Tiara nodded and walked toward the kitchen, but just before she disappeared, she glanced back at Sienna.
The look was quick, almost like a frightened bird peeking from behind a tree.
Sienna noticed it, but she didn’t say anything.
She understood.
Sienna had left too many ugly shadows.
Not long after, Mirella brought breakfast herself.
Bread, a thick meat porridge, and fried eggs.
Simple food, but the smell was warm and comforting.
Sienna ate quietly.
Wood and Stone also received their portions.
Tiara and Mirella ate in the kitchen, as usual.
After the meal, Sienna didn’t return to her room.
She went to the living hall on the first floor, sat down with a cup of Keya, and stared at the torchlight flickering on the stone walls.
Her fingers tapped lightly on the cup.
She waited.
Harold returned exactly as Sienna expected.
The old butler stepped into the hall with his usual steady pace, but his eyes were brighter than before, as if the whole castle had suddenly gained a heartbeat again.
“Young Miss,” Harold said respectfully, “everything at home has been arranged.
The slaves have been assigned work, the mines are being cleared, and the castle defenses are being checked.
If you have no other orders, this old slave will depart immediately.”
Sienna nodded.
“Good.
But don’t rush to leave.
Sit down first.”
Harold hesitated out of habit.
“Young Miss, the old slave should stand.”
Sienna pointed at the chair beside her with an expression that left no room for argument.
“Sit.
If you stand like that, I feel like I’m interrogating you, not talking to family.”
Harold’s lips twitched slightly, and in the end, he sat down.
Wood stood quietly to the side, waiting like a shadow.
Sienna leaned back and spoke calmly, but her words were sharp.
“Grandpa Harold, when you go out, find a big merchant.
Don’t deal with small fish.
I want someone with connections and a wide road.
You must sign a long-term cooperation agreement with them.”
Harold nodded.
“Understood.”
Sienna continued, “And remember, we are not selling Magic Vegetable only once.
We will sell it for a long time.
But after our goods flood the market, the price will definitely drop.
So don’t be surprised when that happens.
Prepare for it in advance.”
Harold’s expression became serious.
“Yes.
The old slave has already thought of that.”
Sienna waved her hand lightly, like she was brushing away dust.
“Also, don’t worry about those supplies outside.
Even if they stay there for ten years, they won’t run away.
Focus on money and channels.”
Harold blinked at the strange wording, but didn’t question it.
Sienna then turned her head slightly.
“Wood, go eat breakfast.
And tell Mirella that Grandpa Harold will eat here today.”
Wood immediately looked at Harold for confirmation.
Harold gave a small nod, and Wood walked out without a sound.
When the room became quieter, Sienna’s voice lowered.
“Grandpa Harold, listen carefully.
Low-key.
We must be low-key.”
Harold’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes.”
Sienna’s gaze became heavy, and her tone turned colder than before.
“I don’t know why the nobles didn’t kill us outright.
Maybe they still fear your strength.
Maybe they fear the reputation of the House Vale.
Or maybe they want to keep us alive as a warning to others.
But one thing is clear, they’re watching.”
She tapped the table once.
“If they discover that the House Vale has a chance to rise again, they won’t hesitate.
They will crush us like ants.
This time, they won’t exile us.
They will erase us.”
Harold’s fists tightened, and the veins on the back of her hands rose slightly.
Sienna sighed, sounding more tired than angry.
“So we swallow our pride.
We endure.
We hide.
Even if it feels suffocating, we endure it.
Because one day, when the chance comes, we’ll stand up again.”
Harold stood up with red eyes, her voice trembling.
“Young Miss, the old slave swears.
I will do everything properly.”
Sienna immediately frowned and pointed at the chair again.
“Sit down.
Don’t stand up every time you get emotional.
You’re making me nervous.”
Harold forced herself back into the chair, but her breathing was heavier now.
Sienna continued, “After the Magic Vegetable, I’ll test something else.
If I can turn the black soil outside into real farmland, then our future will change completely.”
Harold’s pupils tightened.
He didn’t speak, but his face clearly showed how shocking that idea was.
“And for that,” Sienna added, “we need more hands.
So when you go out, buy slaves quietly.
Any race is fine.
As long as they have skills or strength.
Craftsmen, builders, herders, fighters.
Buy them all.
But do it through different channels, so nobody notices a pattern.”
Harold nodded again and again.
“Yes.
I understand.”
At that moment, Wood returned with a tray.
Harold’s breakfast was placed on the table.
It was simple, too simple.
Dark bread and vegetables, nothing like Sienna’s meals.
Sienna stared at it for a second and couldn’t help shaking her head.
Harold noticed her expression and hurriedly said, “Young Miss, the old slave is fine.
This is enough.”
Sienna didn’t argue, but her eyes stayed sharp.
Then she leaned forward again.
“One more thing.
When you go out, buy long-tailed chickens.
Buy scaleless fish too.
The moat outside is empty.
If the water is living water, we can raise fish.
We’re not doing this only for profit.
We need to live like humans, not like starving prisoners.”
Harold listened seriously, memorizing every word.
“And buy books,” Sienna added.
“Books about animals, plants, farming, breeding, soil, anything useful.
We are blind in this place.
Books will be our eyes.”
Harold nodded hard.
“Yes.”
Sienna paused, then said, “And recruit fighting slaves if possible.
Our defenses are too weak.
But don’t go crazy.
The first goal is survival.
Second is stability.
Third is growth.”
Harold’s expression turned solemn, like he was receiving military orders.
When he finished eating, he stood up again and bowed.
“Young Miss, the old slave will depart now.
These few days, if anything happens, you must tell Mirella.
Please take care of yourself.
You are the last hope of the House Vale.”
Sienna smiled faintly.
“I know.”
Then she looked at Harold and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Grandpa Harold… thank you.
For protecting the House Vale.
For protecting me.
From today, you are not just a butler.
You are family.”
Harold froze.
For a moment, the old man couldn’t speak.
His eyes turned wet, and his lips trembled as if he was trying to swallow something too heavy.
Finally, he straightened his back, his face firm again, but his voice was hoarse.
“The master and madam in heaven can rest now.
The Young Miss has grown up.
The House Vale has hope.”
He bowed deeply, then turned and walked out.
But his back was no longer the back of a servant.
It was the back of a man carrying an entire house on his shoulders.
Sienna watched him leave, then slowly exhaled.
She knew Harold needed time to accept the change.
Everyone did.
Acting too differently would only make them suspicious.
So it was better to return to her room and stay quiet, at least on the surface.
But the moment she walked upstairs, Wood and Stone followed her like two iron doors closing behind her.
Sienna stopped at the doorway of her room and turned around.
“You two… go rest.
I want to be alone for a while.”
Wood and Stone shook their heads at the same time.
Sienna frowned.
“I’m going to sleep.
Go stand outside the door.”
Shake.
Sienna’s eyelid twitched.
“Go help Mirella.”
Shake.
She pointed at them.
“I’m the Young Miss.
I order you to leave.”
Shake.
Sienna stared at them for a long moment, then rubbed her forehead like she was about to lose her sanity.
“Fine.
Fine,” she sighed.
“Let me ask you something.
If I disappear for a moment, don’t panic.
Don’t shout.
Don’t break the castle down looking for me.
I’m going to a place that matters for the House Vale’s future.
A place you cannot follow.”
The moment she finished speaking, Wood and Stone’s expressions changed.
Without hesitation, both pulled out their large swords and crossed the blades against their own throats.
Their meaning was clear.
If they couldn’t follow, they would rather die.
Sienna’s mouth opened, but no words came out at first.
Then she cursed silently in her heart.
She had seen loyal guards in novels before, but these two were loyal to the point of madness.
She raised both hands.
“Alright!
Stop, stop!” she snapped.
“Put those swords down.
Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
The two brothers didn’t move.