Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 135 Intermission, To Uncle Le
Castel, in the manor.

Beatrice sat at the desk, her chin resting on her left hand, stirring the quill in the inkwell in her right hand.

There was a piece of parchment in front of her. With the advent of new paper, parchment was only used by some nobles and the church. Although it was expensive, Beatrice really liked its delicate feel.

After thinking for a while, she began to write on the paper.

"Uncle Jules, I came to Castres as you told me."

"Just as you said, this is a peaceful and beautiful island. There is no danger at all."

"You certainly can't imagine the interesting encounters I've had here—the lord here, Earl Hughes, is truly an interesting man. He's elegant, humorous, and more importantly, he has many magical things."

"Oh, I know you must be worried about me again, but I hope you can relax. Castel is not a dangerous place. It is very safe here. You can relax a little."

"I lived here for a while, and Count Hughes hosted a dinner for me. He was very enthusiastic and showed me Castel's specialty, something called soap."

"This is a small cube for cleansing the body. It has a very pleasant fragrance and is said to be made from olive oil. I really can't imagine how that oil can be turned into a cube like this."

"I've checked with my abilities, and there's absolutely no trace of anything supernatural. You can rest assured, I haven't found any trace of anything supernatural on the island."

Well, that box of ointment from the Temple of Silence should be removed.

Do you want to ask your uncle about the matter of the Silent Church?
Beatrice was distressed. She subconsciously pulled her long hair and twisted it in circles with her fingers.

After discovering the ointment, she hinted to Hughes that the box of ointment was brought by the clerk's sister, and that the girl had already left by boat.

Maybe it was just an accident?
She had also met the chief clerk, a man from the North. Perhaps his sister had some connection with the Silent Church, but Beatrice had asked and found out that Alexi was not a believer of the Silent Church. He grew up in the Rhine.

That should be no problem, Beatrice clenched her fists and nodded, as if to encourage herself, she looked at the letter again.

"That Count Hughes also set off fireworks. You may not know what fireworks are, but Count Hughes transformed gunpowder into flowers that bloomed in the air. How romantic! A weapon originally used to kill people can also bloom. That Count is such a kind person."

"I heard he even developed a drug to treat heart disease. What a compassionate man."

Having written this, Beatrice couldn't help but feel a little ashamed of herself.

She is a transcendental being, and also the [Investigator] who can acquire knowledge most easily, but she is not as knowledgeable as the mortal Zeus. Every time Beatrice talks with him, she can feel his profound knowledge.

Beatrice glanced at the other end of the table, where an exquisite gift box with several bars of soap lay.

She actually understood what Hughes meant. Castel was a remote island. Even though it had magical specialties, no merchants were willing to come and trade.

Hughes probably wanted her to bring these to the aristocratic circles in the Rhine.

This made her feel a little depressed, and she felt a little unwilling in her heart - was her value limited to her identity as a noble lady?
Beatrice clenched the quill, then slowly released it after a moment.

Despite this, she was willing to help Xiu Si.

She couldn't explain why. She did have some admiration for Count Hughes, but the feeling in her heart at the moment was not that simple.

Beatrice bit the goose feather on the pen tube in an unladylike manner, and her memories gradually drifted away.

She suddenly remembered the expression on Hughes' face when he introduced the soap to her, that kind of genuine love and happiness.

He truly loves his career and works hard for it.

This made her a little jealous. Perhaps she also hoped to become such a person, to do what she wanted to do, without having to care about so many responsibilities and shackles.

Unfortunately, she is a weak person. Not to mention resisting, even complaining requires courage.

Beatrice looked around carefully, threw the dip pen aside, and stared at the letter paper in a daze.

"Uncle Yule, are we really limited to becoming extraordinary people? Is this the fate of the Ruoan family?"

"I don't like church. Not at all."

She leaned over the table, her shoulders twitching occasionally.

After a long time, a voice suddenly came from the door. It was the voice of her maid.

"Miss Beatrice, Count Hughes would like to invite you to his study to discuss your return trip."

Beatrice was startled. She suddenly raised her head from the table, looked around in panic, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

Patting her face, Beatrice tried to cheer herself up.

"I understand. I'll be there later."

She spread out the letter paper again and wrote much faster. She didn't have time to think about anything else.

"I'm going to take some of this soap to the Rhine. I think a lot of people will like it, and I have no doubt that this little wonder will become a big hit in salons."

"If we can get the Joan family to cooperate with Castel, we should be able to make a lot of money."

"Of course, this is only from the family's perspective. From my perspective, I really want to help Earl Hughes."

"He is a very good man and should not be trapped on this island. He is also a very brave man. He will not be afraid of the storms you asked me to avoid."

Beatrice paused, sighed softly, and continued writing:

"Uncle Jules, I heard you went on vacation to the North. I wonder how it's going there? Did you find the ancient ruins you mentioned?"

"I heard the White Plague in the North was very serious. The three duchies were overwhelmed by the refugees and were in chaos. I wonder if you are okay? I think with your skills, you will be fine."

"After all, you are a dual-path transcendent."

Beatrice smiled with nostalgia. Uncle Jules, she had grown up listening to his stories.

"I will be returning to Rhineland in the next few days. I heard the situation there is not good and the church is already in turmoil. Please don't worry about me. I will take on the responsibility of the Ruoan family."

"Perhaps by the time you return, I will have become the Pope."

Beatrice smiled, dipped her finger in ink and crossed out the sentence. The Candlelight Society had never produced a female pope. She was no longer a child and could no longer make such inappropriate jokes.

After signing, Beatrice melted some sealing wax and sealed the envelope, then put it in her pocket, straightened her clothes a little, and prepared to go out.

But after walking a few steps, she seemed to remember something, turned back to the table, and carefully closed the gift box containing the soap.

Looking at the box, she smiled longingly, then turned around and left reluctantly.

(End of this chapter)