Chapter111

The young attendant began to sweat again. So it really was about the recruitment issue.

He quickly answered while cautiously glancing up at the boy personally recommended by Her Highness, trying to see what made him special. But then he noticed a petal mark on the boy's forehead.

The young attendant paused. He knew exactly what that flower petal meant. A man from a matriarchal country.

Since he passed the imperial exam, the attendant was clearly clever. Based on what Elara had just said, he quickly figured out what had happened and understood her meaning.

The matriarchal and patriarchal countries had always looked down on each other. Yet Her Highness could put aside status and treat everyone equally. The young attendant, who already both respected and feared Elara, felt even more admiration for her.

"Yes, Your Highness. I promise this won't happen again. No matter where a person is from, as long as they meet the recruitment criteria, they will be treated equally."

Not far away.

In a teahouse on the second floor by the window, two young men in white and blue robes sat across from each other. They had watched everything that had just happened below.

Their eyes were both on the beautiful girl with noble air, even though she wore plain clothes.

They didn't look away until she finished handling the matter and turned to leave. Then the one in blue looked at the one in white and smiled.

"This is quite rare. Even among the top three major nations, few treat civilians from different-status countries this equally. Usually, someone in that situation is lucky just to stay alive. Who would expect such a good ending here in this small district of Marigold?"

He glanced at his friend in white.

This friend now had high status, but had suffered terribly as a child. Born male in a matriarchal land, he had been looked down on and cruelly treated by both sides. He struggled in that hell for years until right before coming of age, when he was finally taken back to the royal residence.

If back then someone like this princess had been around to treat him fairly, maybe his friend wouldn't have turned out this way.

He didn't bring up his friend's past pain. Instead, he changed the topic.

"And now she's holding imperial exams, lifting slave statuses, and truly using people based on ability. Especially freeing slaves. In most places, slaves rarely get that chance. But with her, it seems easier, without being harsh or exploiting them. She really lives up to the title of a princess more than many other royals from matriarchal countries."

He finished speaking, but the man in white still stared at the noble girl below. His clear amber eyes didn't look away even for a moment.

The man in blue grinned teasingly. He leaned in and whispered, "What? Have you fallen for the princess of the Plumera Kingdom already? I've never seen you stare at any woman like this. The royal household has been pressing you to marry. Even though Plumera is weak, her position is enough."

"And from what we saw, she clearly doesn't care about status and treats men with respect. If you marry her, you'd probably avoid much suffering. Plumera and Sargassum are right next to each other, too. Wouldn't that make it convenient? Hahaha!"

The man in blue was still joking when a cup flew at him.

He casually raised his hand and caught it, still grinning like he didn't know when to stop.

The man in white took back his gaze and looked at him. His fair face didn't show much anger. He only turned to the servant behind him and said, "Go invite that young woman below. Say I'm the manager of Zhaiyun Workshop. I want to do business with her."

The servant obeyed and left. The man in blue raised an eyebrow.

"The past few times I asked if you wanted to work with her again, you kept saying wait and see. Now you're directly calling her over?"

The man in white glanced at him again and picked up his cup. "She's quite capable. And I was going to sell my goods eventually."

The blue-robed man laughed even more, clearly amused. He nodded dramatically as if going along with his friend's words.

"Mhm, she really is impressive. She's completely different from the rumors. She's fair to everyone and respects men, even understanding how hard it is for men to have children.

In a matriarchal world, she's the kind of wife every man dreams of. You should take this business opportunity to spend more time with her. Who knows, maybe it'll solve your biggest life issue."

"Shut up. Speak properly. Or get lost."

The man in white, usually gentle and polite, was finally pushed to lose his temper.

The man in blue burst out laughing. He caught the flying cup again and put it back on the table. Instead of backing off, he leaned in closer and added with a teasing tone,

"Seriously, if she's really as fair and respectful to men as she just seemed, then you can't let someone like her slip away. Even in a country run by women, you won't find many who would say what she just said. But of course, if she's faking it, then you do what you have to do."

"Ah. In the end, life is long, but finding the right one isn't easy."

"Leif, don't miss your chance."

Downstairs, just as Elara reached the street corner, she saw a young unfamiliar servant hurrying over. He stopped two meters away from her and bowed respectfully.

"Miss, I am a junior attendant from Zhaiyun House. Our manager saw you walking back and forth at the market just now. It seemed like you might be interested in doing business, so he sent me to invite you to meet him in a private room on the second floor of the Lotus Building."

Zhaiyun House? She had just heard about this business from Kalyan, and now they were approaching her directly? What a coincidence.

Elara glanced at the second floor of the Lotus Building on the side of the street. That spot would have been perfect to watch everything that had just happened.

But she was dressed in civilian clothes and had only strolled around the marketplace briefly. How did they already guess she wanted to do business?

Elara looked at the young servant in front of her, understanding that this excuse was most likely just a cover from the manager of Zhaiyun House.

They must have already recognized her identity, which is why they mentioned doing business with her.

She remembered how Kalyan had said that Gao Qiong and the others were negotiating a deal with Zhaiyun House before she arrived. The deal had nearly been finalized, but because of her sudden raid and seizure, it fell apart. So now they wanted to renegotiate?

That worked for her. Whether it was salt or other goods, Marigold County needed new powerful merchants to settle in.

"Lead the way."

The young servant quickly bowed again and humbly walked to the side, making sure not to block Elara's path.

When they reached the private room on the second floor of the Lotus Building, Elara saw two handsome young men seated at the table, one in green and one in white. Her brows moved slightly in surprise.

Just earlier, Kalyan told her that the manager of Zhaiyun House was a middle-aged man in his forties. But now two young, attractive men appeared instead.

And… Elara subtly glanced at the light pink petal mark on the forehead of the one in white.

A man from a female-dominated state… She had just heard a rumor that the real owner behind Zhaiyun House was a noble son from the Sargassum State, and he had been born in a matriarchal nation, marked with a chastity seal.

So it was likely the master himself had come to talk with her directly. But Gao Qiong had dealt with Zhaiyun House many times and had never met this noble son before. Why did he appear in person now? What did they come to Marigold County for? To admire the downfall of a ruined city?

When Elara entered, both men looked up at her at the same time. The man in green didn't hide the amazement in his eyes, while the one in white only glanced at her twice before politely looking away and standing to greet her.

"Greetings, Princess."

As soon as he spoke, the man in green also stood up. His posture wasn't very formal, but he also gave her a slight bow, and his tone carried open admiration.

"Greetings, Princess. The closer I look, the more stunning Your Highness appears."

Elara smiled. These two were straightforward in revealing her identity. Since they were being so open, she returned the gesture and gave the man in white a small bow.

"You're too polite, Prince. And this one is…?" She turned to the man in green. She could guess the identity of the man in white, but she had no clues about the other one.

The man in green waved his fan and stared at her with narrow fox-like eyes, laughing.

"The Princess is indeed clever. You recognized Leif at first glance. As for me, I go by the surname Mu, and my given name is Yu. I'm just a carefree follower who tags along behind the prince. There's no need to pay me any mind."

Mu Yu. Clearly a casual fake name, but Elara didn't care.

She calmly addressed him, "Master Mu."

The man in green smiled more brightly and invited Elara to sit.

The three of them entered the private room and took their seats. Compared to the lively and casual man in green, the man in white, Leif, was quiet and composed. His slender figure sat perfectly straight across from Elara, every move showing strict upbringing. He had the air of a refined gentleman— or rather, a noble son raised in high society.

"Your Highness possesses the looks of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix. In just a few days, you've executed traitors, reformed the exam system, uplifted the enslaved, and changed the tax structure. You've swept away all the rot in Marigold County like a thunderstorm. I've never seen such decisiveness and courage in my life. Your beauty and talent are the complete opposite of the rumors. It shows how unreliable gossip can be. To meet Your Highness today is my great honor. I raise my cup to you."

The man in green spoke first again. His words were proper and respectful. Elara lifted her cup, gently tapped it against his, took a small sip, and replied politely. Then she looked toward the quiet man in white seated across from her.

"What brings Mr. Leif and Master Mu to Marigold County? If not for your invitation today, I wouldn't have had the chance to fulfill my duties as host."

The man in white, a noble son from Sargassum State, followed his mother's surname. His name was Leif.