Elena's territory

Their own houses

As the rainy season approached, it always brought a sense of awe and preparation for nature. I told the steward to allow the slaves to build straw huts.

So today, the slaves on the estate received an unbelievable piece of good news.

"The Lady allows you to build straw huts!" the steward shouted in front of the slaves. "The rainy season is coming! The Lady is generous and kind, and you are covered by her generosity!"

The slaves were incredulous, their eyes wide with confusion. Even a simple straw hut was a huge blessing for those who faced the elements every day with no shelter. They looked at each other, with barely concealed joy and a hint of doubt. After all, such generosity was unimaginable in the past.

The steward bellowed, "You lazy lot! Do you plan on standing here all day slacking off?!"

The slaves scurried off to collect materials and start building their houses.

Jerome was at the back of the group. He was a strong slave with calloused hands. He was usually silent, but at this moment, a glimmer of hope rose in his heart.

Jerome lifted a heavy wooden beam, placing it on the foundation, then picked up a stone and started hammering. Next to him, Bartholomew, his best friend and fellow slave on the estate, was also busy. They worked together, needing few words.

The afternoon sun shone on the open ground as the slaves worked up a sweat. Although building houses was not easy, they were exceptionally happy.

As the sun began to set, the houses gradually took shape. Jerome stood before the structures, looking at the simple dwellings made of wood and straw, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up inside him. He looked up at the sky, the evening glow casting a golden hue over everything.

I watched from a distance as they were about to finish building. The slaves mustered the courage to step forward a few paces and knelt on one knee, saying, "Honorable Lady, we are grateful for your kindness and generosity. Having a place to shelter is a blessing you have given us."

I looked at them and smiled slightly, "In my domain, every life is worth protecting. The rainy season is coming; we must be prepared."

"Thank you, Lady!" they replied, their voices full of sincere gratitude.

Tony's face, which had been injured, had mostly healed, leaving only a scar that wasn't too noticeable. He whispered, "I think this Lady is a good person. She gives us two meals and even lets us build huts!"

"Mom, we won't have to sit in the rain all night anymore!" Tony felt very happy. Having been slaves all their lives, even a small benefit brought them immense happiness.

I had been trying to change the steward's mind these past few days, but to no avail. He was stubborn and held the view that slaves were inferior beings, born to be slaves and forever slaves. So, I stopped trying to persuade him. Now that I was the lord here, no matter what the steward thought, he had to obey my orders. "They are my slaves too; I can treat them however I want."

That reasoning was irrefutable, so the steward fell silent. He still thought my actions were inappropriate—that one shouldn't be kind to slaves, as only harsh treatment would make them work diligently.

The slaves discovered that they didn't have to go to the fields the next day either. I let them light fires inside their newly built mud houses to speed up the drying process. The entire drying process would take at least three days—during which they needed to keep fires burning inside the houses. Even then, there was no guarantee they would dry completely, given how damp it was here and with the rainy season imminent.

"How beautiful!" The slaves occasionally talked about the houses they had built. They were content to lie in the houses they constructed themselves. Even if it rained at night, they no longer worried about getting wet. They had laid dry straw on the ground, making it warm to sleep on. When it got colder, they could huddle together for warmth. Compared to lying on the damp ground, sleeping on such dry straw was already a great blessing.

Today was a rare sunny day. Alistair looked around and noticed that in just a few days, many houses had sprung up here. The houses were square, with slightly sloped roofs, so they wouldn't collect too much snow in the winter.

Before Alistair could express his amazement, he heard the steward say, "The Lady is kind and merciful! She allows you to live in these houses!"

"Always remember the Lady's compassion. You should know you are not worthy of such favors!"

The slaves went wild with joy upon hearing they could live in these houses.

"The Lady is so kind," a few overseers gathered and said.

But regardless of what anyone thought, this matter was settled. The slaves would soon move into the houses they had built with their own hands. The slaves wept with joy, shouting words that were hard to make out. Some of them lay flat on the ground, facing the direction of the castle.

Alistair looked up at the castle in front of him. He knew what kind of person the castle's mistress was. Naive, kind, occasionally seeming a bit foolish. But she was also very clever, perhaps too clever, and unaware of her own worth.

It was a miracle that such a person could survive this long without being completely taken advantage of.