Chapter 102

In the courtyard of the Phoebe Family in the Saint Airo Empire.

This is a luxuriously decorated and beautiful courtyard, surrounded by evergreen plants that remain lush and green even in winter, adding a touch of life to the spacious courtyard.

A maid in a thick dress carried a tray and moved along the cobblestone path in the courtyard. She walked past a pool with gently flowing water and came to a domed pavilion.

The maid stood at the foot of the pavilion steps, her gaze passing through the carved vine-patterned pillars and landing inside the softly and exquisitely furnished pavilion, where a girl, who looked about twelve or thirteen years old, sat.

She was wrapped in a velvety white cloak, and her long, silvery-white hair, more beautiful than moonlight, meandered down the edge of the cloak, eventually falling to her legs. The back of her hair was tied with a red ribbon in the shape of a bow, which intertwined with the silvery-white strands, making her exceptionally eye-catching.

She lowered her head, looking at a book open on her lap. Her long eyelashes were curled and curved, beneath which were a pair of pink eyes, beautiful as sparkling, translucent gems. Her lips were as alluring as delicate flower petals...

The maid called softly from outside the pavilion, "Miss, may I come in?"

Shamir Phoebe looked up at the words, her charming, innocent, and pure beauty fully revealed to the maid. She laughed, her voice as melodious as a bird's song. "Of course, come in quickly, Merry."

The maid carried a tray up the steps and into the pavilion. She placed the flower tea and pastries on the table. The steaming hot flower tea was poured out and was still bubbling with heat. A cool breeze blew through it, and the refreshing aroma spread all around.

Shamir's small face was tucked into the velvet cloak, making her skin appear even whiter and more radiant, and she looked even more endearing.

The maid couldn't help but say, "Shamir, why don't you go to the study to read? It's so cold in here, you'll catch a chill..."

Shamir picked up the book lying on her lap and pressed it against her chest, a blush rising on her delicate face. "I need a more open space. The courtyard is perfect, Merry. I like it here."

The maid couldn't help but say, "But what if you get sick because of this cold weather... Oh dear, the Marquis won't approve of you taking such care of your health..."

Shamir: "I'm not cold. I'll go back after I finish reading this book."

Her heart was always burning with passion.

Seeing this, the maid stopped trying to persuade her. She stood aside with her head down and glanced at the book cover. She was actually illiterate, but she was familiar with the books Shamir had read, Shamir had mentioned many times.

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This book is also very famous, circulating almost throughout the entire empire—it is a series of Tales of the Gods written by the Lord of Desinia.

Maid: "Shamir, have you read the Tales of the Gods again?"

She remembered that Miss Shamir had already read it once.

Shamir nodded, her slender fingers slowly turning the pages, her voice cheerful. "I love the characters in the storybook so much! The glory of the gods, the power of the dragons, the agility of the elves, the wisdom of the dwarves... He writes so well!"

Maid: "Are you referring to the Lord of Desinia?"

Shamir's ears, hidden in her hair, flushed red. "He's not much older than me, yet he's so amazing. Even my father praised him."

Maid: "But the Marquis also scolded him. Have you forgotten that the Lord of Desinia swindled the Marquis out of several chests of gold coins using the White Sugar Formula? Oh, he's so cunning."

The maid clutched her chest as she spoke, seemingly lamenting that the Marquis had lost countless gold coins but only received a useless piece of paper.

Shamir pouted her rosy lips. "But the person who lied to Father was clearly the manager of the Nagabi Merchant Guild, not the lord."

The maid wisely refrained from continuing, otherwise Shamir would have gotten angry again.

A cold wind swept through the pavilion and into Shamir's cloak, making her shrink even further inside. Her fair and slender hands picked up a cup decorated with branches and flowers, and she took a sip of hot flower tea, feeling warm all over.

Holding a book in one hand and resting the other on the cup, she pouted charmingly and said, "This flower tea is also a favorite of the Lord of Desinia."

Shamir couldn't help but think that she had heard so much about the Lord of Desinia, but had never seen him in person. She'd heard he would be Alchemists and Physicians' Exchange, so perhaps...

Just then, the maid suddenly bowed respectfully and said, "My lord."

Shamir turned her head and saw a man walking along the path leading to the pavilion. He had silver-white hair, sharp brown eyes, and fine lines at the corners of his eyes, making him look no longer young, but still handsome. It was Shamir's father, Marquis Gary Phoebe.

Marquis Galli entered the pavilion and saw the book in Shamir's hands. A look of displeasure crossed his face. "My daughter, why are you still reading this book?"

The maid lowered her head in response to the Marquis's anger.

Shamir, however, was not afraid. She hugged the book tightly and said, "Father, I love this book. You can't take away my love for it."

Marquis Galli sat in the chair opposite Shamir and waved for the maid to leave.

After the maid disappeared from sight, he said, "My dear Shamir, you can cultivate some other interests. You don't have to stay at home reading. You can go to parties with your friends, or go for a stroll in the streets and buy some things."

The lives of nobles were mostly dull and monotonous.

Men go out for social engagements and networking.

The women would stroll and chat, spending their mornings in the garden and their afternoons leisurely after lunch. Sometimes, aristocratic women would go shopping together to buy luxury goods and then share their experiences and boast about them.

After dinner, a banquet is usually held, marking the beginning of an intimate and romantic atmosphere in the night.

The Phoebe Family was not an old noble family in the Saint Airo Empire, and they did not originally live in the royal city. Instead, they owned a small, relatively remote territory. It was not until Gary Phoebe got the opportunity to obtain a good position in the royal city that the family moved there to live.

But obviously, it didn't last long. Shamir was still unfamiliar with everything in the royal city and was very reluctant to go out.

Because in the eyes of some of the established nobles in the capital, they were just an insignificant family from a small country town, and the fact that Marquis Phoebe had been swindled out of several chests of gold coins made them the subject of secret ridicule...

Shamir couldn't stand the furtive glances the noble ladies were giving her; it made her very uncomfortable.

She was clearly a noblewoman.

Faced with her father's suggestion, Shamir bit her lip and said, "But what should we buy, Father?"

Should I buy the new vetiver perfume, or the new winter dress, hat, or gloves from the Rose Clothing Store? Or perhaps the romantic cosmetics line?

These are all products from the Thorn Merchant Guild.

Marquis Galli hesitated, his brow furrowing deeply. After a moment, he said, "My dear Shamir, the Ed Merchant Guild also sells these things you've mentioned."

"But the new product is only available in..."

Shamir glanced at her father's expression and didn't finish her sentence: "You know, Father, noble ladies want to be the first to get their hands on the latest fashions to adorn themselves; nobody wants to be out of style before discussing these things..."

The Thorn Merchant Guild is not currently located within the Saint Airo Empire, nor is it permitted to do so, but these new products are only sold through the Thorn Merchant Guild.

Therefore, if the noble ladies and young women of the empire wanted these things that would make them more beautiful, they would have to ask someone to go to the not-too-distant Achiyoli Territory or the Anas Kingdom to buy them and bring them back.

Now, there's even a branch of the Thorn Merchant Guild of Commerce in the Bia Kingdom.

The noble ladies of the empire privately complained about the exclusion by the Ed Merchant Guild and the Minister of Finance; otherwise, they wouldn't have had to wait so long to get the items they needed.

"Nobody will go shopping with me; they don't like me," Shamir said, twisting her fingers.

Afternoon tea and banquets were important social occasions for nobles. Adorning themselves with the newest, most beautiful, and most luxurious items was a way to demonstrate their status and appearance, and it was also a reflection of the aristocratic class.

The Thorn Merchant Guild was clearly more important to these noble ladies and young women than the Ed Merchant Guild.

Marquis Galli immediately said, "Don't underestimate yourself, Shamir, you are the best."

"My daughter is as beautiful as Belanka; no one can compare to you."

The Marquis Galli was very confident about this.

"Trust your father. Even Princess Rennal of the Empire is not as beautiful as you. Your beauty is more than enough to be a match for the prince."

"What are you saying, Father?"

Shamir blushed with embarrassment and quickly covered her cheeks with the pages of the book. "How could I possibly compare to the noble princess of the empire, let alone a prince... Please don't say such things again."

These words made her heart pound, almost leaping out of her chest; she felt both shy and a subtle, unspoken emotion.

Marquis Galli's gaze involuntarily fell on the book in her hand. Just thinking about the gold coins he had been swindled out of... filled him with anger and a feeling of suffocation.

He said, "Shamir, could it be that you Desinia?!"

Shamir opened her mouth, her face flushed as red as a delicate flower petal, and seemed to whisper, "I've never even seen him."

Marquis Galli's brow furrowed even deeper. "No, Shamir, put an end to that idea."

"Perhaps you should attend more banquets instead of hiding in the courtyard all day reading these boring books, which will undoubtedly make your mind wander."

"Shamir, you are so beautiful that even if you are not a prince of the empire, you would be a match for the king of a country... The gathering of alchemists and healers is coming soon, and countless nobles will participate in this grand event, such as Grand Duke Achiyoli, who is quite remarkable."

"Of course, you might like the leader of the Nagabi Merchant Guild."

Marquis Galli said meaningfully, "He is, after all, Cavendish. Even though the throne of the Anas Kingdom is currently held by a woman, one must remember that she lost her right to be a mother a long time ago..."

"If you marry Archibald Cavendish, your children will inevitably be the heirs to the Anas Kingdom."

Shamir's face remained flushed, and she couldn't help but cover her burning cheeks, asking, "Father, will they all come to the Empire?"

"Of course."

"His Majesty the King will soon assign a prince to receive the nobles who will be attending the exchange meeting in the royal city. They will enter the royal city via the Bulo Main Road and then stay at the Sheri Hall."

"May I go out and take a look, Father?"

Marquis Galli hesitated for a moment, then said, "Have your butler and maid accompany you, Shamir."

Thank you, Father.

Shamir was filled with anticipation and excitement.