Chapter 37

After dinner.

Because of Alice's victorious chess wager, Luosen and his wife were again invited to the inner parlor reserved for after-dinner recreation.

In response, Count Robert showed a perfunctory, indifferent attitude, but Lady Agneth was quite enthusiastic.

In the parlor, she took Selena's hand and chatted amiably about everyday matters, becoming like close sisters.

Speaking of which, Count Robert is only four years older than Lady Agneth, so Lady Agneth is not much older than Lady Agneth, just over thirty.

One can also see that Lady Agneth was once a great beauty in her youth, but due to her mature attire and melancholy mood, much of her former charm has faded.

Lady Alice, the county lord, is a younger version of Lady Agneth; she now sits across from Luosen, frowning and pondering over the victorious chessboard before her.

Besides these four, Count Robert and his other children were also initially spending time in the parlor.

But after a while, aside from Alice, the four other children all left one after another.

Some were sleepy and went to sleep, some had evening lessons, some had to practice as mages—anyway, each had something to do.

Not long after, Count Robert also felt bored.

He put down the county newspaper in his hand: "Dear, it's too noisy here; I need to go to the study to read."

Lady Agneth heard this and gave a light hum: "Grant, when did you become so studious?"

Count Robert shrugged: "I've always been eager to learn."

"I hope you're reading something written on paper, not on someone's back or belly."

Count Robert glared at her: "Lady, watch your language—there are guests present!"

Lady Agneth did not back down, retorting: "There are guests, but they're not outsiders. Anyway, you're the count, so go to the study."

Count Robert fled as if escaping.

As soon as he left, Lady Agneth turned her back to her daughter and continued chatting with Selena.

But from her slightly twitching shoulder and Selena's somewhat embarrassed expression, it was clear that the noble lady was confiding something to Selena.

Lady Alice didn't notice her parents' odd behavior, as all her thoughts were on the chessboard, and she would only reply a move every three minutes.

With such a slow pace, Rosen Ziran naturally felt bored.

Having nothing to do, he used Spiritual Whisper to chat with Selena.

"The count and countess's relationship seems to have a problem."

Selena quickly replied: "To be precise, it's quite terrible."

"Why?"

"Because the count has brought several of his mistresses back to serve as personal maids, just short of letting them dine at the table together."

Luosen curled his lips: "Oh~ that really is going too far."

"Who would say otherwise? But the count justifies it wholeheartedly, even frankly telling Lady Agneth that if she wishes, she may keep a few lovers outside, as long as she doesn't interfere with him."

Luosen gave a low chuckle.

"Mm~ although this goes against Mother Nature's teachings of loyalty, from a certain angle it's rather fair."

"I also tried to persuade her that way, since the nobles of the Natural Alliance all do so. But Lady Agneth doesn't see it that way; she still loves the count and hopes he loves only her, as he did in their youth."

Having said that, Selena quietly winked at Luosen.

"Now the situation is that the count has changed, but the lady has not."

Luosen made a move on the board, giving Alice three more minutes of hard control, then asked: "So why has the count changed?"

"She says the count only likes young, beautiful maidens; she herself has aged, her skin grown coarse, her body lost its former elasticity, and because she bore many children, her belly is now covered in ugly wrinkles."

Luosen gave a quiet smile: "So the count actually hasn't changed; his tastes remain the same."

"That's one way to put it."

Luosen smiled faintly: "Then we can certainly help with this."

Selena blinked, somewhat slow to react.

Luosen explained: "Lady, my Transformation Technique can restore your beauty, thereby renewing your appeal to the count."

Selena's eyes lit up slightly, but she also hesitated.

"Luosen, I believe you have this ability, but turning a woman in her thirties who is also a mother of five into a youthful beauty—wouldn't that be too strange, even contrary to the natural balance?"

Luosen gave a light smile: "Lady, beauty doesn't require youth; maturity can be beautiful too."

"Believe me, I am not only a master of Transformation Technique, I am also a master of aesthetics. I can make everything look utterly natural, with no sense of oddness or discord."

"After all, it's merely a transformation spell; if it's wrong, we can simply dispel it."

"But if we get it right, helping the count regain family harmony, then his household will owe us a great favor, won't it?"

"Oh~ you make a lot of sense. I'll try to persuade Lady Agneth."

Selena began to persuade, while Luosen focused on the game.

By the time they reached move 140, he had successfully checkmated Alice's king.

The young countess sighed: "Ah~ Baron, I'm far behind you; you're much stronger than my uncle."

Luosen immediately soothed: "Countess, being able to reach this level at your age is already quite remarkable."

"Compared to my mentor, your aunt is far stronger."

Alice let out a "pfft" laugh.

"You little baron, when my aunt returns for the Winter Veil Festival, I'll teach her this line and say you're mocking her chess skill."

Luosen hurriedly begged for mercy, thereby dispelling much of the young countess's gloom over losing the game.

But Alice's face still showed regret: "Can the Creation of Food spell really produce fresh fish meat?"

She paused, then explained: "My magic instructor told me that the Creation of Food spell can only make bread; it absolutely cannot produce meat."

"She also said, she also said that if anyone claims they can create fresh meat, they must be a swindler."

Luosen had been waiting for her to say that, and smiled: "Countess, in the field of magic, hearing others say it a thousand or ten thousand times is no substitute for seeing it with your own eyes."

"Why not have the attendant bring some maple trunk and soybeans over?" "All right!"

Alice turned her head to the maid and said: "Hanna, immediately do as the Baron says."

The maid hurriedly went to find the ingredients.

Their conversation also drew the attention of Selena and the Countess.

Selena is a High-tier Mage, so it goes without saying that she is interested in this.

Actually, the Countess also studied magic and was even a Low-level Mage, but after marrying the Count, she focused on bearing children and gradually neglected her magical arts.

However, she still knows basic magical knowledge.

Regarding Luosen's obviously contrary-to-common-sense operation, she also became somewhat interested.

Soon, the maid brought a clean-cut piece of maple trunk and a cup of soybeans on a silver tray.

Luosen placed the materials on the table and separately released Pulverize on the trunk and the soybeans.

He explained while operating.

"The texture of fish meat is basically uniform, so before releasing Create Food, I must also evenly mix the two ingredients."

He evenly mixed the pulverized wood and soybean powder.

"Give me some clear water; if you want the fish meat to have some flavor, you can also substitute it with grape wine, fire liquor, or maple dew liquor."

In the end, Luosen obtained a cup of richly aromatic fire liquor.

He poured the clear liquor into the mixed powder, then, like with flour, used Mage Hand to shape the powder into a uniform pale yellow mass.

Then, he hovered his hand above the mass, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the three women.

"Ladies, please witness my original Create Food technique 'Liquor-Marinated Fish Meat'."

With those words, a ball of hazy white light shone from his palm, completely enveloping the mass.

After about ten seconds, the light faded; looking again at the silver tray on the table, there was now a square, crystalline, translucent thing similar to jelly.

At the same time, the air was filled with a faint aroma of fire liquor and the distinctive fresh scent of cooked fish meat.

Under the astonished gazes of the three women, Luosen raised a finger, shaped the Mage Hand into a blade, and gently sliced the fish meat into thin pieces.

Then he picked up a piece, took a light bite, and smiled: "Mmm~ It's much more delicious than I imagined, probably thanks to the excellent ingredients."

Alice picked up a piece half-believing, half-doubting, not rushing to taste but instead holding it up to examine closely.

The texture is crystalline and translucent, with faint muscle fibers visible; a light shake makes it bounce up and down, showing a texture similar to fish meat.

Unable to resist, she put it in her mouth and took a light bite, instantly feeling a mixed flavor of fragrant fish meat and mellow fire liquor, surprisingly wonderful.

She straightforwardly ate the remaining piece, her face full of amazement: "Mother, Your Highness, this is truly fresh fish meat, the taste is extremely delicious!"

Seeing this, the two women also tried it.

Thus they also looked astonished.

After eating two pieces, Selena commented: "The texture is eighty to ninety percent similar to fresh perch meat, but the flavor is even more delicious, and there's hardly any fishy smell, giving a very memorable taste."

The Countess also nodded in praise: "Indeed, it's an astonishing Create Food technique. If not for this unique flavor, I would suspect the Baron used illusion to swap in real fish meat."

Luosen smiled: "The Countess's suspicion is quite reasonable, because indeed many charlatans do this."

"However, my Create Food technique is genuine; although the casting difficulty is somewhat high, as long as one is willing to put in the effort to learn, any mage can reproduce it."

While speaking, he took out a small scroll and handed it to Alice: "Countess, here's a little gift for you."

"What is this?"

"Some unique Create Food recipes, not only for making fresh fish meat, but also fresh mutton, fresh beef, or even meat that has never appeared before."

"With your talent, you can master it in at most a month."

Alice heard this in astonishment: "How is that possible?"

Driven by curiosity, she quickly opened the scroll and began to examine it carefully.

The more she looked, the more engrossed she became, occasionally exclaiming in amazement.

"Oh~ How wonderful~ So this is how it is, truly interesting!"

"It's merely a low-level Create Food technique, with not much content; after a quarter hour, Alice had roughly finished reading it, her face full of eager excitement to try."

"Mother, this is a low-tier eleven-star spell; although it's a bit difficult, it's very fun, and the magical thinking has given me great inspiration."

"Thank you so much, Baron Luosen; this gift is truly wonderful, I love it very much!"

The girl was extremely happy, even proactively giving Luosen a warm embrace, then picking up the scroll and jogging toward the lounge exit.

"Everyone, I can't wait to conduct a magical experiment, excuse me!"

By the time the last word arrived, she had already run out of the lounge.

The Countess's mood improved greatly; watching the child's retreating back, she gave a gentle smile: "What a reckless child."

She then turned her head toward Luosen, her face full of surprise: "It seems the Baron indeed has considerable research on Create Food."

Luosen had been waiting for those words, smiling in response: "Not only is he well-researched, but he is highly proficient. My wife can attest to that."

Selena immediately added: "What Luosen said is correct; he is more proficient in Create Food than any mage I have ever seen."

The Countess is a very smart woman; she sensed the underlying meaning of the two, originally intending to continue paying attention, but then immediately lost motivation.

"I understand what you mean, but I am very disappointed in Grant; let him toss about as he pleases—once he squanders all his money, he will stop tossing."

After saying that, the Countess let out a deep sigh, her face showing a loss of interest.

Such a mental state is not acceptable.

Luosen winked at Selena, who immediately responded: "Madam, perhaps we can help you win back the Count's heart."

The Countess's expression shifted: "Huh? Please elaborate."

(End of chapter)