"Also, unlike other large restaurants that only offer a few main course options daily, this restaurant provides a very rich selection of main dishes every day, and their red wine is quite good, especially the Ormir Red Wine."
At this point, Bison paused and deliberately asked Lex, "Do you know how much a bottle of 1330 Ormir costs?"
Lex smiled and countered, "Do I have to know?"
Bison said seriously, "Yes, you must know. A bottle of 1330 Ormir is worth 126 pounds."
"Lex, you cannot always be my child. One day, you will need to start your own family, and you will need to understand every one of your expenditures so that you can rationally allocate your resources, striving to achieve the greatest benefit with the least outlay."
"You might not believe it, but I know every single expenditure of our family like the back of my hand."
Bison calmly stated, "For example, the servants' salaries. Our butler, Benson, receives an annual salary of 120 pounds from me, while Quenna receives a bit less, her annual salary is only 45 pounds."
"In addition, Matthew, who previously served you but is now my personal valet, has an annual salary of 30 pounds. The footmen who greet guests and serve at the dinner table have an annual salary of 22 pounds."
"Your sister's maid has an annual salary of 18 pounds, and second maids earn 12 pounds, which is the same as the rough work footmen."
"Then there are the chef, kitchen assistant, kitchen maid, family nurse, coachman, gardener, and laundry maid, whose annual salaries are 35 pounds, 15 pounds, 12 pounds, 28 pounds, 25 pounds, 20 pounds, and 12 pounds, respectively."
Listening to Bison recite the names of these servants and their annual salaries without a hitch, Lex was genuinely surprised. He had originally thought that his mother managed these affairs, and that Bison would not bother to understand them, let alone remember them in such detail.
A small detail can reveal a lot.
Bison knew the expenses for his servants so clearly, which showed his meticulousness and prudence.
Beside them, Amelia complained slightly, "Lex is still a long way from starting a family, why are you telling him this now?"
"He will start a family sooner or later. I just want him to know that being a good head of the household is not a simple task."
In a flash.
The Intis Celenzo Restaurant arrived.
Lex's family successively disembarked from the carriage and, at the entrance, handed their coats, hats, walking sticks, and other items to the red-vested waiters.
Adhering to the luxurious style of Intis, even the main entrance of this restaurant was exceptionally ornate, and the walls inside reflected golden light. When Lex entered the hall, he felt as if he were in a treasury.
It truly lives up to its name as an Intis restaurant, fond of luxury and pursuing splendor. Lex casually looked around and always saw oil paintings hanging on the walls and marble statues placed in suitable positions. Among them, glittering golden objects were almost everywhere.
In the restaurant, a band was playing beautiful melodies on violins. Lex's family was led to a round dining table by the window.
The waiter brought the menu and wine list. Although it seemed to be his first visit, Bison spoke like a frequent patron, skillfully saying, "We'll have the braised Dagya beef short ribs, black truffle porcini, and Intis-style foie gras."
The Baron paused, then smiled at his wife, "The raw material for the foie gras here comes from the Bonas Farm in the Champagne Province of the Intis Kingdom. The flavor is rich, you must try it."
After Bison finished ordering the main courses, appetizers, desserts, and other items, he also ordered a bottle of Ormir Red Wine, though not the 1330 vintage.
During the wait for the food to arrive, Bison and Amelia conversed in low voices, while his younger brother Joe whispered with Harribel, and his adopted daughter Pasha sat quietly, occasionally looking around with curiosity.
Lex leaned against the chair back, casually observing the guests in the restaurant. Suddenly, he felt a flicker of inspiration and looked towards the entrance.
A tall figure entered through the main door. It was a very well-built lady, wearing an olive-green long dress. The high-waisted design of the dress made her proportions look excellent.
She did not appear old; she should have been a Miss, but she wore an old-fashioned black soft hat, obscured by a fine mesh veil, preventing Lex from seeing her face.
She seemed to sense Lex's gaze. Although he could not see her eyes through the hat veil, Lex felt a gaze fall on his face. He smiled slightly, then nonchalantly looked elsewhere.
He remembered that in noble etiquette, staring at the same woman for a long time was impolite.
After the lady disappeared at the stairwell, Lex saw Bison suddenly stand up, then leave the table and go to greet someone: "What a coincidence, Mr. Macht, I didn't expect to meet you here."
Lex looked over. Several more people had entered from outside the main door; they also appeared to be a family, but they had fewer members, only a couple and a young girl.
The gentleman Bison called Macht was a typical Loen gentleman. In his forties, with dark hair, deep brown eyes, sharp features, and a hairline appropriate for his age.
Standing beside him was a lady, presumably his wife. As for the young girl in the sky-blue long dress, with dark green wavy hair and deep brown eyes, she should have been his daughter.
"That is Mr. Macht. His family also lives on Backlund Street. This Councillor once served in the military and, after retiring, entered politics. He is currently a Member of the Lower House of the Kingdom. The lady beside him is named Liana, from a family of prominent lawyers, and she has provided Mr. Macht with considerable political resources."
His mother, Amelia, quietly introduced to Lex, "Do you see that young girl who is about the same age as Harribel? That's Macht's daughter, Miss Hazel looks like a nice girl, don't you think?"
Lex smiled perfunctorily, "She certainly catches the eye."
At the same time, he thought that Bison's dining here was probably to create a coincidence. It seemed he had put in quite some effort for his political ambitions.
At this moment, the Baron led the Macht family over. Lex quickly followed his mother in rising, and before he could greet the Member of the Lower House, he heard Mr. Macht speak to him.
"I heard from the Baron this morning that you only joined the navy this year and are already a Major. You are very capable, Mr. Lex. If I had been as outstanding as you when I was young, perhaps I would be an Admiral of the Kingdom now."
Saying this, Macht laughed.
Lex humbly responded to the Councillor's words, while noticing that his wife, Ms. Liana, was scrutinizing him. However, their daughter's expression was calm, yet her eyes held arrogance; she merely glanced at him before looking elsewhere.
After Bison and Macht chatted for a few moments, the Member of the Lower House said, "Next weekend evening, we plan to host a ball. If the Baron would grace us with his presence, I believe the ball would be much livelier."
Bison laughed heartily and readily agreed.
Macht then looked at Lex again, "At that time, I hope Mr. Lex can also attend."
Before Lex could respond, Bison said, "He will."
Lex could only smile and nod, knowing at the same time that he had become a political bargaining chip in Bison's hands.