Cleanliness

Duke Edward certainly wouldn't hold it against the young doctor. He trusted his steward implicitly—any decision made would surely prioritize his own interests. Delicious food was important, of course, but possessing a robust constitution was essential to thwarting schemers who coveted his wealth and lands. Only with a strong body could he savor more delicacies and the rich flavor of victory over time.

Yet as Edward pictured the young doctor reveling in his meal by candlelight, an inexplicable itch took hold of his heart. He simply wanted to torment the little fellow. There was something about those blue eyes brimming with anxious tears that strangely satisfied his heart.

With this thought, Edward rose impatiently to change his clothes, then made his way down to the first floor of the castle.

And what was Tang Feiliu doing?

He was happily slurping away at a bowl of scallion pork dumplings he'd shared with Aunt Lai Li. His body had rebelled against the recent excess of greasy food, his delicate stomach revolting. so lately he'd been reining in his overly indulgent, self-satisfied eating habits. Now, the scallion pork dumplings were incredibly fragrant and delicious. With each bite, rich meat juices mingled with the aroma of scallions filled his mouth—so good he couldn't even speak.

Thus, on the very first morning after Edward's recovery, he caught the young doctor sneaking another bite.

He was already full, so he could leisurely lean against the doorway, watching the young doctor pop each peculiar little morsel into his mouth. His lips were even redder in daylight, like precious cherries, a striking crimson. His cheeks were pale, flushing a beautiful pink when warmed, like peaches.

The blond-haired, blue-eyed youth sat in the simple little dining room, yet he looked like a divine child from a mural—beautiful and sacred. Edward gripped his cane tightly, his dark eyes reflecting complex emotions.

Tang Feiliu, still steaming from his bowl of bone broth, turned around and nearly choked to death at the sight of the dark-haired, dark-eyed man before him, his face twisted with fury. Coughing so violently tears welled in his eyes, he struggled to greet him: "M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-

Edward approached, his expression stern as he gently patted Tang Feiliu's back. In a low voice, he said, "A gentleman should never be so frivolous while eating. One must swallow everything before looking elsewhere, understand?"

Tang Feiliu coughed until his whole body went limp, his head spinning. Only after the coughing fit subsided did he realize where his hands had been braced—clearly... clearly on the noble gentleman's... chest. = =

Though separated by silk shirts, jackets, and a suit coat, he could still feel those two massive pectoral muscles and their overwhelming power. Tang Feiliu felt his legs grow even weaker. He—he—he was gay, a standard, even slightly effeminate zero. A zero with no one to rely on, a zero who'd never even tasted the forbidden fruit. Now, suddenly touching such massive pectorals, Tang Feiliu felt his blood rushing to strange places.

Fortunately, the Duke Edward’s pungent odor snapped him back to his senses.

Tang Feiliu quickly released Edward, his face hastily masking disgust. Edward narrowed his eyes, and Tang Feiliu watched as he suddenly lowered his head, sniffing intently near his neck. Tang Feiliu felt every hair on his body stand on end. Just then, Edward finally lifted his head and asked, "The scent on you... is it the soap you mentioned last night?"

"Huh? Ah!" Tang Feiliu's eyes widened as he stared at Edward, his face flushing crimson. "Yes, yes, it's soap! Your Lordship, the main reason you're ill is that the castle isn't clean enough, and you rarely bathe or clean yourselves..."

Tang Feiliu, who became a chatterbox when nervous, rattled off his explanation. Then it suddenly hit him—many people now worshipped gods, and the Temple taught that devout believers didn't bathe, believing washing would invite demons and evil spirits.

In truth, decades earlier, a major plague had struck. At the time, expensive, fragrant soaps—imported from distant lands and even produced locally in artisanal workshops—had become commonplace. Yet when the plague erupted, the Temple's prayers proved powerless to save lives. and the physicians they trained, who knew only bloodletting, proved utterly useless. Consequently, they blamed the plague on bathing practices, leading to the disappearance of soap throughout the empire.

This was why Tang Feiliu couldn't find soap anywhere. Of course, he only pieced together the story later by overhearing scattered remarks from workshop workers.

Now, having shared this with Edward, Tang Feiliu felt a twinge of guilt. But he recalled this gentleman harbored no affection for the Church—after all, Edward bore the Temple’s seal as the Devil’s Son. Summoning his courage, Tang Feiliu explained: The plague wasn't caused by bathing. Cleaning oneself is beneficial. The plague arose because everyone defecated and urinated in public. Properly treated, that waste could enrich the soil—it's excellent fertilizer. But when left untreated, it rots and breeds dreadful pathogens..."

Recalling York City's streets littered with golden excrement and residents dumping filth from open windows at night... Tang Feiliu spoke with heartfelt conviction.

It must be noted that the castle was immense. Within the main tower of Black Swan Castle, the areas where Duke Edward resided were indeed spotless. Yet whenever Tang Feiliu ventured outside to stroll the lawns, he encountered countless piles of excrement in various states of decay. Servants were even busy producing fresh loads nearby—a sight truly enough to make one's eyes bleed.

Edward listened patiently, fingering his cane before interrupting Tang Feiliu. "Your idea is intriguing. Let's discuss it further in my study."

With that, Edward turned and walked ahead. Tang Feiliu's eyes lit up—this was promising!

Truthfully, if York City continued like this, Tang Feiliu believed another plague outbreak was entirely plausible. The entire city was awash in excrement, with mountains piled up against the walls at the city gates. Tang Feiliu couldn't bear to dwell on it. Every time he passed by, he would douse his handkerchief with perfume and cover his nose and mouth with it—otherwise, he simply couldn't walk through normally.

The environment was so foul that even healthy people would easily fall ill, let alone the now frail Tang Feiliu. If only Edward could grasp this situation, then by ordering improvements in the areas under his jurisdiction, they could achieve remarkably positive results.

This would also reduce dreaded contagions like dysentery, which in the Middle Ages was nearly a death sentence.

Therefore, Tang Feiliu was genuinely pleased to have this chance to explain. Following Edward into the study, he barely sat down before saying, "I once suffered a high fever precisely because I disregarded this principle. Later, I managed to save myself by following the methods described in that travelogue. Since then, I've maintained a clean environment. Over a year has passed, and I haven't fallen ill again."

It was common knowledge that ordinary people were prone to fever and illness. Only those with robust constitutions could survive by relying on their own immunity, while the frail often succumbed prematurely.

Thus, Tang Feiliu's words carried considerable weight. Edward stroked the emerald ring on his finger, its serpent-wrapped emeralds glowing with the soft patina of aged silver from years of wear. After a long moment, Edward suddenly declared, "My health is restored. To thank you, I had considered gifting you a small estate."

Tang Feiliu's heart surged with excitement, nearly dancing with joy. A small estate! Possessing an estate meant inheriting its serfs and servants, typically transferred along with the property. Even the most modest estate could yield forty to fifty pounds annually! What did that mean? It meant he would become a property-owning gentleman! On his estate, he would be the master. He could improve the place and live a pastoral idyll!

But Tang Feiliu quickly noticed the word "formerly." What did that mean? Had the Duke of Edward changed his mind about granting him the estate?

Tang Feiliu stared at Edward with disbelief and accusation. Edward observed his golden hair glistening in the sunlight streaming through the window, his wide, incredulous blue eyes. A faint smile touched Edward's lips before vanishing. Clearing his throat, he said, "Of course, if you wish, I can still grant you an estate." " As Tang Feiliu exhaled in relief, his blue eyes lighting up with joy, Edward added slowly and deliberately, "But I hope you will remain as my retainer, managing the castle's food, cleaning, and medical affairs."

"...Your Lordship, what exactly do you mean?" Tang Feiliu looked at Edward, his voice filled with confusion. "Stay within the castle and handle the matters we just discussed?"

Seeing Edward nod, Tang Feiliu was taken aback. He had imagined Edward might find his reasoning sound, but never expected such swift delegation of authority.

"My lord," Tang Feiliu stammered, "aren't you afraid?"

Everyone in the empire claimed bathing was the root cause of plagues, and open defecation had persisted for millennia. Tang Feiliu knew this was all wrong because he had lived in an orderly society and reaped its benefits. But what gave Edward the confidence to challenge this?

"When I had a fever, weren't you constantly wiping my body with boiled white wine?" Edward's words left Tang Feiliu flustered. "I remember after my fever broke, you used a soft cloth dipped in warm water to wipe away the sweat from my entire body. You said it would aid my recovery... In truth, you did snatch me back from the jaws of death."

Tang Feiliu's face burned crimson. He stammered, "That... that... I, I..."

He couldn't find the words. He was gay. When Edward had a fever, he'd stared at his imposing physique, but there'd been no time for admiration—only frantic efforts to cool him down and clean him. It was safe to say that aside from his underwear, Tang Feiliu had seen every inch of Edward's body. He hadn't felt anything then, but after Edward recovered, Tang Feiliu dared not even entertain such thoughts. Though Edward's overly aggressive appearance, his rugged, wild muscles, and chest hair were undeniably fierce and powerful— Tang Feiliu felt it was a bit beyond his aesthetic preferences. It was clearly a stamina most people couldn't handle, somewhat intimidating. Yet, as a pure Zero, he still found himself unable to resist the raw masculinity radiating from such a man.

After a long moment of hesitation, Tang Feiliu finally found his voice: "My deepest apologies, sir. The situation was so urgent at the time..."

"I do not blame you," Edward murmured, his dark eyes lingering over Tang Feiliu's face, body, and neck. "In truth, I've seen manuscripts by scholars studying science in our family library. Their insights align with yours, and you clearly possess a grasp of this knowledge already. That is why I appointed you to undertake these tasks."

"Yes, my lord," Tang Feiliu's eyes shone brightly. Given the chance, he'd long wanted to start improving the living conditions of the people in the Lotte Empire, beginning with those closest to him. "Should I begin with the castle, or choose another location for the trial run?"

"Begin with the castle," Edward observed him calmly. "It seems you clean yourself daily. Evans mentioned you request hot water and large tubs delivered to your room every day."

"Yes, sir. Because there's no bathtub." Tang Feiliu answered cautiously. Then he heard his new superior say, "Very well. Come to my living quarters tonight. Teach me how to bathe first."

Tang Feiliu was utterly dumbfounded.

"The method is simple..." Tang Feiliu realized the duke clearly hadn't grasped the concept and immediately began explaining earnestly, "I'll send soap. You just need to lather it evenly over your body..."

However, Edward no longer listened to him. He opened the file in his hand and began handling matters concerning the estate.