recipe from the Violets—thousands of years old. Not your ordinary grilled meat."
Jessica fought a smirk—Violet family history was barely 300 years, but one bite of the spiced, tender meat silenced her. The flavors—spicy, savory, melting on the tongue—outshone any 烤肉 (grilled meat) she'd ever tasted. She ate ravenously, each dish opening a new world of taste.
Sean, playing the doting "uncle," piled her plate with treats. Jessica controls River family finances now. Charm her, and gold flows like wine.
By dessert, Jessica was hooked. "Lord Sean, will you sell me your chef? 200 gold!"
Sean's eyes lit—200 gold was a small fortune, but he sighed dramatically. "I only brought one chef to Yorn. Can't part with him yet."
"Fine." Jessica deflated, though she knew the truth: with Brody's invasion looming, those chefs might not survive anyway. Father felt this way about Windsor, didn't he? Wanting to buy, yet dreading their demise.
After dinner, Jessica and Lucio departed. At the gate, Lucio grinned, "Told you the food was top-tier!"
Jessica nodded, reluctant to admit defeat. "It… suited my taste. Sean is surprisingly approachable, no noble airs. If not for—" She paused, sighing.
"Not for what?" Lucio pressed.
But Jessica's gaze had turned icy, fixed on the figure ahead: Brody Mill, Viscount of Waterpine, clutching a massive flower bouquet, fury in his eyes.
Back inside, Sean gathered his team in the study. Plans for visiting the dwarf blacksmith were tabled—tomorrow would be busy enough.
"Henry, the stills survived the journey?"
"Intact, My Lord."
"Good. Tomorrow, buy ale from the market and fetch the flowers I listed. Speed is key—perfume production can't wait."
Lodin, next in line, hesitated. "My Lord, about continuing the Romance series… as a merchant, I'm struggling with the story."
Sean waved a hand, grinning. "Write about Azeroth's history! It's dramatic enough."
"Where to start? Azeroth's history is millennia long."
"Easy. 99% of the action happened in the 30 years before your time travel. I'll even give you a title and synopsis:
Title: Into Azeroth
Synopsis: Why do catastrophes plague the land? Why do goblin engineers suffer endless accidents? Why did the Earth-Warder fall as Deathwing? Is this the Old Gods' corruption, or a collapse of morality? Tune in at 8 PM for Into Azeroth —no spoilers, only epic lore!"
Lodin: "…"
Later, as Sean prepared for bed, Nebula stirred in his pocket, scales glowing faintly. He glanced at the dragonlet, then at the locked chest containing Holy Flame Spirit and Jamie's heels.
Tomorrow, the dwarf blacksmith would be first on his list. A few barrels of spirits might loosen the old man's tongue about Yorn's arms market… or the Count's weapon stockpiles.
But for now, he smiled, recalling Jessica's shocked face at the "uncle" comment. Noble politics were a game of chess, but tonight, he'd discovered something even better—Jessica Rivers, the treasurer with a weakness for good food, was a pawn he could use.
And as Lodin scratched out the first pages of Into Azeroth, Sean knew one thing: in Yorn, where lies and loyalty clashed, even a cookbook could be a weapon… or a key to a noble's purse.