"Your Majesty, your deeds are a legend!"

"Everything you create, whether in the Southern Empire or the Northern Barbarian Realm, you can hear the sound of praise and praise!"

"Your prestige among believers is like the rising sun of the newborn, and in the shrines, large and small, in addition to the cross of the Father, your statues have been placed one after another!"

The endless sycophants around him made Todd not only not have the slightest pleasure and satisfaction, but gave birth to an inexplicable sense of disgust.

Here and now, deep in his soul, he misses the experimental building at the back of the church, where there is the serenity and purity he yearns for. And now, the only reason that sustained him from leaving the banquet was the king's sense of duty.

Declining the aristocratic daughters' invitation to dance, Todd left his seat and walked slowly to the garden of the farmhouse under the gaze of everyone.

Huggins gestured at this, and the king's "heir" guards stopped the nobles who wanted to follow them, and escorted their monarch outside.

Viscount Zangner, who was drinking alone, looked at everything that was happening in the hall, as if he had lost interest in staying, and led his "daughter" out of the venue.

The night breeze of early spring is still chilly, and the flowers and shrubs in the courtyard are carefully pruned, mixed with the smell of plants and the smell of earth, which is more intoxicating than wine.

Todd walked along the promenade for a while, the beautiful scenery along the way, and the fading voices in his ears, slightly dispelled the depression in his heart.

A guard walked up to Huggins and whispered something. The latter, frowning, looked ahead, followed the king a few steps, and finally slowed down.

Unaware of this, Todd walked into the depths of the courtyard and saw the figures of the two women in the distance.

Mary, the former queen of the Silverring Kingdom, and her maid Cathy.

The arrival of the king made the two of them a little overwhelmed, and after coming back to their senses, the two hurriedly raised their skirts and saluted.

Todd waved his hand indifferently, thinking of the scene when he met Mary for the first time and was blackmailed by the other party for a pot of "gospel flowers", and said, "What are you doing here?

The half-drunk wine cup on the stone table, and the faint tear stains of the woman in the moonlight, made Todd instantly realize that he had said something stupid.

Imagine that the nobles of the silver ring who defected to the kingdom held a banquet to please the new lord. As an expelled queen, in what capacity should she meet with others?

An embarrassed look crept up on Todd's face, and looking at the woman's depressed and gently shaking her head, he quickly changed the subject: "Mary, I heard that you are writing a book recently, and the name seems to be ...... It's called 'Retrospective Applications of the Renaissance'? What is that?"

Talking about her area of expertise, Mary seemed to open up the conversation: "Your Majesty, the Renaissance is a concept put forward by a group of scholars who tend to return the existing artistic ideas to the ancient Taylor period. My book is an analysis of the practical applications of the Renaissance in art, such as architecture, painting, and decoration. ”

"I also heard that you're looking around for sponsors to get this book published?"

Todd's words made Mary blush, and the woman whispered, "Yes, Your Majesty, it costs more to publish a book than I thought. ”

Queen Mary's life in the past was worry-free and wealthy. And her current situation made Todd feel a little: "I am willing to support you." I am very satisfied with the design and construction of the Duomo of the Twilight West, as well as the management of the Holy Treasury. ”

Mary shook her head resolutely: "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, I can't accept your kindness. The matter of the Cathedral and the Holy Treasury is my job, and you have paid your salary reciprocatingly, and I cannot use this as a bargaining chip to ask for funding. ”

Todd was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and when he looked at the twenty-one-year-old woman in front of him again, his eyes showed three points of appreciation and seven points of approval.

The maid Cathy, taking advantage of the fruit bowl and pouring the red wine, gently touched Mary with her elbow, but to her disappointment, the latter did not respond.

Todd touched the bridge of his nose and thought for a while, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "If you refuse to accept my funding, then I want to make a suggestion." ”

Mary sat up straight: "Your Majesty, I'm listening. ”

"I've seen the drawings of the cathedral you designed, and you have a great attainment in art, so why don't you try to put this talent to work on your products?"

Mary was a little disappointed when she heard this, and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, do you mean to let me go and sell paintings on the street?"

Todd laughed and shook his head and said, "No, no, I mean, why don't you create your own brand and design clothes, bags, shoes and hats?"

"Create your own brand?

Todd picked up a pear and took a bite: "I've noticed that in the city, the rich have dedicated dressmakers, and the poor mostly sew their own clothes. These two methods are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also costly and costly. If there is a textile factory, it can produce clothes, shoes and hats in large quantities with streamlined operations and trend-setting design. This can not only greatly reduce costs, but also ensure a certain amount of sales. ”

Mary was a little dizzy when she heard this: "The garment factory is streamlined and the trend is leading, Your Majesty, it takes a lot of money to build a weaving mill, hire workers, and buy equipment, and the new clothes and hats designed will be copied by others in a few days." ”

Todd finished eating the pears and wiped his hands with a dry towel: "The first problem is easy to solve, the venue, personnel, equipment, all the expenses can be paid from the 'Twilight West Mutual Aid Society', what you have to do is 'technology shares', the amount is ...... I mean, you can use your design expertise to get a share of the profits. As for the second piece, this is a problem, first of all, it must be a good anti-counterfeiting mark on the product, and secondly, it is necessary to apply for a patent for each designed product......"

Mary suddenly said, "Patents? I thought you could only apply for a patent if you created an invention? Can you apply for a design of clothes?"

"Absolutely! Product design is also a kind of creation. At this point, Todd turned to himself: "But the fee for a design patent cannot be according to the standard of invention patents. Otherwise, a design will cost 30 copper stars, which will seriously discourage the motivation of the designer. ”

Mary stirred the hem of the dress with her hand, and the excitement on her face could not be concealed at all: "Your Majesty, tomorrow! Can I go to your place tomorrow?

Todd nodded and said: "I will wait for you at the headquarters of the Knights at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, before that, I will instruct my subordinates to find suitable factories and shops, the purchase of textile machines and other equipment will be entrusted to the Raglan couple, and the female workers and clerks can post recruitment notices......"

"Your Majesty......"

Huggins' speech interrupted the king at an inopportune time.

Following the former's line of sight, Todd spotted the silver-ringed nobles who had been stopped at the edge of the courtyard by the guards, eagerly awaiting.

"It seems that I have been away from the banquet for too long, and the host here is starting to complain. Todd smiled wryly and stood up, walking back in the direction of the banquet hall.

Huggins followed the King's footsteps and glanced back imperceptibly, at Mary, who was immersed in reverie.