THE LORD'S LADY FROM THE EAST

The two kittens were settled in Wei Wei's room. To prevent them from breaking anything while roaming around, Wei Wei had the maids put away all fragile items. Although the kittens were still too young to catch mice, Wei Wei believed that having two cats in the room, regardless of their size, would at least keep the mice in check.

And indeed, after the kittens moved in, the night-time scurrying of mice disappeared. However, the little ones, still unfamiliar with their new environment, often meowed at night, disrupting sleep. Wei Wei could only wait for them to gradually adjust to their new home.

Despite having the cats, Wei Wei didn't have much time to spend with them.

She was genuinely busy.

Butler Barton had already found the gardeners she needed. The two new gardeners had cleared a large plot in a corner of the garden and, following Wei Wei's instructions, began planting the flower and tree seeds she had provided. Meanwhile, Wei Wei planted the wheat seeds nearby.

Originally, she had considered planting the wheat seeds in the fields, but after hearing that wild boar might roam the fields at night, she abandoned the idea.

In modern times, planting an acre of wheat required at least twenty to thirty pounds of seeds, but the small handful of seeds she had weighed less than a pound. If planted in the fields, by harvest time, not only wild boars but even birds stealing a single grain would break her heart.

Similarly, she feared other crops might be ruined, so after much deliberation, she decided it was safer to plant them in the castle garden.

After all, once these seeds were harvested, Wei Wei would dutifully pay taxes to Felix. It was a win-win situation, and she doubted Felix would object.

So, before her duties as a governess began, Wei Wei felt more like a gardener in the castle.

Additionally, the butler had not only found gardeners for her but also an architect, who arrived shortly after the gardeners.

This renowned old architect, Pierre, was not from Sardinson County but had been invited by Felix, likely arranged when Wei Wei mentioned building a house.

According to Butler Barton, Pierre was highly skilled in building churches. He had overseen the last renovation of the church in Sardinson County. Normally, he wouldn't take on ordinary residential projects, but Felix's influence had secured his services.

Wei Wei had visited the church next to the castle. Although she wasn't religious, Europeans attended church every week, and not going would make her stand out. Fortunately, she found no discomfort in attending, especially since the system had confirmed that no gods existed in this world—otherwise, it wouldn't have been chosen as a place for lottery winners like her.

Thus, Wei Wei felt no connection to the so-called God.

Father Matthew, the priest at the church, was a kind and approachable elder. A truly devout believer, he never forced his faith on others. Even though he could see through Wei Wei's superficial piety, he never attempted to convert her.

Honestly, this was a great relief to Wei Wei, as her knowledge of medieval churches from historical records had left her with little fondness for them.

But I digress. In any case, Wei Wei admired the architectural style of the church.

Unlike the castle, whose windows were narrow and dark for security reasons, the church had large windows made of colourful stained glass that shone brilliantly in the sunlight, creating a grand and airy interior.

Wei Wei, of course, wasn't planning to build a church to live in, but she wanted at least a modern-style villa.

Don't think such houses couldn't be built in this era. Just look at the castles and palaces that have survived to modern times—it was entirely possible.

After all, they had been using cement since ancient Roman times.

Of course, this cement wasn't the same as modern cement but a primitive mixture of volcanic ash and lime. Sardinson Castle, the church, and even some wealthier commoners' homes were built using this cement as a binder.

However, due to production limitations, it couldn't be mass-produced and was expensive, preventing its widespread use as a building material.

But Wei Wei lacked many things—money wasn't one of them. Building a small villa was well within her means.

Previously, she had been worried about the house, but now that she had a professional, she left it to the expert.

Still, Wei Wei made several requests: the house didn't need to be too large, but two to three hundred square meters would be ideal. It could be two or three stories, but the interior had to be well-lit, and if possible, the windows should use transparent glass.

Additionally, the house needed a secure perimeter wall, a well in the yard, and a cellar for storage.

The final focus was the toilet.

In an era without flush toilets or even sewer systems, Wei Wei ultimately handed Pierre a design for a simple outhouse, commonly seen in rural areas, and asked if it could be built.

Honestly, after so many years as an architect, Pierre had received all sorts of strange requests, but this was the first time a noble lady had asked for something like this.

Nevertheless, he took the design, studied the drawn plans, and assured her it could be done.

As for the details, they would discuss them after he surveyed the site and drafted the design.

So, Wei Wei personally took him to see the plot of land where she planned to build the house.

After surveying the terrain, the old architect returned to draw up the plans. Wei Wei didn't press him for a deadline—inspiration couldn't be rushed. If she wanted to live comfortably in the future, she needed to be thorough.

While waiting for the design, the corn and sweet potatoes in the garden grew as if on steroids, far faster than Wei Wei's theoretical knowledge suggested.

She had expected the corn to take at least ten to twenty days to reach a suitable height for transplanting, but by the tenth day, they had already grown their fourth leaves and were ready for transplanting.

It was also around this time that the system was preparing to leave.

During this period, Wei Wei gradually retrieved all the items stored in the system's space and brought them back to the castle. The butler and maids knew she was bringing back her previously hidden belongings but didn't pry into what they were. Even the maids who helped tidy her room avoided the locked boxes Wei Wei had commissioned from the carpenter.

The system had also resolved Wei Wei's identity issues. Having fulfilled its duties, it could have left after Wei Wei retrieved all her items, but it stayed until their agreed-upon time.

For this, Wei Wei could only sincerely thank the little light.

Goodbyes were always sad. Although their time together was short, Wei Wei had grown attached to the system—not just because it was useful, but because she felt they had become friends.

She couldn't help but ask the departing system, "Will I see you again?"

[Of course. On the day you pass away, I'll come to take you to the underworld.]

The system's voice sounded light, but Wei Wei detected a hint of sadness.

It was a very human-like system.

To keep the farewell from becoming too emotional, Wei Wei chuckled and said, "Then I'll wait for you to come get me."

[Mm-hmm. So, until then, live happily.]

"I'll do my best."

[Well then, goodbye?]

"Yes, goodbye."

The little light circled Wei Wei reluctantly, kissed her forehead, and then, with a soft *ding*, disappeared.

Left behind was a teary-eyed Wei Wei, feeling a sense of loss.

Even though she had known this day would come, the actual parting was still painful.

"Miss Wei Wei, are you okay?"

Qin had come to the garden to bring Wei Wei some lukewarm water—she couldn't stand the taste of wine or beer—and was concerned when she saw her state.

"It's nothing. Just got something in my eye from the wind. It'll pass."

But the "it'll pass" took several days. Although Wei Wei continued her daily work in the garden, everyone could see she was out of sorts.

Penny even quietly asked if she was feeling unwell due to her monthly cycle and if they needed to prepare anything.

Wei Wei, both amused and exasperated, couldn't help but wonder how they managed their periods.

Penny explained that they used cloth pads or, for married women, cloth-wrapped sticks inserted to block the flow.

Wei Wei winced at the thought.

It sounded like a primitive version of a tampon, but the idea of something getting stuck inside was horrifying.

Of course, Penny clarified that this method was for married women. Unmarried ladies like them mostly used pads.

As for the padding, some used burnt charcoal ash, while others used a type of moss called blood moss, which grew in swamps and was highly absorbent when dried—hence the name.

Married women, however, preferred using blood moss for their makeshift tampons.

"Does Sardinson County have swamps?"

Qin told her, "Yes, near Dingle Lake, there's a swamp with plenty of blood moss. But this moss doesn't just grow in swamps—it can also be found in forests and grasslands, so it's commonly used here."