Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 746 - 699: Sarcasm and Ridicule

Although the old butler was very careful, trying his best to prevent Perfikot's whereabouts from being discovered, his hurried actions in taking a carriage to a certain place and then returning to the manor in a secretive manner easily revealed the true situation to others.

In fact, Perfikot did this deliberately; she needed to send out a signal to let everyone know she was back.

Through the old butler, she had previously sent out a signal that she was not at home, thereby blocking many people trying to convince her of something.

This, of course, was effective, saving her a lot of trouble and making the cabinet and the entire Victor Empire clearly realize that without her, they couldn't manage.

Now that the purpose has been achieved, and the cabinet has fully understood the impact of Perfikot's absence on the Empire, she could prepare for her return.

Sending out the appropriate signal to let those who should know be aware and react was the real reason why Perfikot had the old butler come to fetch her.

Otherwise, she could have returned by herself without informing anyone, either indirectly or directly.

And the result of the matter did not surprise her; those who needed to know, naturally received the news immediately.

Almost simultaneously with her return home, someone had already arrived at the door.

"Miss, Prime Minister Wellington and Duke of Gloucester request an audience." The old butler reported again, but this time he did not stand outside the door but reported to Perfikot, who was dressing.

"Let them wait; I will see them shortly." Perfikot was not in a hurry, rather she exuded a leisurely ease and elegance.

Perfikot's lifestyle was quite polarized. When she chose to indulge, she could have a dozen maidservants attend to her every need, whether eating, dressing, or grooming, emphasizing a decadent avoidance of doing anything herself.

Her exquisite pursuit of life was simply outrageous, with meticulous attention to the most basic eating and living habits, even hygiene, which was beyond the acceptance of her era.

But once she dived into the laboratory, she could survive on just compressed biscuits, energy bars, and vitality potions, going days without grooming as a normal occurrence.

While she was at Oliver's factory, as Beifa was the only maid beside her, she naturally was less particular, being relatively casual.

Now back home and about to receive guests, she naturally became meticulous again.

In the old butler's eyes, this attention to detail was only natural, and even if Prime Minister Wellington and Duke of Gloucester who sought an audience knew, they would only praise Perfikot's aristocratic demeanor without feeling slighted.

Grooming before meeting guests is a very formal etiquette; in contrast, meeting guests with a bedraggled appearance is considered impolite.

The old butler naturally went to inform the two waiting guests, and their reactions did not exceed Perfikot's expectations. These two significant figures for the Victory Empire simply acknowledged politely and waited patiently in the manor's reception room while smoking cigars.

In their perception, even if Perfikot took a few hours to bathe, wash her hair, style it, put on makeup, and choose her outfit from hundreds of dresses until dusk before presenting herself, it would be considered normal.

However, Perfikot wouldn't actually waste hours fussing over herself, although she was particular, she detested meaningless time-wasting.

Thus, she merely took a quick rinse, spent some time on her hair, and within half an hour, she was dressed and her hair styled, appearing before the Duke of Gloucester and Prime Minister Wellington in an elegant and refined manner.

"Count Brandelis, your beauty is as dazzling as a flame in winter!" The Duke of Gloucester praised Perfikot's beauty, then complained slightly: "But your ability to challenge us is even more scorching than your beauty. The cabinet has been in shambles, and the national assembly is in an uproar!

If you do not appear soon, I fear there will be rumors that the Reform Party has assassinated you."

"The Reform Party? Those idiots who impeach me?" Perfikot did not hide her contempt and arrogance.

"Compared to your wisdom, who isn't an idiot?" Prime Minister Wellington humorously chimed in, then lamented: "Without your supervision and oversight, the aerial battleship plan has been delayed by over 40% of its schedule, with costs skyrocketing by 24%, and over a third of the project outcomes not meeting expectations.

The cabinet has been working overtime for quite some time to resolve these issues; my wife has complained that I haven't been home for an entire week.

If you don't return soon, I might have to consider resigning, this position is unbearably tough."

"Oh? I think some of you must have thought yourselves smarter than me and altered the plans I left behind; otherwise, according to my estimates, you would have at most a 20% delay in progress, with cost increases limited to 5%." Perfikot sneered disdainfully, though she was well aware of the cabinet's chaos during this time, she hadn't anticipated they could mess things up to such an extent.

"Uh... Lord Edmund merely thought this approach would enhance efficiency, but he didn't anticipate not having the ability to manage all of it." Prime Minister Wellington could only admit awkwardly that it was indeed their lack of capability.

"Lord Edmund? That Royalist Party's Minister of Internal Affairs? I recall the most noteworthy thing he's ever accomplished in his life is organizing a royal equestrian tournament?" Although Perfikot's words didn't intend to sneer, the sarcasm in that sentence was evident.

Unquestionably, this sentence rendered Prime Minister Wellington and the Duke of Gloucester silent.

Until the old butler brought in tea, the Duke of Gloucester broke the silence by saying: "Count Brandelis, let us skip the unnecessary probing and pleasantries; please tell us, what will it take for you to agree to return and set everything back on track?"

Regarding this question, Perfikot merely raised an eyebrow and dismissively said: "You wanted power, so I established the Prime Minister system to let you freely seek power and profit; you wanted democracy, I set up the national assembly for you to fully embrace democracy; you wanted freedom, I resigned from all positions to let you act freely; and now, you tell me you need me back to set everything on track because you can't handle it?

You want both power and freedom, and me to labor diligently for you, you really think highly of yourselves, but where in the world is such a wonderful thing?"