Returning to the real world, Altair rubbed her throbbing temples with her fingers to relieve the mental fatigue.
Yesterday afternoon, after finishing her conversation with Old Clayton, Altair had conducted weapon testing on the first batch of 'Mosin-Nagants' produced that morning.
Once the testing was passed, she handed them over to Adam, letting him go and handle the trade.
Whether it was because Adam had applied mental suggestions or because they truly were in dire need of these 'new weapons,' everyone happened to complete their weapon tests by this morning. They then sought out Adam, requesting to proceed with the trade and negotiations immediately.
Therefore, after having breakfast, Altair had no time to entertain Benson and went directly into Adam's Corpse Cathedral.
Naturally, for the sake of secrecy, Adam still controlled the Corpse Cathedral, allowing Altair to conduct one-on-one trade negotiations with them.
Although these people held high positions, they couldn't entirely decide on large-scale weapon procurement for their 'organizations or countries' on their own.
Basically, after hearing Altair's conditions, they would go offline to consult with their decision-makers before coming back online to state the results. This back-and-forth resulted in Altair undergoing at least dozens of negotiations.
Once her spirit had eased, Altair went straight to the drawing room.
Just as she reached the door of the drawing room, the servant, being very observant, opened the doors. After Altair entered the drawing room, Old Clayton led Benson in standing up and said to her, "Good morning, Countess Altair."
After Altair gave a slight nod, she found a random seat and sat down, then looked at the two men who were still standing.
Old Clayton took the opportunity to introduce him: "Countess Altair, this is the man I have been wanting to introduce to you, Mr. Benson Moretti."
"Benson, this is the new owner of Morse Town, the daughter of Baron Sheffield, and the current Countess Altair Sheffield, personally titled by His Majesty King George III."
After Old Clayton finished the introduction, Altair had no intention of standing up. The disparity in their status was simply too great; even if her impolite behavior were known by other nobles, no one would call her discourteous.
After Old Clayton's introduction, Benson bowed to her and said, "Good morning, Countess Altair. I would like to offer greetings on behalf of my entire family."
Looking at the old-faced young man before her, Altair chuckled lightly, nodded, and gestured for the two of them to sit.
She then said, "Benson Moretti, my old butler Clayton has been praising you, saying you are a rare talent."
"But unfortunately, I didn't sense anything special about you during this meeting."
Benson did not panic, nor did he offer a hurried explanation. Instead, he said calmly, "Countess Altair, I believe the value of a 'talent' does not necessarily lie in verbal communication, but in whether they can solve problems, whether they act steadily, whether they put people at ease, and various other aspects."
"I think Butler Clayton may have seen some details in my work and believes I possess qualities that others do not, which is why he introduced me to you. But I also understand that before you, these are still far from enough."
He paused and added, "If you are willing to give me a chance, I will prove myself with results. At the same time, I am aware of my own shortcomings, but I believe I will improve myself as quickly as possible until I am worthy of your evaluation."
Looking at the man before her and the way Benson was trying to please her, Altair couldn't help but recall her 'past life.' No... her past life was even worse than his. At least he supported his younger brother and sister through his own hard work.
Looking at him, Altair smiled and said, "Not bad. At the very least, you are calmer than the person I imagined."
Then she asked curiously, "I heard you currently have a brother who is a student studying history at university."
"I'm curious why he chose history. After all, for children of poor families, history often represents higher risk, slower returns, and a narrower path."
"In contrast, I have a better impression of your sister Melissa, because she chose a more realistic path. As long as she studies well in school, she won't have to worry about finding a job."
Benson was slightly taken aback. He obviously hadn't expected the topic to suddenly shift to Klein and Melissa, but he quickly regained his composure.
Benson replied in a flat tone, "Countess Altair, Klein has loved reading since he was a child, especially books about past history. He often says that past history is like a mirror that allows people to see the present clearly and think about the future."
"Melissa herself loves mechanical design and has been working hard with the goal of becoming a mechanical designer."
Altair really hadn't expected this to be the reason. Just because of interest, and Benson, as the older brother, was willing to support him. When she read the book before, she had thought it was because other majors were full or it was the result of a forced transfer.
"Interest," Altair repeated the reason softly. Then she said, "History is a discipline that requires patience and time. For ordinary people, it isn't always an easy road."
"If he is willing to change his major, I can personally write a letter to have his university change it for him. I think his university would be very willing to do me this small favor."
Benson nodded but did not answer Altair's question directly. Instead, he said, "Countess Altair, our family is indeed not wealthy, and I have worried about his choice before."
"But I believe Klein should persist in doing what he truly loves."
After saying this, Benson displayed a spirit that was neither humble nor arrogant regarding the matter of Klein changing his major.
Altair reminded him, "Excessive idealism cannot change reality. Sooner or later, he will have to enter society and face problems like earning money to support a family and putting food on the table. You can't support him for a lifetime."
"And if you fulfill his dreams, what about you? My butler told me that you didn't have to work this hard; you could have used your free time to improve yourself. But for the sake of earning just a little more weekly salary, you chose to sacrifice your own leisure time. Look at yourself now; anyone who doesn't know your age would think you're already in your thirties."
As she spoke, Altair's expression grew more and more indignant. "You fulfilled everyone else, but what about you? Have you ever thought about what you will do in the future!"
Saying this, Altair looked at the silent Benson and shouted directly:
"Get out!"
Sensing the change in Altair's mood, Old Clayton hurried forward to escort Benson to the door of the drawing room, saying, "Benson, go take a walk in the garden or nearby to clear your head. I'll come find you in a bit."
After sending Benson away, Old Clayton walked back. Waiting until Altair's mood had calmed, he stepped forward with a face full of smiles and asked, "Countess Altair, I wonder what your decision is regarding Mr. Benson's handling?"
Looking at the grinning man before her, Altair said fiercely, "Aren't you afraid I'll kill him right now or let him become a piece of trash forever?"
Old Clayton said expressionlessly, "Thunder and rain are both gifts from above. Moreover, I believe the reason you are angry, Countess, is not because he contradicted you, but because of his sense of responsibility toward his family."
"You even admire his sense of responsibility, but you cannot agree with the result of him abandoning himself."
"Let him go back." After saying that, Altair added, "Arrange a simple job for him where the weekly salary isn't too high but is enough to move house. As for his subsequent studies, that will depend on himself."
"You may leave."
Old Clayton said to Altair with a grin, "Understood."
He then picked up a small gift box beside him and said to her, "This is a gift the Moretti family prepared for you."
After Altair took it, Old Clayton left the drawing room directly.
After opening the gift box, Altair took a bite and said, "It tastes terrible."