Chapter 8 - Preparing for dinner

Wei Wei's Reincarnation System quickly came up with a solution.

It could help her hide the gold underground, allowing her to dig it up whenever she needed it. However, the ideal hiding place should be a property that belonged to her.

[You should buy a house. Once you do, I'll bury your gold for you. I can also stash other valuables there.]

Wei Wei thought this was a great idea, but it wasn't something she could do immediately.

After all, she hadn't even figured out her legal identity in this world yet.

Perhaps that kind-looking Earl could help her out?

Wei Wei pondered the thought.

She then reviewed her belongings and realized there were some things she didn't need. She asked the system if it could recycle them.

The system, of course, agreed. These items were created using its energy, so recycling them would allow it to regain some of that energy—though a portion would be lost in the process. Still, recovering something was better than nothing.

"Take back the food and potions," Wei Wei decided. "Just leave me some plates and medicine bottles."

The food and potions had already lost their effectiveness. The food, while edible, wouldn't stay fresh for long, and the potions had lost their medicinal properties—they were now nothing more than flavored water. Keeping them would be pointless, so she might as well recycle them.

The system happily reclaimed everything and, in return, left her with two sets of Western-style tableware and a hundred small medicine bottles.

It even included a pair of chopsticks.

Apart from the metal utensils—knives, forks, and spoons—all the other items (including the chopsticks and medicine bottles) were made of exquisite blue-and-white porcelain. Each piece was so delicately crafted that they could easily be mistaken for art pieces. Even in the East, they would be considered high-quality luxury goods, and in the West, they would be worth a fortune.

After handing over the new items, the system mysteriously added:

[You'll thank me for this later.]

"I'm already thanking you," Wei Wei replied, genuinely impressed by its thoughtfulness.

Even though she wasn't an expert on medieval history, she knew that in early medieval Europe, people often ate with their hands.

That was completely unacceptable to her.

Now that the system had prepared tableware for her, at least she had proper utensils to use.

She carefully placed the knives, forks, spoons, and chopsticks into the long wooden case provided by the system.

She would need them later tonight.

Resting Before Dinner

After taking inventory of her belongings, Wei Wei removed her dress and accessories and then crawled into bed for a nap.

She had died and reincarnated, spent half the day in the forest, and then rode on horseback for hours. While this body had impressive stamina, she was still completely exhausted—both physically and mentally.

If possible, she would have preferred to take a bath before sleeping.

However, there were no modern conveniences like water heaters in this era.

The room's toilet situation was even worse.

It was tiny and pitch-dark, and there wasn't even a proper toilet—just a hole in the ground. Beneath the hole was a passage leading straight to the castle's moat. A wooden board was used to cover the hole when it wasn't in use, to prevent the smell from spreading.

There was also a simple wooden commode with a hole in the middle, similar to the bedside commodes used by hospital patients or the elderly.

Other than that, the room had nothing. Bathing? Out of the question.

Of course, compared to the communal latrines used by servants, which offered zero privacy, the nobility's facilities were considered luxurious.

Wei Wei could have asked the maids standing outside her room to prepare hot water for a bath, but just thinking about the hassle made her decide to sleep first and deal with it later.

She quickly fell asleep.

She had no idea how long she had been resting when a knock on the door woke her up.

Still groggy, it took her a moment to remember where she was.

"Who is it?" she called out.

A maid's voice answered from outside.

"Honored guest, may we come in?"

Wei Wei glanced down at herself.

Underneath her qixiong ruqun (a traditional Han-style chest-high dress), she wore a plain embroidered dudou (Chinese undergarment) and matching xieku (underpants).

The dudou was completely backless, while the xieku were longer than modern summer shorts—bold enough that, in her original world, some daring young women might have worn them outside as casual wear.

But Wei Wei was not that bold.

"Wait a moment," she said hurriedly, jumping out of bed to put her dress back on.

Thankfully, when the Reincarnation System transferred her into this body, it also gave her the necessary knowledge to wear these historical outfits. Otherwise, she would have been completely lost.

Once dressed, she left her hair as it was and finally allowed the maids to enter.

To her surprise, it wasn't just the two maids assigned to her by Felix.

Behind them stood several more servants, each carrying something.

The two leading maids held water jugs and basins, while the others carried toiletries, clothing, and shoes.

"Miss, dinner will begin soon. The butler has prepared an outfit for you. Please change before heading downstairs."

They had noticed that their guest hadn't brought much luggage, so the butler—with Felix's permission—had retrieved an unworn dress from Lady Dolores's wardrobe.

"We didn't have time to commission a new dress for you, so we hope you don't mind."

"Lady Dolores?" Wei Wei asked.

"Lady Dolores is the Earl's younger sister. You'll meet her at dinner."

Wei Wei washed her face and refused the maids' assistance, choosing to dress herself.

She was relieved that corsets hadn't been invented yet and that crinolines weren't in fashion either. Otherwise, she would have refused to wear them.

Her new dress was fitted at the top and loose at the bottom, resembling a long gown. The cinched waistline subtly accentuated her figure.

Since it was a young lady's dress, the cream-colored fabric was modest—covering her shoulders and chest completely. Gold embroidery decorated the neckline, sleeves, and hem, and judging by the sheen, it was likely real gold thread.

Such extravagance.

The only thing she disliked about the dress was its sleeves.

They were wide and long, but instead of the straight, rectangular sleeves found in traditional Chinese clothing, they flared out from the elbows in a sharp triangular shape—like a cape hanging from her arms that reached her knees.

Not exactly practical.

Additionally, Dolores's figure differed from hers. The skirt was slightly short, ending above her ankles. The sleeves were also shorter, and the waist was looser than intended.

Wei Wei found it more comfortable this way, but the maids seemed concerned.

In this era, noblewomen's skirts were supposed to reach the floor, preferably trailing behind them. Exposing one's ankles was improper—only servants or commoners wore their skirts this short.

Providing an ill-fitting dress for a guest bordered on disrespectful.

Wei Wei, however, didn't mind at all.

By the time she finished getting dressed, the servants had carefully folded her original silk dress—as if handling priceless treasure.

Then again, in this era, silk was even more valuable than gold in the Western continent.

After changing, Wei Wei obediently sat down and let the maids style her hair.

Her previous Chinese-style hair bun was too unfamiliar for them. Observing the hairstyles of the maids, she noticed that they all braided their hair and pinned it up at the back. Instead of struggling to explain something foreign, Wei Wei simply instructed them to braid her hair into a loose scorpion braid and let it drape over her shoulder.

It was simple and elegant—and, most importantly, easy to manage.

Next, the maids attempted to apply makeup, but Wei Wei immediately refused.

"This is fine. Didn't you say dinner is about to start? Let's go."

She stood up, using her actions to firmly reject their offer.

The maids also brought out a pair of shoes—another one of Dolores's unworn items.

Unfortunately, they didn't fit.

Wei Wei's feet were too small, and even with some padding, they were still too loose to walk comfortably.

In the end, she kept her embroidered silk shoes.

Unexpectedly, they matched the dress quite well. Though they were Eastern in style, they blended seamlessly with the overall look, preventing any sense of disharmony.

Once everything was settled, Wei Wei threw on a thick wool cloak for warmth.

Before heading out, she grabbed the wooden case containing her tableware.

With the maids flanking her on both sides, she finally descended the stairs toward the banquet hall.

By now, night had fallen, and the castle's interior was even darker than before.

Torches lined the stone corridors, casting flickering shadows along the walls. The occasional gust of wind made the flames dance wildly, adding an eerie atmosphere to the dimly lit passageways.

The temperature had also dropped significantly.

Wei Wei silently thanked the maids for insisting she wear the wool cloak. Without it, she wouldn't just feel chilly—her exposed ankles would be freezing.

However, the further she walked, the more unpleasant the air became.

That horrible smell from earlier began creeping back into her senses.

Without hesitation, Wei Wei pulled out her snuff bottle and took a whiff.

The relief was instant.

The maids walking beside her curiously sniffed the air, their faces lighting up at the fragrance.

"That smells lovely," the younger maid, Penny, murmured, taking a deep breath.

The older maid, Jean, quickly glanced at Wei Wei. After confirming that she hadn't taken offense, she subtly shot Penny a warning look, silently scolding her for speaking out of turn.

Penny quickly grinned in apology and clamped her mouth shut.

The timing of her arrival was just right.

By the time she reached the grand banquet hall, Felix had just arrived as well.

He stood in the middle of the room, conversing with a group of knights and noblemen.

Having removed his heavy armor, Felix was now dressed in a knee-length tunic. The upper half of the garment was fitted to his body, while the lower half flared out slightly for ease of movement.

Over this, he wore a shorter cape, fastened at the chest with an ornate gemstone brooch.

His attire was strikingly similar to the gown Wei Wei was wearing, making her momentarily feel as though she were looking at a man in a dress.

Of course, that was just her modern perception.

None of the people around her seemed to find it strange—in fact, all the men in the hall were dressed similarly. Felix's clothing was simply more luxurious, and his outfit was more refined in terms of cut and detail.

The moment Wei Wei stepped into the hall, the once lively conversation died down for a few seconds.

She immediately became the center of attention.

And among all the gazes directed at her, Felix's stood out the most.

From the moment his eyes landed on her, it was as if nothing else in the room existed.

With a composed yet admiring gaze, he stepped forward, offering his hand like a perfect gentleman.

His deep, polished voice carried a warmth that felt almost mesmerizing.

"My lady, may I have the honor of escorting you to your seat?"