The hesitation shown by some of them began to affect the others. One of them would approach with a smile and scoop up a handful of ice, then notice the looks of those around him and stop where he was, realizing the mistake he had made.
In the end, the chef who had prepared the slice of calf liver for him squeezed his eyes shut before stepping forward, trembling.
"I am truly grateful for the Young Lord’s mercy and generosity. I know that merely asking about your intention may be an overstep I have no right to make, but..."
"It is fine. You are free to ask. Speak."
The chef bowed.
"I am grateful for the Young Lord’s generosity. Would Your Lordship allow me to know why you gave us this iced water and what led you to make such a merciful decision?"
A strange smile appeared on Noah’s face. This was a world ruled by magicians, where the power passed down through their blood alone naturally made those who possessed it nobles. That authority gave him the right to decide the life and death of those of lower blood, making nobles see them as lower than insects. Had anyone ever wondered why he should help a cockroach or an ant? Unless he found it enjoyable, why would he feed ants?
Noah felt no sorrow. All he felt was joy creeping into his heart. All this fear and respect, and the ability to control people’s lives and deaths without anyone holding him accountable to him, this world was a utopia, an ideal world.
Noah hid his thoughts before showing a hypocritical smile.
"Effort deserves a reward, and loyalty deserves something in return. Your previous work earned my admiration, so you deserve this reward."
The chef fell silent.
The chef bowed deeply.
"This chef is grateful for the Young Lord’s generosity and his appreciation of my humble effort."
Only then did the kitchen staff accept what he had given them.
Noah made as much ice as they needed. Whenever one of them took a piece, he looked at Noah and bowed in thanks. It was only ice, but they busied themselves licking it as if it were delicious candy.
When Noah remembered that these people worked tirelessly to prepare his food, the words left his mouth unintentionally:
"What pitiful people."
Noah was not a good man.
But he was confident that he was not evil enough to be cruel to those who served him faithfully. His desire to reward them was stronger than his desire to torture them, and the small things that meant nothing to him had a completely different value for them.
Their reaction to a piece of ice that he could make with a single gesture made him feel how special he was.
Some people might give to others out of pure goodwill.
But Noah decided to give to them so that he could feel special and feed his pride.
To become more arrogant.
Dear reader, before reading this novel, please understand that English is not my native language. If you enjoy it, I would greatly appreciate your support in correcting any linguistic or grammatical errors.