Chapter 213: The Status of Slaves

The maid released her grip, stretched her waist, and exhaled deeply.

"Alright, time to get you both ready for a bath. Ah, I really shouldn't be telling you all this, but since you're now Saint Carl's people, I might just rely on you someday. Hahaha!"

With that, the maid turned and started walking ahead. Monet hurriedly pulled Sugar along and followed but couldn't help but ask again.

"Sister, aren't you also part of the... Carl's people? We're just slaves..."

The maid spoke as she walked.

"It's different. You don't know enough about Carl yet. He's nothing like the Celestial Dragons you know."

Monet nodded in silent agreement. In most people's minds, the Celestial Dragons were synonymous with arrogance, indifferent to human lives, killing freely without a second thought. But Carl was different. Just the fact that he held the rank of Admiral proved it—after all, to most people, the Navy represented justice, and the Navy has saved countless more lives than the pirates had taken.

Monet had indeed seen Carl's arrogant side—but only when dealing with the Celestial Dragons.

Lost in thought, she was brought back to the present when the maid turned and asked,

"Oh, I don't even know your names yet. Why don't you introduce yourselves?"

Monet quickly came to her senses and replied, "I'm Monet! And this is my sister, Sugar!"

"Ah, I'm Jona. Let's take care of each other from now on."

Jona expertly guided Monet and Sugar through the corridors and courtyards until they arrived at a peaceful and elegant little building. She opened the door and smiled at them.

"This is where we all stay. Everyone's out working during the day, but I'll introduce you to them later tonight."

Monet nodded and led Sugar inside with Jona. As they entered, a sense of warmth and coziness embraced them. The room was modest in size but impeccably clean and neatly arranged, each bed covered in fresh white sheets. On the walls hung individual photos of each resident, with a large group photo on the central wall, giving the room the feel of a warm little family.

It was fitting for a top-ranking family at the peak of the world, even the living quarters for their servants were refined. Compared to this, Monet thought, the place where she and her sister had lived before was truly fit for slaves.

After introducing them to the room's layout, Jona showed them to a corner with one large bed, which Monet immediately felt suited her and Sugar. But to her surprise, Jona pointed to the big bed and said,

"There's only this one bed left for now, so you'll have to share it. But it's wide enough—you'll have plenty of room."

Monet paused, glancing at the small bed nearby.

Noticing her glance, Jona chuckled and said,

"Don't even think about it—that bed's not for you two. I should warn you, lying on that bed might get you into trouble if anyone finds out."

Following Monet's puzzled look, Jona glanced at the photo above the little window.

The photo featured a young girl with a cold expression. Though she appeared younger than Monet, she was breathtakingly beautiful, with skin like porcelain and long black hair draped over her shoulders.

Looking up at the photo, Jona sighed.

"That bed was used by Lady Lucia before. She instructed us to keep it in its place, and we only clean it occasionally."

Curious, Monet asked,

"Then, what's Lady Lucia's status within the family?"

Jona smiled slightly.

"Lady Lucia is the captain of the Third Guard Team and currently serves as Saint Carl's personal aide in the Navy."

There was another fact Jona left unsaid—everyone here knew it. Lady Lucia had become Carl's woman, and compared to that, her other titles seemed trivial.

Jona cast a deep look at Monet and said,

"Lady Lucia, like you, started as a slave to Saint Carl. I've told you before, he's not like the other Celestial Dragons. He only has one slave—Lady Lucia. Now, do you still believe being a slave is a lowly status?"

Regardless of Carl's true intentions, in the eyes of these servants, being his slave meant a promising future, one that could be envied by many.

Jona said no more. Some things needed only a hint, and the rest depended on whether Monet could grasp it.

She went to the bathroom to fill the tub with hot water, then called Monet and Sugar inside.

When Monet saw the steaming water in the tub, her face flushed with hesitation, but Sugar had already stripped down and jumped in, giggling.

Seeing Monet standing there unmoving, Jona asked with a puzzled expression,

"Monet, aren't you going to undress? Are you feeling shy?"

Monet blushed, stammering, "Jona… Sister Jona, the water's too hot… I'll just rinse off with the shower, I'm not that dirty."

Jona blinked in surprise, then glanced at the cheerful Sugar splashing in the tub. She felt the water temperature with her hand and said,

"It's not hot, it's just right. You're just being shy. Haha, you're really cute. Come on, get used to it! We'll be bathing together often from now on."

Without giving Monet a chance to protest, Jona helped her undress and lifted her gently into the tub.

The moment Monet's soft foot touched the water, she let out an adorable squeal and began to squirm, clearly uncomfortable with the heat. But Jona found it amusing and continued to lower her into the bath. Finally, Monet couldn't take it anymore, her body radiating a faint white chill. Her skin transformed into a crystal-clear snow-white hue, then suddenly dissolved into a flurry of white snowflakes that drifted from Jona's hands.

The snowflakes fluttered to a spot farther from the tub, forming a small snowman.

Jona stared, her hands numb from the chill, as she watched the snowman slowly reshape into Monet's figure.

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