Chapter 188

Although the king had said that Crown Prince Edward could stay in one of the newly purchased houses—the specific one to be chosen by the prince himself, of course, since the homes were a gift to him—the New Town development was still being finalized. The houses couldn't be handed over yet, and even the completed ones hadn't begun interior work. No furniture or servants had been arranged, so there was absolutely no way someone could move in and live there.

Furthermore, since the guest was the crown prince, and Felix was the lord of the territory, both etiquette and reason dictated that such an esteemed visitor be properly hosted. So, after a round of formalities, Crown Prince Edward and his entourage boarded a carriage that had been prepared for them and followed Felix and Wei Wei back to Sardinson Castle. It seemed that, at least until the New Town properties were ready for occupancy, the prince would have to make do with staying in their castle.

And "make do" was no exaggeration. Although Sardinson Castle was now clean and orderly, and its internal ventilation system had long been improved, the place was still just an old countryside noble's castle. Though the grounds were sizable, its long history showed—it looked weathered and outdated. Despite many modifications, the castle's persistent dampness and chill remained a major headache. In the winter, that environment was unhealthy even for those in good condition, let alone for someone already in fragile health. Many of the servants had developed rheumatism and joint problems over the years. Even the previous lord—Felix's father—hadn't been spared; he began experiencing leg problems in his early forties.

Though none of the current family members had yet succumbed to illness, continuing to live here would likely lead them down the same path.

That was why both Felix and Wei Wei had long been considering a renovation. However, overhauling a castle was a massive undertaking, and a simple remodel wouldn't solve the real issues. Wei Wei had even proposed tearing it down and rebuilding it from scratch. But this castle was the family's ancestral home, a labor of love passed down through generations. The idea of razing it wasn't just difficult for Felix and Dolores, who had lived here their whole lives—it would also be heartbreaking for the old servants and stewards who had spent decades working within its walls.

So demolition was out of the question. They would have to find a way to renovate and improve it.

Such technical matters were best left to architects like Pierre. Wei Wei knew her limitations; she could only offer minor suggestions, like replacing the windows with glass panes. The specifics of the renovation would need to be discussed among the architects. After all, besides being a residence, the castle also served as an important defensive structure. Comfort couldn't come at the cost of its defensibility.

Even though no one would dare attack Sardinson now, better safe than sorry.

For a variety of reasons, however, a concrete renovation timeline had yet to be established. Wei Wei's original plan had been to wait until New Town was ready, then move the entire household—including the servants—into the new place, leaving the castle vacant for the builders to do their work.

That plan still hadn't changed. But first, the New Townhouses needed to be fit for occupancy.

It wasn't just Wei Wei; everyone at the castle was aware of the plan and had been keeping an eye on the progress at New Town.

The latest updates suggested that the houses wouldn't be fully completed until late November or early December—right around the onset of winter.

Currently, it is still October. Though Sardinson was relatively cold, for the entire Pradi region it was one of the later areas to enter winter. Right now, the autumn weather was clear and crisp, and the temperature was quite pleasant.

Their carriage took the road from Slot through Melk Town back to Sardinson. Rather than heading straight to New Town's construction site, the prince had chosen this route out of curiosity about Sardinson's landscape.

Along the way, from Slot's fresh seafood to the specialty dishes of various small towns, the crown prince was delighted by the food. For a while now, his diet had been strictly controlled, and many of his favorite foods had been off-limits. Most meals were bland and often infused with medicinal herbs—not exactly inedible, but hardly enjoyable. The prince had been quite miserable.

On this trip, however, Wei Wei had loosened the restrictions, allowing him to indulge in foods that wouldn't harm his health. Sardinson's cuisine was famously delicious, offering vegetables, fruits, and meats that couldn't be found elsewhere. Every dish was a pleasant surprise. Take pork, for example. In Sardinson, pigs were always castrated before being raised, resulting in tender, non-gamey meat. With creative cooking techniques, the resulting meat dishes were so flavorful they could practically make you swallow your tongue from sheer delight.

So even though the journey had been long and tiring, by the time they arrived at Sardinson Castle, everyone—prince included—found themselves a little plumper. The prince's weight gain wasn't very noticeable due to his weak digestive system, and Miss Campbell, being a woman, had been careful not to overindulge. But the royal physician and the other servants were visibly rounder, their faces notably fuller.

Beyond the food, the scenery in Sardinson also amazed them.

It wasn't that Sardinson County's landscape was particularly unique. The prince, despite his frail health, had traveled often for recuperation, visiting various royal estates and seasonal retreats across the land. Naturally, the royal family built their palaces and villas in picturesque places, so the prince was no stranger to beautiful landscapes. Ordinary natural scenery didn't impress him anymore.

What truly opened their eyes was Sardinson's harvest scene.

The crown prince had seen harvests before, especially at royal estates. What left the strongest impression were endless fields of wheat rippling in the wind—golden waves shimmering under the autumn sun, with the air rich in the scent of ripened grain. But in those places, nearly every field was filled with wheat, oats, rye, or barley. Other crops were rare.

Sardinson was completely different. The fields here looked nothing like those he had seen before. Technically, it was the autumn planting season, so mature wheat or oats shouldn't have been visible anyway. But what caught the prince off guard was that spring-sown oats and barley—which usually would still be found here and there—had mostly been abandoned. Instead, peas and chickpeas, which used to be rarely planted, now filled the fields. On top of that, there were many vegetables and fruits he couldn't even recognize.

Though quite knowledgeable about crops, the prince began to feel as if he'd never really seen farmland before. So many plants were unfamiliar to him that he started to doubt his expertise.

But when in doubt, ask. Every time he saw an unrecognizable crop, he would turn to Felix and ask about it. Before long, he learned that many of them were fruits and vegetables that Wei Wei had introduced from the East. Last year, many households enjoyed bumper harvests from these new plants growing around their homes. The leftover seeds had either been sold to those in need or used to convert less fertile fields into vegetable plots. Crops like tomatoes, pumpkins, and strawberries were commonly planted—not for personal consumption, but because they were in high demand. Not only did the lord's factories purchase them, but traveling merchants were also offering good prices. Many farmers had even signed contracts with merchants to plant specific crops this year.

Take strawberries. Though once only found in the wild, the newly cultivated "cream strawberries" were bigger, sweeter, and highly prized. Outside of Sardinson, it was nearly impossible to find fresh strawberries, but strawberry jam made from them had become a staple on wealthy dining tables.

As for tomatoes and pumpkins, they kept well and were delicious when cooked, making them popular items. Many buyers even saved the seeds to try growing them on their own.

This year, unlike last, the Sardinson lords didn't restrict the spread of seeds. Once production reached a certain scale, keeping seeds from leaking out became too difficult. Besides, limiting sales to protect exclusivity would only hurt the peasants. Letting them make more money now, while they held a temporary monopoly, was better than delaying and watching the market flood, prices crash, and unsold stock rot in storage.

Moreover, when prices inevitably dropped, the lords could adjust their purchasing prices accordingly. From a lord's perspective, that wasn't a bad thing.

"But if everyone's planting vegetables and fruits, will there still be enough grain to eat?"

The prince voiced his concern, his brows furrowing with worry for the people of Sardinson. He feared that in chasing profits, they might neglect food security. Money could buy food—sure—but in times of famine, even gold couldn't conjure grain.

This was something the king had warned him about before, and the lesson had stuck with him.

"No need to worry about that," Felix replied with a smile. He was quite fond of the prince's concern—such care for the common folk hinted at a benevolent future monarch.

"Sardinson's people haven't stopped growing grain. Look at those fields." He pointed out the carriage window at a patch of green. "See those legumes?"

"Yes, I see them. But what about them?" the prince asked, puzzled. "Are those your people's staple food?"

It wasn't impossible. Peasants often ate black bread and beans. But as far as the prince knew, Sardinson's peasants were relatively well-off. Would they still be eating plain beans? Even better-off households that couldn't afford wheat usually preferred rye or barley over those tooth-breaking legumes. They simply tasted better.

"No, those beans are intercropped with other grains. If I had to guess, those fields originally grew corn and sweet potatoes. They were harvested in July and August. These beans were planted among them and left to continue growing after the main crops were harvested. So by fall, the farmers get a second harvest from the same field. The real grain—the corn and sweet potatoes—is already stored in their granaries. These beans are just a bonus."

Nearly every household in Sardinson had grown corn and sweet potatoes this year. For individual families, the harvest was considerable. Any smart peasant would sell the new crops to buy wheat or other staples. Combined with grain stockpiled from previous years, Felix was confident their granaries were full and food security wasn't a concern.

Even if they skipped planting wheat altogether this year, there would still be no shortage come next year.

But as a responsible lord, he would never allow his people to focus solely on profit and neglect self-sufficiency. He had already sent word instructing everyone that a portion of their land had to be reserved for wheat planting. The exact amount depended on how much land each family held.

No one had resisted the order. Wheat had been their staple for centuries—it wasn't something they would abandon easily. And now, Sardinson's wheat yields were better than ever. Even if they only planted wheat, they wouldn't be losing money—maybe just earning a little less.

Besides, with improving living standards, people wanted better food. Stewed beans had fallen out of favor. The bread was now the universal staple in Sardinson. In the past, ordinary peasants could only afford coarse, rock-hard black bread. But now, even white bread—once a noble delicacy—appeared on dining tables every few days. Their usual black bread had also been improved. It was more like modern whole wheat bread now—still dark, but no longer a weapon you could bludgeon someone with. It had its unique flavor.

So, if every household needed flour for bread, naturally they had to store enough wheat. And for thrifty peasants unwilling to buy pricey grain, growing their own was the only smart choice.

Besides, their lord also purchased wheat at good prices. As long as there wasn't a disastrous year with total crop failure, growing wheat was always profitable.

So even if they saw not a single stalk of wheat in the fields now, it was only because they had come at the wrong time. Once those beans were harvested, the fields would be green with wheat sprouts again.

Crown Prince Edward realized his concern had been misplaced. Embarrassed, he chuckled but also grew curious about this intercropping technique. Seeing that Felix was happy to explain, he humbly began asking for more details.

A method that allowed one field to yield two harvests, boosting productivity—if it could be widely adopted, it would truly benefit the people.

Felix wasn't as knowledgeable about agriculture as Wei Wei, but he knew more than most. Wei Wei always explained her plans to him and got his approval before implementing them. So Felix had a decent understanding of which crops could be intercropped and which couldn't.

All along the way, Felix not only explained the intercropping method to the prince but also introduced irrigation channels and other agricultural reforms—all personally developed and verified by Wei Wei, and suited to the terrain of most of Pradi.

Many nobles had tried to learn Sardinson's techniques before. But too embarrassed to ask Felix directly—believing he'd never share such crucial knowledge—they resorted to secretly contacting local farmers instead. But those farmers were simply following the agricultural officers' instructions; they didn't really understand the reasoning behind the techniques. So while these nobles paid for the information, they only got superficial knowledge, copying what they saw without understanding it. Such a learning method had its benefits but missed the essence. Figuring things out on their own would take years.

This problem was still limited to regions surrounding Sardinson. Farther nobles, hindered by distance, would instead go learn from those who had already tried to "steal" the knowledge—and ended up learning even less. The farther one got from Sardinson, the less agricultural reform there was. They knew fertilizer boosted yields, but didn't know how or in what quantity. Just like those who had stolen the techniques, they made no move to ask Felix for guidance, all opting to fumble around by themselves—naturally falling behind.

Now, someone had finally asked him directly. And since Felix had never planned to keep it a secret, he was happy to share. For the entire journey, their conversations revolved around farming and land, from which the crown prince learned a great deal.

Meanwhile, in the carriage behind them, Wei Wei was discussing the current situation in Sardinson County.

Dolores had been managing the castle during their absence and had heard a fair bit about the goings-on in the territory. So she had plenty to talk about. One notable event was that after Felix was granted the title of duke, several nobles from the counties reassigned to him by the king sent representatives to visit Sardinson Castle. However, since the lord wasn't home, these visitors had simply delivered gifts and left. Still, they had all left messages saying they would return for a formal visit once the duke came back.

Among these visitors, one particular family stood out: the maternal family of Perenna, Felix's late sister-in-law, and wife of his elder brother Eric—the Garcia family.

The Garcia estate wasn't far from Sardinson. While not directly neighboring, it was only two or three noble lands away in a straight line. When the king redistributed the lands, the Garcia family's territory ended up under Felix's jurisdiction. Given that they were now kin by marriage, the Garcias had sent someone over as soon as they heard the news.

Perenna had been the eldest daughter of the current Count Garcia. Besides her, the count had one son and two younger daughters, none of whom were married yet. Their fief lay further north of Sardinson and was even more resource-poor than the original Sardinson lands. However, when Perenna married Eric, Count Garcia demanded a piece of land near the Mediterranean as part of the dowry. That parcel—an olive grove located northeast of Melk Town—had been one of the few profitable estates under the previous Earl of Sardinson.

Count Garcia had seen its potential profits and insisted on it. Initially, Felix's father was against the idea, but the count even offered a larger piece of land in exchange. After weighing all the factors, Felix's father agreed.

—Incidentally, that "larger parcel of land" offered in exchange wasn't even part of Count Garcia's domain. It was a section of pasture to the north of Sardinson Castle—land that had once belonged to the Williams family but had been sold off by a distant ancestor. Felix's father had been keen on buying it back. On the other hand, the olive grove had been purchased from a merchant and wasn't ancestral land, so its sentimental value was lower. Otherwise, no one else would've agreed to such a trade.

Even so, this matter had strained relations between the Garcia and Williams families. After Perenna's death, they had barely interacted. The only reason Felix later dealt with the Garcia family was because Wei Wei had started experimenting with essential oils and needed large quantities of olive oil. As one of the few remaining olive groves in the region—the rest being owned by barons who had not yet pledged loyalty—Felix had no choice but to negotiate with them.

Back then, it had been strictly business. The Garcia family hadn't tried to invoke family ties, nor had they participated in any of Sardinson Castle's banquets. Even when invited, Count Garcia never showed up personally, and his children were still too young to attend social functions. The people he sent were always just stewards or attendants, who dropped off gifts and quickly left—as if the two families had never been related.

Still, Felix had never held a grudge against Count Garcia. Although it had seemed like Garcia was the one demanding the land swap, the truth—something Felix only learned after inheriting the title—was that his father had been the one who initiated the deal. He had wanted the pastureland back and believed marrying into the Garcia family would be a fair trade. Count Garcia merely seized the opportunity to negotiate for something more valuable—the olive grove.

Now that Felix had become a duke, Count Garcia was probably worried that Felix might hold a grudge or cause trouble, so he had taken the initiative to extend a goodwill gesture and express his wish to visit.

This wasn't something Dolores or the steward could decide on, so they had held off on giving a reply, waiting for Felix and Wei Wei to return and handle it themselves.

Aside from this, there was another unexpected group of visitors currently staying in Dingle Town, waiting for their return.

"They came from across the mountains," Dolores said, pointing out the window toward the distant range of mountains visible on the horizon. "Looks like a trade caravan, but their leader is a noble. Since you weren't at the castle and we couldn't host them properly, Butler Barton arranged for them to stay in town."

Sardinson was a border county. Although the towering mountain range at the edge of the territory made direct contact with the neighboring kingdom nearly impossible, technically, crossing the mountains would land one in another country.

Wei Wei had once concocted a backstory about having crossed the mountains from the neighboring nation when she first arrived here. Now, someone had come from that direction—bringing goods and expressing a desire to do business. Their primary reason for visiting seemed to be meeting Sardinson's lord, which was why they had chosen to wait for Felix's return.