The banquet at Harrenhal lasted for quite some time. During this period, the major nobles enjoyed a hearty meal while taking the opportunity to build connections. By the time they left, everyone was beaming with joy, except for a very few.
As Eddard prepared to return to Winterfell, he pulled Roman aside.
"Ser Roman, how much do you know about Roose Bolton's whereabouts after that?"
Roman feigned ignorance. "After Lord Bolton left that day, I went straight back to Harrenhal via White Harbor. Did something happen later?"
"Roose Bolton and all his men have vanished without a trace. The Dreadfort is currently being managed by his heir."
Roman's expression tightened. "Are you suggesting that someone suspects me of abducting Lord Bolton?"
Eddard shook his head; without evidence, he would not point fingers at anyone.
"I mean that this matter is very strange. As someone involved, you should be careful of people targeting you."
These words took Roman quite by surprise. He had thought Eddard came to demand an explanation; it seemed he had been narrow-minded.
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Eddard. I will keep it in mind. I wish you a safe journey."
Eddard nodded in acknowledgment, then hugged Roman goodbye. The children of House Stark also bid their farewells to Roman one by one.
Everyone was a bit reluctant to leave Harrenhal, especially Sansa; she was still immersed in the joy of the gift Roman had given her.
Arya looked at Sansa's girlish behavior and couldn't help but stick out her tongue.
"Sansa, stop showing off. Ser Roman gave a gift to every noble lady; you're not the only one who has one."
Sansa: "Is that the same? This gift was handed to me personally by Ser Roman!"
Erya didn't want to waste words on Sansa. She walked straight up to Roman. "Ser Roman, will you come to Winterfell in the future?"
"Of course, Miss Arya. Is there something I can help you with?"
By now, Erya already knew what Roman was going to say.
"Don't call me 'Miss.' I don't want to be some lady. I want to wield a sword. I heard you defeated Jaime and Ser Barristan. Can you teach me how to fight in the future?"
Sure enough, Roman knew Erya would say that. But before he could reply, a dark-faced Eddard and Septa Mordane immediately dragged Erya away.
"Pardon the embarrassment. We'll see you next time!"
Ignoring Erya's shouts, the Stark family rode their horses back.
On the way back, Robb kept looking back toward Harrenhal, which caught the attention of the Starks.
"What's wrong, Robb? Thinking about Roman?"
Robb nodded and said in a melancholy tone, "The gap between Roman and me is getting wider and wider."
"It's alright, child," Catelyn comforted him from the side. "You just haven't reached the age to be the head of a household. In the future, your achievements will surely not be less than Roman's."
That being said, Robb certainly didn't believe it. He was already thinking about studying Roman's actions.
On the other side, Robert had also had his fill of food and drink and had obtained the funding he wanted. He was now holding a wine flagon and talking with Roman.
At this time, Cersei's three children didn't wait for their mother and came to Robert's side. Roman took the opportunity to bring out a large chest and hand it to Myrcella.
"Ser Roman, what are these?"
Looking at the jars, bottles, and unknown gadgets in the chest, Myrcella asked curiously.
"Your Highness, this is Toothpaste. Used with this thing called a Toothbrush, it makes cleaning teeth much more convenient. This way, you can keep your teeth clean for a long time, and the risk of getting cavities will be greatly reduced."
"This is a newly made Body Wash from Harrenhal for cleaning while bathing. Used with a Bath Lily, it makes scrubbing the body easier."
"This is Perfume, the source of the fragrance on the sister next to you. It's more fragrant and better than what's produced in King's Landing. The noble ladies in The Red Keep will know exactly how to use it."
...
Roman explained the use of these items in detail; they were mainly daily consumer goods.
This was also Roman's goal: through the promotion of Princess Myrcella, Harrenhal could save a significant amount on marketing costs.
Of course, a young girl like Myrcella wouldn't think of that; she purely thought Roman was giving her a gift.
With Roman's demonstration and her own experience, Myrcella immediately fell in love with these daily necessities. She gave Roman a bright smile.
"Thank you, Ser Roman! I will treasure these gifts!"
"Oh, there's no need, Your Highness. Harrenhal will be producing these successively. You only need to send a letter, and I will have someone deliver them."
The princess just shook her head; she had already planned to keep this chest as a treasure.
Robert watched the interaction between Roman and Myrcella with a smile. Before leaving, he couldn't help but make a joke:
"Roman! You rascal, you already have such a beauty by your side, and yet you're setting your sights on my daughter?"
Myrcella didn't understand what he meant, while Cersei stood by with a pale face. She was now annoyed whenever she saw Roman, and she had no intention of letting Myrcella use the things in that chest.
"I'm going to throw this pile of junk away in a moment!" Cersei thought.
After seeing off many guests, Garlan and Margaery finally arrived.
Roman silently stared at the siblings. He had noticed earlier that Garlan was talking with Margaery and the three Baratheon brothers, likely planning to marry Margaery into the royal family.
So what do they want now? Roman was curious.
"Lord Roman, thank you for your invitation. We thoroughly enjoyed the banquet. Opportunities to gather several major houses together are rare. It seems Harrenhal is about to rise!"
Roman waved his hand; he didn't want to hear flattery. He only wanted to know House Tyrell's intentions.
"Speaking of which, Lord Garlan, do you have any cooperation arrangements this time? Lady Helaena was very satisfied with the last cooperation between Harrenhal and The Reach. Since you've come all this way, don't you plan to discuss more business?"
Garlan was a bit surprised by Roman's bluntness, but he quickly composed himself and pulled Roman aside quietly.
"To be honest, my grandmother did entrust me; she wants The Reach and Harrenhal to move a step closer."
Roman frowned. Margaery was undoubtedly the key for the Old Rose and the Lord of the Puff Fish to enter the royal family. So who did Tyrell want to use for a marriage alliance with Harrenhal?
"A branch family?" The heir of Harrenhal's brow furrowed.
Seeing him like this, Garlan knew the word had already gotten out and felt a bit embarrassed. "Grandmother didn't say explicitly, and I don't dare to speculate wildly."
Seeing Garlan's demeanor, it was almost certainly the case.
He guessed that Garlan and the three Baratheon brothers had already agreed to marry Margaery to Robert, thereby kicking out Cersei to get rid of those lions.
Then have a branch of House Tyrell win over Harrenhal to balance the powerful vassals of The Reach from the outside.
To put it plainly, they still wanted to enter the center of power and didn't hold Harrenhal in high regard. It seemed that what Garlan had seen and heard last time hadn't made Olenna think much of this place.
Roman didn't make a scene but politely gave a farewell salute to the siblings of House Tyrell.
"This is a major matter and indeed requires careful consideration. Let our elders decide for us juniors, and we can make plans then."
Seeing Roman's attitude, Garlan understood that the other party was certainly dissatisfied. But there wasn't much he could say; he couldn't really marry his sister to an heir of Harrenhal who was at the center of a storm, could he?
The two parties finally left amidst polite farewells. Once the Tyrells were out of Harrenhal's territory, Garlan asked his sister:
"Margaery, what do you think of Ser Roman?"
the Little Rose thought carefully for a while and said with a frown, "Ser Roman gives off the impression of a man of a thousand faces. His attitude varies completely depending on who he's dealing with. But one thing is certain: he always prioritizes the interests of Harrenhal, and he is exceptionally firm. All his actions are for his own purposes."
"He is a difficult man to deal with, and he possesses true power. We are all extensions of our elders' power, but the name Roman itself is power, and Harrenhal is his hands."
It was rare for Garlan to see his sister hold someone in such high regard. He didn't want to say more and simply spurred his horse forward.
"Let's leave this matter to Grandmother. Let's go home first."