Chapter 156: The Innocent Aurora | Why Doesn’t Master Love Me?
Aurora, who was peacefully eating breakfast alongside Vaelira, suddenly tilted her head.
"Huh?" She looked toward her master’s house in the distance.
"Why are those strange sounds coming from Master’s room again?"
Hearing her question, Vaelira paused midway through her breakfast.
The surrounding maids also looked at one another in confusion.
"What sounds?" Vaelira asked.
Aurora innocently blinked.
"The same sounds as yesterday night."
"Like this, Luke more~ Luke Faster, Luke cu-"
Before Aurora could continue...
Paf!
Vaelira hurriedly covered her mouth.
"Mmmph?" Aurora looked at her with completely innocent eyes, clearly wondering what she had done wrong.
Meanwhile...
The faces of every maid around the table instantly turned crimson.
Some lowered their heads. While others quietly focused on their breakfast.
’Lord seems quite energetic today.’
And the exact same thought appeared in several minds.
Vaelira’s own ears had already turned slightly red.
Looking at Aurora’s innocent expression, another thought surfaced.
’Is she truly this innocent?’
’Or is she doing this on purpose?’
After a moment, she slowly removed her hand.
Aurora immediately puffed her cheeks. "What did I do?"
Vaelira awkwardly coughed before trying to explain.
"Aurora, Master loves Aurielle very much, which is why, he is loving her in their room."
Aurora listened carefully.
Completely seriously.
A few seconds later, yearning appeared in her eyes.
"Then why doesn’t Master do that kind of love with me?"
Upon this the entire dining hall froze.
Even the servants carrying dishes nearby almost stumbled.
A silence so complete descended that one could hear the wind outside.
The maids faces became even redder. And several hurriedly looked away.
Vaelira herself became completely speechless. So before she could answer her question.
Aurora innocently continued. "Does Master not love me? Aren’t I Master’s creation?"
"Shouldn’t he love me too?"
Vaelira’s eyes widened.
Technically Aurora wasn’t wrong.
Luke certainly cared deeply for his summons.
The problem was the love Aurora was talking about.
The love between a husband and wife. Were completely different.
Unfortunately explaining that to Aurora was easier said than done.
After thinking for a while, Vaelira finally smiled.
"Master loves all of us."
"But the love he has for Lady Aurielle is different."
"It’s because she’s his wife and we’re like his family and companions."
Aurora blinked several times. She quietly thought about those words.
Finally she nodded. "I understand."
Then she immediately returned to her breakfast as though nothing had happened.
Seeing that the crisis had passed. Everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The atmosphere gradually returned to normal.
Although several maids still had noticeably red cheeks.
Even Vaelira absentmindedly touched her own face.
’...Would Master ever show us that kind of affection...?’ The unexpected thought appeared in her mind.
To which she immediately shook her head to drive it away. And no one noticed the brief flicker in her expression.
Fortunately...
Luke wasn’t there.
Otherwise, he would probably have shouted at the sky.
"System! What on earth have you been teaching my summons?!"
After all he had summoned them himself.
Yet he still had absolutely no idea where they originally came from.
***
Finally, Luke finished his long session of love with Aurielle, and after freshening up, both of them stepped outside.
"Hmph!" But Aurielle let out an embarrassed huff before walking toward the large garden they had built together, refusing to look back at him.
Seeing her reaction, Luke smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.
A few moments later, he looked around and nodded in satisfaction.
From the very first day he obtained the Time Chamber.
He had wanted to turn it into their permanent home rather than just a place for training.
So, he had ordered every laborers present in the territory, to build an entire city inside it.
And finally after what amounted to a full year of time within the chamber.
It had been completed.
Luke turned around and looked at the simple two-story house standing peacefully amidst the greenery.
It was the home he shared with Aurielle.
Or at least...
It was where the two of them retreated whenever they wanted to do sex.
He shook his head, dismissing those thoughts, before looking around.
Everyone had already begun their daily routine.
Some were training. Some were cultivating.
While others were busy with construction or their assigned work.
Seeing the bustling city, Luke nodded in satisfaction before heading toward the Lord’s Office.
There was no doubt.
After conquering Windmarch Reach, the amount of work waiting for him had increased dramatically.
As he walked along the stone road, everyone he passed immediately stopped what they were doing.
"My Lord."
The knights saluted.
The maids bowed respectfully.
Even Osric and the other important officials greeted him with smile, before returning to their duties.
Luke acknowledged each of them with a slight nod as he continued forward.
A few moments later...
He arrived before a grand four-story building.
Click.
Pushing open the wooden doors, he stepped inside.
The spacious interior was elegantly decorated, with polished stone floors, sturdy wooden pillars, and neatly arranged furniture.
The building stretched nearly one hundred meters on each side.
Luke had intentionally ordered it to be built on such a large scale.
After all his territory would continue expanding in the future.
Naturally the number of officials would increase alongside it.
For now, however the building felt rather empty.
Only Luke occupied it.
Most administrative matters were currently handled by Osric together with the financial advisor, especially after Aurielle’s aunt had departed on a tour to neighboring territories.
Making his way to the second floor.
Luke settled into his chair before opening the large windows.
A cool breeze drifted inside, carrying the fresh scent of grass and flowers.
Only then did he pick up the stack of reports waiting on his desk.
The first report detailed the cleanup operation.
All the Body Temper spies and traitors had already been dealt with.
Depending on the severity of their crimes.
They had been sentenced to work in the Blackstone Mines.
Luke placed the report aside before thinking about those mines.
The Blackstone Mine produced a rare ore capable of forging weapons and armor suitable for Iron Knights.
Its value was enormous.
It was also one of the main reasons Baron Cedric and Viscount Aldric had always coveted the Blackstone Highlands.
The market for Iron Knight equipment was vast.
And Blackstone Territory possessed one of the richest deposits on the entire human continent.
In fact after personally estimating its reserves.
Even Luke had been stunned.
The total value of the ore buried beneath those mountains exceeded the two million gold coins currently stored in his treasury.
"So why hadn’t someone conquered this territory already?"
The answer was actually quite simple.