This is a bizarre rule, isn't it? It's supposed to grant me many children and good fortune

Lunch was served in a small restaurant on the second floor of the castle. Compared to the spacious and grand restaurant on the first floor, this room was surprisingly exquisite.

The walls were covered with faded dark gold jacquard wallpaper, and several narrow arched windows were fitted with frosted lead-lined glass, filtering in soft, dim light.

The solid wood dining table is polished to a glossy finish, and high-backed dining chairs with carved scroll patterns surround the edge of the table.

The fireplace stood quietly to one side, the air filled with the faint scent of old wood and dried flowers.

Leng Meng stepped back to a corner and stood still, her gaze calmly sweeping over the people who were taking their seats.

Vivian sat at one end of the long table, wearing a dark green dress with a thin silver chain around her neck, the pendant of which was a small obsidian stone.

She looked slightly more relaxed than when we first met last night, but still carried a subtle sense of detachment.

"My brother isn't here," Vivian said. "I'll be keeping you company at lunch, so please don't be shy and make yourselves at home."

The fast food was served.

The appetizer was a cold soup.

The grayish-green liquid was served in a shallow soup dish, with a layer of creamy film floating on the surface. A few overcooked peas were attached to the edge, their skins wrinkled and revealing the powdery core inside.

The soup has a texture between a paste and a broth, and it has a slightly sour smell.

The main dish is a piece of boiled meat.

Large chunks of lamb, along with tendons and a small section of rib, are soaked in light brown gravy.

The meat fibers were coarse, it was overcooked, and the edges had started to fall apart.

The side dish was a small pile of soft-cooked turnips and carrots.

The bread was a round rye bread with a crust as hard as a rock, and it made a dull "crack" sound when the knife was cut.

Vivian's cutlery was laid out in front of her, but she barely touched it.

She gently poked at the plate of mutton with her fork, then put the fork back on the side of the plate.

Then she picked up the rough earthenware cup beside her and took a sip of water—the water was hard and had a faint lime taste.

She put down her cup, her gaze lingering on the table for a moment before finally settling on the greyish-white daylight outside the window.

His throat moved almost imperceptibly, as if he was trying to suppress some kind of discomfort.

Lin Feng sat in the middle of the long table, in a position where he could clearly see Vivian's reaction.

In this day and age, this is probably what a standard meal looks like.

Rough, heavy, bland, carrying the musty smell unique to an era when preservation methods were scarce.

For someone who has lived in the 21st century, this food might not just be "unpalatable," but rather a physiological conflict.

Lin Feng subtly withdrew his gaze, reached under the table with his right hand, and took out a bottle of honey grapefruit tea from his personal storage space.

These are drinks that his wives usually like to drink, and he specially prepared some in his space.

He placed the tea bottle next to his plate, ate a few more bites of food, and waited until Vivian's gaze returned from the window and unconsciously swept across the table before picking up the bottle of honey grapefruit tea and unscrewing the cap.

Vivian's gaze was immediately drawn to them.

Although she didn't remember Lin Feng, she did remember the taste of honey grapefruit tea—

The sweet, sour, and slightly bitter taste seemed to instantly fill the tip of the tongue.

She unconsciously swallowed.

Lin Feng tilted his head back and took a sip, his eyebrows relaxed slightly, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, revealing a satisfied and happy expression.

Then he put down the bottle and, seemingly casually, turned his head to look in Vivian's direction.

Their eyes met, and Vivian quickly looked away, glancing at the plate in front of her.

Lin Feng said, "Sorry, the drinking water here is hard, and my stomach isn't used to it, so I brought my own drinks."

As he spoke, he took out a new bottle of honey grapefruit tea from his spatial storage, stood up, walked to Vivian's table, and gently placed the tea bottle next to her plate.

"Would you like to try it, Miss Vivian? The grapefruit has a refreshing aroma, and the honey is warming; it'll perfectly balance the rich and oily taste of this meal."

Vivian's fingertips curled slightly on the edge of the table, then relaxed.

Then she reached out, grasped the bottle, and said to Lin Feng, "Thank you."

Lin Feng asked, "Do you want me to help you unscrew the cap?"

Vivian hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Lin Feng took the bottle from her hand, unscrewed the cap, and handed it back to her.

Vivian took the bottle, brought the opening close to her lips, tilted her head back slightly, and took a sip.

The moment the sweet, sour, and mellow flavor exploded on her tongue, her eyelashes trembled slightly.

She looked up at Lin Feng, a bright smile on her face: "This... really does cut through the richness."

Lin Feng smiled and said, "It's my honor to be able to please Miss Vivian."

After saying that, he turned around and went back to his seat, continuing to eat his bread.

A system notification sound came from inside my ear—

[Ding, Vivian's favorability towards the host +10]

Current favorability rating: 30/100

Lin Feng chewed on his bread, his expression unchanged, only the corners of his lowered eyes curved slightly.

At that moment, Evelyn, who was sitting next to him, gently touched his arm, gesturing for him to look at Leng Meng.

Lin Feng glanced over and saw Leng Meng staring at Vivian, who was drinking honey grapefruit tea. He secretly swallowed.

Lin Feng almost laughed for a moment—

Even someone as powerful as Warden Leng is sometimes manipulated by a mere bottle of beverage.

Well, how can a husband be biased? He must treat both sides equally.

He stood up and said, "I'm going to the restroom."

As Lin Feng passed by Leng Meng, he pulled out a bottle of honey grapefruit tea from his spatial storage and quietly slipped it into her hand.

Leng Meng was startled, then quickly grabbed her hand and hid behind her back, her face remaining calm and composed, showing no sign of anything amiss.

Lin Feng inwardly admired Leng Meng's composure, and without pausing, continued walking forward.

As soon as I entered the bathroom, a system notification sounded in my ear—

[Ding, Leng Meng's favorability towards the host +10]

Current favorability rating: 40/100

Wow, one bottle of beverage increased the favorability of both wives by 10 points.

He now truly understood why a single packet of instant noodles could make a proud school beauty go to great lengths for the male lead in those post-apocalyptic novels.

At the dining table, Park Tae-rang kept a close eye on Lin Feng's movements.

He saw everything from Lin Feng taking out honey grapefruit tea to drinking it himself, to giving Vivian a bottle, and then secretly slipping a bottle to Leng Meng.

He glanced at the bottle of honey grapefruit tea on Lin Feng's table, which he had only taken a few sips of, and subconsciously licked his lips.

Vassim, sitting next to Park Tae-rang, didn't even turn his head before delivering an elbow strike.

Park Tae-rang cried out in pain and turned to look at Vassim: "What are you doing?"

Wasim continued cutting the mutton without looking up, and said in a low voice, "Focus on your food and don't even think about the drinks."

Those two bottles of honey grapefruit tea—one given to Vivian and the other secretly given to Leng Meng—both earned her genuine goodwill, which could unlock crucial information for later levels of gameplay; they were strategic resources.

If Park Tae-rang were to drink it, the final destination would simply be a stream of urine flushed down into some dark, damp toilet in the castle, leaving no sound whatsoever.

Park Tae-rang pouted, reluctantly turning his gaze away from the grapefruit tea, and obediently looking at the plate in front of him, muttering to himself:

"Sigh, I wish I could have a portable space like Lin Feng!"