22. Poor girl...
---
In the Main Hall
After a moment of silence...
Below, three young women looked at each other with some fear. Above them, the manor lord sat, surrounded by an ominous and twisted atmosphere, his entire presence giving off a demonic vibe. If it weren't for the circumstances, they would never take such a risk... They would have returned like the others...
...The main hall fell silent...
On the throne, he felt a bit embarrassed, not knowing what to say... It was too embarrassing for his image... Well, consider this life a write-off... They see me like this...
...Their faces were blank... turning purple like sweet potatoes...
Below, the three women noticed the increasingly somber atmosphere and the manor lord...
Everyone bowed their heads in silence, trembling with fear; the youngest princess's body was already shaking a bit...
Noah Drake sensed that something was off...
'System, what's happening? Why do they look so scared?'
The system reported: The manor management mode is activating. Your image will always be maintained in its most majestic form.
Until they receive the recognition token and become members of the manor, they will only see your hazy silhouette.
'So, they haven't seen my true form all this time.'
He breathed a sigh of relief...
"You don't need to be afraid. One by one, please introduce yourselves... From left to right..."
Introducing themselves? Is this a test? The steward had previously said that previous identities were no longer important. Stepping forward:
"Respected lord, my name is Lalatina Celeste.
I am 17 years old.
I was the daughter of a family with a long tradition; my father and mother were both well-known people. They wanted to marry me off to form a connection with another family. I refused, and when I heard that there was a sage emerging from Strong Bull Mountain, and strange phenomena were occurring, I came here hoping to learn the way and escape my dark fate...
Now, I am a member of your manor, my lord..."
Indeed, heaven has no compassion, blatantly altering the memories of someone else's daughter. Wasn't this a den of bandits before, notorious for its bad reputation? How could there be a good reputation... A sage...?
'Poor girl...'
"Good, the next person..."
"I am Luna Hart.
I am 16 years old.
I had to risk my life just to get my father's permission to come here to learn the way; if I can't learn, I won't go back. Thanks to the lord's attention, I have the opportunity to stand here. I thank you, my lord, and I won't disappoint you..."
...
"Alright... What do you think of this manor?"
The youngest girl stepped forward, trembling a bit, and softly said:
"I am Aurelius Liora.
I am 14 years old...
I came with my brother; he was selected while I was eliminated. I... I only have my brother as my family... But the lord is a good person... Luckily, I have received his mercy. I will not disappoint you, my lord..."
... 'So adorable...'
"You don't need to be nervous; I'm not a bad person.
You can rest assured. I'm not someone who doesn't reason. Right and wrong are very clear."
...After a while of exchanging words, it turned out these people were all commoners led by Divine Order to come here... Divine Order
intervened and altered everyone's memories...
A good start...
"Zhao Yu, you have returned. These three girls will serve me... Lead them to their rooms. You all can rest; you will start working tomorrow. And if anyone is hungry, you can ask the steward... No need to be too formal."
"Thank you, respected lord."
...
At the end, returning to his room, the night... He didn't know what time it was... Time...
To summarize, he currently had 24 people in the manor, including 3 subordinates and 3 beautiful maids, the information board was the same... along with a few items...
"System, how did this group of maids find their way here?"
The system responded:
"They arrived due to the guidance of Divine Order."
"So, these are the people chosen by heaven for cultivation. But why are they chosen to be servants instead of disciples... System?"
The system replied:
"Currently, it can only answer questions arising within the manor and provide suitable guidance. And this group's task assignment is correct; they are the servants called by Divine Order."
"Is that so... Well, it's late... I'm looking forward to tomorrow..."
...
'I can't sleep.'
How could I, a reincarnated emperor, be so emotional over a few servant girls... Calm down; there are many beautiful women waiting for me outside.
His body felt uncomfortable and itchy as well... Even though the system dried him off last night, he hadn't bathed for more than a day... He only had this set of clothes... There were utensils in the kitchen, but there was no food... Probably no spare clothes either...
"System. Are there no daily necessities?"
The system replied:
"It doesn't have the function of providing for the host; it suggests the host establish a symbol soon to generate suitable tasks..."
"That's true. No wonder there are no daily items... It turns out there are no tasks..."
Right, at this moment, I should focus on official matters first.
A symbol... I need a symbol.