After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

"The goddess teaches us that there is no distinction between high and low, noble and base, only differences in ability and division of labor. The diversity of people is just like the diversity of nature. Nature is abundant and harmonious, and humankind is diverse yet united..."

"God makes no demands on humanity, which is precisely why God is God. He does not claim to be the creator, nor does he establish the name of parents. He mercifully treats humanity as an independent species. Therefore, humanity should not make demands on God, but should be grateful..."

"The world today is no longer a world of gods. We humans must rely on our own efforts. We pray only because we want to do good, because we share a common wish: to live a better life. To achieve this, we must first let go of our hatred and prejudice towards one another..."

"More than goddesses, those in power should listen to the prayers of the people. This is not just a prayer, but a demand. If those in power turn a deaf ear to this, then they should repent to the goddess..."

On the stage, Sister Janet, wearing a black veil, sat upright, continuously interpreting the doctrines and inspiring the crowd.

Luna, sitting in the audience, glanced at the two empty seats next to her, then pretended that nothing had happened.

"What the nun said is so true..." Reid, one of only two people from the Duke's mansion present, had red noses and was sobbing. He wiped away his tears while feeling moved and said with regret, "We were too short-sighted."

Luna didn't know what Red had realized. She turned her head and looked at the dense crowd of her people behind her, who were listening with rapt attention. She understood. Sure enough, those who could gain her brother's attention were not mediocre people.

Should I cry?

But I really want to go to the circus! Why aren't those two high-ranking officials here yet? Didn't they hear my prayers?

On one side was the nun's tireless teachings, and on the other side was the joyful laughter of the circus in the distance. Luna was torn between her inner thoughts and her own, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and did not move an inch.

Luna finally made it to noon, and the speech segment of the prayer ceremony ended. Having lost all her strength and abilities, she stood up blankly, the words "human" and "goddess" lingering in her mind.

The crowd was even more enthusiastic than Luna had imagined; they rushed forward to surround the nun, seemingly still having many questions that needed answering.

After having a glass of apple juice at a roadside restaurant, Luna finally felt alive again. She now understood why her brother disliked hosting banquets and how the servants felt at them.

You guys are having a blast, and I can only watch from the sidelines, having to pretend to be respectable and stuff. It's so uncomfortable.

After all her desserts were served, Luna glanced at the still crowded prayer site, silently put down her fruit platter, and sighed.

I've sacrificed so much for this family.

Luna packed all the desserts, carried the wooden box, and walked step by step toward the podium.

"Alright, even nuns need rest time. Everyone, please disperse."

Before Luna even got close, she heard Elene's voice. As she finished speaking, the crowd spontaneously dispersed, and soon only the nun and Elene remained.

Alene was dressed casually, with her hair tied in a ponytail. A belt cinched her waist in a long black dress, which accentuated her slender figure.

"The residents of Ice City are very good; you can see they have hope for the future. I think this is inseparable from the Duke's efforts."

The nun calmly offered a comment.

"You flatter me. There is still much to be done. Compared to military affairs, we have to reduce our focus on people's livelihoods."

Elena responded modestly, while inviting the nun to lunch, then turned to look at Luna, who was carrying a wooden box and had a blank expression.

"Luna, do you want to come along?"

"Huh?"

If Luna had to pinpoint what common ground Eleanor and Jenny might share, she thought to herself, aside from the fact that they were both women, perhaps only her own brother would be a topic of conversation.

Luna was a smart woman, and she could certainly see that Eleanor was being overly cautious about Jenny's arrival.

The nun was very beautiful. From the moment Luna met her and saw her for the first time, she couldn't help but think to herself: What a devout yet devastatingly beautiful face.

My brother is also a strange person. I've never heard of him knowing any nuns before, but he seems to know a lot about Janet.

Moreover, Sister Janet herself confirmed that she had never met the Duke.

Luna forcefully picked up a piece of mutton, chewing with difficulty while scrutinizing the two men. A dignified voice echoed in her mind: "One of you has lied to me."

In the hotel's private room, it was Jenny who spoke first. She lowered the black veil from her face, revealing a fair and delicate face, with long, green hair cascading down her back. She still didn't have much facial expression, which only made her look more dignified and lovely.

"I went to see the sewers that the Duke ordered to be dug this morning. At first I didn't understand what they meant, but then I figured it out. Stagnant water is like a poisonous pond, while flowing water is like dew. As long as the water keeps flowing, the Ice City will always remain clean and tidy."

Upon hearing this, Elena stopped using her knife and fork and smiled gently.

"The Duke took the issue of disease very seriously, saying that there were two main causes of disease: hygiene and nutrition."

"The key to hygiene is cleanliness, but as for nutrition, the nun also knows that in the Northern Territory, it is considered a good year if one can fill one's stomach, and a higher level of nutrition is difficult to achieve."

Jenny nodded, smiling wryly, "I experienced this firsthand in the mountain village. The elderly were often ill, and I would use my healing magic to treat them, but the illness would always recur. As for the reason, it took me a long time to figure it out: they weren't getting enough to eat..."

At this point, Jenny looked at the table full of dishes. Although she understood that this was Elena's hospitality, she still shook her head.

Elena saw through her thoughts at a glance and said admiringly, "The nun has a compassionate heart. However, the Duke said that charity can only save people temporarily, not forever."

"The nun thinks there's a lot of food on this table, but it's actually a normal amount." As she said this, Elena glanced at Luna, whose cheeks were bulging.

Luna blushed, but her mouth kept moving. "Don't look at me like that, I'm a martial artist..."

"Moreover, how much can they eat? The food produced in the northern territory is enough to feed everyone. The key issue is how to distribute it. We are not afraid of them eating, but we are afraid of them taking more. Taking back what they have taken and returning it to the people is the solution."

"I've learned a lot." Jenny bowed her head. "I've long heard that the Duke's secretary is an outstanding person, and seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."

"Everyone carries the flowery sedan chair," Elena retorted, "The nun is truly talented; otherwise, the Duke wouldn't have personally invited her to preside over today's blessing ceremony."

The two smiled at each other, one like a flower on a high mountain, the other like a plum blossom proudly in the snow, each with her own unique charm.

After a few words, Jenny began to quietly enjoy her lunch.

She could tell that the Duke didn't really care about the blessing ceremony, but he did have the intention of recruiting her.

Jenny was momentarily tempted; to be fair, Oswald was already a rare and enlightened ruler in the entire kingdom.

After the marquis's lands were divided, she visited the farmers there, and in those boundless fields, she saw hope.

With this autumn harvest, the northern territories may no longer have to worry about food.

Moreover, the greater significance of this move was that it gave the peasants a means to resist the nobles. "You take away my land, so I'll run off to the Ice City as a refugee. Guess who the Duke will blame when he distributes food to me?"

In other words, do you think the Duke is kinder to us or friendlier to you?

It could be said that most peasants now wish the nobles would make more mistakes.

A duke's land is worth dozens of acres for a family; who wouldn't blush with shame and their heart would race when they saw that!

Here's something the nobles don't want to hear: the Duke let you off the hook this year, but what about next year, or the year after?

However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. After the use of nobles to manage the territory was stopped, the workload of the Duke's mansion increased significantly.

Oswald and Elene are perhaps the most capable people in the kingdom when it comes to handling government affairs, but they have still temporarily given up a lot of work for this purpose.

For example, the Oswald industrial zone development plan, and Eileen's household registration investigation.

There's no other way; having enough to eat is more important than anything else.

Having finished her meal, Jenny gently wiped her mouth with a napkin and gave her reply.

"I wonder what Miss Elena's most important task is right now?"

Elena remained silent at first, then got up and poured Jenny a glass of water, poured herself a glass of wine, and added juice to Luna's glass. Only then did she point to the three different liquids and say with a smile.

"Firstly, it's about Miss Luna's visit to the royal city to celebrate the king's wedding."

Leaving the emerald green juice and moving her fingers to the vibrant red wine glass in her hand, Elena continued, "Secondly, we need to establish a tax ministry. We must first select virtuous young men who are both literate and skilled in martial arts, uniformly dressed and armed with swords, to act on behalf of the Duke and govern all taxes in the Northern Territory."

"Do we need to use a knife?" Jenny frowned.

"Tax reform always involves bloodshed." Elena's expression gradually became serious, and her tone became sharp. "The Duke has given his permission to act first and report later."

Jane knew perfectly well that rule was bloody, and that rulers never hesitated to use the highest degree of violence when it came to taxation.

However, compared to the previous civilian staff, the Duke's newly established tax department is more like a special agency responsible for taxation.

The phrase "acting as duke" is also worth considering. The key is that she doesn't know where the line is. If she's too strict, she'll immediately turn into a vicious henchman; if she's too lenient, it will lead to laxity in her work.

Moreover, it seems that Elene has a new way of dealing with the tax transfer law that nobles are most adept at. In that case, the entire Northern Territory might be slaughtered in droves.

Thinking about it further was pointless. Jenny picked up her water glass. "So, what's in my glass?"

"Establish a medical department, divided into two categories: magical medicine and natural medicine, primarily responsible for researching, treating, and managing all diseases."

Jenny smiled, "It seems Miss Elena, or rather the Duke, had plans for me all along?"

Alini lowered her head shyly and pleaded, "Only a nun can take on this important task."

This is indeed the job that suits me best... Jenny thought to herself. She was extremely skilled in healing magic and had explored natural medicine for many years. In terms of medicine alone, probably no one could surpass her.

"So, congratulations on becoming colleagues?"

Jenny smiled sweetly, and Eleanor responded with a smile. The two clinked glasses lightly, and everything fell into place naturally.