It's a sunny afternoon, and it's the most relaxing time of the day at Cooper's Ale House. Two women in a low-neckline tights on the top and floor-length skirts on the bottom were sitting at the counter and whispering something.

When the middle-aged woman standing at the counter squinted at Isabel and the two of them entering the liquor house, her eyes immediately emitted a fiery glow. The young girl outside the counter was about to speak, but found that the middle-aged woman had left the counter briskly with her skirt in her hands.

When the middle-aged woman with a sunny smile on her face came to the two of them, she held the skirts on both sides with both hands, bowed her knees and said with a smile: "Good day, Your Excellency Privy Councillor." ”

Then he saluted Caroline and smiled and said, "Good day, ma'am." ”

Caroline, who was standing upright with her hands behind her back, looked coldly at the middle-aged woman in a condescending manner, and couldn't help but glance at her exposed white chest and said, "Madam? I am only the daughter of a viscount, and I have not been given the title of 'Madame' at the moment. ”

The middle-aged woman hurriedly changed her words and said, "Good day, miss." ”

Isabel shook her head and said with a smile, "Delia, don't call me that anymore." I'm not some noble lady or lady. ”

"Your Excellency, you deserve in my mind the title of 'Venerable...'."

"Well, whatever you want. Find us both a clean table. ”

"Sally, your advisor friend is here!" Delia shouted in the direction of the counter. The young girl who was sitting outside the cabinet hurriedly jumped up and rushed all the way to them. After saluting the two, he said, "Isabel, how come you have time to come to Aunt Cooper today?" ”

"Because I need to talk to my friends about something, and I'll stop by to visit you and Delia."

"Is this true? Thank you, Isabel. Oh, and this young lady. ”

Caroline looked at the very young, good-looking girl and asked Isabel, "Friend?" Isabel, why are you friends with this maid? How can a maid be your friend? ”

Isabel smiled and said, "I'll explain to you later." ”

At this time, Delia, who was standing on the side, quietly looked at Caroline, who was tall, well-dressed and good-looking, and said to Isabel: "Sally will lead you, and I will prepare the ale and food." ”

"Isabel, Miss, please come with me." Sally said with a sweet smile.

Carolyn Swift raised the head of her haughty aristocratic son, and walked beside Isabel to scan everything in the ale. When Sally led the two to a table by the window and sat down, she quickly brought them two two glasses of ale and a large bowl of strange food.

To Caroline, these strange foods were like those of the inferior, the hired hands, the poor farmers, the hawkers, the bookkeepers, and the artisans. But in Isabel's eyes, it's a fresh and delicious West Coast delicacy of the United States.

But a salad made with fresh vegetables and cheese wasn't enough to deserve her praise. Chicken cutlets, stewed pork chops, cookies with gravy, tortillas, fruit tarts – these Mexican-inspired delicacies are the ones that make her hometown Texas food haunted.

After Sally left, Caroline asked curiously, "What kind of food is this, Isabel?" Why don't I see the meat? ”

Isabel laughs, "It's a dish of lettuce, lettuce, beets and cabbage that I found at the market, and some goat cheese." ”

"What do you say? My God, Isabel, do you know that these vegetables are food that grows on the earth? And this goat's cheese, you know what kind of thing you eat. ”

"Whatever. I only care if these things are delicious and can make me go through each day in a good mood. ”

"Isabel, these are what the farmers, the vendors, and the artisans eat. I can tell you that I will definitely not eat these low-grade foods. ”

"It's okay, I'm not going to give it to you anyway."

Caroline glared and said, "Say it again, Isabel!" ”

Isabel munched on the vegetable salad she had taught Delia how to make it, and said with a charming smile, "Because you're Lord Darlington's daughter, I know you're not going to eat the food of these inferior people, right?" ”

"Yes, you're right." Caroline didn't go any further, but silently picked up her glass and took a sip of ale.

As soon as she took a sip, she frowned and spit out the wine. Grumbling to Isabel and saying, "Scoundrel, I really don't understand why so many people like to drink ale, even His Majesty the King. ”

At this point, Isabel took another sip from her glass and said, "Actually, many people, including the 'servants of God,' are very fond of drinking ale. ”

Looking at Caroline's uncomfortable expression, she smiled and said, "If you really don't like it, I can have someone go and bring you some Burgundy wine." ”

"No need." Caroline took another sip from her glass, and then said, "Now you can explain it to me, Isabel." ”

After eating more than half of the vegetable salad and drinking more than half a glass of ale, Isabel finally put down the knife in her hand. Looking out the window at the dwelling, she said, "Kali, can you tell me why you like dueling?" ”

Caroline subconsciously thought and said, "I don't know, I just know that since that demon appeared in my dream, I have been trying to defeat him and kill him." ”

Isabel had never heard her speak of these things before, and asked curiously, "What kind of demon?" ”

"I remember him wearing a monk's uniform and a silver mask like the masked standard-bearer of the Roman army, always standing in the dark and pointing his bow and arrow at my heart, ready to shoot me with an arrow."

Unlike most people, Caroline can clearly recall the things and people in her dreams. Does this mean that she also suffers from another mental illness? Unknown.

"Damn, isn't that me? How could she remember the hostage trading operation the year before last so clearly? Isabel was taken aback, but said, "Carly, why did you dream of such a strange person?" ”

Caroline said, "It was because of this bastard that I lost the opportunity to take back Joseph and the ransom. ”

"If you hadn't cheated on the ransom amount, how could there have been a battle in the future?" Isabel pondered, still asking her, "Carly, have you talked to the priest about this?" ”

"Talked. But I don't think what the priest said helped me. ”

"Will defeating me in the dueling ring help you?"

"I don't know. Defeating you will at least show that my efforts have not been in vain, and maybe I can kill that demon in my dreams. ”

Isabel didn't know what to say, just silently drank the ale. Caroline glanced at Sally, who was standing in the distance, and suddenly said, "Isabel, you haven't given me a reasonable explanation yet, why can that young maid be your friend?" ”

Isabel stared at her and said calmly, "If the purpose of your practice of various martial arts is to defeat me, then the purpose of my standing in the dueling arena is for Sally, for Delia, and for all the people I can help." ”