Chapter 13: Mother, You Smell So Sweet

Mine drainage and pumping had always been a massive headache.

With a steam engine driving a pump system to drain water incessantly, mine safety was improved to an immense degree.

Especially after Su Na publicly promised that the iron ore they mined would soon be crafted into ore carts and rails for their use, the miners’ excitement became even more palpable.

Afterward, wherever Su Na went, she could see rows of blackened, coal-covered men kneeling on the ground, their faces invisible behind their grins.

Su Na merely shook her head at this; she didn’t consider forbidding them from kneeling or anything similar, as these people were all slaves.

In ancient times, working in the mines was a wretched fate, far more brutal than being exiled to Ningguta or Lingnan, where people basically never lived past a month.

With the steam engine helping with pumping and transport, it remained a high-risk occupation, but the death rate would undoubtedly be greatly reduced.

To them, everything else was secondary; simply being able to survive was already a blessing.

Moreover, given her current status, she looked impressive, but there was little she could actually do.

Manufacturing the initial steam engine had no technical difficulty; hand-crafting was like that.

Aside from lacking cost-effectiveness and mass production capabilities, “cooking up” a few black-tech toys really put no pressure on her.

However, popularizing the steam engine was a much harder task.

Her short-term goal was to equip every possible location in the territory with steam engines, find a way to achieve mass production, and then push full-bore into exports to earn profits and boost productivity in other regions.

In the initial stages, however, the steam engine could serve as a trump card in her hand to exchange for valuable chips with several powerful lords.

But now, there was something more important waiting for her.

Early in the morning, Su Na was fished out of bed by Levi, and then a group of people began busying themselves all over her body.

Su Na kept her head topped with a bird’s nest of hair, eyes closed, tilting her head to continue dozing.

Having been “fished out” like this so many times, she had learned to sleep while sitting upright; everyone stayed out of each other’s way, and they all had a bright future.

It wasn’t until she was carried and tossed onto the dining table by Levi that Su Na finally woke up a bit.

Her drooping eyes glanced at the empty end of the table, and as if suddenly remembering something, she asked: “Where is Mother?”

Levi chuckled upon hearing this: “My Lady has already finished breakfast and is currently sparring with the knights at the training ground, waiting for you, Miss~”

“Ah?!”

Su Na slapped her forehead.

“Is it too late for me to go back to sleep? Tell Mother I haven’t woken up yet.”

Levi shook her head, crushing her fantasies: “It was My Lady herself who ordered me to wake you up, Miss.”

***

After finishing breakfast and resting briefly, Levi led a wilted and lethargic Su Na to the training ground.

Walking into the training ground, figures of knights were scattered everywhere, busy with their routines.

Some were shirtless, exposing sturdy muscles as they exercised, while others were clad in full armor, sparring with each other.

The training ground was located in the manor to the left of the main castle; this was the main barracks for the knights, who formed the final defensive line protecting the castle in times of crisis.

These knights were members of the Order, mostly mercenaries, and generally low-ranking nobles who had left home to seek their fortunes.

They were all employed by the Baroness’s family, which could be understood as a private army.

Clang!

Ding!

The crisp sound of metal striking the ground caught Su Na’s attention.

Su Na turned her head to see a knight whose longsword had been knocked from his hand.

The surrounding crowd erupted into loud cheers.

The victorious knight removed his helmet, and a cascade of silver hair fell like a waterfall, shimmering with brilliant radiance under the sun, instantly dazzling Su Na’s eyes.

Su Na had always known her “cheap mother” was extremely beautiful.

However, the strong radiance of her maternal love and her elegant temperament had always blended together, causing Su Na to subconsciously overlook her actual physical beauty.

Her mother was a natural, temperament-driven great beauty; her face was merely an added bonus.

Sometimes, Su Na didn’t even know what Kaibuli had done to deserve such a great beauty.

Having seen her so much, Su Na even became immune to her own appearance; she didn’t feel her own face was all that good.

Everything is about comparisons.

Beads of crystal-clear sweat shone on the Baroness’s face, her cheeks flushed, and her lips curled with the joy of victory.

She turned her head, passing over the cheering crowd, and spotted Su Na at the edge of the field.

The smile on her face immediately stretched and widened: “Looking for me, my baby?”

Su Na’s earlobes turned a bright red; being called “baby” in front of so many people felt somewhat mortifying, mixed with a touch of shyness.

My goodness, whether in her previous life or this one, she had always been completely helpless against this kind of…