After being patted twice by so many people, Liya finally eased the awkwardness in her heart.
Only then did Joen turn to Leopold and ask his question.
Leopold answered as if it were only natural, “They’re here to serve you.”
Joen gave a bitter smile.
“But I have my own hands and feet. I’m not disabled. Do I really need people to serve me?”
“Haha.”
Leopold laughed heartily, patting Joen on the shoulder as he explained earnestly, “Brave One, many people in this world live for better food, bigger houses, and more convenient lives.But better food requires more effort to prepare, bigger houses take more time to maintain, and a more convenient life requires others to handle the tedious details.
You don’t have time, but you have money. They don’t have money, but they have time. That’s how servants and employment come into existence. It’s a fair trade.”
The Hero shook his head and sighed softly.
“But who would willingly serve someone else?”
“If there are gold coins to earn, why wouldn’t they?”
“That’s because they need money, not because they want to.”
Leopold was momentarily at a loss for words.
After a pause, he lowered his voice and tried to persuade Joen, “Keep them. If you send them all away, people outside will only think they offended you and avoid them. They’ll either have to return to the countryside or stay in the capital doing undignified work.”
Joen fell silent.
He took off the expensive deerskin coat that felt slightly uncomfortable.
Just as he slipped his arms out of the sleeves, a lively-looking maid of about fifteen or sixteen quickly stepped forward and naturally took the coat from him, hanging it up.
He turned back in surprise and met the girl’s eyes.
Her face flushed slightly, and she gave him a sweet, professional smile tinged with shyness.
“Sir, your bath is ready.”
Every one of these maids was more beautiful than the most popular village girl back in his hometown.
With a complicated and somewhat melancholic feeling, Joen walked around the imperial residence with Liya.
But the place was absurdly large, and its design complicated.
Even within a single building, he managed to get lost twice.
Thanks to his sharp hearing, he caught the maids whispering in a corner:
“The new duke is so handsome. Signing that contract was totally worth it. If I could become his lover…”
“Forget it. Stop daydreaming.”
“What’s wrong with being a lover? Be bold. There’s no lady of the house yet.”
Giggles followed.
Standing by a corridor window on the sixth floor, Joen looked down at the neatly trimmed gardens below, then out toward the distant city lights veiled in mist.
He asked Liya, who was leaning on the windowsill enjoying the view, “Lily, should I feel happy?”
Liya glanced back at him and asked in return, “Are you happy?”
Joen hesitated for a long time before speaking quietly.
“I think… I’m both happy and uneasy. My teacher in the army said my power, like that of the great Hero, comes from the hopes of all the people of the Empire. I feel like a thief, stealing the strength of countless commoners, yet enjoying a life they couldn’t even dream of touching.”
He fell silent for a while, his gaze drifting.
“No… I’m not just enjoying a life. I’m enjoying them. This estate, these servants—they are made from their flesh, their lives. Reason tells me this is wrong. It’s a sin.”
“But when those young girls smile at me and like me, I can’t help but feel a kind of vain happiness… even though I know that if I weren’t a duke, if I were still just a village hunter, they would never smile at me like that.”
Liya listened lazily, her slender legs swinging in the air.
She neither mocked him nor lectured him.
She simply reached out her small hand and gently brushed the back of his.
“You’re being too hard on yourself, my friend.”
She comforted him seriously, “If you’re a thief, then what are the people living in the palace?”
“Bandits?”
She shrugged and joked with a grin.
Joen actually thought seriously about her words.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for his meeting with the Duke of Constantine.
Joen prepared to leave.
He picked up the noble deerskin coat he had worn earlier and held it up in front of the mirror.
After a moment of silence, he turned around, rummaged through his bag, and pulled out his usual loose training clothes, tossing the coat onto the bed.
Compared to the tight, form-fitting noble attire, he preferred this simple, military-style outfit.
Liya could tell that once he changed back into his usual clothes, the muscles in his shoulders and arms visibly relaxed, and his whole body seemed much more at ease.
Before leaving, the maid who had taken his coat yesterday happened to pass by.
Seeing his outfit, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but it quickly turned into delight.
Lowering her head, she spoke playfully, “Sir, are you heading out? Should I prepare dinner for you tonight?”
In her eyes, although this young master was a duke, he had no airs about him.
He was very much like the kind of men she was familiar with… like those poor country men she could easily handle.
“No need. And don’t call me ‘sir’ anymore. It feels strange. Just call me by my name.”
As Joen reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned back to ask, “By the way, the Dry River Territory suffered a disaster. Many people are displaced and starving. Do you know about it? Is the news widespread in the capital?”
The maid was slightly taken aback but answered without hesitation, “I know. A lot of people are talking about it. The Church promoted donations too, but I didn’t donate. It would just end up as clothes and jewelry for the bishop anyway.”
Joen nodded without saying anything more.
He pushed the door open and stepped into the thin autumn mist outside.
As he entered the streets, the bustling grandeur of the imperial capital slowly unfolded before his eyes.
At first, he passed through the palace and noble districts.
The roads were wide and smooth, paved with polished marble tiles.
Tall plane trees lined the streets, their branches hung with special fluorescent stones that absorbed sunlight during the day and emitted a soft glow at night, guiding nobles on their way home.
The tall buildings had flawless white exteriors with intricate carvings.
Through the bright floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see luxurious crystal chandeliers and exquisite decorations inside.
Leaves rustled softly, and aside from that, there was no noise.
Everything felt serene and peaceful, with even the air carrying a faint floral fragrance—so clean and beautiful it hardly seemed like the mortal world.
Joen walked quickly, not stopping for any scenery.
After about an hour, he finally left the inner city where the noble district was located and stepped into the outer city.
A wave of everyday life hit him.
The streets became narrower, paved with stone slabs, with occasional puddles.
The buildings were shorter but densely packed, and shops stood side by side.
The smell of roasted meat, cheap perfume, and untreated sewage mixed together, forming the unique scent of the city.
The noise grew louder—vendors shouting, drunks arguing, women scolding.
Though chaotic, it was filled with the vibrant energy Joen was used to.
After only a few steps, Joen suddenly noticed a brother and sister standing on a crude wooden platform made of crates, holding wooden placards and shouting themselves hoarse:
“People! The Dry River Territory is crying! Our brothers and sisters are struggling in the floods! Don’t donate to the Church! Those hypocritical priests will only turn your money into jewels for noble ladies’ ears! Don’t donate to City Hall! Those corrupt officials will only turn it into wine in their cups! Donate to us! We will personally deliver every coin to the Hero! Let the Brave One handle the disaster relief! Only the Hero is truly trustworthy!”
Joen couldn’t help but stop.
The more he listened, the more surprised he became—and somewhat moved.
Standing among the sparse onlookers, he hadn’t expected anyone in the capital to trust him so much.
Meanwhile, Liya was holding the ice cream Joen had bought her.
To her small frame, the cone was thicker than her entire hand, and the creamy scoop seemed endless no matter how much she licked.
As expected, being small made enjoying food even better.
The petite girl stuck out her pink tongue, slowly licking the ice cream in a playful and adorable manner.
Seeing the brother and sister, she couldn’t help but grin.
“Hey, nice work!”