“Ah, your name is Grace Foster, what a lovely name! Grace Foster, Grace Foster...” Nathaniel Brooks repeated the name a few times, finding it rather interesting. In the past, he truly hadn’t known Mrs. Foster’s name.

Being called by her name by a strange man—this man, however, was the lord of the state, and moreover, her master. She herself, once the mistress of the household, had now become someone else’s slave. The Foster Family felt both ashamed and embarrassed, her pretty face flushing red, her heart filled with indescribable feelings.

Although there was no real affection between her and Samuel Clark, no matter what, she had once been the lady of this residence. The Foster Family had even considered whether she should die to preserve her chastity. But in the end, she still hoped those nightmares would not come to pass. Even if life was bitter and tiring, as long as she could, like The Johnson Family, have someone to rely on and live a peaceful, stable life, that would be enough.

Living with her son, it seemed a life of poverty, but in truth, she herself knew just how much she envied The Johnson Family. She truly wished that now might be a turning point, allowing her to live such a life as well.

Her son, though dull-witted, weak, and sickly, The Johnson Family always praised him to the skies, full of pride whenever she worked. That kind of life was far more hopeful than her own.

She had always wished for that mother and son to be safe and sound, so she often rewarded The Johnson Family with some money and food. But from now on, she would no longer be able to help her.

Thinking of this, The Foster Family let out a soft sigh in her heart.

“You have treated my mother very well. Don’t worry, I won’t make things difficult for you.” Nathaniel Brooks said casually, while also thinking to himself that, if he really calculated it, without Mrs. Foster’s care these past two years, he and his mother would probably have starved to death by now.

He had never worked, and after selling off all the family’s land, they were left with nothing. Fortunately, his mother had been able to work as a servant by The Foster Family’s side, barely managing to keep them fed.

When The Foster Family heard Nathaniel Brooks’s words, she was slightly startled. Her almond-shaped eyes couldn’t help but sneak a glance, and then she froze, her delicate head suddenly lifting. Yes, the youth before her was indeed handsome and refined—wasn’t he the very son of The Johnson Family she had just been thinking about?

Yes, Lord Nathaniel Brooks, Lord Nathaniel Brooks, the son of The Johnson Family—wasn’t his name Nathaniel Brooks?

The Foster Family was completely stunned. How could it be him? He had always been weak and sickly, conscripted to fight the Zhou at such a young age. The Johnson Family had nearly cried herself blind, but she herself had been unable to help. Hearing that he had returned safely, she had breathed a sigh of relief for The Johnson Family.

This morning, she had originally gone to check on the mother and son’s life. But he was dull-witted, weak, and sickly—she had thought he was as good as dead, and that his safe return was already a stroke of luck. How could he have achieved such great military merit and become the lord of the county?

“Mrs. Foster, come over here, I have something to discuss with you.” Nathaniel Brooks pointed to the mat in front of the desk.

When she heard him address her as “madam,” it was clear he still showed her respect. The Foster Family felt a little relieved, but dared not overstep, and said softly, “It’s better if you just call me by my name...” Thinking of Andrew Brooks’s meaningful smile, her feelings grew even more complicated.

Nathaniel Brooks smiled and said, “It’s just a form of address.” As he spoke, he pointed to the mat in front of him.

The Foster Family hesitated slightly, then bent her knees and squatted down, her slender hands holding her shoe. Her feet, wrapped in silk stockings, slipped out of her embroidered shoes, and she slowly removed the stockings. Beneath the pale green hem of her skirt, her alluring snowy feet were faintly revealed. Only then did she step onto the mat, walking gracefully to kneel before Nathaniel Brooks.

Nathaniel Brooks was momentarily stunned, then realized this was the custom of removing shoes as a sign of respect. Although this etiquette had faded, many immigrants from the south still followed old customs. Since she was his servant, and this was the study, naturally even her silk stockings had to be removed.

Nathaniel Brooks’s gaze swept over and saw that the silk stockings on those embroidered shoes were made of luxurious brocade, embroidered with lifelike insects and birds. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “So stockings nowadays are so beautiful!” Indeed, it was his first time seeing Tang-style silk stockings, and he hadn’t expected those of wealthy families to be so ornate, so he was a bit surprised.

The Foster Family’s pretty face immediately turned red, a hint of annoyance showing as she lowered her head and said nothing.

Nathaniel Brooks then realized he had been a bit rude, coughed, and said, “Mrs. Foster, I don’t know much about running this household, nor do I have the patience. So, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of things for now. I’ll be going to a banquet soon to entertain the imperial envoy and the officials from Haizhou, so I’ll leave the household matters to you. When you fetch my mother, just go straight to the other residence!”

“Yes, I understand.” The Foster Family replied, her heart still a jumble of emotions.

Nathaniel Brooks thought for a moment and said, “To make things easier for you, I’ll give you a title. From now on, you’ll be my inner secretary.” This was a term from his memories of this life, originally referring to a maid who helped officials handle documents, but for Mrs. Foster, it naturally meant helping manage the estate.

The Foster Family nodded silently.

“All right, do as you see fit. I’ll go to the banquet now.” With that, Nathaniel Brooks stood up. The Foster Family raised her hand to her forehead, performing a formal bow to respectfully see her master off.

Chapter Four: Gambling (Part One)

The sky was filled with rosy clouds. At this time, the Red Pavilion had already closed its doors to guests. All the other tables and chairs in the main hall had been moved to the corners, leaving only a single table in the empty space, where the imperial envoy, the county’s dignitaries, and the officials from Haizhou were seated.

Strictly speaking, when the lord of the state hosted a banquet, it should have been held in the rear residence of the government office. But unexpectedly, this young lord insisted on coming to an outside tavern, which was quite against protocol.

The imperial envoy Mr. Bennett, the assistant administrator David Johnson, and the adjutant Peter King all felt in their hearts that this young lord had no sense of etiquette, but of course, none of them said so aloud.