Chapter 140: Reserved a Portion Just for You
Faced with his sister’s request to try such lowly food, Kexian surprisingly did not refuse.
This wasn’t so much because he could no longer control his sister, but rather because offal was no longer considered lowly.
The world was truly absurd and wondrous!
Ever since Ajef personally bought a bowl of offal noodles, this trendsetting figure at the forefront of the empire’s fashion had once again made offal noodles popular.
The last time, it was the bicycle that became a sensation because of him.
Even now, riding a bicycle with a girl in the Keville Empire was still regarded by mainstream culture as the most romantic act!
Now, the fervor of the Keville Empire’s populace for Ajef had extended to offal noodles.
Overnight, even offal had undergone a reversal in status.
Online, a new discourse even emerged, claiming that the internal organs were the foundation of life.
So-called offal was actually the real treasure—its strong, gamey flavor precisely proved it was the essence of life!
It was just that, in the past, most people had been repelled by the pungent smell.
Come to think of it, if offal were truly toxic or filthy, how had so many impoverished people eaten it without issue?
Not to mention the poor—even many nobles in Willis had begun experimenting with eating offal.
And honestly, with the spices cultivated in the Magic Forest as accompaniment, the taste of offal wasn’t bad at all.
Though it looked bizarre, the chewiness was quite satisfying.
For nobles accustomed to refined cuisine, this first experience was rather delightful!
When even nobles began trying offal, could it still be considered lowly?
Clearly not.
Nobles would never admit to indulging in anything lowly.
The most immediate change brought about by this was that meat prices dropped, while offal prices rose.
Many offal noodle shops were forced to switch to minced meat noodles.
There was no choice—offal had become too expensive to use.
However, Fenny’s Offal Noodles, which had gained fame as the "most authentic offal noodles," still stubbornly persisted in selling its original dish.
The reason she could keep going was simply that too many people flocked to her establishment for her reputation alone.
Clairement’s royal carriage couldn’t even make it to the entrance of the Dragon Factory before coming to a standstill!
The area ahead was already packed with people.
Looking around, the already spacious factory entrance had transformed into a bustling food street.
Amid the lively crowd, one could even spot some elegantly dressed noble ladies enthusiastically browsing the stalls.
Having not returned to Willis for a long time, Clairement could no longer sit still.
"Brother, I’m going down to take a look. Are you coming?"
"Preposterous! As an imperial princess, how can you expose yourself so publicly?" Kexian instinctively objected.
Clairement rolled her eyes and simply got up to leave.
Helpless, Kexian could only hurriedly step down from the carriage with his guards in tow.
He had assumed their royal arrival would cause a stir.
Yet when they descended from the carriage, though many commoners instinctively made way, the grand commotion he had anticipated did not occur.
Perhaps they didn’t recognize them—
Or perhaps they were simply used to seeing nobles.
"It’s so lively! The only place that could rival this is probably the Vias Trade Center!" Clairement exclaimed, sweeping her gaze over the scene before her.
"Hm? You’ve been to Vias?" Kexian asked in surprise.
"Of course, the Vias bank branches were expanded under my supervision," Clairement said, slightly raising her chin with a trace of pride.
Without hesitation, she eagerly stepped into the bustling crowd.
The roadside was lined with snack stalls, their vendors loudly hawking their wares.
There were even farmers displaying handmade wooden crafts, pottery, and woven rattan goods.
It resembled a small market in every way.
Guided by a servant, the two soon arrived at a row of food stalls near the factory entrance. One stall, in particular, was swarmed by customers, encircled in layers.
Before they could even get close, sighs of disappointment filled the air.
"Ah, sold out again?"
"How so quickly?"
"I’ve come twice already—can’t you make more?"
Sold out?
The collective sighs of the disappointed customers made Clairement pause. She hurried forward, craning her neck to look—only to find the stew pot on the stall’s table completely empty. It seemed they really were out.
Clairement shook her head regretfully.
"Your Highness!" A startled exclamation cut through the lively atmosphere in front of the Dragon Factory.
Clairement turned to see an elderly man, who had been about to leave, staring at her in disbelief.
He was George, the butler of Duke Wilde.
A man of humble status yet considerable influence!
"Oh, it’s Uncle George!" Clairement smiled faintly.
"George greets Your Highness!" The old man flushed with excitement, hastily pressing a hand to his chest in salute.
Silence fell over the Dragon Factory’s entrance.
Countless onlookers gaped in shock.
The common folk had no idea how to react to the scene before them and could only stand frozen in place.
Those with some awareness, however, quickly mirrored George’s gesture, pressing hands to their chests with fervent expressions.
Then George suddenly noticed Kexian and nearly bowed on instinct—only to be subtly restrained by an invisible force. Kexian gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
Understanding, George held his tongue.
"Has the shopkeeper run out of offal noodles?" Clairement asked Aunt Fenny, unwilling to give up.
"S-sold out, Your Highness!" Fenny stammered nervously, bowing repeatedly, her anxiety making her trip over her words.
"Alright then." Clairement sighed in disappointment.
Surveying the mix of awe and curiosity around her, she shook her head, somewhat bored.
"Uncle George, give my regards to Uncle Wilde."
"Of course, Your Highness."
Clairement nodded, then instinctively glanced at the Dragon Factory’s entrance—only to freeze.
Her usual languid demeanor vanished as if she had returned to the strict lessons of her etiquette teacher. She straightened her posture and pressed a hand to her chest, bowing slightly. "Lord Ajef!"
At that moment, Ajef emerged from the main entrance.
"When did you get back?" Yu Sheng'an greeted.
"Just now!"
"Just now, and you’re already here?"
"I heard the offal noodles here are quite delicious, so I came to try them."
Yu Sheng'an nodded and turned to Fenny. "Auntie, do you still have any offal noodles?"
Clairement was about to answer on her behalf: They’re sold out.
To her surprise, Fenny eagerly replied, "Yes, yes! I saved a portion just for you."
With that, she pulled out a small dish from under the table, covered by a bowl, revealing a portion of marinated offal.
Upon closer inspection, there were small portions of tongue, heart, liver, lungs, stomach, kidneys, spleen, and intestines—each meticulously prepared and arranged.
Kexian stared at the scene, his face filled with disbelief, a profound sense of absurdity flashing through his mind!
This old woman would rather save a portion for Ajef than sell it to an imperial princess?
If she knew Ajef’s true identity, that would be one thing—
But the problem was, she definitely didn’t!
For a moment, an indescribable mix of emotions surged through his mind.
Anger, absurdity, jealousy, mockery, sorrow, pain…
Had the Imperial royal family fallen to such a state?
In stark contrast to Kexian’s torment, Clairement was overjoyed.
Meanwhile, Fenny swiftly blanched the offal in hot water. The hand-pulled noodles were thin, cooking instantly, and soon, a bowl of offal noodles was ready.
"Take it back and enjoy it slowly. Now, tell me about Vias."
Yu Sheng'an gestured toward the Dragon Factory.
"Yes!"
With a wave of her hand, Clairement stored the offal noodles in her Spatial Ring, dropped a silver coin, and cheerfully hurried after him, even forgetting to bid farewell to her own brother, Kexian.
Kexian stood frozen in place, his mind blank, unsure whether to leave or stay.
As they stepped into the Dragon Factory, the clamor outside was instantly replaced by another kind of noise—
The roar of machinery!
"Tell me about Vias."
Yu Sheng'an posed a broad topic, testing her.
"Understood."
Clairement nodded, pausing briefly to gather her thoughts before launching into a detailed account.
She had long prepared for this debriefing. Though young, her royal upbringing had given her a grand vision far beyond her years.
And because of her youth, her ability to adapt to new ideas far surpassed others.
Thus, her report was remarkably impressive.
Yu Sheng'an nodded repeatedly in approval.
As a god, he naturally didn’t discriminate based on background when nurturing talent.
Still, he had to admit—Clairement, despite her royal origins, was no mere ornament.
The resources and perspective her status afforded her had allowed her to thrive in the Interconnected Bank.
This was the fundamental reason Yu Sheng'an had promoted her.
"Would you be willing to oversee everything if the Interconnected Bank were to establish branches in the Kaman Union?" Yu Sheng'an suddenly asked.
"Establish branches in the Kaman Union?" Clairement was stunned. "Would the Wisdom Goddess's Faith agree to that?"
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