Chapter 232: A wonderful experience

"I brought you some tea."

Phield wore a mischievous expression—he knew full well that her leaving the door unlocked wasn’t exactly innocent.

"Mm... you came." Tisiana lowered her voice. Once she saw it was her lord, she couldn’t keep up the act anymore. Her face flushed red as she murmured in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, "I... I do feel a bit uncomfortable. I don’t really know what to do."

Even though it was Phield who had slipped in, Tisiana felt like she was sitting on needles, as if she were the guilty one—a petty thief caught in the act.

That suffocating tension, the kind that only came with stealing, made it hard for her to breathe.

Obediently, she shifted aside to make space. Dizzy and flustered, Tisiana burrowed straight under the blanket, burying her head. Soon enough, she felt the lord move closer as well.

"You don’t have to feel burdened. I won’t tell anyone," Phield said, taking a deep breath as he tried to reassure her. "And don’t worry about the goddess either—I’m practically on great terms with the Goddess of Holy Light. We’re all on the same side. She definitely won’t mind."

"Pfft." Tisiana couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re not even a follower of the Holy Light, are you? I didn’t see a single church in your territory."

Although the Sacred Griffin Empire and the Church didn’t get along, every domain still had a church—except Nightfall Domain.

"I’ve even contracted a Corruption Divine Chosen. If Corruption and the Goddess of Holy Light had any objections, they’d have fought already."

Phield shrugged.

That left Tisiana speechless. Phield was the strangest lord she had ever met—contracting two Divine Chosen was unheard of, let alone ones from opposing divine systems.

"So, where’s the tea you said you brought?"

Tisiana asked with a smile, though a trace of embarrassment lingered in her expression. She raised an arm to cover her eyes, as if out of sight meant out of mind.

"Let’s make it fresh. Ever heard of milk tea? A specialty of Nightfall Domain."

Phield sniffed lightly—he had already caught a faint, slightly raw scent... strangely addictive.

The night passed without further words.

The next morning—

"My lord, breakfast!"

Ashina walked in carrying a tray, a piece of bread clenched in her own mouth as she hummed a cheerful tune. She pushed open Phield’s door and saw him rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Urp... not eating. No appetite."

Phield let out a burp and scratched his head. "I’m not hungry at all. You can have it."

"My lord, did you sneak a midnight snack?" Ashina frowned, placing one hand on her hip. "Even though I like eating too, late-night meals make you gain weight. For your health, you should quit that habit."

"Alright, I’ll try."

Scratching his cheek awkwardly, Phield picked up a fried egg and fed it straight into Ashina’s mouth. Watching her eyes curve into happy crescents, he composed himself and gave instructions:

"Go call Paul. Actually, call all the craftsmen—and Gogris too. I have something for them."

Tilting his head slightly, Phield counted on his fingers. "Gogris should be in the basement... Paul might be fixing the watchtower... and—"

"My lord, leave it to me. I know their scents."

Ashina winked playfully.

By the time Phield finished getting ready, Tisiana stepped out of her room as well. She looked much more at ease now, casually brushing through her pale golden hair as she smiled.

"My lord, if there’s anything to be done, just tell me."

Phield was certain—her ease wasn’t just mental, but physical as well.

Even without "relieving the curse" directly, last night had indeed helped her integrate into Nightfall Domain—and grow closer to him.

"Now that you mention it, I just thought of something."

Removing The Silver Iris Brooch, Phield handed it to Tisiana. "Take this. A first-tier Holy Light artifact—it suits you perfectly."

"Eh?"

Tisiana was stunned. Her lord was unexpectedly generous.

"No need to overthink it. I never pretend to be generous—just trust my strategy."

Not bothering with pointless scheming, Phield placed the brooch directly into her palm.

"Return it to me after you reach the second tier."

Artifacts were inheritances from fallen Divine Chosen—they couldn’t be upgraded, but they were most effective at the same tier.

Tisiana clasped her hands in prayer. "Thank you for your generosity. I won’t disappoint you."

A gentle radiance of Holy Light enveloped The Silver Iris Brooch, dissolving it into a mysterious stream of energy that merged into Tisiana’s divine mark.

At the same time, Tisiana obtained a weapon perfectly suited to her. In Phield’s artifact panel, The Silver Iris Brooch disappeared, replaced by Tisiana’s updated panel.

The Silver Iris Longsword (Temporary Artifact): A sharp and elegant blade imbued with mystery. The touch of divinity upon it has left an indelible mark—enhancing the wielder’s divine power by twenty percent.

"Simple and effective. Not bad."

Phield nodded in satisfaction, feeling as though he were playing a character-building game.

Arriving at the grand winery in Windrise Town, the craftsmen were already waiting.

"To keep it short, I plan to establish the Industrial Department of Nightfall Domain."

Phield took out several sheets of parchment. "Paul will serve as the minister. The structure is simple for now—we’ll refine the branches over time."

"This department answers only to me."

He didn’t appoint Gogris as minister—for one, she was a Divine Chosen, and he had other roles for her. For another, she was too introverted to command others; she was better suited for pure research.

Paul was one of the domain’s veterans, working tirelessly since its early days. His profession had left his hands calloused, but he was well-treated and always wore a cheerful smile.

After distributing the papers, Phield explained:

"These are the provisional rules and regulations. The most important parts are the reward and punishment systems. Any breakthrough or invention within the domain will be rewarded generously, and I will purchase the patent rights."

"Likewise, leaking patents, or secretly selling the technologies I provide to other lords, will be severely punished. Once I acquire magical contracts, everyone will be required to sign one."

"Any questions?"

The group exchanged glances, then shook their heads.

"No objections. We follow your orders, my lord."

"Good. Gogris, how is the production of the crossbows?"

Gogris replied softly, "Fifty units completed... I’m sorry, I was too slow."

"No need to apologize. You’ve been working alone—thank you for your hard work."

Phield smiled. "Make another fifty. I’ll have other tasks for you afterward."

"Mm!"

Gogris nodded repeatedly.

Phield then handed another blueprint to Paul.

"My lord, what is this?"

"A warehouse. The winery alone can no longer store our growing supplies. We need proper storage."

"As for the raised and elevated structure beneath it—that’s for moisture prevention. The storage will be divided into two connected sections: one for food, one for goods."