249: Chapter 249 A Decisive Decision! The Noble Lady's Choice! Lillian's Joy!

Just then, the City Guard began to move.

The team quickly split into two groups.

One group set up a dozen large pots at the city gate and began to cook porridge.

The aroma of grains wafted from the steaming white soup, making many people involuntarily swallow.

Some people who had been complaining immediately quieted down when they saw the porridge, and rushed towards the distribution point.

The other group set up several tables at the city gate and began to conduct entry screening.

The other refugees looked at each other, but most chose to queue up at the porridge distribution point first.

However, many also gritted their teeth and walked towards the entry screening line.

A burly man walked up to the screening table and said in a booming voice, “I am a High-level Apprentice Knight, and I am willing to join the City Guard!”

The screening officer looked up at him, nodded, and motioned for him to go to the area next to test his strength.

A middle-aged Fat, dressed in luxurious clothes but looking disheveled, pulled out a stack of bank drafts and placed them on the table:

“I have money, I want to enter the city and buy a mansion!”

The screening officer counted the money and said, “Alright, that’s enough to buy a small manor.”

“Only a small manor?!”

The middle-aged Fat was shocked.

He had been to Gino City before, and a few thousand gold coins should have been enough to buy a large manor.

The screening officer said, “Don’t you see what time it is? Just tell me, are you buying or not!”

“Of course I’ll buy it if you’re selling it at a good price!”

“Hm?!”

“I’ll buy, I’ll buy.”

Seeing this, the middle-aged Fat could only grit his teeth and say.

Then, another young woman, leading two children, timidly asked:

“My... my husband works in the city, he told me to come and join him...”

The screening officer asked for the address and name, and immediately sent someone to notify the people in the city to come and pick them up.

They would be allowed to pass after verification.

After that, some young women chose the fourth path.

Flora watched for a while.

Those young women who chose the fourth path were all led to a tent not far away.

Some of the women who entered came out quickly, receiving some grain in their hands.

But the expression on their faces was somewhat disappointed.

Others never came out again.

That must mean they passed.

Seeing this, Flora gritted her teeth.

She looked back at the unconscious Knight Adeline, then looked at the tall city wall in the distance.

Knight Adeline's injuries could not be delayed any longer.

If she didn't get into the city and settle down soon, she might not survive the night.

Flora took a deep breath and made up her mind.

She walked towards the entry screening line.

It was her turn.

The screening officer was a middle-aged military officer with a full beard. He glanced at her dusty face, said nothing more, and just asked as a matter of routine:

“Which path do you choose?”

“The fourth path.” Flora's voice was a little tight, but still clear.

The officer nodded and waved to the side:

“Take her to Lady Lillian.”

A young City Guard walked over and led Flora towards the tent.

...

Inside the tent.

Lady Lillian sat gracefully on a mahogany armchair.

On the table in front of her were writing brushes and an enrollment book, and a cup of steaming black tea was placed beside it.

Behind her, several women were already standing.

Some looked seventeen or eighteen, with slender figures and beautiful faces, bowing their heads, nervously twisting the corners of their clothes.

Others were younger, around thirteen or fourteen, with childlike features, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.

Lady Lillian had her own arrangements for these women.

The adults she would take directly to the castle to be inspected by The Count.

The minors she would first take to her own manor to cultivate for a few years, and then send them to the castle when they grew up.

Over this period, she had pretty much figured out The Count's preferences.

To be honest, during the previous Beauty Pageant, almost all the maidens who came were from commoner families. Although The Count was very satisfied, she still felt they lacked a certain charm.

Now, finally, the opportunity had arrived.

These past few days, many noble ladies who had fled from outside arrived, and their temperament was completely different.

They had grown up in luxury, received a good education, and carried a natural elegance in their every movement.

Even if some were disheveled, the inherent nobility etched into their bones was hard to conceal.

Under normal circumstances, it would be almost impossible for them to participate in any Beauty Pageant, or to serve as maids in other noble castles.

But now...

Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and a City Guard led a young girl inside.

“My Lady, another one.”

Lady Lillian looked up.

The girl who entered was wearing coarse cloth, her face was smeared with black ash, and her hair was messy, making her look no different from the refugees outside.

But her eyesight was exceptionally keen.

That posture, that figure...

With just one glance, she could tell that this girl was definitely not the daughter of an ordinary family.

That stance, that slightly raised chin, the inadvertent reserve and wariness in her eyes...

These were all cultivated from growing up in a noble family and could not be faked.

Lady Lillian calmly picked up her teacup and took a sip, smiling slightly:

“First, wash your face.”

The maid next to her immediately brought a basin of clear water and a stack of clean towels.

Flora hesitated for a moment, but still stepped forward, cupped the clear water, and began to wash the grime from her face.

The clear water quickly became cloudy.

When she looked up and wiped the water droplets from her face with a towel, the tent fell silent for a moment.

It was a face that one could not look away from.

Her features were delicate, her skin fair, her nose bridge straight, her lips beautifully shaped, and her jawline soft yet defined.

Her clear, bright green eyes seemed to hold a spring pool, yet also carried a hint of faint melancholy.

Even with her hair still a bit messy, her natural beauty and inherent elegance were enough to make anyone's eyes light up.

Lady Lillian's eyes immediately flashed with surprise.

She subconsciously straightened her posture, secretly delighted: This time, I've found a treasure!

This girl could be said to be the most beautiful noble lady she had seen these past few days.

That face, that figure, that temperament...

Simply impeccable!

She was certain—

This one would definitely meet The Count's standards.

Thinking of The Count's satisfied expression, and the rewards that would follow, Lady Lillian couldn't help but slightly clench her legs, and her heart rate quickened a bit.

She suppressed the excitement in her heart, showing a gentle smile on her face, and said softly:

“Don’t be nervous, raise your head and let me see.”

Since Flora had already made up her mind, she no longer hesitated.

She gracefully raised her head, meeting the probing gaze of the lady in front of her.

Lady Lillian carefully scrutinized her face, then looked at her ears and neck, her gaze lingering on her wrist for a moment, then she softly said:

“Very good! What’s your name? How old are you?”

Flora hesitated for a moment.

She did not give her real surname, but said:

“Flora Grant. Eighteen.”

Lady Lillian's heart filled with joy when she heard

Eighteen! She's an adult! No need to wait, she can be sent directly!

As for the surname Grant...

She quickly searched her mind; there seemed to be no noble family in the county named Grant.

Looking at the girl's slightly flickering eyes, she immediately understood—

The other party did not give her real surname.

But she didn't care at all.

She believed in The Count's methods.

No matter which family's fallen noble daughter this girl was, once she entered the castle, The Count would naturally have ways to make her obedient.

...