Ed couldn't help but show a helpless smile as Arya shook his arm. Even the stern-faced Lord of Winterfell had a hard time resisting his daughter's simple request. She reminded him so much of his beloved sister, and he loved her dearly.
With a sigh, he nodded, "Alright, alright. Stop shaking me, I promise!"
"Thank you, Father! I love you!" Arya cheered, her face lighting up with joy.
Ed looked at her fondly.
Seeing her father give in, Sansa's pale face flushed with happiness.
"You must take enough guards with you!" Catelyn, while not refusing Arya's request, laid out her conditions. "And Arya, remember, you're just going to the lord's shop to buy soap. Don't wander around, understood?"
"I promise!" Arya eagerly raised her hand.
"Father, Mother, let me go with my sisters!" Robb said, puffing out his chest. "I can protect them!"
"And me, too! I can help protect Arya and Sansa!" Bran quickly added, raising his hand.
Catelyn hesitated. She wanted to refuse Bran, her favorite son, but when she saw his hopeful eyes and cute face, she, like her husband, couldn't say no.
Jon, standing nearby, wanted to join them too, but no one asked for his opinion. No one seemed to care what he thought, so he kept quiet. He could always go with Robb and the others tomorrow.
"I'll send Harris, Desmond, Jakes, and Poser to protect them," said Jory, the captain of Ed's guards.
Ed nodded. Winterfell's market town was just outside the castle walls, and the townsfolk were loyal. Four guards would be enough to ensure their safety.
"Let Boris go with them," suggested Maester Luwin. "I heard that the lord's shop sells gel pens and clean, white paper. If it's true, Boris can buy them for us."
"Good idea," Ed agreed, then turned to his steward. "Bernard, if you're not busy tomorrow, go with them and see if there's anything else we need. Maybe get something for Catelyn as well."
Catelyn's mood lightened at her husband's thoughtfulness, and a small smile replaced her earlier frown.
"Of course, my lord," Bernard replied with a grin.
With that, the dinner, which had stretched longer than usual, came to an end, leaving the children in high spirits.
Meanwhile, at the construction site in the winter market town, over 200 workers had already started working on Jason Liu's house, even though breakfast hadn't arrived yet. The simple Northern folk had begun their labor under the direction of the masons.
When Jason Liu woke up in Lena's room, the workers had already eaten and were hard at work.
"Good morning, sir," Lena's voice called from outside the door.
Jason got dressed and opened the door. Lena stood there holding a basin of water, while Bella, McCann's little sister, followed with a towel, toothbrush, and toothpaste. The little girl looked up at Jason with big, curious brown eyes.
Bella, who had been eating well recently, no longer looked as pale and thin as before. Her face had filled out, and she now had a healthy, rosy glow.
She spent her days with Lena, Martha, Susan, and Venissa, and sometimes played with Michal. The little girl had been much happier lately.
One day, after watching Lena help Jason wash up, Bella had decided to join in.
Jason had initially refused the help, but Lena, though respectful, continued to assist him every day. In the end, he gave up and accepted her care.
He wasn't complaining—being waited on was quite comfortable, after all.
His maid team had grown, with 11-year-old Bella now a part of it.
After several failed attempts to discourage her, Jason simply let her help.
Under Lena and Bella's care, Jason had grown accustomed to the aristocratic lifestyle of Westeros. He quickly embraced these "feudal traditions" and understood why so many found it hard to resist the comforts of this life.
After finishing washing up, another young girl, Venissa, brought in his breakfast—toast, hot milk, grilled chicken, and carrot-onion soup.
"Sir, I got fresh milk from a nearby village today. Susan warmed it for you! Hehe, since we bought so much, we all got a little too!" Venissa, with her short black hair, smiled brightly. Though plain-looking, the 15-year-old girl had a lively and cheerful energy.
Jason chuckled. "How do you like it? Is it good?"
Venissa wrinkled her nose. "Not really! It's not as nice as the juice you gave us!"
She was referring to the orange and apple juice Jason had bought from a modern supermarket. Compared to the bland, unprocessed milk of Westeros, the sugary, flavorful juices were much more appealing to the young girls.
"My lord," Lena spoke softly while tidying up the room, "I heard that the Stark children are coming to our shop today. Miss Sansa and Arya really liked the soap and said it smells wonderful after a bath."
Jason choked on his milk when he heard that, coughing and sputtering as the liquid went down the wrong way.
Lena quickly handed him a towel, worried. "Sir, are you alright?"
Jason, catching his breath, waved a hand. "You're saying the Stark girls loved the soap and are coming to buy more today?"
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