While Wei Wei was busy developing soybean products and searching for brine or gypsum to make tofu, Felix's pesticide water was also selling very successfully.
So successful that someone tried to buy the formula for the pesticide water.
In an era where bartering was common among the lower classes, using money to buy pesticide water might be out of reach for many, but cheap beans were something almost everyone could afford.
Their daily staple was various stewed beans. While they might not have much, a handful or two of beans was something most could scrape together.
When buying pesticide water, they might hesitate, but after seeing the earl's clean, thriving fields and comparing them to their own increasingly pest-infested lands, they gritted their teeth and decided to give it a try.
Those who bought the pesticide water quickly realized it was worth every bean. The pests of this era had no resistance to the pesticide water. Almost immediately after application, the pests in the fields either died or fled, showing remarkable effectiveness.
Such excellent pest control was something no one had ever seen before. After confirming that the pests were truly eradicated, many exclaimed in awe, praying by their fields and praising the earl's benevolence. Soon, word of the pesticide water's effectiveness spread to neighboring noble territories.
Sardinson County was the domain of Earl Williams, but that didn't mean the earl was the only noble in the area. In fact, besides the knightly estates granted by the Williams family, there were also five barons. These were long-established noble families, three of whom had originally been knights elevated by Felix's ancestors. Of course, not all their lands had been granted by the Williams family; much of it had been seized.
In the early days of the Prati Empire, conflicts between noble territories were common. It was a constant back-and-forth of raids and skirmishes. The victors would demand compensation and ransoms from the losers, growing stronger and continuing the cycle. Knights often expanded their lord's lands through such conquests, earning promotions in the process.
The Williams family had once expanded their territory in this manner, with the earl's domain being twice its current size at its peak. However, a couple of spendthrift heirs led to the family's decline. It wasn't until Felix's father's generation that the family began to recover.
When Felix inherited the earldom, the five barons attended his succession ceremony. Afterward, they kept a low profile, maintaining only a monthly exchange of perfunctory friendly letters, with little other interaction.
"They're waiting to see if I'm worthy of their continued loyalty."
Felix was well aware of this. Even though these barons were his direct vassals, their loyalty wasn't absolute.
If they weren't afraid of retaliation from their former lord, they could even switch allegiance to another.
Of course, such shifts weren't overt. Imperial law didn't permit it, as it would lead to chaos among the nobility. These changes usually happened in secret.
Currently, the five barons of Sardinson County are in a period of observation and testing. If Felix didn't meet their expectations, it was hard to say what their next move would be.
—So, why was she sitting here listening to Felix complain about his vassals? Much of what he was saying shouldn't be shared with someone whose relationship with him was still unclear.
Wei Wei sipped her tea, her expression impassive, once again lamenting Felix's lack of judgment.
Emotionally, she could understand Felix's desire to do something a bit foolish out of affection for her, but rationally, she still thought he was being naive.
Didn't he worry that she might be a spy or have ulterior motives? If she were, all she'd need to do was agree to marry Felix, and the entire Sardinson County would be hers for the taking.
...But there was something endearingly naive about him.
As Felix began another round of complaints, Wei Wei had to interrupt him: "So, did you call me here this early just to tell me all this?"
They were sitting in a garden pavilion. Normally, Dolores and the other servants would have joined them for their walk, but Felix had dismissed them, claiming they had important matters to discuss. Thus, only the two of them remained in the pavilion.
Finally realizing that Wei Wei wasn't interested in his complaints, Felix stopped his rambling and awkwardly admitted, "Oh, of course not."
He pulled out a box and handed it to Wei Wei: "I wanted to give you this."
Wei Wei glanced at the box, which contained jewelry or some other valuable item, and didn't take it. "I think you know I won't accept any expensive gifts."
She was fine with gifts like flowers—not from just anyone, but she didn't mind receiving them from Felix. However, she wouldn't accept other gifts.
"It's not a gift," Felix said. "It's payment."
Wei Wei gave him a look that said, "I'm watching you make this up."
"It is payment, for the pesticide water."
Felix opened the box, revealing a pair of gold-based, slightly extravagant teardrop-shaped pearl earrings.
Wei Wei had seen these earrings before. Felix had tried to give them to her as a gift once, claiming they were a cherished possession of his mother's.
"The pesticide water is selling very well. It's brought me a steady income, but it's unfair to you. So please let me use these earrings as payment for the formula."
Felix was at his wit's end. He had always wanted Wei Wei to accept at least one of the carefully chosen gifts he had prepared for her, but on this point, Wei Wei was unyielding in a way he couldn't understand. In Europe, it was common for men to give gifts when courting women, and women who weren't particularly averse to the man would usually accept them as a social courtesy.
But Felix was certain Wei Wei didn't dislike him, yet she refused to accept his gifts.
This was a blow to Felix, who had been raised in the social etiquette of the nobility, and it made him even more determined to get Wei Wei to accept his gifts.
Otherwise, given his personality, he would have stopped trying after Wei Wei showed her dislike for expensive gifts.
Wei Wei still didn't take the box. She shook her head dismissively: "It's just a simple formula—it's not even a proper formula—and you haven't gained much from it. This payment isn't appropriate."
It was true. The pesticide water was easy to make, with materials readily available. Felix had to invest manpower and resources to sell it, and all he got in return were cheap beans. The profits he had made so far probably wouldn't even cover the cost of one of the large pearls on the earrings.
Felix insisted it was appropriate: "Actually, several barons have written to me. They want to buy the formula for the pesticide water, but the formula isn't mine, so I want to use these earrings to buy it from you."
This was true. After hearing about the effectiveness of the pesticide water, several barons whose territories were also plagued by pests had written to Felix requesting to buy the pesticide water and, citing transportation difficulties, asked him to sell them the formula.
This was also a test. If it were them, they would never sell such a useful formula, as keeping it secret would allow them to profit indefinitely from selling the pesticide water.
By making such a request despite knowing this, they were testing Felix's response.
Felix had initially been reluctant to sell the formula. On one hand, he felt the formula belonged to Wei Wei and he couldn't just sell it without her consent. On the other hand, he was reluctant to give up this steady, albeit modest, source of income.
But when he received the letters, Father Matthew also approached him for a talk. While not explicitly stated, the priest hinted that he hoped Felix would hand over the formula to the Church.
Note: not sell, but hand over—meaning give it to the Church for free.
On the surface, it seemed like Father Matthew was pressuring Felix in the name of the Church to give up his interests for the priest's benefit. If he could convince Felix to hand over the formula, the credit would naturally go to Father Matthew.
However, while the priest's suggestion was partly self-serving, it was also intended to help Felix gain the Church's support, solidifying his position and increasing his power.
At this time, the Church held significant power in Europe. While it hadn't yet reached the pinnacle of influence it would two centuries later, when the Pope's status surpassed that of emperors and kings, it was already on par with them.
Thus, if Felix could gain the Church's support, it would be highly beneficial for him.
But Father Matthew's words also reminded Felix that he could offer the formula to the king!
This was likely an oversight on the priest's part. Compared to the Church, Felix, who had been knighted by the king, naturally leaned more toward the latter.
Though he was a borderland earl, the Williams family was a direct vassal of the king, just as the barons in the county were his direct subordinates. Thus, in Felix's eyes, the king's favor carried more weight than the Church's.
"So you want to offer the formula to the king?"
"Yes, that's my plan."
Felix shared his scheme with Wei Wei. He intended to offer the formula to the king to gain his favor, while also selling it to the barons. When selling it, he could require the barons not to resell the pesticide water, allowing him to continue selling it himself. Since the formula would be given to the king, he could refuse to sell it to others and direct them to the king instead. Given the current strength of the royal family, it was unlikely anyone would risk offending the king over such a minor profit.
As for the Church, he could have them take the matter up with the king directly. Given the king's strained relationship with the Church, he would likely enjoy the confrontation.
"Aren't you afraid the king might forbid you from selling the pesticide water after getting the formula?"
Felix looked surprised: "Of course not. This formula belongs to us from the start. We can sell it if we want; we don't need the king's permission."
Wei Wei was instinctively thinking of Chinese emperors throughout history, assuming European kings had similar authority, such as the idea that "if the king orders a subject to die, the subject has no choice but to comply."
However, due to differences in governance, European monarchs of this period didn't have as much centralized power as their Chinese counterparts. The Church held significant influence, and powerful nobles also wielded considerable power, leaving the king with relatively limited authority.
When a kingdom fell, often only the royal family was overthrown, while other nobles remained largely unaffected. They could choose to pledge allegiance to the new monarch and continue their noble lives, often without losing their lands.
In this regard, the relationship between European monarchs and nobles was somewhat similar to that between Chinese emperors and aristocratic families before the Tang Dynasty—what was often called "iron-clad nobility, flowing monarchs."
European nobility had a strict hierarchy, but within this system, there was also a great deal of flexibility.
At this time, the relationship between noble classes could be summed up in one phrase: "The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal." In other words, a superior noble's commands only applied to their direct vassals, not to the vassals of their vassals. Even the king was no exception.
And if the king's power couldn't overshadow other nobles, then the nobles wouldn't be particularly obedient.
Of course, if the king was strong and assertive, that was a different story.
But clearly, the current king of the Prati Empire wasn't particularly capable or forceful.
Wei Wei didn't understand much about power dynamics. If this were China, she could have drawn on historical knowledge to offer Felix some advice. But in Europe, even modern European history was beyond her grasp, let alone medieval times.
So she refrained from offering any opinions on Felix's plans.
Felix wasn't expecting her to give advice. He was just using this opportunity to finally give her the gift he had been wanting to give her.
The beautiful pearl earrings glowed softly in the box, and compared to gemstones, Wei Wei did prefer pearls.
To accept or not to accept?
Wei Wei looked at the earrings as if standing at a crossroads in life, gazing at the path ahead.
She knew there was a cocoon in her heart, formed from her parents' divorce. Over time, it had grown thicker and harder.
It was a fortress she had built to protect herself, a barrier against love and affection in the depths of her soul.
She had always firmly believed that no one could break it, not even herself.
She wasn't a butterfly; she didn't need to emerge from a cocoon. She stayed quietly within her protective shell, isolating herself from the world's chaos, and enjoying the safety of solitude.
But the person trying to reach her wasn't trying to break the cocoon. Instead, he had painstakingly found the thread hidden within the thick shell and was slowly unraveling it.
With the thread pulled, the cocoon was no longer impenetrable. As long as those hands didn't let go, one day, the thick shell that tightly enveloped her would be completely peeled away, revealing the unguarded soul within.
Finally, she slowly reached out and took the pearl earrings.
As for Felix, she had to admit that she was indeed a little moved.
It wasn't love or deep affection, just a simple stirring of the heart, as if someone had gently touched the surface of a calm lake, sending ripples across the water.
It was more like, when you're ready to settle down through an arranged marriage, you meet someone who shares the same intention, meets all your criteria, and with whom there's a mutual spark—a feeling that it might be worth giving it a try.
"This person might be a good fit," a voice inside her whispered.
A suitable future spouse.
So why not give each other a chance? Whether it turns out good or bad, there will always be an answer in the end.
As she took the pearl earrings, Felix's eyes grew brighter, his smile widening until it was almost ear-to-ear.
It was a very silly smile.
But Felix, who seemed silly but was quite sharp, naturally understood the underlying meaning of Wei Wei's gesture.
Wei Wei had previously been so resistant to accepting expensive gifts and had told him that in her country, women couldn't casually accept gifts from men.
But now she had accepted, and after careful consideration, it wasn't a casual acceptance.
Even if there was a transactional aspect to it, if she hadn't wanted to, Wei Wei could have asked Felix to change the terms of the exchange. But she didn't.
So Felix knew that these pearl earrings she had accepted weren't just a transaction—they were also a signal, a signal to Felix.
She was telling him that she was starting to accept his courtship, beginning with this gift.
This was a start that made him want to jump up and shout for joy, even spin her around in his arms.
But he couldn't. He didn't want to scare the girl who had just taken a step closer to him back into retreat.
So, restraining his excitement, he looked at the young woman across from him with shining eyes: "May I put them on for you?"
Having just accepted the gift and feeling a bit amused by his silly smile, Wei Wei's expression twitched, almost losing her composure.
This guy didn't miss any opportunity, did he? He was too good at pushing his luck.
But why did she find it somewhat endearing?
Wei Wei pushed the box back and tilted her head, revealing a small, delicate ear with a hint of pink.
No words were needed; Felix understood.
He leaned in eagerly, carefully removing the tassel earring from her ear and replacing it with the pearl earring.
Once it was done, Felix said admiringly, "It suits you."
The added weight on her ear felt slightly uncomfortable, but Felix's compliment lifted her mood.
Then, out of nowhere, Felix asked, "Will you be my dance partner?"
Wei Wei, confused by the sudden shift in topic, asked, "What?"
Felix explained: "The barons' letters reminded me that I need to host a ball, inviting them to the castle to announce my new status."
The idea came to him because, in their letters requesting to buy the pesticide water formula, the barons had also suggested that Felix should host a grand ball to celebrate his succession as earl, inviting all the nobles in the territory.
If it wasn't coordinated, he didn't believe it was a coincidence that they all brought it up.
So it was clear that the barons had been in contact and had reached some kind of agreement.
However, their letters also reminded Felix that he did need to host such a ball.
Bored nobles loved hosting all kinds of balls. When Felix was in the capital, aside from participating in arena competitions, he spent his time attending various social balls. Of course, he wasn't often on the guest list; more often, he was outside as part of the royal knights, waiting for orders.
After all, back then, he was just the second son of an earl. Even with great potential, in the eyes of the high nobility, a mere knight wasn't worth an invitation.
Fortunately, this suited him just fine, as he didn't like balls.
One of the most talked-about aspects of the nobility was that, while they practiced monogamy, it was an open secret that both husbands and wives often had lovers on the side. This was the norm for most nobles.
Felix's looks were quite popular among noblewomen, and even some high-ranking nobleladies were smitten with him. However, most only wanted a secret lover; few wanted to marry him.
And Felix, born into the Williams family, had grown up watching his parents deeply in love. After his mother's death, his father had remained single. Felix had no desire to become the secret lover of a married woman or a future married woman.
As for those willing to marry him, well, he had never felt the same way about them as he did about Wei Wei.
So, no thank you.
In matters of love, Felix was nothing like the typical nobleman of his time. He was even more innocent than Wei Wei.
"When is the ball?"
"The date hasn't been set yet, but I think it will be in about two weeks." Felix said: "The castle needs to prepare, and the guests need time to prepare as well."
When Wei Wei thought of balls, the first thing that came to mind was the image from later movies: a glittering hall filled with men in tailcoats and women in lavish ball gowns, dancing under dazzling lights.
Of course, that was a scene from centuries later; it wasn't something she could see now.
Wei Wei agreed to Felix's invitation. Since she had made her decision, some level of cooperation and interaction was necessary.
"Then I'll have the tailor come tomorrow to make your dress. Oh, Dolores will also need a few suitable dresses. She can't keep hiding in her room this time."
Felix wasn't entirely unaware of his sister's usual behavior at balls. In the past, their father hadn't liked Dolores, and the girl had kept a low profile, not yet old enough to enter society, so Felix hadn't paid much attention.
But now things were different. He felt his sister was even more favored by Wei Wei than he was, which made him want to marry her off sooner!
Of course, this was just a fleeting thought when he was feeling a bit jealous. He didn't mean it—she was still too young.
—Why wasn't she fourteen or fifteen, or even older?