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FLTL Chapter 34. Leah
🕑 Added 2024-06-01 08:22:11 +0000 UTCThe tension surrounding the urgent discussions about the caravan and the limited number of guards they had, was interrupted by a servant's arrival. He approached Duvas, interrupting their hushed conversation, and delivered a brief message.
Turning back to the group, Duvas addressed Kivamus and Gorsazo. "The maid," he announced, "the one who was a slave, has returned from the village." He also gestured for the servant to bring the young woman to them.
Their conversation paused as they turned their attention toward the approaching figures.
A young woman, seemingly in her early twenties, walked hesitantly towards them, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. Clad in a maid's attire in a faded brown color, she appeared fragile and uncertain. Madam Nerida, the head maid, accompanied her, a hint of a reassuring smile gracing her lips.
Before Kivamus could utter a word of greeting, the young woman, her voice trembling with emotion, blurted out a question. "My Lord," she stammered, her words tumbling over each other, "is it true? Am I truly free? I'm no longer a slave?"
She cast a pleading look at them, her voice laced with disbelief. "The other servants told me about what you said earlier," she continued, "but I... I thought they were jesting… They even said that I will be paid like the other workers from now on!"
The raw vulnerability in her voice resonated with everyone present. The very concept of freedom, something most took for granted, seemed almost unreal to her.
Kivamus, his features softening with empathy, offered a reassuring smile with a firm nod. "Indeed," he confirmed gently, "you are a free woman from now on and not a slave. And yes, when the situation improves, and we are able to resume a proper wage system, you will be compensated fairly for your work, just like everyone else in the manor."
His words seemed to hit her like a physical blow. The weight of her newfound freedom, a concept she might have only dreamt of before, appeared to overwhelm her. As if the ground beneath her had vanished, her legs buckled beneath her, threatening to send her crashing to the ground.
Before she could crumble to the ground, Madam Nerida, with practiced grace, darted forward and caught the young woman, steadying her before she could fall. The dam of emotions finally broke, and the young woman dissolved into open sobs.
The sight of Leah's unrestrained grief tugged at the heartstrings of those witnessing the scene. Sensing the others' concerned gazes, Madam Nerida spoke in a calming voice. "There's no need to worry, my Lord," she assured Kivamus. "She's merely overwhelmed. The news of her freedom is a lot to take in, but I will take care of her."
Kivamus, relieved to see Leah in capable hands, offered a grateful nod. "Of course, Madam Nerida," he replied. "Please do. And give her a day off for today, if she needs it."
Madam Nerida nodded with a grateful smile. She turned to the maid, attempting to gently guide her away. "Come, Leah," she said softly. "Let's head back."
Leah, however, surprised everyone by pulling back slightly, determination replacing the earlier vulnerability in her eyes. "I can stand, Madam Nerida," she declared, her voice still having a small tremor in it.
A hint of concern lingered in Madam Nerida's voice as she inquired, "Are you sure, Leah?"
With a determined nod, for the first time since her arrival, Leah straightened her posture, her chin held high. In that single moment, a spark of newfound strength flickered within her - a testament to the transformative power of freedom.
Kivamus had a smile on his face, with a sense of purpose stirring within him. The fight to secure the village's future wasn't just about protecting their walls, it was about building a future where freedom and hope could flourish, even amidst hardship.
She turned back towards Kivamus and dipped into a curtsy, her voice thick with gratitude.
"Thank you, my Lord," she stammered, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her worn dress. "Thank you for everything."
A hesitant question escaped her lips. "Does that mean, my Lord," she asked, her voice still laced with a hint of uncertainty, "that I am free to leave?"
Kivamus, his gaze filled with a newfound respect for the young woman's spirit, offered a reassuring nod. "Indeed, Leah," he confirmed. "You are a free woman, and it is up to you now. You are no longer bound to this manor or any master."
"But have you considered your options carefully, Leah?" he asked kindly. "If you choose to leave the manor and quit working as a maid, do you have the means to support yourself? To buy food and shelter?"
Leah shook her head fervently. "No, no, my Lord!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with panic. "That's not what I meant at all! I would like to continue working here if you would allow me to. It's just…" her voice trailed off, her words catching in her throat.
With a deep breath, she managed to continue. "I simply cannot… I cannot bear to live within these walls any longer…" she confessed, her voice barely a whisper.
Kivamus, a hint of understanding dawning upon him, acknowledged her feelings with a gentle nod. The weight of her enslavement had undoubtedly left scars living inside this manor, particularly under the previous baron, who was not known to be kind to the servants. He remembered how little Clarisa was scared that he would beat her because the previous baron used to do that. The situation couldn't have been any better for the former slaves either, under the previous baron's rule.
"I understand, Leah," he reassured her. "As I said before, where you live and how you live is entirely your choice now. It is your life to lead. However," he cautioned, "I would advise you to remain in Tiranat for the time being. The other nobles and slave owners in the region might not take kindly to the news of a freed slave." He added, "I'm not even certain they'll tolerate the act of freeing slaves within my own barony, but it's my burden to bear, and I will find a way to deal with it."
Leah offered a grateful nod. "Of course, my Lord. I am an orphan, with no ties outside of Tiranat. I have no desire to leave. But," she suggested tentatively, "would it be possible for me to work here in the manor during the day, and then live outside in the village when I'm not working?"
She instinctively turned towards Madam Nerida, a person she seemed accustomed to reporting in her role as a maid. "Madam," she pleaded, "would it be possible for me to live outside the manor grounds? Like the other villagers?"
Kivamus couldn't help but notice a shift in Madam Nerida's demeanor. The gentle, nurturing aura she had exuded earlier seemed to give way to the pragmatist in charge of managing the household staff.
"Leah," Madam Nerida began, her voice laced with a hint of disapproval, "there is a reason all the servants and maids reside within the manor grounds. This ensures they are readily available to attend to their duties whenever needed."
Leah, however, was undeterred. Her newfound freedom had ignited a spark of independence within her. "But Madam," she countered, her voice now tinged with a quiet resolve, "most of my duties involve sewing and mending clothes. Tasks that are best done in daylight. Working at night on that would be difficult, if not impossible."
She pressed her case with a fervent plea. "I promise, Madam," she vowed earnestly, "I will complete all my assigned tasks during the daylight hours. Please allow me to live outside the manor when I'm not working."
A hint of unease crossed Madam Nerida's features. Caught off guard by Leah's unexpected request, she instinctively turned to Kivamus for guidance, with the sudden deviation from tradition presenting a challenge to her well-ordered world.
Something as simple as reliable lighting would have eliminated the argument about nighttime work altogether, Kivamus thought. Electricity, a luxury he could only dream of in their current state, would allow for extended work hours regardless of daylight. It was a different fact that the servants and maids here probably worked very long hours anyway.
"Madam Nerida," he began, his voice thoughtful, "as you rightly pointed out, most of the maids' duties extend beyond daylight hours. However, if Leah's primary task is indeed sewing and mending, then working at night wouldn't be feasible anyway."
He turned to Leah, a hint of a smile gracing his lips. "Very well, Leah," he declared. "If you wish to live outside the manor walls, that is your choice."
A wave of relief washed over Leah's features. "Thank you so much, my Lord!" she exclaimed, her voice thick with emotion.
Comments
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter! I like that you include some small almost "interludes" in the big picture scheming and strategizing these kind of conversations give life to the world beyond just "Isekai baron comes and make everything better"^^
