"What about meat?" Zhao Hai asked. "Did we bring any animals for that?"
Grimm relaxed slightly — he'd assumed the Young Master was worried about food. "We brought Blue-Eyed Rabbits and Long-Haired Pigs. You needn't worry about meat, Young Master."
Zhao Hai suppressed a smile. He had actually been thinking about fast-breeding animals for a ranch. But let Grimm think what he liked.
Merlin and Meg came back with the other plates. Zhao Hai's held white bread, two eggs, a piece of meat, and vegetables — a generous portion given their circumstances. The others had black bread and vegetables. Nothing more.
The contrast stung him, but he said nothing. He picked up his fork and ate.
Merlin's cooking was genuinely good — not like the food he'd grown up with in China, but she had done remarkable things with simple ingredients.
He finished first, eating quickly. He was hungry. When he looked up, the others were already done and standing, watching him.
After the dishes were cleared, Merlin brought a small pot to the table. Zhao Hai recognized the smell — kova, this world's equivalent of coffee, a warm, slightly bitter drink favored by the nobility. He took a sip. Close enough.
He poured a cup for Grimm and pushed it toward him. "Sit down, Grandfather Grimm. I need your advice."
"I couldn't, Young Master—"
Zhao Hai stood, took him by the arm, and settled him firmly into the chair. "You watched me grow up. You saved my life. You're not a servant right now — you're family. Sit."
Grimm sat. And then, to his visible embarrassment, tears began running down his face. "The Young Master has grown up," he murmured. "He's finally grown up."
"I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble before," Zhao Hai said. "I won't anymore."
Grimm shook his head. "No — I failed to protect you. The family fell because of my mistakes."
"It wasn't your fault." Zhao Hai let it go. "Let me ask you something. What magical beasts on the continent eat almost anything, grow quickly, and breed fast?"
Grimm blinked at the question, then answered from long experience. "Several kinds. The Blue-Eyed Rabbit and the Long-Haired Pig are both in that category — both Grade 1, no combat ability. Blue-Eyed Rabbits mature in about three months and produce at least five young per litter roughly once a month. Long-Haired Pigs take eight to ten months to mature, and litter approximately every four months, with at least seven young each time. They're the primary meat sources on the continent — widely raised."
"Which is more common?"
"Long-Haired Pigs. Blue-Eyed Rabbits are herbivores — they'll eat plant matter, but they can be picky. Long-Haired Pigs eat almost anything."
Zhao Hai nodded thoughtfully. Blue-Eyed Rabbits sounded essentially like Earth rabbits. That was useful to know.
"You mentioned we have some — can I see them tomorrow?"
Grimm didn't know what the Young Master had in mind, but the fact that he was asking about the household at all was a good sign. "The hour is late, Young Master. Shall we say tomorrow morning?"
Zhao Hai glanced at the darkened window and agreed. Then: "I noticed there are still supplies piled in the courtyard. Why haven't they been moved inside?"
Grimm's expression grew slightly strained. "The castle simply doesn't have room, Young Master. We're building wooden shelters for storage — but it takes time."
"And the slaves — do they have shelter? We're heading into the rainy season. Sick workers are useless workers, and we can't afford to lose anyone."
The strain left Grimm's face entirely. He had been braced for the question — expecting the Young Master to demand the slaves be moved outside so the supplies could go in. That was what any noble would have done. Instead—
"Everything is arranged, Young Master. Please don't worry."
Zhao Hai nodded. "Then I'll leave it in your hands. Get some sleep — we can talk more tomorrow." He headed upstairs.
Grimm stood in the corridor for a long moment after he left. Merlin appeared at his shoulder. "What's gotten into you?"
Grimm started laughing — quietly at first, then with real feeling. "The Young Master has grown up. He's finally grown up." He told her everything, every question, every answer, the moment at the table. "As long as he keeps this up," he said, "House Buda survives. It doesn't have to be glorious. It just has to survive."
Merlin smiled. "Honestly, this is better. The capital was full of people waiting to stab us in the back. Out here, nobody even remembers we exist."
Grimm nodded slowly. "That's exactly why I bought equal numbers of men and women. I'm not thinking about glory anymore. I'm thinking about the next generation."
Meg, standing behind them, said nothing. But something shifted quietly in her eyes.
Upstairs, Zhao Hai heard the laughter. He thought about Grimm's face at dinner. He shook his head at himself. I just acted like a normal person, and they looked like I'd given them the world.
He lay on his bed, eyes wide open. He'd slept too much during the day.
After an hour of staring at the ceiling, he made a decision: Go check on the radishes.
He entered the space — and stopped cold.
The radishes he had planted only a few hours ago were half-grown. Large leaves had unfurled across the entire field. Maturity was close.
He crouched at the field's edge and brushed away some soil. Beneath it, a white radish body was already forming — compact but unmistakable.
He laughed softly and smoothed the soil back over it. At this rate, they'll be ready by morning.