182: Chapter 182 Appointment! Captain of the Guard! The castle's personnel structure is taking shape!

By the floor-to-ceiling window.

Rowan saw that Cecilia had successfully broken through, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

He set down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and looked at her beautiful face, which was flushed from the breakthrough, as he spoke:

“Cecilia.”

Cecilia snapped out of her complex thoughts, lifted her gaze to meet his, and gave a low response: “Yes.”

Rowan noticed her momentary lapse but didn't pay it much mind.

He pondered for a moment before announcing his decision:

“I have decided to appoint you as the Castle Guard Captain, responsible for the internal security and defense of the castle.”

“Moving forward, I will gradually select suitable candidates from the castle to fill the ranks of the guard.”

“You will be responsible for training these people, including teaching them the Breathing Technique and providing guidance on combat skills.”

Cecilia was stunned.

Castle Guard Captain?

Responsible for the security and defense of the entire castle?

For a moment, she even doubted if she had heard correctly.

She was a spy—

Though he didn't know it, she knew in her heart that her initial purpose for participating in the Beauty Pageant to get close to Rowan was not pure.

And now, this target she was supposed to be spying on actually wanted to hand over the authority of the entire castle's defense to her?

She looked up at Rowan, trying to find a trace of testing or jesting on his face.

But there was only calmness in those smiling eyes.

“My Lord,” she heard her own voice, which carried a trace of imperceptible hoarseness:

“Are you sure?”

Rowan didn't answer her question directly. He simply leaned back in his chair and said in a casual tone:

“Starting today, the row of vacant rooms on the west side of the castle will be designated as the temporary quarters for the guard.”

“You will be responsible for formulating training plans and requesting necessary supplies.”

“Adeline and Charlotte will assist you.”

“Just report your progress to me once a month.”

Cecilia fell silent for a moment.

Finally, she bit her lip, lowered her eyes, and replied:

“Yes, My Lord.”

Rowan looked at the beads of sweat on the tip of the girl's nose and smiled, his tone becoming more relaxed:

“Alright, go wash up quickly.”

Hearing this, Cecilia belatedly noticed that her body was indeed covered in a layer of fine sweat expelled during her breakthrough, mixed with the residual scent of the potion.

While it didn't smell bad, it was indeed uncomfortable for someone who had always been fond of cleanliness.

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she stood up, bowed to Rowan, and turned to walk quickly toward the adjacent bathroom.

Soon, the sound of trickling water came from that direction.

Rowan withdrew his gaze and leaned back on the lounger, staring at the intricate relief patterns on the ceiling, lost in thought.

As an incubus, his perception of emotions was far more acute than that of ordinary people.

Cecilia's complex emotions had never escaped his senses.

However, he didn't care.

Level 3 Charm was enough to subtly influence the emotional leanings of a girl who hadn't even reached the level of an Official Knight yet.

He believed that when the time came to truly make a choice, she would make the right one.

This was the confidence of an incubus!

He pulled back his thoughts and turned his attention to another matter.

Through his observations and interactions during this period, he now had a general understanding of the characteristics, talents, and potential of the first batch of girls selected from the Beauty Pageant.

It was time to formally establish the internal management structure of the castle.

First was the position of butler.

After the Beauty Pageant ended, the old Butler Henry had already submitted his resignation, stating that he was getting on in years and hoped to return to his hometown in White Cliff Territory to spend his retirement.

Rowan approved his request and arranged for him to take his old subordinates, who also hailed from White Cliff Territory.

This included the young blacksmith and those guards. Together, they would return to White Cliff Castle to look after the old estate.

It could be considered a stable final destination for them.

The position of butler would be taken over by the head maid, Elise.

From now on, Elise would serve as both butler and head maid, overseeing all internal affairs of the castle.

Then there was the candidate for the position of Chief Lady-in-Waiting and Chief of Staff—

Helena.

After this period of observation, he had confirmed that Helena's abilities in document processing, information organization, and task coordination far exceeded those of ordinary people, making her more than qualified for this position.

From now on, Helena would be in charge of external affairs, responsible for correspondence with various departments of the territory, administrative coordination, and management of the staff group.

The female officials of the staff group were tentatively decided as follows:

Castle Finance Officer: Melissa.

This A-rank girl had outstanding talent in finance and accounting management and was well-suited for the role.

Secretaries: Sylvie, Isabelle, Adeline, Charlotte.

These four girls each had their own specialties—

Sylvie was skilled in taxation and local affairs.

Isabelle excelled in documentation and etiquette.

Adeline and Charlotte had solid theoretical foundations in military and logistics.

They would serve as Helena's assistants, helping her handle external affairs.

Guard Captain: Cecilia.

Responsible for all martial-related matters within the castle, including the formation, training, and command of the guard.

As for Catherine—

Rowan thought of that girl, as pure and delicate as a fawn in the forest, and a smile couldn't help but tug at the corners of his mouth.

He really liked her soft, boneless aura and her shy yet hardworking manner of trying to please him.

He decided to keep her by his side as a personal maid.

She wouldn't need to handle any complex administrative tasks; she just needed to perform her duties well.

And provide him with pleasure whenever he needed it.

The other girls selected from the Beauty Pageant would temporarily be categorized as senior maids and ordinary maids, all under the management of Elise.

senior maids were girls with scores of eighty or higher.

While they would have more free time, they would also take on more core responsibilities.

For example, the frequency of attending to his bed would be higher...

At the same time, he would slowly observe and filter through this group of girls to pick out those suitable for practicing the Knight Breathing Technique to fill the castle guard.

Or those with outstanding talents to supplement the team of female officials in the staff group.

Alternatively, those who were particularly good at pleasing him could be promoted to personal maids.

He had roughly straightened out the overall structure of the castle.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

A moment later, Cecilia walked out.

She had changed into a clean, moon-white bathrobe, her wet long hair draped over her shoulders.

Having just broken through to become an Official Knight, a subtle change had occurred in her entire temperament.

The rustic quality of an ordinary person had faded quite a bit, replaced by the restrained and sharp aura of a transcendent.

Coupled with her already excellent features and honey-toned skin, set against the steam from the bathroom, she possessed a stunning beauty like a lotus flower emerging from the water.

Rowan's gaze lingered on her for a moment, and then he beckoned to her.

Cecilia bit her lip.

She knew what that gesture meant.

She didn't resist and obediently walked over.

Rowan reached out, put his arm around her waist, and gently pulled her into his embrace.

Her body, fresh from the bath, carried a warm dampness and a faint fragrance.

The bathrobe slipped down.

He could feel the temperature and suppleness of her skin.

He lowered his head and gently sniffed her hair, which still held traces of moisture.

The winter morning light outside the window was just right.

It projected two overlapping figures onto the wall.

The sound of intertwined breathing began to rise...

...

The clouds dispersed and the rain ceased.

Rowan leaned back against the headboard and habitually pulled up the system panel to take a glance.

It was still [91 points].

[Charm Lv3 Proficiency +4]

[Drain Lv3 Proficiency +8]

[Obtained Free Attribute Points +16]

It had been a while since he had been with Cecilia; the harvest this time was quite a bit higher than usual.

Even if it wasn't her first time, the quality of emotional energy from a 91-point girl was still extremely high.

He closed the panel with satisfaction and looked down at Cecilia beside him.

She was lying on her side, her cheek pressed against his chest, her breathing having gradually steadied.

She didn't speak, just stayed quietly in his arms, seemingly thinking about something.

Rowan lifted her slender chin.

He saw a pair of beautiful, radiant eyes.

He chuckled and leaned down...

...