THE LORD'S LADY FROM THE EAST

After learning more about medieval customs, Wei Wei's mood naturally improved. She no longer wallowed in sadness over the farewell, as it didn't suit her personality.

The system was gone, but it would return when she passed away. Since it wasn't a permanent goodbye, she decided to let fate handle their reunion.

In comparison, the monthly visitor that the maids had reminded her about was a far more pressing concern.

She had to care about it. Although she wasn't sure if her new body's cycle aligned with her previous one, it was bound to come eventually. If she didn't prepare in advance, what would she do when it suddenly arrived?

So, Wei Wei naturally wanted to understand how women of this era dealt with their monthly cycles.

The blood moss the maids mentioned was something they already had. Almost every girl of a certain age prepared it, and those who couldn't afford it would gather and dry it themselves. This moss, which grew in swamps, was abundant.

Wei Wei asked them to bring some over.

When Qin brought the blood moss, though it was dried and yellowed, Wei Wei's mind immediately recalled information about it.

The so-called blood moss was sphagnum moss, also known as peat moss, a very common but highly useful type of moss.

This moss had anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties. It could also absorb 20 to 25 times its weight in water, making it a popular substitute for cotton in medical dressings before World War I.

In the East, peat moss was also called "sea flower grass" and was used in traditional medicine for its cooling, vision-improving, and itch-relieving properties. It was applied to treat eye conditions, skin diseases, and insect bites.

So, using dried and sterilized peat moss as a sanitary pad was indeed cleaner and more hygienic than alternatives like plant ash, and it was also very economical.

However, upon seeing this moss, Wei Wei thought of its other uses.

In modern times, peat moss was often used as a growing medium for orchids and succulents, and it was also used as packaging material for transporting live aquatic plants.

More importantly, when peat moss died and was compressed, it formed peat, an organic material that, when dried, could be used as fuel. Mixing peat with soil increases soil moisture, porosity, and acidity while reducing erosion, creating nutrient-rich peat soil.

At the very least, peat soil was excellent for growing flowers.

And if it was good for flowers, it could certainly be used for crops.

Wei Wei jotted this down in her makeshift notebook made of parchment, planning to visit Dingle when she had the time.

Perhaps because of her heightened awareness, the day after discussing menstruation with the maids, Wei Wei vaguely felt that her period was approaching.

Sure enough, it arrived the following day.

The new pads, though not as comfortable as modern sanitary products, were far more hygienic and convenient than plant ash. With a little care, there were no embarrassing leaks—though Wei Wei suspected that women's preference for bright, especially red, clothing during this era was to avoid such mishaps.

Fortunately, her new body was healthy and free from menstrual cramps, making her far more comfortable than before. While Wei Wei felt perfectly fine to continue her daily activities, the maids were deeply concerned about her well-being, insisting that their delicate mistress should rest during this time. In the end, Wei Wei had no choice but to stay in her room for two days.

If she couldn't go out, so be it. She could read, plan, and play with the cats in her room, keeping herself pleasantly busy.

Once her period was nearly over and she was allowed to move freely again, Wei Wei threw herself back into her planting endeavours.

After transplanting the corn seedlings and experimenting with intercropping alfalfa in the wheat fields and soybeans in the cornfields, she checked on the sweet potato seedlings to see if they were ready for planting. Around this time, Felix, who had been away for over half a month, finally returned.

Unlike his previous brief return, this time he came back with a large entourage and wouldn't be leaving again anytime soon.

Upon hearing the news, the entire Sardinson Castle buzzed with excitement in preparation for their lord's return.

A grand banquet was inevitable, and all the servants were busy making preparations. Even Wei Wei couldn't avoid helping out in the kitchen.

However, after some time of training, Wei Wei had reached a point where she only needed to instruct the chefs on what to do and wait for the delicious results. While she didn't mind cooking, doing it every day was tiresome.

From the head chef, Bob, to the kitchen helpers, everyone was eager to learn from Wei Wei. They had picked up many cooking techniques and unprecedented recipes from her. If these servants ever needed to change jobs, the skills they'd learned could even land them positions as chefs in noble households.

What pleased Wei Wei the most was that the kitchen staff had developed a sense of hygiene. They now habitually washed their hands before handling ingredients, regularly changed their aprons, and kept their hair neatly tied back to avoid contaminating any dishes.

This time, Wei Wei's task was to help Chef Bob plan the banquet menu.

Since Felix's return date fell on a fasting day—actually, aside from certain important holidays, every Friday and Saturday were also fasting days—the banquet couldn't include meat.

However, the nobles' love for indulgence couldn't be stripped away by religious doctrine. Expecting them to go without meat for most of the year was impossible.

So, everyone, including the clergy, tacitly agreed that fish counted as a vegetarian food and could be eaten on fasting days.

Their definition of "fish" was also quite broad. Besides actual aquatic creatures like fish, shrimp, and crabs, waterfowl and beavers—animals that lived near water—were also considered "fish."

Thus, the menu Bob showed Wei Wei included dishes like roasted waterfowl and roasted beaver, which Wei Wei found rather hard to stomach.

Sir, ever heard of bird flu? Or protecting animals?

Well, this era didn't have animal protection laws.

Although the menu was questionable, Wei Wei ultimately didn't remove these dishes. She wouldn't eat them herself, but others enjoyed them, and she couldn't impose her standards on everyone. They'd only find her incomprehensible.

On the day Felix returned, the sun was shining brightly, and the temperature had noticeably risen since Wei Wei's arrival. She wore a slightly thicker dress and no longer needed a cloak for warmth.

Everyone waited at the castle gates. In the distance, a knight in armour led the procession, galloping toward them.

The tall black horse slowed as it crossed the drawbridge, and the rider dismounted, removed his helmet, and revealed his face.

"Welcome back, Lord Earl."

Felix, whom she hadn't seen in a while, looked a bit unkempt, with a stubbly beard, but thankfully, he didn't have a strong body odour.

He first stared at Wei Wei, who stood beside Dolores, with such intensity that she almost thought he might rush over and hug her—or something else. Then he turned to greet the others.

Felix was surrounded and ushered into the castle, which made Wei Wei breathe a sigh of relief. His gaze had genuinely startled her.

It had made her blush and her heart race a little.

As a girl who had been the school beauty since her campus days, Wei Wei had countless suitors, including many whom others considered "god-tier" men. However, whether due to her parents' influence or her personality, she had never developed feelings for anyone.

She would join others in discussing men, commenting on who was handsome or had a good personality, and even who seemed like a good match.

But talking about it and acting on it were two different things. Thinking someone was a good match didn't mean she liked them or would pursue a relationship.

She had always been terrifyingly rational about such matters.

Romance had always been optional for her.

But Felix seemed slightly different.

It wasn't that no one had ever looked at her with such intensity before, but Wei Wei could sense that the way others looked at her was fundamentally different from Felix's gaze.

What was the difference?

Wei Wei pondered this alone for a long time without figuring it out. It wasn't until she saw Felix's gaze again at the dinner table that she finally understood.

To put it simply, most of her previous suitors had looked at her with a certain reserve, though some had been blatantly lustful. Back then, her striking appearance had led some to assume she was open-minded, and even those without such thoughts had still looked at her in ways that made her uncomfortable.

Wei Wei saw it clearly: those suitors might have claimed to like her, but their feelings weren't deep. They were simply looking for a girlfriend, not a life partner. If Wei Wei had agreed to date them, they likely would have broken up after graduation—they had no intention of spending their lives with her.

Then again, even people a few years out of school felt marriage was far off, let alone students.

Felix, however, was different. His gaze didn't contain overtly lustful elements but was more about pure admiration. Wei Wei attributed this to the change in her appearance.

But the bigger difference was that Felix constantly radiated a "if you say yes, we'll get married immediately" vibe.

While he couldn't help being captivated by her looks, unlike others, he was pursuing Wei Wei as a future wife.

She had glimpsed this during their previous conversation.

Now, it seemed even more pronounced.

"My dear Wei Wei, tonight's banquet is the most delicious I've ever had, aside from the meal you prepared. Thank you so much for arranging it for us."

—Just like now.

Something had changed. Previously, he had addressed her as "Miss," but now he was using her name, and his words sounded like something a husband would say to his wife after she prepared dinner. It made Wei Wei feel a bit overwhelmed.

Though she didn't exactly dislike this change, where had this sudden familiarity come from?