When Butler Patton came to request hiring new staff, Felix was also pondering this issue.
Not only did the castle need more hands, but the essential oil business he co-managed with Wei Wei also needed to expand.
Rewinding to more than a month earlier, the envoy Felix sent to the capital finally arrived after spending over half a month on the road. However, he wasn't granted an audience with the king immediately and was instead scheduled for a meeting several days later.
In the capital of the Pradi Empire, at the royal palace.
"Is this what Felix sent you to deliver? What's inside?"
The middle-aged king looked at the envoy from Sardinson County kneeling below the steps, recalling the blond young man who had left his side not long ago.
That young knight was someone he held in high regard. The king valued many knights, and Felix was indeed outstanding among them, though not the only one. However, Felix was somewhat different.
After all, by blood, Felix was not only a promising young man but also his grandnephew.
The previous Earl of Williams had married the king's niece, making Felix a member of the royal family. It was this blood relation that always gave the king a special fondness for Felix.
So, when the king learned that the knight he valued was returning home to inherit his title, he was genuinely happy for him, but also deeply saddened. The cost of Felix inheriting the title was the passing of his nephew-in-law and another grandnephew.
Of course, given the significant age gap between him and his sister, and the fact that they had hardly spent any time together, his grief was quite limited.
Originally, the king had planned to arrange a marriage for Felix with a female heir who had land and a title, allowing him to smoothly become a noble, at least an earl.
He had even chosen a suitable candidate, but then the incident with Eric happened. Felix no longer needed his arrangement, as he already had a title and land, so the matter was dropped.
Having a female heir marry a knight without a title would mean her lands and title would go to him, but when their children were born, everything would still belong to the family heir.
However, having a female heir marry an earl would likely result in her family being absorbed by his. Unless the female heir was madly in love and had no elders to restrain her, the chances of this happening were slim.
But Felix becoming an earl wasn't without its benefits. Now, all the noble ladies of Pradi could be potential candidates for his wife.
Thinking of his grandnephew's handsome face, the king believed that when Felix returned to the capital's social circles, he would be even more popular than before.
The king's thoughts drifted, but the envoy's response brought him back.
"This is the formula the earl has dedicated to you, along with gifts for Her Majesty the Queen."
The queen sitting beside the king was surprised: "For me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The envoy lowered his head, holding the gift box high.
A court attendant stepped forward, took the box, and brought it up the steps.
Inside the exquisite box was a scroll of parchment, five glass bottles, and a letter bearing the Williams family crest resting on top.
The king picked up the letter, opened it, and took out a sheet of paper and a card.
He glanced at the card and handed it to his wife, then continued reading the letter.
The queen took the card, which described the usage and effects of something called "rose essential oil." After reading it, her gaze toward the small bottles changed.
The queen, only a dozen years younger than the king, loved beauty like all women. Moreover, as the second queen who had yet to bear a child, she had almost become obsessed with trying to retain the king's affection and bear an heir.
According to the card, rose essential oil not only had beautifying effects but also helped regulate the body.
Thus, Felix's gift truly delighted the young queen, and she was eager to try it.
If the effects were as good as described, she would surely reward him.
After reading the letter, the king's favor toward Felix also surged.
In the letter, Felix offered the king the formulas for fire manure and insect-repellent water he had recently obtained.
Fire manure had been used in Sardinson County for a long time, and its effects were noticeable when the wheat sprouted.
In an era when pests had no resistance, the insect repellent water worked almost instantly. Felix's letter detailed the results of using this repellent in his territory. Knowing Felix wasn't one to exaggerate, the king didn't doubt his claims.
Both formulas were simple and easy to produce, requiring only some raw materials and manpower to create as much fire manure and insect-repellent water as needed.
After accepting the gifts, the king praised the envoy from Sardinson County but didn't immediately offer rewards. He wanted to see the actual effects before giving any awards.
Thus, the envoy had to remain in the capital for a while longer.
At this time, Felix hadn't yet considered collaborating with Wei Wei to sell essential oils. However, seeing the allure of essential oils among the women in the castle, he included a few bottles of rose essential oil when sending the insect repellent.
Wei Wei, knowing the recipients, had already planned ahead. The rose essential oil sent to the queen was specially distilled multiple times, making it more concentrated than the once-distilled oil. She chose rose essential oil not only for its effects and low risk of allergies but also because she heard the queen loved roses.
And she had chosen the right gift.
After receiving the gifts, the royal couple—one ordered tests on the insect repellent, while the other eagerly returned to her chambers to try the essential oil.
Starting with a bath and skincare.
The queen's maid carefully opened the essential oil bottle and, following the instructions on the card, placed a drop on the queen's wrist to test for allergies. A rich, pure rose scent, more intense than that from soaking in rose petals, emanated from the drop. The queen inhaled deeply, enchanted by the fragrance.
"Such a fragrance is only fitting for someone as noble as you," the noble ladies attending the queen flattered, their eyes lingering on the small bottles with desire.
Regardless of the effects, the scent alone was enough to make them covet it.
As is well known, Europeans tend to have strong body odors, and even nobles are no exception. Women would use perfumes to mask their scents, but in an era where bathing wasn't encouraged, the effectiveness of perfumes was limited.
Especially after the queen followed the card's instructions and underwent a full essential oil spa, she emerged radiant, exuding a captivating fragrance that complemented her already striking beauty, leaving many in awe.
Including her husband, who had grown distant in recent years.
For the following period, the queen relived the sweetness of her newlywed days, and the effects of the essential oil gradually became apparent. Her skin improved, her freckles began to fade, and she even felt healthier than before.
Thus, when the king, after comparing crops grown with and without fire manure and observing the effects of the insect repellent, expressed his satisfaction and intention to reward Felix, the queen also beamed and offered her rewards, along with a request for more essential oil.
Compared to the minor changes in the king's lands, the queen's improving complexion and the elegant fragrance she left in her wake became the focus of the noble ladies.
They eagerly sought the secret behind the queen's transformation, and soon the miraculous effects of essential oils spread through the noble circles of the capital. Unfortunately, aside from the few precious bottles the queen guarded, no one knew where to obtain this divine liquid.
Ask the queen.
Knowing from Felix's letter that rose essential oil was difficult to produce and thus highly valuable, the queen was unwilling to share the secret.
But even if she didn't tell, the noble ladies frequenting the court eventually extracted the secret from the court attendants.
Soon, the entire social circle knew that Sardinson County had a beauty product called essential oil, with astonishing effects and the ability to make one exude a captivating fragrance.
Around this time, Wei Wei had already proposed a collaboration with Felix and prepared a batch of essential oils to be sent to the capital for trial sales.
Essential oils had to be transported in glass bottles, requiring not only shockproof measures but also extreme care during transit, along with a group of soldiers to guard against thieves. Thus, the preparations were extensive.
Before the delivery team set off, the rewards from the king and queen finally arrived, along with a batch of orders for essential oils.
This was somewhat unexpected. While they had intended to use the royal family to promote the essential oils, they hadn't anticipated such a strong response.
Looking at the orders and the prepared shipment, Felix felt a bit overwhelmed.
Everyone was ordering rose essential oil, but they didn't have enough. The total amount of the first batch sent to the capital couldn't meet the demand from the noble families.
Since it was the first trial sale, the initial batch of essential oils was hurriedly produced through boiling, but the quantity was limited. The remaining oils, made through soaking to save costs, were more abundant but required at least ten more days to filter.
Wei Wei decisively said, "Just reject them. Tell them the essential oils have already been sent to the capital and we can't accept their orders. They can buy them at the store later. If they can't get any, it's their bad luck, not our fault."
This made sense, and there was nothing wrong with it.
Thus, the noble ladies were left in the cold, and Felix could reply to them later.
Then Felix had the servants bring the items to Wei Wei.
"These are the rewards from the queen. I think they should belong to you."
The queen's rewards were for the effects of the essential oils, and since Wei Wei made them, Felix thought it was only fair she received the rewards.
Wei Wei looked at the rewards—furs, fabrics, and a whole box of gemstones.
The types of furs and fabrics were varied, with colors suitable for both men and women. The fine linen and cotton fabrics had exquisite patterns, likely the latest fashion in the capital.
She signaled her maid to take the items: "I'll make them into winter clothes later. Do you have any requests?"
Felix was pleased: "You're making them for me?"
Wei Wei nodded: "The materials are excellent, and there's plenty. I can make several sets. Besides yours, Dolores and Caroline also need proper winter clothes."
Wei Wei had already started preparing for winter. This was prompted when she asked Karma, who had been working diligently, what reward she wanted, and the latter immediately asked for some thick old blankets to make winter clothes for her daughter.
Although it was still hot August, winter came early in Sardinson, with temperatures dropping as early as October. Without early preparations, both adults and children could easily fall ill during the seasonal change.
Thinking of winter clothing, besides down jackets, cotton-padded clothes, and thermal underwear, what else was there?
Of course, sweaters.
At this time, Europe already had sweaters, but unlike the long-knitted sweaters of later times, they were woven like linen and cotton fabrics, making them time-consuming to produce. Many commoners couldn't afford sweaters made of coarse wool, while fine wool was worn by the wealthy, and the softest cashmere sweaters were reserved for nobles. Commoners had to wrap themselves in animal furs, with the better-off using sheepskin and the less fortunate using rabbit fur. However, many at the bottom of society could only stuff their clothes with straw for warmth, and many froze to death every winter.
Sardinson County raised both goats and sheep, with the former mainly for meat and the latter for wool. Thus, wool was abundant, and there was no need to buy it from town—the castle already had plenty of wool yarn. Some of the castle maids were responsible for spinning wool yarn and knitting sweaters.
Spinning wool was a skill most peasant women possessed, and those who couldn't were often criticized. Thus, Wei Wei had no worries about lacking wool yarn.
So, Wei Wei planned to teach more people how to knit. She wanted to organize the idle peasant women in the territory to knit sweaters. After mastering the skill, knitting sweaters would become simple, and the finished products could be sold to increase everyone's income.
Recently, Wei Wei had some changes in her plans, partly because her relationship with Felix was going well, and partly because she was finally getting tired of the monotonous life in Sardinson County.
As a border county, Sardinson had no merchants passing through, and the entire county was almost self-sufficient. Its population was small, and the villages within the county were pitifully poor, leaving Wei Wei with no places to shop, let alone other forms of entertainment.
Thus, for the sake of her future life, Wei Wei felt the need to develop Sardinson County into a prosperous region rivaling other major cities.
To develop a place, besides the necessary infrastructure, increasing the population and per capita income, and having unique products that could attract merchants from afar were also key.
Currently, their product that could attract merchants was essential oil, but Sardinson wasn't suitable for large-scale flower cultivation. Essential oils could become a specialty but couldn't support large-scale exports, so the number of merchants they could attract was limited.
Sweaters, however, were a project Wei Wei thought suitable. Of course, its success remained to be seen, as for those who worked with wool regularly, the method of knitting sweaters was something most hadn't thought of yet. Once someone figured it out, the business would no longer be unique.
Thus, before anyone else thought of it, the more sweaters knitted, the more money to be made.
So, while the essential oils were still on their way, Wei Wei came up with another money-making idea. She shared this with Felix, who agreed that organizing the territory's women to spin wool yarn was feasible, but knitting sweaters should first be taught to a select group of skilled women rather than being widely promoted.
"If we do that before you even make any money, others will start the business," Felix said.
Don't underestimate the lower classes' desire for money. When burning fire manure, the serfs had thought of selling it. Now, with a better way to earn money, would they choose to work for the lord after learning the skill?
No, they would secretly knit at home and sell the sweaters themselves.
After all, in Sardinson County, where farmland couldn't provide enough to fill their stomachs, every household raised sheep, and wool was one of their income sources. Some tenants who didn't farm but raised sheep were accustomed to paying taxes with wool and sheep. If they learned they could easily turn wool into sweaters, they would likely start their businesses.
"You're right. Let's first teach a group of maids. But are there enough maids in the castle?"
Wei Wei had recently heard Butler Patton complain about the lack of staff, making her feel guilty for a while.
Felix, also one of the culprits behind the castle's staff shortage, coughed: "We've been buying people recently."
Yes, buying people, not hiring, and from other territories.
This was Felix's order, as hiring servants from within the territory meant they could meet their relatives monthly, easily leaking the castle's secrets.
Buying people, especially from other nobles' territories, reduced such concerns.
Of course, those bought weren't reduced to slavery; they simply became lifelong servants without freedom.
Well, it was just a nicer title and slightly better treatment than actual slaves.
Since there would soon be enough staff, Wei Wei didn't hesitate to continue poaching from the butler.
She selected ten maids skilled in weaving from those without other duties, plus Dolores and herself, making twelve people gather in the lounge where the young girl usually had her embroidery lessons. Everyone held bamboo knitting needles Wei Wei had someone carve, intently watching her turn a strand of wool yarn into a piece of "fabric."
Wei Wei's fingers flew, and she didn't even need to look as she knitted while explaining the simplest stitches.
...It was like magic.
Everyone watched, not daring to blink.
"...That's roughly it. Once you've learned, you can try other stitches. Now, take your yarn and needles and follow my example."
After speaking, Wei Wei unraveled the few rows she had just knitted and started teaching them slowly from the beginning.
Knitting sweaters wasn't difficult. Wei Wei first tried knitting in elementary school during a handicraft class, and for a long time afterward, the girls in her class enjoyed playing with it.
Her grandmother was also skilled at knitting sweaters. Although Wei Wei hadn't knitted since then, having watched her grandmother knit and having some basic skills, she hadn't forgotten this ability. Now, with the enhancement of her sewing skills, she knitted quickly and beautifully.
While the beginners were still struggling with the tension of their stitches, Wei Wei had already knitted several rows and started adding simple patterns.
She used the softest cashmere yarn, different from the coarse wool yarn the others practiced with. Cashmere knitted sweaters were incredibly soft and didn't irritate the skin.
The cashmere yarn was dyed black, and from the start, the others could tell the color and the overly large size weren't for her. Who else could it be for, if not the earl?
The maids exchanged knowing glances, while Dolores innocently asked, "Sister Wei Wei, are you knitting a sweater for brother?"
"Yes, I am," Wei Wei admitted, mentally吐槽ing Felix's stinginess. To secure these ten maids from the butler, she had to promise the first sweater would be for him and that she would make it herself.
The little girl looked at the exquisite sweater taking shape in Wei Wei's hands, then at her messy work, and couldn't help but envy: "Sister Wei Wei, can you knit one for me too? I don't think I'll be able to finish a sweater before this winter."
Of course, if it were next winter, she was confident she could knit a beautiful sweater!
The little girl thought optimistically.
Wei Wei, considering Felix's recent tendency to turn into a lemon tree, said to Dolores, "I'll knit you a hat. I still need to make winter clothes for you and Caroline, so time is tight."
Dolores tilted her head: "A hat? Will it be pretty?"
"Of course. I'll draw some designs later, and you can choose the style."
"Thank you, Sister Wei Wei!"
The little girl smiled sweetly.