……
"Clothes, shoes, a cup, a spoon, a fork," Mei ticked off on her fingers, "Is there anything else we need to bring?"
Scattered on the ground were daily necessities, from kettles to small wooden bowls, everything imaginable.
"Bedding is the most important thing," Irene mused, "It's best to bring a set of pillows, quilts, and bedsheets."
Hearing this, Loxia and Getter couldn't help but grin, but a cold glance from Mei immediately wiped the expressions off their faces. "Those things aren't needed. Carter said he'll buy a new set at the market. Apparently, they're treasures from the four great families, dug out from the basement of their mansion."
"Wow, they must be woven from the finest silk," Irene said enviously, "I heard there's a tailor shop in the royal capital that sells pure silk clothes and fabrics, and only the great nobles and wealthy merchants can afford them. If they're from the four great families' collection, they must be just as good."
"Yeah, pretty much," Mei said casually, "He seemed to say a set costs five gold royals."
"Hiss..." The three of them gasped in unison.
"F-Five gold royals, heavens," Loxia clicked her tongue, "That's almost equivalent to my salary for two years."
"Can you compare yourself to the Star of the West?" Getter tapped her forehead. "Mei xiaojie is a celebrity who has performed in the royal capital! And Carter-daren is the prince's chief knight, so we can't possibly compare to him in any way!"
"Amazing, Mei-jie," Irene's eyes sparkled, "I'm so envious of you."
Mei knew that only Irene's envy was pure. From the beginning, it was this transparent feeling that had attracted the attention of Dawn Light. She was also curious as to how a girl who had grown up in the theater could have cultivated such a personality. Although she had let go of that relationship, seeing Irene's sincere envy, she still felt a touch of joy. "When you become famous, you can buy it for yourself... A performance in the royal capital can earn several gold royals, not to mention the after-performance rewards from the nobles."
"But I don't know how long it'll take for my acting to reach your level," Irene pouted.
"It seems lively in here. Are you guys rehearsing?" The door was suddenly pushed open, and a handsome man appeared at the entrance. "Am I interrupting at a bad time?"
"C-Carter-daren!" Getter and Loxia immediately bowed.
"Sir Knight, hello," Irene said with a smile, tilting her head. "We were discussing what supplies Mei-jie should bring to your residence, and we were just talking about you."
"Really? What were you saying about me?" Carter asked curiously, scratching the back of his head.
"Nothing at all!" Mei glared at him. This guy was always like this, better off not speaking, because as soon as he opened his mouth, he destroyed his perfect superior aura. "Why did you suddenly come over? Isn't today a day off?"
"Uh, don't worry, I got special permission from the prince, and... I brought a gift."
"A gift?"
Mei looked around at everyone. Getter immediately understood. "Ah, Mei xiaojie, I just remembered I have some things to do. Let me know when you've decided on your luggage."
"Me too. Some clothes have been in the bucket for days without being washed," Loxia said, bowing and taking her leave, pulling Irene along with her.
"Eh? I don't have anything to do. Wait... I want to see Mei-jie's gift..." The voices gradually faded away. Mei breathed a sigh of relief, bolted the door, and turned to face the chief knight. "What gift? Don't tell me it's another new thing that the prince has invented."
Carter looked around first. "Your father..."
"Is working, did you think everyone is as free as you?" Mei said in annoyance. After bringing her father over from the fortress, she had thought it would take a long time for him to get used to his new living environment, but she didn't expect that he had found a job organizing documents at the city hall in just a week. She couldn't stop him even if she tried. And now, he was an official construction
department clerk.
"I'm very busy too," Carter said, spreading his hands. "A capable assistant in the Justice Department was transferred to Longsong Stronghold by His Highness, and now everything in town has fallen on my shoulders. Not only do I have to interrogate spies and check the population, but I also have to arrest those potential criminals, and I'm so busy that I barely have time for three meals a day. You don't know, some criminals are particularly vicious. They're not locals, but bandits who have infiltrated the ranks of refugees. Now that things have gotten a little better, they can't help but attack other refugees. But don't worry, these people basically only operate in the temporary settlements in the west and won't easily enter the inner city. And once they commit a crime, they can't escape my pursuit."
Mei couldn't help but laugh at the other party's gesticulations. "Alright, I get it. So, Sir Knight, who maintains order and peace in the town, would you like to have lunch here, have a drink, and then leave?"
"Although I'd love to, I'm afraid there won't be time," Carter put down the package in his hand. "Try this dress and see if it fits. I specially asked His Highness to design it."
"The prince?" Mei was slightly stunned.
"Yes, when I reported our wedding date to His Highness, he mentioned that there was a dress that was particularly suitable for weddings, but it was very difficult to make. I begged His Highness for a long time and even bribed Soroya xiaojie with ice cream bread to make it."
As the fabric was unfolded layer by layer, a pure white color entered Mei's eyes.
As the knight spread the dress out in front of her, she felt a tremor in her heart. It was a garment that was both simple and gorgeous. Simple, because it had no jewels or gold trim, but was made entirely of layers of white gauze. Gorgeous, because its lines were extremely exaggerated, the tight waist and the flared skirt below formed a strong contrast, and the layers of wavy stripes on the skirt showcased the craftsmanship to the fullest.
She could imagine that any woman, whether noble or not, would be immediately captivated by this dress.
Mei gently took the snow-white, gauze-like garment, turned and returned to the bedroom, and put it on.
When she returned to the living room, Carter's eyes widened. "Heavens, you... are beautiful."
"Is that so?" A rare blush appeared on her face. Even without a mirror, she could guess what she looked like at the moment—the wide-eyed chief knight was the best proof.
Mei walked to Carter's side and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for the gift. I like it very much."
The knight, who had come back to his senses, did not answer, but instead reached out his arms and pulled her into his embrace.
Looking at the approaching face, Mei closed her eyes.
If she was to be called Mei Lannis in the future, it didn't seem so bad, she thought.(。)