The Office still looked the same as two months ago, but there were some differences... The gilded sign Lord Aegon personally ordered was still hanging high above the main entrance, but outside the door, some strange billboard-like objects had been erected on the ground. Lord Aegon dismounted and approached, touching the material. Hey—it was actually made of paper! Looking at the content, well—recruitment, job openings, bond and investment prospectuses... everything was there. It seemed the instructions he issued before leaving had been well executed.
He had originally planned to post these things on the wall, but now the Office's employees had made several wooden frames, placed them on top, and put them by the roadside. A bold innovation, but the effect was indeed better.
This must be Lord Tyrion's idea again. This guy is truly a business genius whose surname held him back. Lord Aegon couldn't help but smile, feeling relieved, and walked into the Office with Lord Casey.
...
It felt quite comical—in his own "store," as the owner, he didn't recognize a single person. Those wearing black vests should be the employees—two standing at the door seemed to be on guard duty, while a seemingly gentle young man sat behind the reception desk, conversing clearly and fluently with a man who appeared to be a "customer." Listening closely, it turned out the man was applying for a security guard position at the Night's Watch Industry, and the receptionist was explaining the benefits and specific duties to him.
This truly was a case of things changing while people remained. If the changes to the notices and the "lobby manager" were small surprises, then the next difference from before truly astonished Lord Aegon: there were actually three people waiting in line on the benches on either side of the entrance.
You should know, when he was originally stationed at the Office, he often wouldn't see half a visitor for days!
Was it because Lord Aegon was too ugly and scared people away? Of course not. Without his persistence and constant running around back then, the Office could never have existed until now, let alone changed its old appearance for a new one.
After sighing with emotion, Lord Aegon walked towards the door leading to the inner room.
"What do you want! Do you have an appointment?" The receptionist who had been sitting behind the desk suddenly stopped his introduction, sprang up, and called out to him. He had already intended to call the two guards by the door, but the next second he saw Lord Aegon dressed in well-made all-black clothing, and immediately hesitated, stunned for a few seconds, unable to say the next sentence.
Lord Aegon was thinking about how to introduce himself to his employees when his young follower Lord Casey keenly realized his moment to shine had arrived and jumped out without hesitation to defend his idol: "Impudent! This is the Chief Logistics Officer! He's returning to his own office, does he need an appointment?"
***
Employees not recognizing their boss—Lord Aegon found it amusing that this classic trope could happen to him. He glanced at the other person with interest, wondering if they truly didn't know his identity or if they were doing this deliberately to get attention... After all, he wasn't as famous in King's Landing as he was in the army camp suppressing the rebellion, and he had been away for two months, so it seemed he couldn't blame others.
By firmly seizing opportunities and encountering noble benefactors, the unlucky transmigator from the Night's Watch had finally climbed to his current leadership position. Although these people in front of him were recruited by Lord Tyrion, they were indeed his first batch of subordinates, the foundation of his power. Lord Aegon had no malicious intent of arguing with them or showing off. He raised his hand to stop the aggressive Lord Casey and smiled kindly at the young man: "It's alright, you've worked hard, keep busy."
After speaking, he didn't wait for the man's reaction and pushed the door open and walked in.
The door had also been changed, from a single wooden board to a rather heavy, thick one, likely because of its good sound insulation, to the extent that the people inside didn't notice the small commotion that had just occurred outside the door. Lord Aegon had expected either Lord Tyrion or another employee he had personally recruited to be in the office, but after stepping inside, he found a young woman sitting behind the desk.
Who was this? Could it be the Little Imp's new mistress? This was the inner room of the Night's Watch Office, the place where he and Lord Tyrion had initially swindled money... no, conducted proper business. Even if she was a partner, letting a woman like this sit in his seat was perhaps being too generous.
Lord Aegon was slightly displeased, but then he noticed the woman was looking down, holding a pen... while writing something without stopping, she asked without raising her head: "Contract signing, bond purchase, investment negotiation, or applying for a loan or joint venture?"
(So she wasn't an unrelated person.) The Night's Watch was relieved. Hearing the smooth and fluent way she delivered that line, it seemed she had repeated it countless times, indicating she was quite skilled in business... Furthermore, Lord Aegon found the voice somewhat familiar but couldn't recall who it belonged to. Instead, the woman sitting behind the desk sensed something was off and looked up.
"Lord Aegon!" She stood up abruptly, with a force and speed no less than the receptionist who had tried to stop Lord Aegon outside the door just now. This caused the desk to shake, nearly knocking over the ink bottle on it. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and steadied it in time: "You... why have you returned?"
It turned out to be Nina. She had taken off her paper mill work clothes and put on a black outfit, giving her the look of an office lady. No wonder he hadn't recognized her just now... Why wasn't she at the paper mill overseeing production and technical improvements? Why did she run here to guard the door and work for him? Of course, asking this would sound as if he was displeased with her, so Lord Aegon hid the fact that he hadn't recognized her at first glance and walked over with a smile: "Coming back is just coming back, what do you mean why have I returned?"
"No, I mean..." Nina's face turned completely red from Lord Aegon's teasing. Seeing him walk around the desk, she quickly pushed her chair aside and made room: "I mean, if you were going to return, you could have told us in advance so we could welcome you."
Tell you in advance... how?
To Nina and the members of the Night's Watch Industry, he might indeed be a big shot, but in the army suppressing the rebellion, where the King was personally leading and nobles gathered, what was he? Before coming back, was he supposed to borrow a raven from King Robert to send a message to King's Landing, and then have Grand Maester Pycelle send someone to notify the Night's Watch Office to prepare for his arrival?
"Such a small official, yet putting on airs. If you don't mind the trouble, I'd rather avoid it." Lord Aegon smiled and shook his head. He didn't explain the truth; he wouldn't do something as foolish as diminishing his own prestige in front of subordinates who admired him. Walking behind the large desk, he realized the chair had also been replaced. It had a wide backrest, large armrests, a soft cushion, and a layer of velvet covering it—except for not having wheels and being unable to swivel, it was a spitting image of a primitive boss chair.
Goddamn boss chair, this damn thing...
It must be comfortable to sit in.
The seat was originally his anyway, so there was no question of being polite or not. Lord Aegon sat down without any psychological burden, leaned back, and sank into the chair.
"Who bought this chair?"
"It was Mas... Lord Tyrion ordered it, and I went to purchase it."
"Not bad, not bad. It's much more comfortable than the hard one before."
Nina's body heat still lingered on the cushion, and his nose seemed to catch a faint scent... They say when you're well-fed and warm, you think of pleasure. Lord Aegon was far beyond just being well-fed and warm now.
Looking up at Nina, Lord Aegon quickly understood why he hadn't recognized her at first—the girl had not only changed her clothes but also styled her hair and put on makeup—Lord Aegon didn't know much about this, the only thing he could tell was that she was wearing lipstick.
It was just lipstick, how could it have such an astonishing effect? Right, from a biological and genetic perspective, red is usually the result of hyperemia, representing good health and nutritional status; plump shape and luster also demonstrate the skin and mucous membranes' water retention ability, which is an effective age indicator and a physical signal of mating intention...
Stop—hold on, she's just the temporary representative of the Night's Watch Office, she tidied up her appearance for the collective good and incidentally put on some lipstick, why are you thinking so much? Lord Aegon stopped his internal monologue and came back to his senses, only to realize he had been staring at Nina's lips for too long. The young girl was already bewildered and flustered from being stared at, and the color on her cheeks was almost redder than her lips.
"I... I'll pour you... water, my Lord." The girl's words were incoherent. Without waiting for Lord Aegon's reply, she ran away as if fleeing.
Lord Aegon watched the girl's retreating back and couldn't help but continue to sigh—lipstick truly was a woman's best aphrodisiac. Just a light touch of color made Nina's originally plain and somewhat Indifferent face burst forth with radiance... The black, form-fitting dress made her skin appear even fairer, while her red-painted lips made her beautiful and moving. The combination of black and red, like dotting the eyes on a dragon painting, instantly transformed Nina from the "girl next door" into a stunning lady.
Those who achieve great things must manage their brothers well, both those under them and those between their legs. Letting out a long sigh, Lord Aegon finally completely withdrew his thoughts. Abstinence for a year and a half, being too repressed didn't seem good for a person. It was time to vent someday.
She came back after pouring a glass of water. Although the blush on her face hadn't faded, her demeanor was much more natural. Nina sat down on another ordinary chair by the desk: "My Lord, you've worked hard. Was the journey smooth?"
"The road conditions were good, the weather was clear, it couldn't have been smoother." Lord Aegon took a sip of water and smiled, looking at the girl with the clearest gaze he could manage: "This time, I've truly returned with a full load!"
"Returned with a full load?" Nina looked left and right. Even Lord Casey's hands were empty: "Where are your things, my Lord? Shall I arrange for someone to move them in?"
"Haha, no need, they're already inside." Lord Aegon smiled and waved his hand, "I'll explain in detail another day. For now, tell me what's happened at the Office these past two months."
—