The carriage was parked not far away, and truthfully, for such a short walk, there wasn't a need for an umbrella—but better safe than sorry.
Under Salina's curious gaze, the heavy parasol—more suited to blocking sun than rain—passed into her hands. The unexpected weight of the iron-framed umbrella surprised her. For someone of her status, unused to carrying anything heavier than a fan, it wasn't that she couldn't lift it—it was just that her arms would start aching after holding it for a while. It lived up to Wei Wei's earlier description of being "a little heavy."
Still, she had to admit—it was a wonderful item. Sturdy enough to double as a walking stick, capable of shielding from both sun and snow and most importantly, exquisitely beautiful—it instantly won Salina's favor. Just one glance, and she could already imagine countless variations in color and trim.
As the lady of the commercial capital, and someone who had once helped her husband manage their lands and now supported her son's rise, Salina was far from lacking in business acumen. When she first saw the uniforms worn by the servants at Sardinson Castle, her mind had already started working.
At the time, she had considered whether those uniforms could be turned into ready-to-wear fashion. But ultimately, she dismissed the idea. The black-and-white outfits, especially the ones for male servants, were far too foreign in style—too exotic for mainstream tastes in Pradi. And for those who were interested, it wouldn't be difficult to get a local tailor to make a knockoff.
But these parasols were a different story. They were harder to replicate, requiring a skilled blacksmith to make the frame, and the fabric had to be specially treated. While they could still be imitated, there was room for profit as a commercial product.
So, on the way back to the castle, Salina couldn't help but propose a collaboration with Wei Wei to start a parasol-making business.
It wasn't that she truly cared about such a small venture—but until her future daughter-in-law was officially married into the family, Salina wanted to reinforce the connection between their two houses. Just in case.
Having a few shared business ventures, in her mind, was like buying insurance.
As for Wei Wei, she didn't think much of such a minor business. She'd never intended to mass-produce parasols. Just like Salina had guessed, they were far too easy to copy. If they did launch the product, cheap knockoffs would flood the market in no time.
But since Salina was genuinely interested and offered to take care of everything herself—leaving Wei Wei responsible only for the fabric design and production method—she agreed.
Of course, that was just a side project. The real major business partnership was already in the works. But that would be negotiated between Felix and Adonis. Wei Wei never got involved in those matters—she had more than enough on her plate as it was.
When they returned to the castle, Salina asked around and learned that Adonis and Dolores had returned just before nightfall. No one knew exactly where their date had taken them, as they hadn't crossed paths all afternoon, but judging from the sweet, shy smile on Dolores' face—and how she'd blush when her eyes met Adonis'—and how his usual polite smile would soften into a genuine one when he looked at her, it was obvious the date had gone very well.
That, naturally, delighted the adults even more.
Meanwhile, the aristocrats of Aldridge City were eagerly waiting for invitations from their city lord.
Not for the engagement banquet—that major event had been planned well in advance, and invitations had long since been sent out. Most invitees had already prepared their congratulatory gifts. What they were waiting for now was the welcome banquet for the Sardinson delegation.
Nobles, as a rule, loved parties. They didn't have much else to do for entertainment. The men could at least go out riding, hunting, or drinking when bored, but for most noblewomen—especially those living in remote estates—even a simple shopping trip wasn't an option. Commercial development wasn't very advanced in many regions, so they were used to summoning merchants to their homes rather than going out.
With so few alternatives, social gatherings became their favorite pastime.
Some even went so far as to split their time—spending the farming seasons on their lands, then relocating to bigger cities like Aldridge afterward just to attend more banquets. Cities like Aldridge were filled with nobles who loved liveliness but lacked the status to reside in the capital year-round.
Now, having received invitations from the Aldridge family, many were impressed by the young Count's political acumen—first marrying his sister to a prince, then aligning himself with the powerful Williams family through another marriage. These dual alliances had significantly bolstered his status.
Naturally, many of them were hoping to get close to the Earl of Williams—the wealthiest earl in all of Pradi. Rumor had it that anyone who managed to secure a deal with him was guaranteed prosperity. Even the once-underdeveloped eastern territories had undergone remarkable transformations. Most nobles with fiefs near Sardinson had already struck gold—barring a few unlucky exceptions.
For Aldridge's local nobility, this was a golden opportunity. Since they chose to reside here, it was likely they had business interests in the area—after all, the tax revenue from their estates alone was often not enough to sustain a life in such a costly city.
The noblewomen, too, looked forward to the banquet—but for different reasons. They had refrained from hosting any events themselves during the Sardinson group's stay, not out of lack of interest, but fear of scheduling conflicts. If they threw a party on the same day as the Aldridge family, their guests would all flock to the City Lord's event instead—how humiliating would that be?
Moreover, as nobles, it was considered improper etiquette to invite someone like Earl Williams—a stranger to most of them—unless he had already been formally introduced at a public event like a welcome banquet. If the Aldridge family failed to host one or instead brought him to someone else's party for a group introduction, the rest wouldn't be able to invite him independently.
And yet, the young Count Adonis seemed to have completely forgotten this unwritten rule.
He didn't host a welcome banquet, nor did he allow anyone to invite Felix on their own. Those who tried were all politely declined. The only news making the rounds was that the City Lord had been busy either dating his fiancée or showing the Earl of Williams around Aldridge, visiting government offices like he was familiarizing him with the city's operations.
Which, as it turned out, was exactly what Felix was doing.
Sardinson and Slot County's cross-county city had already started to take shape—at least on paper. So far, only the core district, which included a noble quarter, a commoner zone, and the city hall, was under construction. Completing the entire city design would take years, but with the new city hall scheduled to open next year, Dingle's provisional government team could relocate there. The Williams family would also move out of their castle and into the new noble district, allowing renovations on the estate. The first batch of noble and commoner homes would go on sale soon after. Following the first phase, they expected to attract around 2,000–3,000 residents.
Even if the whole city wasn't ready yet, once people moved in, it would already function as a real city.
Neither Wei Wei nor Felix had much prior experience with city management. Felix had been a knight in the capital with little access to high-level administrative roles. The most he'd dealt with were city guards and patrol officers.
So now that he had the chance, he naturally wanted Adonis to guide him through Aldridge's various municipal departments.
Wei Wei would have liked to go too—she'd never seen such things before. But Dolores had grown more anxious as the engagement banquet approached. She wasn't yet comfortable being alone with Salina and Elina. To distract herself, she clung to Wei Wei's side daily for comfort and support.
So whenever Wei Wei thought about accompanying Felix, she'd be met with Dolores' pleading, puppy-eyed gaze—an attack very reminiscent of how Caroline used to beg for treats. Combined with the fact that she had two small children to care for, Wei Wei could only quietly give up her plans and stay behind.
Once again seeing Felix off, she turned to Dolores and gently took her hand, soothing her with a warm smile. "It's just a formality. You're already engaged—you have nothing to worry about."
The engagement banquet was simply a way to publicly announce the happy union and celebrate with friends and family. In reality, ever since Adonis had proposed and Dolores had accepted the ring, with both families' elders finalizing the match, the marriage was already set in stone.
In this era, an engagement was practically as binding as marriage. Once a woman was engaged, she was no longer seen as part of her birth family, but as a member of her husband's household. Even before the wedding ceremony, it was common—and widely accepted—for the couple to begin living together.
So it wasn't unusual to see pregnant brides walking down the aisle. Far from being scandalous, many even considered it a blessing—a sign of a thriving family lineage.
Of course, the Williams family didn't subscribe to that tradition. That much had been clear from how properly Felix and Wei Wei had conducted their engagement. Felix knew very well that Wei Wei was quite conservative in such matters and would never accept that sort of custom.
And truthfully, Felix was also reluctant to part with his sister too soon. So when arranging the marriage with the Aldridge family, he subtly hinted that no such "accidents" should happen before the formal wedding.
Salina and Adonis had raised no objections. They made it clear they respected the bride's family's wishes and wouldn't move Dolores into the Aldridge residence until after the wedding.