Merry Christmas to all my readers! To celebrate, I’m treating you to extra chapter updates. Please enjoy this special release of four bonus chapters! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

(Lurelia’s Christmas Bonus – Update 4/4 🎉)

♡ To all readers who purchased these chapters before Christmas: I can’t express this enough – Thank you for your support. (*ˊᗜˋ*)/ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ*

The slaves in this room all looked exhausted and as if they had given up on something.

Unlike the slaves in the ‘high-grade’ room who had intense or agonized, vivid emotions, these ones seemed empty.

Despair makes people lethargic.

High-grade slaves could sometimes live in luxury if they met a good master, and there were cases where masters would free them from slave status. However, low-grade slaves would remain slaves for life no matter how well they cleaned or cooked.

“I’ll take these two.”

I chose one female slave who looked the most lethargic among them and one young boy who seemed to be the youngest and was trembling.

They were the two who looked least likely to be sold.

“Alright. Then, would you please move upstairs and wait for a moment? We’ll prepare them and send them to you.”

“Sure.”

After going upstairs, making the payment, and waiting, the four slaves I had bought were brought in one by one. They were tied up in a line like sausages.

Slap-

“You, look straight at your master!”

When the former knight slave glared at me with fiery eyes, the mercenary who was moving them struck his cheek hard.

“Stop, how dare you lay hands on what’s mine?”

I stopped him.

“Normally, slaves need to be educated…”

“That’s enough, you can leave now. You, explain.”

I dismissed the mercenary and pointed to the employee who had been guiding us until now. He approached me with a friendly smile on his face and handed me documents one by one.

“Yes, this is the contract, and this is the slave document. If you sign here, the slaves will be bound to you, young lady. By magical contract, the slaves cannot harm their master.”

“And?”

“And if a slave rebels, if you recall the contract and say [Kneel down.] with mana like this…”

Thud-!

The slave who had just been slapped was forced to his knees.

“That one’s really having a rough time.”

“He seems to be a disliked slave here.”

Even Irena whispered, looking at him pitifully.

“I understand, so make him stand up.”

“Yes. [Stand up.]”

As he stood up abruptly, his face was covered in shame, and his fists were clenched and trembling.

How should I put it? It felt like our relationship was going sour even before taking him home.

I could be certain that if I hadn’t bought that slave today, that guide would have been hit by him at some point, sooner or later.

Unaware of my thoughts, the guide continued his explanation with a business smile.

“Like this, they can never disobey the master’s words. You can also freely designate who can give orders.”

“I see.”

“And finally, if a slave runs away and can’t be found, you can stamp this seal on the contract.”

He handed me a blunt seal. Inside the seal, a small magic circle was drawn.

“What happens when you stamp it?”

“It’s the seal of death. The moment it’s stamped, they die.”

“Hmm.”

I put down the seal quietly, feeling uneasy. He gave me an unwanted tip with a bright smile.

“Sometimes slaves use it as a method of suicide, so it’s best to keep the documents and seal them separately in safe places.”

“Right.”

After that, with various contracts and the purchased slaves, I decided to take them to the mansion I had bought first. Except for one.

“I’ll take this one to the Count’s mansion.”

I said, pointing to the slave who had been getting hit here and there since earlier.

“What?”

“Do as you please, young lady.”

Irena opened her eyes wide and raised her voice, while Demian sighed.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

He seemed sulky, probably because I had bought slaves on my own whim today. But I didn’t have the energy to comfort him.

In the end, I became lost in thought due to the self-reproach of having bought people, shallow sympathy, and the gray-haired man’s eyes full of suspicion and wariness towards me.

“Then we’ll need to buy some necessities and food for the mansion. Demian, I’ll leave that to you.”

“Yes.”

A chilly wind blew through his tone. He was properly upset, and I was also wrapped up in complicated feelings, so I needed something to divert my attention and refresh my mood.

So I decided to start with introductions to the people I’d be living with from now on.

“What’s your name?”

I first asked the boy his name.

“…It’s Soho!”

“And yours?”

“It’s Aria.”

The lethargic female slave’s name was Aria. Next, I nodded towards the silver-haired slave.

“Please give me a name, Master.”

He looked at me, curving his eyes into crescent moons.

Wow, so pretty…

No, it was a truly desperate struggle.

Pretty is pretty, but I had to be fair when dealing with subordinates, so I composed my expression that was about to go blank. The moment favoritism becomes apparent, the organization becomes chaotic.

“There’s something you all need to know. I don’t like having to repeat myself. This is the last time. What’s your name?”

“…It’s Lionel, Master.”

Lionel answered obediently and then looked around to see if he had upset me. Finally, I turned my gaze to the big, gray-haired slave.

“And you?”

“……”

He looked much calmer than he had in the slave market, but he still remained silent, bristling like a hedgehog. Seeing his rebellious attitude, I could easily imagine his tumultuous life as a slave.

“Fine. If you don’t want to speak, don’t.”

“Why are you discriminating?”

Demian picked a fight.

I chuckled and replied,

“You know, hurt children need warm love and attention.”

“Where do you see a child here?”

“Haha, both of you, that’s enough. It’s quite cold… isn’t it?”

Irena skillfully mediated between us, then looked at me cautiously and used polite speech to the slaves.

“Those fellows must be cold without thermal magic robes.”

“We should hurry to the mansion to warm up, right?”

“…I’ll call for a carriage.”

It was a successful mediation.

***

After returning to the mansion, we brought blankets and warm water to the shivering slaves.

“…Thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“The master is truly a kind person.”

As it was still cold inside the mansion, Irena and Demian went out to buy magic scrolls to adjust the temperature and some necessities. I decided to rest with the slaves.

Demian carefully reminded me to be cautious and thoroughly checked the method of using [Command].

“What’s there to worry about with two knights here?”

“You should always be careful, just in case.”

“Alright. As expected, Demian is the only one who thinks of me. Thank you.”

Demian left without a word, but I could see his ears turning red at my praise. He’s just so cute.

“Then, we’ll be going.”

“Okay. Take care.”

Thud-

As Irena and Demian left and an awkward atmosphere enveloped us, I approached the slaves sitting in a circle in the living room.

“My name is Lorazie. The reason I brought you here is because I need people to work in the mansion. I’ll be moving here to live next year. Though when I say next year, it’s only a month away.”

“By work, you mean…?”