Elena's territory

king of the werewolves

The carriage continued forward. 
I casually twisted my golden hair into a bun on top of my head, with a few strands falling onto my shoulders. I picked up my black coat, revealing a white dress underneath. I liked the wavy neckline, resembling a blooming flower, exuding noble elegance and restraint. 
Suddenly, the carriage jolted violently, and the man woke up. His emerald green eyes were as clear as gemstones. Sensing my gaze, he turned to look at me.

"You're awake," I said, handing him a water pouch. "Have some water. It's clean."

Without a word, he took the water pouch and slowly sat up, noticing that he was dressed in clean clothes. He took a sip of water and looked at me, frowning slightly.

"I'm Elena Fair! Were you robbed? Why were you lying naked on the road?" I raised an eyebrow as I asked.

In a low voice, he replied, "Alistair Williams.I got separated from my people and ran into bandits in the forest."

A flicker of sympathy crossed my eyes. "It seems you lost a lot of valuable things. You can rest here for now and then find your people. Next time you're in the forest, be more careful."

Suddenly, Alistair asked, "Where are you headed?"

I sighed. "Back to my territory . Over two mountains, and I'll be there."

Alistair narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're a lady?"

"That's right," I nodded. My mood suddenly lifted. Finally, someone who wasn't drawn to my appearance. No affectionate glances, just normal conversation. I couldn't help but open up a bit. "My land is remote and poor. We've had a few bad years recently. After my parents passed, the trustees they left behind all fled, so I have to go back and manage for myself."

"What about you? Where are you headed?" I asked, curious.

"I'm the lord near Aemont. I was taking some young family members to visit my aunt near the Holy City when we encountered the bandits," he explained.

Seeing that Alistair showed no particular interest in me, I felt even more relaxed. I had finally met someone who didn't fall in love with me at first sight or try to profess their affection. This was rare. "Perhaps because he is also an extremely beautiful person."

I recalled the people around me, who always treated me like a priceless treasure. No matter what I said, they turned a blind eye, only staring dreamily at my face. Now, facing a man who seemed indifferent to my beauty, I felt indescribably relieved and at ease.

"I hope he doesn't fall in love with me tomorrow," I silently prayed to myself, almost unable to suppress a smile.

At that moment, a shout came from outside the carriage. "Lady, are you alright? Did that man try anything?"

Then another voice, more urgent, called out, "Lady, we will protect your honor!"

I sighed deeply, frustrated, and shouted back, "I'm fine! Keep moving. I'll call if I need you."

Just then, Alistair suddenly asked, "Have you heard of the Werewolf Manor?"

"That's just a legend, right?" I replied. 
There were rumors in the world that the werewolf tribe lived deep in the mountains and forests. The werewolf tribe was a symbol of mystery and power, and their king could even live among humans in human form.  The Wolf King and his tribe are both the guardians of nature and the rulers of the night. Their legend, cold and sharp as moonlight, cuts through the rivers of time, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those who remember.
Alistair responded, "The Wolf King is not only powerful but also has control over nature. After reaching adulthood, the king usually live in human form, learning human skills." 
I replied, "I don't really believe that. If the Wolf King were so powerful, why hasn't he taken over humanity?" I thought for a moment and couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe his subjects are like huskies, so they can't rule humans." 
I felt like my reasoning made perfect sense and even gave an example: "Huskies have high instinctual intelligence, but very low obedience. The Wolf King's subjects might have similarly low obedience." 
Alistair was silent for a long time, and then he looked at me seriously and said, "That makes sense."

Alistair was a pleasant conversationalist. I found him to be a highly knowledgeable person, well-informed without being arrogant. He could even name the wildflowers and herbs by the roadside, and he knew some of their medicinal properties. He told me that he often traveled and deliberately studied herbal knowledge.

The scenery outside was picturesque. In the distance, low mountains stretched endlessly, rivers flowed from north to south,

and the lush trees swayed gently in the breeze.

Alistair wasn't a talkative person. He liked reading, and right now, he was sitting by the side of the carriage, reading one of the books I had brought from the city. In this land, books were reserved for the nobility. They weren't made of paper but of costly parchment. A single book could be worth a hundred slaves. 
"What's in that book?" I hadn't had the chance to read it yet. I didn't dare read while in the carriage, fearing I might get sick. 
Alistair chuckled softly, "The duties of a lord." 
I blinked. "What duties? I wouldn't know." 
Alistair sat up straighter, opened the book, and pointed to the pages.

In the domain, there were no commoners. Under the lord's authority, everyone was a slave. They could only eat one meal a day, starting work at dawn and resting after sunset. They were not allowed to gather without permission. 
The lord held the right of the first night—though I had given up that right. 
Slaves themselves belonged to the lord, so they couldn't own property. 
They had virtually nothing. The only thing they had was their daily meal. 
Food was scarce, as there wasn't what one might call "farmland." A plot of land would be cleared and cultivated, but without the use of fertilizer, the soil would be exhausted after two years. So, land was farmed for half a year and left fallow for the other half, allowing the earth to recover. The downside was obvious—they had to constantly clear new land.

Because of this, life for the slaves in the territory was very harsh. They had to work a lot, but they were given very little food. They couldn't own their own homes or get married.

More intriguingly, the people here were highly superstitious. If something unfortunate happened to them, they believed they had to turn to the lord to drive away evil spirits. And the method for doing so was very strange—just sleep with them. 
I shuddered. I would definitely continue to renounce that right.

After half a month of travel, I finally arrived at my destination. The moment I set foot on the land, I was overwhelmed by a foul stench that made my head spin.