Chapter 868 Elina, The Savior
"All right, that's enough for today. I'm really tired."
Nolan yawned lazily.
Rafine and Elina nodded in agreement. They were feeling sleepy as well.
Just then, Luvistar stepped forward and bowed to Nolan.
"Your Highness, what about the young women, girls, and children we rescued?"
Nolan froze. Only then did he remember the prisoners he had rescued along with Novaria earlier.
"Sorry, I forgot," he said, tapping his forehead. "Bring them in."
Luvistar nodded before ordering his subordinates to escort them inside.
As the young women, girls, and children entered the living room, fear and anxiety were written all over their faces.
Even so, they didn't dare resist and quietly walked toward Nolan.
Nolan, Elina, and Rafine observed them in silence.
"Are these the captives you rescued from the bandits?" Elina asked, even though she already knew the answer.
Nolan crossed his legs and gave a slight nod.
"That's right. They're the bandits' victims."
"How many are there?"
"Twenty-five."
Elina frowned slightly. She hadn't expected the number to be so high.
She then turned to the group, stood up, and slowly walked toward them.
The children and young girls shrank back in fear, while the young women instinctively stepped in front of them to shield them.
One of the young women, who looked slightly older than the others, knelt before Elina and spoke with a trembling voice.
"T-Thank you for saving us."
Seeing her do so, the others suppressed their fear and knelt as well.
Elina stopped, her expression turning complicated. They were innocent people, yet fate had been so cruel to them.
Fortunately, they had been rescued before those bastards could sell them.
She stepped forward and crouched in front of the woman.
"Lift your head."
The woman was trembling uncontrollably, but Elina's gentle voice slowly eased her fear.
She slowly raised her head and looked into Elina's purple eyes. There was no hatred or hostility in them, and that alone put her a little at ease.
"What's your name?" Elina asked.
"M-My name is Velissa, Your Highness," Velissa replied, her voice still trembling.
"Velissa? That's a beautiful name." Elina smiled warmly. "Do you have any family?"
Velissa fell silent. A moment later, her face turned pale.
"N-No, Your Highness. M-My family... they were killed by those bandits."
She slowly clenched her fists, trying to hold back her grief and anger.
Elina lowered her gaze for a moment before speaking quietly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up."
Velissa immediately forced a reassuring smile.
"I-It's okay. I've already accepted it."
Elina didn't know what to say. Velissa looked calm on the outside, but Elina could see the light in her eyes slowly fading.
She looked at the others.
"What about the rest of you?"
They all lowered their heads, unsure how to answer.
After a moment of silence, one of them slowly raised her hand.
"I-I've lost my family too," she said softly.
Once someone finally spoke up, the others found the courage to answer as well.
"My family is still alive, but they're back in Black Horn City."
"I lost my family when I was little... sniff..."
"I-I still have an uncle in my hometown."
After hearing everyone's answers, Elina turned to Luvistar.
"Please write down what everyone said."
Luvistar nodded. He took out a notebook and pen before asking them the same questions one by one.
Five minutes later, he finished writing everything down and handed the notebook to Elina.
"Ten of them still have families. The rest don't."
Elina accepted the notebook and looked through it.
"I understand."
She closed the notebook and gave another order.
"Send those who still have families back to their hometowns. Give each of them one hundred thousand Sharn to help them start over. At the very least, they won't have to worry about food or other daily needs for the next few years."
The young women and children could only stare at her in silence.
"One hundred thousand Sharn?"
They all swallowed hard in disbelief.
It was an amount they had never even dreamed of. Yet Elina was offering it to them as if it were nothing.
At that moment, they felt as if an angel had come to save them.
"T-Thank you, Your Highness! May the gods always bless you!" cried a girl who looked to be around twelve as she repeatedly bowed until her forehead hit the floor.
Her forehead was already turning red, but she didn't seem to notice.
Seeing her, the others quickly followed.
Elina waved a hand with a gentle smile.
"You're welcome. Please raise your heads. I don't like seeing people bow to me."
They quickly straightened their backs and did as they were told.
Elina nodded in satisfaction before turning to Velissa and the others who had no families.
"I'll treat all of you fairly. First..."
She raised her index finger.
"You can work here as maids. As it happens, this mansion is short on staff. You won't have to worry about food or clothing—I'll provide everything. You'll also receive a salary, health insurance, and various other benefits, including two days off each week."
"Second..."
She raised her middle finger.
"I can arrange for you to return to your hometowns. You'll still receive one hundred thousand Sharn to help you get back on your feet. The choice is yours."
Seeing those who had lost both their homes and families stirred Elina's sense of justice.
She was a princess with immense wealth and the authority to shape the lives of others.
So she wanted to help those in need, especially when doing so cost her almost nothing.
Nolan, who had been quietly watching everything unfold, simply smiled without saying a word.
He liked Elina's approach and fully supported it.
Velissa and the others without families were completely speechless.
Elina's offer was simply too tempting.
They had no families left, and they no longer had a home to return to.
So, the first option was clearly the best choice for them.
Velissa made up her mind and was about to prostrate herself, but then she remembered what Elina had said earlier.
'I don't like it when people bow to me.'
She got to her feet and bowed her head instead.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness! I choose the first option. Please give me the chance to work for you!"
Seeing Velissa make her choice, the others who had nowhere to go quickly followed.
"Please give us a chance as well!"
Elina smiled warmly and extended her right hand to Velissa.
"Welcome."
Velissa stared at the outstretched hand, her body trembling. She reached out and clasped it tightly, as though it were the only lifeline she had left.
Novaria silently watched the scene unfold.
"She really is... remarkable," she murmured.
Compared to Elina, Novaria felt utterly worthless. Other than being born to the queen, she couldn't think of a single thing that made her superior.
Sadness and jealousy welled up inside her, but above all, she felt disappointed in herself.
"By the way, Novaria. Don't forget—you'll be working as a maid too. Report for training with them tomorrow. Understood?"
Nolan's teasing voice came from beside her.
Novaria froze. She slowly raised her head and pointed at herself.
"M-Me? A maid?"
Nolan casually nodded.
"That's right. What? Did you think you could live here without working? Keep dreaming, my dear sister."
He finished the last of his tea and flashed her a wide grin.
"You're no longer the second princess, got it? So follow my rules... or leave."
Novaria: "..."
For the first time in her life, Novaria felt genuine fear toward someone.
And that person was the younger brother she had always looked down on... The Devil, Nolan.