Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"And then there's his recent declaration. If we're only talking about looks, Esther Miller is definitely undeniably beautiful. What? Is he going to make her one of his 'many beautiful wives' targets?"

The comments weren't just directed at Esther; there were also many rumors circulating because of Ryūka. The men and women around them all turned their attention to the young couple, curiously anticipating what would happen next.

But to their surprise, after handing the items to Esther, Ryusha immediately turned to one of her servants.

"Sir, thank you for helping me collect the bodies of my fallen soldiers on the battlefield. I never imagined you were a servant of the Miller family. It's good to see you again today."

Bet had half a pig's ear in his mouth and stopped chewing when Ryūka appeared. When he saw that Ryūka was actually greeting him, he hurriedly swallowed the meat in his mouth, wiped his mouth, and gave a military salute.

"Yes, yes, Your Excellency!"

"What? So they weren't here for Esther after all?" The crowd's enthusiasm instantly waned, and even the harsh whispers disappeared. They watched as Ryūka abandoned Esther and chatted enthusiastically with Bet. After understanding Ryūka's story about collecting corpses on the battlefield, they all returned to their own social circles.

Just as Esther breathed a sigh of relief and was about to sneak away, Ryuka's mischievous chuckle rang out behind her again.

"Where are you planning to go, Miss Miller?"

Chapter 8 Needle and Thread and a Young Girl's Thoughts

Esther had no choice but to stop, and looked at Ryusha with a resentful expression. She lowered her voice and whispered, "What exactly do you want!"

"I just wanted to make friends."

Despite Ryuga's innocent expression, as pure as a lotus flower, in Esther's mind, based on the previous rumors and Ryuga's shocking harem speech at the banquet, this kid was definitely a lump of mud!

Esther was filled with bitterness. "Ugh...this guy couldn't be...after all, I'm so cute, and he's the governor. Ugh...I shouldn't have chosen a territory near Sochi. I could have made so much money by being near him, but I never expected to get myself into this mess!"

But she couldn't control herself and was caught red-handed stealing, putting her in a difficult position. Esther was in a state of turmoil, unaware that Ryūka was thinking of improving their relationship with her, who came from the Northern faction, to establish a good business partnership and promote his own policies. After all, the girl before him was practically a walking enigma of greed, not to mention Esther's private dealings with Adela, which made Ryūka even more concerned.

As for the rest... well, we'll see...

"Oh, please! I wouldn't dare presume to be friends with Your Excellency the Governor..."

Esther gave Ryukatsu a polite smile, then gave a look to Bet and the others behind Ryukatsu, signaling them to find a way to help her escape.

But after just a few words of conversation and thanks, Bet was already flattered by Ryūka. The young hero of Sochi, the dignified governor, was giving him such face in front of everyone. Coupled with Ryūka's generous treatment of him on the battlefield and his personal act of bringing back the corpses of his subordinates, it was as if he was hitting these lowly soldiers with a ton of bricks.

So when they saw Esther's eyes, Beth and the others all had only one thought.

Since things have come to this, let's eat first! This kind of banquet doesn't happen every day!

Seeing that her subordinates wouldn't help her, Esther gritted her teeth in anger, but she knew she was in the wrong. She knew that if you don't feed the horse, you can't expect it to run. But in her heart, she still cursed Ryukatsu for being cunning and good at winning people over.

Seeing Esther's aloof gaze, Ryuga roughly understood what was going on, but he didn't care about the girl's misunderstanding. It was like war; when you're in a position of absolute dominance, the other person's thoughts are insignificant.

"The skirt." Ryuga looked at Esther, her eyes and tone full of composure, and said as the girl nervously clutched the hem of the skirt, "It's torn, isn't it? I can fix it for you, to the point that you can return it without anyone noticing."

But to Esther, Ryūka's act of lifting her skirt felt like she was being stripped naked, making her even more nervous. Not to mention, how could anyone possibly repair a torn skirt to its original condition? There would always be seams! Even magic, perfectly repairing an object, even a very ordinary one, involves advanced magical rules—skills even great mages couldn't master.

But Ryūka's tone left no room for argument:

"Don't you believe me? I made my own clothes. Come here, I'll have a servant bring you a change of clothes first, and I won't do anything else to you. Or, Miss Miller, do you want to return what's under my skirt to me in public?"

Hmm… Esther felt like she was facing the most despicable and shameless coercion ever! She had only ever heard of such plots in the erotic novels that other noble ladies loved to read, but she never expected it to happen to her. Strange… Usually, as long as she made a slight gesture to a man, they would immediately become infatuated and lose their aggression, but this guy, Ryuka, seemed to be completely different.

This made Esther somewhat uneasy, even causing her to doubt her own charm. But a rebellious and defiant spirit also drove her to follow Ryūka, as if in a fit of pique, to see what this guy was up to.

It's nothing, just going to the next room with him, which is only a wall away from the banquet hall. If he really gets out of control, I won't care about saving face; I'll just scream!

However, things turned out to be completely different from what Esther had imagined.

"Is it changed?"

Ryūka did indeed have someone bring over a new dress so that Esther could go into the room to change, while he waited respectfully outside.

"W-Did you really do this...?"

The door opened, and Esther appeared in view, dressed in a white and purple Lolita-style gown. Her hair was styled into a beautiful updo, adorned with gorgeous exotic hair accessories that Esther had never seen before, making her look incredibly dignified.

"What a lovely girl, Ryuka, where did you meet her?"

Beside Esther, the slender and tall Kira clapped her hands in amazement; it was she who had brought the clothes. When Ryūka introduced her as Esther from the Miller family, Kira, who was familiar with the relevant information, immediately understood. Business was her forte, and Ryūka had probably called her here for this very reason.

"Hmm, it's not bad, but the size isn't quite right. The hair color and dress color, as well as the style of your stockings and boots, don't really match the dress. Well, it was originally a dress made for someone else to try on, but she absolutely didn't want to show up at today's banquet, so it's just sitting there unused..."

Ryusha was referring to Kania. This outfit was originally prepared for her, but she was worried that her contact with the royal family of Otus as a witch might raise suspicions, since no one could say for sure. Because Kania was tall, the mid-length skirt looked like a long dress on Esther. Fortunately, the belt was adjustable, and Kira used flower clips to slightly adjust the size at the chest, which unexpectedly made the aloof and elegant dress look a bit cute on Esther.

Esther felt no discomfort at all from Ruka's comments. Her first reaction was that she couldn't believe how cute she looked in such beautiful clothes, while Ruka's reaction was that this wasn't good enough and that wasn't suitable enough.

Are you kidding me?! This style! This fabric! This workmanship! These accessories! Any girl who sees this wouldn't even consider whether the details match! That Liuxia! She's so picky!

How much does this outfit even cost...? I don't believe this shrewd young man in front of me made it... He's definitely trying to scam girls with this... It's terrifying...

But even if it wasn't him who did it, even if it was one of his tailors... this was definitely a way to make a lot of money, which made Esther very interested.

"Are...are these clothes really made by you?"

"Yes, the design, fabric selection, and pattern making were all done by Liuxia. Except for the most basic sewing, which was outsourced, these clothes are truly exceptional. I'm not exaggerating, even the tailors in the capital who serve the royal family might not be able to make something like this. So we're considering promoting cotton cultivation, the textile industry, and the clothing industry in the Sochi province as part of our economic development. We'll probably have to collaborate with some lords then—and of course, they'll make money too!"

Kira saw through Esther's thoughts and, at the right moment, used the right words to cast the bait, waiting for Esther to gradually become interested.

"Is that so... then what exactly is the policy..."

Just as Esther was beginning to feel a flutter in her heart, Ryusha's soft voice interrupted her curiosity:

"This matter requires further consideration. We cannot yet decide which territories we will cooperate with. Miss Miller, please give me your dress, I will mend it."

To get the fish to bite, you can't rush to pull the line. Esther clearly felt that Ruka was toying with her, but she also understood that if it were true, Ruka wouldn't easily let others in; she would fight for it herself.

"A petty trick!" Esther huffed, handing her discarded dress to Ryusha. This dress, previously an expensive one that even renting it felt like a painful expense—the latest design from the Chamber of Commerce—now seemed utterly insignificant compared to the dress she was wearing. "You're busy, aren't you...?"

"Here you go, Your Excellency Governor, I'd like to see what kind of magical method you're going to use to fix this!"

The clothes, still carrying the girl's warmth and fragrance, were placed in her hands. Ryuga smiled slightly at Esther's provocative gaze. Kira was equally curious. She knew Ryuga was capable of designing clothes, but she was not a professional tailor, and she was very concerned about how he would repair the dress.

Surely he hasn't broken through again and learned some Heavenly Rank magic?

Ryusha rubbed Esther's skirt with her fingers, observing and feeling the fabric, and then asked Kira to bring the prepared sewing box.

The textile technology in this world is not considered advanced. Even the most precious fabrics are produced using mediocre fibers and weaving techniques.

This was something Ryuu had been concerned about for a long time, especially since Kania and the others preferred to wear cotton clothes and stockings. Wool or pure cotton fabrics were comfortable and easy to sew. In contrast, the female knight outfits worn by Hetia and her companions—those trousers and stockings that clung tightly to their sexy, muscular legs—felt rather rough in fabric and texture, and the stitching sometimes even spoiled the experience. After all, durability was all that mattered.

Hmm... I remember observing the structure of a loom when I visited a museum, but I don't recall all the details. However, if I give Anjaberg a few examples and explain the mechanical principles, that genius girl should be able to solve it.

Having secured sufficient status and military strength, Ryūka finally decided to develop and build. But the immediate priority was to mend Esther's skirt.

In the original world, there was an ancient Chinese technique for mending and sewing, which was the "boundary line" technique used by Qingwen in Dream of the Red Chamber when she mended her fur coat. Although Liuxia had only read about it in the book, she dared to try it herself because she understood the basic principle.

After all, his current perception and control are far beyond that of ordinary people. Even the densely interwoven lines on the fabric can be clearly seen under his full perception, and his precise control over force is also different.

Having selected suitable needles and thread, Liu Xia cleaned up some of the broken threads. The needle moved at her will, and the fine needle controlled by her fighting spirit shuttled back and forth in the gaps of the fabric, inserting even finer white thread into the seams of the fabric, and quickly repaired the hole in the skirt.

A miracle! Esther and Kira watched as Ryusha's hand gestures danced, and the torn skirt was restored to its original state as if a wound had healed. It was completely invisible to the naked eye; only by carefully feeling it with their hands could they sense that the fabric was slightly different from the rest of the garment.

"Phew...it's more tiring than I imagined..."

Ryūka wiped the fine sweat from his brow, looking at the incredulous expressions on the two girls' faces. He himself didn't think anything of it; the skill was inherited from their ancestors, and he was merely taking advantage of his extraordinary abilities from another world. But to Esther and Kira, it was even more astonishing than magic. After all, magic was a legitimate system for them, and no magician or knight had ever used their abilities for something as mundane as mending clothes—something only servants would do. Therefore, the method Ryūka displayed seemed like a miracle they had never seen before.

"Even after knowing you for so long, you still always manage to surprise me."

Kira looked at Ryusha with gentle eyes, wiping the fine sweat from his forehead with her sleeve. She didn't mind pressing her body close to Ryusha in front of Esther, letting her soft body touch the boy and enveloping him with her fragrance.

To her, this boy was so different. He encouraged her to use her talents and become a qualified and independent manager. And she felt that it was precisely because Ryūka valued more than just a person's fighting ability and social status that he did this. Moreover, he used the power of the prestigious profession that everyone respected to do something as trivial as mending clothes, just as the boy often wandered among ordinary people, working and fighting alongside them, guiding them and constantly learning from their experience.

Esther glanced at the ambiguous scene between Kira and Ryusha, lost in thought.

So that's how it is. This guy really is good at winning over girls, so those rumors about him being a lecherous monster might be a bit off. But most importantly...

An interesting technique, mending clothes like this... Just from this small matter, you can see that his understanding of the details that make up things is different from ordinary people, and that he doesn't care about his status as governor and chief official, and is willing to try all kinds of ordinary little things that are close to life.

Therefore, it seems that his personal design and making of clothes is not a lie. Moreover, given that he is such a meticulous and skillful person, his earlier remarks to Kira about promoting cotton crop cultivation, changing the textile and garment industry, and even economic policies, all seem more credible.

Humans cannot live without clothing. Whether commoners, slaves, or royalty, whether for warmth and survival or to display status, clothing, like food, is indispensable to the human world. The northern nobles participated in Clovis's war for fertile lands, so the revolution in clothing and fabrics described by Ryūka must have been far more complex.

Business is about money, and money can buy weapons and loyalty. Just from this point of view, Esther's mentality underwent a significant change.

Is this guy trying to use me as a starting point to gradually draw the northern nobles to his side? And it's probably not just about the clothes; he has other plans as well. Although it's highly likely he's deliberately putting on a show for me, but…

This will be a war without knights and mages; those who cooperate with him will gain wealth and survival, while those who stand against him will only perish.

Not to mention the money I can earn! And the clothes I wear are so pretty and cute!!! If I join Liuxia's business now, won't I be able to wear all those pretty clothes I want? My wardrobe will be overflowing!

Damn it! I've had enough of this stingy, frugal life!!!

Chapter 9 Don't let your words be so easily misunderstood

Ryusha was unaware of all the thoughts Esther had already put into this, but in his view, starting with cotton spinning and planting was the most appropriate approach.

First, the history of capitalist industry that he knew of developed from this point; second, the geographical environment of Sochi was very suitable for animal husbandry and the cultivation of cash crops, provided that he could ensure that he had enough arable land to produce food, and the large-scale purge of the southern nobles during the previous war had achieved this condition.

Finally, these northern nobles, as rivals, were acutely aware of the importance of clothing. Living in the frigid north, clothing was as essential as food for survival. In Sochi and further south, intermittent hunger, except during the two coldest months of winter, wouldn't be immediately fatal. But in the north, where it's bitterly cold for half the year, without adequate warm clothing, half a day could be enough to kill a person.

Even if they were to migrate south to Sochi now, Ryūsha believed that the importance of clothing would still be ingrained in their instincts. By developing the textile industry on a large scale and popularizing it among the common people, while simultaneously using high-end clothing designs to amass wealth from the aristocracy, they could achieve success at both the top and the bottom.

Given enough benefits and incentives, even the northern nobles who support Clovis will gradually try to side with him. After all, this isn't about getting them to turn against him on the battlefield and draw their swords against their former master.

A stable life is most likely to change a person's will. Ryuka smiled slightly and said to Esther:

“Miss Miller, we should go back to the banquet. Otherwise, being alone in a room with a man for so long might lead to misunderstandings.”

Esther blushed slightly, surprised that Ryūka was still teasing her about her previous suspicions of him. But at this moment, she hesitated, afraid of missing the opportunity to speak with Ryūka alone.

"A little more rest won't hurt... I'm quite interested in the ideas His Excellency the Governor previously raised..."

It was early spring, and Esther was worried about what to do with the territory she had just been allocated. To be honest, this was one of the reasons why she was hostile to Ryukyu. After all, Ryukyu had not only burned the north to the ground, requiring the reconstruction of houses and towns, but more importantly, it had also relocated all the settled farmers. This left the northern nobles who had been allocated the territory without any manpower, and even if they moved commoners from the north, they would miss the spring planting season.

Moreover, the commoners and serfs who migrated from the north lacked experience in farming under the local climate, since the types of crops they cultivated were quite different.

But if we can reach a cooperation agreement with Ryukyu, then since I support and participate in his economic reforms, wouldn't it be a natural thing to lend people? The reconstruction of the territory would also be simpler.

Seeing the fish finally take the bait, Ryuka's eyes narrowed into slits. It seemed Esther's desire for wealth had overcome her self-doubt and prejudice. Although this was just the beginning, every strategy needs a first step, so Ryuka couldn't resist teasing Esther again: "Are you thinking about it, Mei? Are you free? Lin, are you free...?"

"Of course, but it seems that Miss Miller has already let her guard down around me. At first, she looked at me like I was some kind of bad man, which was really hurtful."

Esther's face darkened. She puffed out her cheeks and glared at Ryukyu. At that moment, Ryukyu was pressed close to Kira, half of her body almost nestled in the young man's arms as she wiped his sweat. A beautiful, sexy older woman nestled in the arms of a younger man, and this man was even looking at him with a wicked grin—what else could this be but a bad man!

"Oh, Governor, I never had such thoughts."

Although she felt it wouldn't be good to be in the same room with Ryukatsu, Esther had no intention of leaving, and just pretended to deny Ryukatsu's words.

That's right, this boy is no ordinary bad guy! He's a hibernating viper! A cunning fox! It's clearly a win-win collaboration, but Esther always feels that Ryūka exudes a certain evil aura and has a firm grasp on her mind. She seems to be following his plan, while her reason tells her it's right.

It was as if she had succumbed to him… Esther suddenly felt a sense of humiliation, but the boy's suggestion was like honey, making her willingly swallow it. This psychological frustration was something the girl had never felt before; a resentful and defiant emotion slowly sprouted like spring buds as she succumbed, a feeling more unforgettable than any flutter of the heart.

Esther looked at the boy in front of her and attributed her anger to the fact that "money is hard to earn and shit is hard to swallow."

Starting with dividing the land into livestock farming and cash crop cultivation, Ryūsha gradually began discussing with Esther the Miller family's share of the profits from the plan, the price for purchasing textile crops and wool from Esther, and whether they would be willing to lend some of their people as tenant farmers, etc.

Time passed slowly, but Esther remained completely oblivious. Sometimes she would argue with Ryukatsu about profit sharing, and other times she would offer her own ideas for Ryukatsu's business ventures. Kira always seemed to speak up at the most opportune moment, either to ease tensions between the two or to summarize the situation.

This was the first time in so many years that Esther had seen her vision of 'escaping poverty and becoming rich again' vividly written on paper, with the future as clear as if she could see it.

Without realizing it, her posture became more and more relaxed. She even kicked off her boots at some point, put her feet on the table, and leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed, saying to Ryūka:

"Hmph~ If you cooperate with me, Your Excellency, you'll gain an incredible advantage~"

"Is that so? It seems like you're the one taking advantage of me, Miss Miller, right? After all, it's enough for a portion of the nobles in the province to support my policies. If you don't cooperate with me, you'll be the one who suffers, but I can cooperate with others as well."

Ryuka rested her chin on her hand, admiring the pink-haired girl swinging her soft little feet, encased in white stockings, back and forth, while giving Esther a playful smile:

"Take Weston Oliveira, for example; he's clearly expressed his desire for trade. Besides him, I can also negotiate with those who support the Fourth Prince's faction. So, Miss Miller, what advantage have I gained over you?"

"Hmph, that's naturally..." Esther smiled confidently, stood up from her chair, and pressed her hand to her chest, saying, "As a rare and beautiful girl like me!"

"Oh wow~"

"Whoa~"

Seeing the surprised expressions on Ryukyu and Kira's faces, Esther, who had just been boasting, suddenly realized that what she had said might have been a bit off, so she quickly blushed and explained:

"That's not what I meant! I meant that if I were to endorse your clothes, sales among noble ladies would definitely skyrocket! And I could also help you persuade other northern nobles. That barbarian Weston doesn't have that kind of eloquence! You probably approached me and said all this because you thought it would be easier to use me as a breakthrough point!"

The girl was indeed shrewd, but Liu Xia asked with a mischievous grin, "'That's not what I meant,' what do you mean?"

"Well……"

Kira added with a mischievous grin, "Miss Miller, you don't think we mean you're the 'cheap' one, do you? We didn't say anything! Besides, Miss Miller wouldn't use herself as a temptation in front of me, would she?"

Esther's pretty face flushed red as she watched Kira link arms with Ryusha, looking like she was 'asserting her dominance'.

These two! They clearly meant that when they were teasing him just now, but now they won't admit it! It's like they're the ones with dirty minds! And Miss Kira! This guy has already publicly declared his love to several girls outside! Why are you still hugging him like that, looking all happy?! What's so great about this guy anyway!

"I!" In her anger and embarrassment, Esther's toes unconsciously clenched, squeezing the white cotton stockings on her feet. Just as she was about to retort, there was a knock on the door.

"My lord, Your Excellency, Miss Miller's servants are asking if their young lady is with you."