143: Chapter 89: Knight Attendant 143: Chapter 89: Knight Attendant Discussing feudal affairs, they had been consulting Azeryan until the sky grew dark.
“Leon, brother, dinner is ready,” came Little Lina’s voice from outside the door.
He got up, left the room with Azeryan, and on their way, they woke Kovis in his room, then everyone went down to the first-floor hall for dinner.
Arriving at the assembled long table, Leon pulled his two companions to sit beside him.
The little male and female servants brought out dish after dish from the kitchen, and in the dimly lit hall by the reddish candlelight, there was a bustle of activity for a moment.
The first dinner back in the fief was extremely lavish, complete with meat, vegetables, soup, and wine.
Leon didn’t skimp on food and drink; where savings should be made, they were made, but they couldn’t spare a few meals even in hard times.
Now was the time when his body was growing, and as a Knight, his body would be his most important asset on the battlefield in the future.
Leon sat down and waited for all the dishes to be served, just in time to see Miss Elena, who was wearing an apron, follow Aunt Milaya the cook to the table and help set the food.
“Lady, are you getting accustomed to living in Selva?” Leon spoke with concern.
Lokhak had arranged for his sister to stay with him temporarily.
This kind lady, though knowing her brother had become one of the knight nobles, seemed unwilling to remain idle and had been helping out in the kitchen with Aunt Milaya these days.
Azeryan said that she would also teach the little servants at home to read during her spare time, showing extra care and attention to these children in the family who had lost their parents.
Perhaps it wasn’t just out of kindness, the sorrowful fate of these poor children also reminded Elena of the two children she had lost.
Leon knew a bit about her past from Lokhak; her husband and children had perished during the fall of Holy Land City.
Hearing Leon’s question, Elena looked up and hastily curtsied with the plate in hand, “I appreciate your concern, Lord.
The people of Selva are very friendly, and I like it here very much.”
“Just call me by my name,” Leon interjected, “You’re not only Lokhak’s sister but you also took care of me in the cell.
You’ve shown me kindness, so there’s no need for such formality.
Besides, not long ago, I was also a destitute commoner with no home to speak of.” Leon gestured to the generously ample long table, calling out, “There are plenty of seats.
Don’t go back to your room to eat, from now on, dine with us.”
He also called out to his own servants.
“And you all as well, we have no visitors in the house today, Aunt Milaya, take the children to wash their hands, bring more food, everyone sit down to eat, oh and, Lena, go call Hawk.”
Within the private confines of his own home, Leon didn’t care for the cumbersome formalities between master and servant.
When outsiders were present, he had to maintain appearances, but at home, keeping up such feudal conventions made him feel as uncomfortable as a miserly landlord.
In the future, if the number of his servants increased, perhaps he’d have to abide by noble protocols to maintain order in the living environment, but currently, there were so few people in the mansion that it seemed senseless to stick to such practices.
Aunt Milaya was somewhat startled by the honor, for even with her limited knowledge as a countrywoman, she knew it was rare for servants to dine at the same table as their lord.
However, to little servants like Lena, who were still children, it was perfectly natural and they bore no psychological burden.
Hearing their lord’s words, the boys and girls happily brought food and took their seats along the long table.
When everyone was seated, Leon was satisfied to pick up his cutlery and attend to the lavish food in front of him, signifying the start of dinner.
Though the various spices of the continent were equally pricey, they weren’t so scarce as to be unaffordable, and Aunt Milaya’s and Miss Elena’s cooking skills were also quite good.
Eating a dinner that even by modern Earth standards tasted great, Leon looked around the hall at his large ‘family.’
Seeing Lena’s eyes covetously eyeing the greasy roast meat in front of him, he simply stood up, cut up the roast lamb in the middle of the table, and had Milaya distribute it to the children for an extra treat.
Watching the little servants’ happy faces as they held back their cheers, Leon felt content, and his smile unconsciously spread across his face.
Suddenly feeling Kovis’s gaze on him, he turned to look, saw the blond boy’s inexplicable look and couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows in question.
Kovis shook his head silently and then continued to eat.
Watching him and Azeryan next to him with their equally polite dining manners, Leon thought it was a pity that Lokhak was still in Longka.
It would have been even livelier if everyone could gather together.
Next time they dined together, he’d invite Olivia from next door as well.
Thinking of this, Leon suddenly realized…
Unknowingly, he had already formed so many personal relationships in this world.
Moreover, in just over two short months, the sincere emotions he had experienced here far surpassed the aggregate of his over twenty years of life in his previous existence as a corporate drone, cut off by the concrete jungle.
Miss Lora, Olivia, Kovis…
Leon couldn’t help but ponder, if his soul had the chance to return to Earth, would he be willing to part with these companions and friends?
If he didn’t consider his parents still on Earth, Leon felt the answer might be no…
Fourteen people at the large table finished the dinner cleanly without any waste.