The table in front of Lord Tywin was quiet.
The other long banquet tables were all placed far from his. This table had only eleven people in total.
Lord Tywin sat alone at the head. To his right were five individuals: first was Jeyne, second was Lord Gawen, followed by Lord Marbrand of Ashmark, Lord Lefford of Golden Tooth, and Lord Farman of Fair Isle.
To his left were another five: first, Lord Kevan, second, Grand Maester Pycelle, followed by Lord Crakehall of Crake Hall, Lord Lannister of Lannisport, and Lord Swyft of Cornfield.
Lord Gawen was tasting such tender roasted meat and refreshingly light bacon soup for the first time in his life. His family was on the brink of bankruptcy, yet he remained a refined gourmet.
Jeyne, accustomed to exquisite cuisine, found every dish today to be absolutely delicious.
After drinking a little too much, Lord Gawen became bold. "Your Grace, are all these dishes seasoned with snow salt?"
"Yes." Tywin answered tersely, as was his way.
"Snow salt… is it really from Ser Gregor, ?"
Before Gawen could finish, the Lord cut him off sharply. "Yes."
Though Gawen nodded with a look of understanding, deep down, he still couldn't quite bring himself to believe it.
Jeyne Westerling felt the same disbelief.
During the gift ceremony, the herald had clearly announced that the snow salt came from Clegane Keep and had been inadvertently produced by Ser Gregor Clegane. Now, at the dining table, Tywin himself confirmed this, but Jeyne still found it hard to believe that the Mountain had mastered the production of snow salt.
Lord Marbrand spoke softly, "Your Grace, I've never had bacon soup so rich in flavor. Ser Gregor's snow salt production is truly remarkable."
The other Lords all nodded in agreement, though none voiced their thoughts aloud. They genuinely believed it, but they knew better than to flatter Tywin Lannister needlessly.
Tywin disliked sycophants who echoed others blindly, and this cast a heavy, subdued air over the table.
They were all used to eating salt that was bitter and gritty with sand or dirt. Now, tasting this fine white snow salt for the first time, the difference was immediately apparent. When used to roast suckling pig, the contrast in flavor was stunning. The purity of the snow salt seemed to elevate the texture of the meat itself.
Yet this enjoyment was exclusive to Lord Tywin's table.
All eleven seated there used chopsticks.
With Lord Tywin leading by example, the others had quickly picked up how to use them. At first, it was undeniably awkward, how to even hold these two "sticks." which end to use?, but soon everyone got the hang of it.
The food at this table was also special.
The roastmaster was grilling meat just down the street from the plaza. The baker was nearby, baking fresh bread. All the dishes were prepared on the spot by chefs and served steaming hot, their savory aromas wafting through the air.
Once the meat was done, two skilled chefs sliced it into various sizes and portions for the nobles at Tywin's table, plating everything before serving it. The guests used chopsticks to pick their pieces, eliminating the need for cutting.
Jeyne found this absolutely delightful.
Ladies cutting steaming, greasy meat often risked staining their fingers or soiling their elegant gowns.
Gregor had made a very apt point when demonstrating chopstick use to the Lord: have the chefs cut the roasted meat and bread to one's preferences, then eat with chopsticks, no need to soil one's hands with grease or crumbs. This, he'd said, was especially fitting for the elderly, children, and elegant noblewomen.
The bacon soup was rich with chunks of ham, carrots, and assorted vegetables. In poor households, ingredients were chopped tiny and boiled into thick soup to make spooning easier. But nobles had no such constraints, large chunks of meat and vegetables were simply simmered in the pot, and chopsticks made fishing them out far easier than using knives and forks. Moreover, there was no risk of burning one's hands on the hot broth. Once children learned to use chopsticks, it would be much safer for them, too.
In the civilization Gregor had transmigrated from, chopsticks had been used for thousands of years and had never been replaced. Their enduring presence stemmed from how practical and versatile they were.
As a university-trained science and engineering student from Huaguo, Gregor knew well how many types of chopsticks existed. They could be made from bamboo, wood, bone, porcelain, ivory, gold, silver, plastic… Chopsticks were one of the most common utensils in the world and a hallmark of culinary culture, an invention that spread across Asia and even influenced dining customs overseas.
Jeyne quickly mastered the chopsticks. She was multitalented, skilled in music, painting, and even medicine, always graceful and dexterous.
She stole a glance at the Mountain.
That brute? Invented chopsticks? Invented whistles? Discovered how to make snow salt?
Was that even possible?
Absolutely not.
And yet, Tywin Lannister's words and honor were beyond question.
This left Jeyne feeling deeply conflicted.
She prided herself on her intelligence and talent, and utterly despised Gregor as a person. She had subtly asked Grand Maester Pycelle about him before, only to receive a definitive answer: Gregor was illiterate.
How could someone who couldn't read or write possess such inventive brilliance? How could he come up with entirely new things never before seen in this world?
If it were true, it could only be explained as divine revelation from the Seven.
A divine revelation… given to such a scoundrel?
Jeyne found the notion absurd.
Still, while enjoying her meal with ladylike grace, she let her mind wander through a young woman's secret thoughts.
In the Westerlands, there were four great noble families of immense wealth:
House Lefford of Golden Tooth, rich from gold mines;
House Serrett of Silverhill, likewise enriched by mining;
House Lannister of Lannisport, made wealthy through trade;
And House Lannister of Casterly Rock, whose wealth came from gold and taxation.
Jeyne had no hope of marrying into the main Lannister line at Casterly Rock. The Lannister of Lannisport had only one daughter and no sons. That left only two powerful houses: the Leffords and the Serretts.
The Serrett of Silverhill had once rejected her father's proposal. But now, as the newly recognized daughter of Lord Tywin, Jeyne had already received numerous marriage offers, including one from Ado Serrett, heir to House Serrett.
Ado Serrett was handsome, came from immense wealth, belonged to a powerful family, and was skilled in martial arts. He was the ideal young noble in Jeyne's eyes. There was no better match for her in all the Westerlands.
If she married Ado, she would become the Lady of Silverhill.
Jeyne was filled with anticipation for such a future.
Today, she was the center of the entire city's attention, basking in admiring gazes from nearly everyone, men and women alike.
From sixteen-year-old boys to sixty-year-old lords, all eyes were filled with praise… and deSere.
Jeyne owed her position entirely to her father.
The only regret was that her mother couldn't be there to witness her moment of glory. As the daughter of a merchant and not a noble, her mother was looked down upon by Tywin and had to stay behind in Clegane's Keep.
Jeyne, immersed in her girlish musings, once again stole a glance at Ador.
His side of the hall was full of boisterous laughter. From this distance, Jeyne couldn't hear what he and Gregor were talking about. But she saw many knights from nearby tables raising their cups and gathering around them. They laughed and talked animatedly, the atmosphere lively and filled with cheer.
"I bet ten gold dragons!"
"I bet fifty!"
She could just barely make out the shouts of the knights and lords around them.
------------
Note: If you guys want to read up to 50+ chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on Patreon. You can read up to chapter 101 there! patreon.com/vynthor