Chapter 318: Chapter 282: Little Foodie Reya, The Big Reveal

In the dining hall, the early morning sun streamed through the stained-glass windows, scattering a kaleidoscope of light across the polished walnut long table and silver cutlery.

Ivory had been leaning against a window, staring absently at the clear sky outside.

But when Jon’s figure appeared in the doorway, she instinctively turned her head with a soft, "Hm?"

Then she turned around fully. Seeing Reya nestled close to Jon’s side, a playful, unreadable smile touched her lips.

"Well, look who’s here! The great hero who saved Heta County, our ever-busy master of the Giant God Workshop, Master Jon~"

"You’re such a busy man. What brings you to grace our humble Chamber of Commerce dining hall today?"

Jon stepped into the dining hall, taking the woman’s teasing in stride.

"Ivory, it has been a long time. You’re as radiant as ever."

"As for being busy... I am, but..."

His gaze shifted to Reya, who seemed a little flustered in the presence of an elder. He chuckled softly.

"Some things require a personal touch—"

The familiar address and the perfectly timed compliment clearly worked their magic on Ivory.

"Alright, alright,"

she waved a hand languidly. Her gaze drifted between Jon and Reya, whose cheeks were rapidly blushing a faint pink, and the teasing glint in her eyes grew stronger.

"It’s not every day Master Jon takes time out of his busy schedule to ’handle things personally,’ and even throws a compliment or two my way."

"I suppose this meddlesome ’old woman’ knows when to take a hint~"

She rose leisurely and glided toward the dining hall’s entrance. As she passed Reya, she paused, gave her a quick wink, and made the girl’s face flush an even deeper red.

Seemingly amused by her teasing of the younger girl, she let out a soft laugh, stepped through the doorway, and pulled the door shut behind her.

CLICK.

The great door closed, shutting out the sounds from outside.

Now, the room belonged to Reya and Jon alone.

The girl was still blushing, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt.

Jon, however, paid no mind to this, simply pulling her to a seat at the table.

With a flick of his wrist, as if performing a magic trick, he produced steaming hot food from thin air: buckwheat cakes as soft as clouds and drizzled with amber honey, thinly sliced roast venison glistening with fat, and even a small jar of Rosalind’s secret recipe jam.

The magical sight made Reya momentarily forget her shyness, her eyes widening in astonishment.

Jon offered no explanation. He simply pushed a plate of fragrant venison slices in front of Reya, poured her a cup of warm, fruit-scented black tea, and spoke in a gentle voice.

"We didn’t have much time to talk last night. Can you tell me how you’ve been lately? Have you run into any trouble?"

The sunlight pouring through the high stained-glass windows cast a kaleidoscope of light across the silver cutlery and gilded the tips of Reya’s fiery red hair with a vibrant, golden edge.

Hearing Jon’s concern, a surge of warmth instantly dispelled the girl’s other thoughts, and her emerald eyes lit up.

’Trouble? There was so much of it!’

She pouted and the floodgates opened.

"Mr. Jon! You have no idea!"

She snatched a buckwheat cake and took a vicious bite, as if the cake itself were one of her many vexing problems.

"The warehouse ledgers alone, the ins and outs, they pile up like a small mountain every day!"

"And the notes from the noble family stewards—their handwriting is complete chicken scratch! And there are always people trying to skim off the top!"

"The last time we took inventory, we were short thirty bolts of white silk cloth meant for bandaging the wounded! And the guy who stole it had the nerve to say, ’I’m one of Viscount Owen’s men, what are you gonna do about it?!’"

She slammed her hand on the table indignantly, making the cups and plates rattle. Her pale cheeks flushed a deeper red with agitation.

Jon didn’t say a word, simply choosing the right moment to refill her empty teacup.

Wisps of steam rose, blurring the girl’s pouting face.

She grew more and more animated as she spoke, as if trying to pour out all the anxiety, worry, and pressure that had been building up inside her.

Her small complaints grew into a torrent of words, her charmingly naive tone belying the very real weight on her shoulders.

She was no longer just the young girl Reya, whose heart fluttered and cheeks blushed for Jon. She was the young head of the Xavier Chamber of Commerce, a key figure on this scarred land, struggling to maintain the supply lifeline and guard against treacherous undercurrents.

Jon listened quietly the whole time, his ice-blue eyes focused on her, absorbing every turbulent wave of her emotion.

’Now she’s starting to show a bit of the commanding presence I remember from the Flame-haired Princess—though she still has a long way to go.’

Reya talked until her throat was dry, and she ate with just as much focus.

The amount of food Jon had produced was just right, both delicious and comforting.

She poured out her frustrations about the chaos of logistical coordination, the lapses in warehouse management, and the overwhelming pressure of the intelligence network. When she spoke of the difficulties in transporting supplies and the corruption at every level, she gesticulated wildly, her voice full of hatred for those parasites. When she mentioned the attack on Grent Manor, her eyes dimmed, her worry plain to see.

But all the while, her small hand kept reaching for the food on her plate—piece after piece of venison, buckwheat cakes slathered in thick jam...

It was as if her troubles were being vented and digested, bit by bit, along with her words and her chewing.

Before she knew it, the food on her plate was gone, and her teacup had been refilled twice.

When the girl finally stopped talking and let out a long, weary, yet utterly relieved sigh, she was startled to find that her small belly was completely full.

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