Priceless Slave (BL) Chapter 14: Warmth in Distress

It took Kai a long ti to walk through Vlad’s manor grounds. The grounds were surrounded by towering pine trees. Kai rembered walking through the pine forest near the woods, never imagining that Vlad’s building would be so large.

Several small buildings surrounded the main building where the man lived. They looked empty but well-maintained. However, Kai felt sothing was strange just by looking at them from a distance.

Obi didn’t even dare approach the main building. Kai had entered it the previous night, and it made him uneasy. From afar, the building lood arrogantly in the middle of the land. It had black rocks that seed to pull the soul from anyone who looked at it.

Kai stood for a mont to get a clearer look at the building in daylight. He could see its walls covered in blood-red ivy vines, and the tall windows resembled sharp eyes that hadn’t been visible to him the night before. The roof was pointed and covered in sothing shiny yet weathered.

He didn’t know why the building was in the middle of the slave quarters. From where he stood, he could see the building where his room was—Vlad’s building, where he had seen Gim and several n coming and going with large pieces of wood.

"Behind that building are a few more buildings, but I’ve never been there," Obi said with a shudder.

Other buildings? Kai looked on curiously.

"Not many, just the Master’s greenhouse. But he forbids us from entering it. You can see many beautiful flowers inside. The Master likes to garden," said Obi.

Kai pondered, imagining a building filled with beautiful flowers inside.

"Over there, that..." Obi pointed to a building on the right. "That’s the horse stable."

Kai looked at the large building. How many horses were inside?

"Behind it, there’s also a small lake. But no one dares go there. I almost drowned once because the fog was so thick," said Obi.

Kai looked at Obi with interest when the boy ntioned the lake. "A lake?"

Obi nodded. "You won’t like it there. It’s very dark and wet," he said, walking slowly again to match Kai’s pace. He seed genuinely uninterested, as reaching the lake ant passing through the main building—and there were many scary stories associated with the lake. Not even John or the other servants visited that area.

Kai was very curious about the lake. He would’ve been thrilled if they could go there now. But it seed Obi really didn’t like the idea. In the end, they just walked through the garden in front of the main building.

"...Does the Master live alone in that building?" Kai asked softly, staring at the structure not far from them.

Obi nodded. "Yes. John said the Master had brought soone to live there a few tis. The last ti was twenty-five years ago. John said that in the last twenty-five years, the Master’s behavior has been unusual."

Kai looked curious. "Unusual?"

Obi shrugged. "I don’t know either. I haven’t noticed any changes in the Master. But older servants who’ve been here for a long ti say he used to be better. In recent years, he’s punished slaves or servants for even small mistakes."

Oh, punishnt. Kai wasn’t surprised to hear that. It was commonplace for him. But what made that man change?

"Don’t think about it. What would you do if you had lived for hundreds of years? You’d probably get bored and look for new things to enjoy," said Obi, looking at Kai, who was staring curiously at the main building.

Obi suddenly waved his hand and shouted, "Hey!"

Kai was startled and looked at Obi, who smiled in the other direction. Next to the building where his room was stood another building, which Obi said was where the servants—including John and Gim—slept. The building was also close to the kitchen with a large fireplace, where Kai had seen Gim the night before. Then there was a building filled with many dry logs.

Kai followed Obi. The boy seed impatient now.

"I have to release the slaves," he said.

Kai didn’t understand the boy’s words. "The Master orders every slave to sunbathe in the sunlight every morning. If they want to help with work, the Master will also give them money. But if not, they can return to their rooms afterward."

Kai imagined having money. But what was the money for? He didn’t know why people wanted those coins. He was already happy to be given food.

"Or you can ask the Master to let you out in exchange. So slaves use that opportunity to go for a walk and visit the market," Obi continued.

Kai’s eyes widened. Hearing the word "walk," he beca very enthusiastic. So if he went to work, he could go out for a walk?

"But of course, the guards will go with you. Though it’s not really necessary. John said many people tried to run away in the past. Then the Master brought them back at night and ripped open their stomachs in front of everyone," said Obi, shuddering.

Kai swallowed hard. His teeth chattered as he imagined the scene.

"That might have been a long ti ago, but the story has been passed down so that no one dares to dream of escaping," said Obi.

Kai felt his stomach tighten. They arrived in front of the kitchen, where servants bustled about. So n ca out carrying equipnt, and the atmosphere was lively with people chatting and laughing.

"Bring that sickle," ordered a large man to a young man dressed like a slave, like Kai.

The young man swiftly grabbed the sickle, his muscles bulging, his eyes piercing. He carried the sickle, then looked at Kai with disdain before following the man ahead of him.

Kai swallowed hard. They had only t once, but his gaze was intimidating. What was wrong with him?

"Do you want to co to the field?" Obi asked. It turned out it was harvest season.

Kai was used to such situations. In Omino, they had their own farmland and livestock. The slaves would be very busy during the harvest and planting seasons. The sa applied to the livestock farm, where slaves would be occupied with producing goods for sale.

Kai nodded. But an old woman erged from the kitchen. She looked at Kai briefly before shaking her head.

"Let him rest. I saw his body was covered in wounds last night," she said. Kai rembered the woman as the one who had brought him his clothes the previous night.

Obi rushed over and hugged the old woman. "Oh Ma, you always spoil them. He would definitely be happy to go to the field instead of sitting in his room," Obi said with a smile.

Kai was startled by Obi’s behavior toward the woman. How... could soone hug another person so casually? Seeing how the woman hugged Obi made Kai’s chest feel strange. He had never seen anything like that.

Obi looked at Kai. "She’s my mother. You can call her Grace. She’s the fiercest woman here," Obi said, chuckling.

Kai fell silent, his eyes fixed on the two of them. Mother?

Kai looked at Grace. Instantly, he questioned his own mother. Did he have a mother?

Grace gently pushed Obi and joked to get him to work. anwhile, she pulled Kai’s hand toward her.

"You’re new here, but you don’t need to be afraid. During the day, you can do whatever you want. You can also go to the kitchen and ask for food. I have plenty of food for you," the woman said softly. Her cheeks were plump, her gaze gentle, her smile so soothing.

Obi had already run off to the slave quarters. It seed he rembered to release them all.

Kai was sitting in the kitchen when Grace pulled him inside. His eyes didn’t leave the woman’s every movent. She reminded him of Trainer Leo and... the white-robed Master.

So kind and gentle.

Kai bowed his head. Where was his Master now?

Grace placed a plate of cookies in front of him. "Eat. Vivian made these; everyone loves them," said Grace.

An old woman was grinding sothing in the corner of the kitchen, but her gaze was unfriendly. Kai nervously nodded at the cookies and devoured them.

From where he sat, he could see so slaves coming out of the slave quarters and gathering in the garden. So of them were standing in front of the kitchen. Gim gave them so commands that Kai didn’t understand.

It was very crowded. The situation was very different from last night.