To graft or crossbreed two or more types of plants together was a common practice in horticulture. Many such plants were successful and spread across the lands.

In the past, it took 8 long years for Lariette to notice the possibilities the rodan plant held due to its ominous image. Not only was it a strange mutation that came with the drought, it was a truly hideous flower. No one ever thought to consume it.

But as the years passed, the drought worsened and more and more citizens died. The Eastern Lands were in a critical state when Lariette finally directed her attention to rodan.

‘And the result was a complete success.’?Lariette successfully crossbred rodan with barley and corn, allowing the crops to thrive in the Eastern Lands.?‘And the follow-up research afterwards also..’

Amber remembered what she requested Jeit to bring before he left for the subjugation.

Once he returned, it would be possible to crossbreed the crops in such a way that they grew faster and yielded more food.

“My goodness, Your Excellency, how were you able to figure out how to use rodan for food?” Lariette asked Amber in wonder as she calmed her astonishment.

“I’m not sure.” The only thing Amber could do in response to Lariette’s enthusiastic stare was to give an awkward smile. “Since I’ve come from outside the Eastern Lands, I simply didn’t hold any prejudice towards rodan yet. I’m sure that given enough time, you would have come to the same conclusion.”

Amber naturally paid her respects towards Lariette’s accomplishment, knowing what Lariette had achieved in her previous life.

Lariette blushed at Amber’s compliment. “Me? No, I’m just a plain..”

“Miss Lariette, you are not just a plain girl.” Amber spoke with a firm, stern tone. “From now on, you hold the important role of solving the food crisis in the Eastern Lands. You cannot stay a simple girl.”

“I-I..” For a moment, Lariette found herself overwhelmed at Amber’s stern words and the gentle eyes that suddenly burned with a powerful flame.

But the fire in her eyes were just as warm as they were stern.

The longer she looked into Amber’s eyes, the more Lariette believed that she would be able to take on the task in front of her, no matter the difficulty she faced. Amber’s confidence had completely influenced Lariette’s attitude.

“Thank you so much, Your Excellency.”

Finally, the hesitation disappeared from Lariette’s face and was replaced by determination, willpower, and the desire for knowledge. It was the moment Lariette’s outstanding ability in horticulture awakened, 8 years earlier than it should have, thanks to Amber’s support.

Amber smiled gently and let Lariette’s hand go, satisfied in her confidence. “Shall we go back now? Quite a while has passed, I am sure Count Freya is anxiously waiting for you.”

Though Kalix has told her to believe in him, Amber had no faith that he would be able to properly entertain the guest.?‘With that expressionless face.. I pity the count a bit.’

Lariette nodded with a pleased expression and the two of them went back to the sitting room.

Inside the sitting room, Count Freya was sitting stiffly as sweat dripped down his forehead while Kalix stared out the window with an expressionless face. Just as Amber expected.

“Our little talk has ended, it went quite well.”

The moment the two of them went back inside the sitting room, Count Freya stood right away and moved towards Lariette.

“Father, I wish to gain support from Her Excellency and focus on studying horticulture.” Lariette spoke brightly as she tightly hugged Count Freya.

She spoke only of studying horticulture and kept silent about anything related to the rodan plant, as the use of rodan to solve the food crisis had to be kept a secret from the count as well.