"Let go!!!"

Lia rushed between us, forcefully pushed Vilvy away, and then clung tightly to me again. Holding me in a firm embrace, she lifted her face, puffed with anger, towards me. Her small fists pummeled my stomach relentlessly, as I smiled wryly and patted her head, worries directed towards Vilvy. Vilvy, standing opposite me, flung her head back, sheathed her sword, and after reorienting her gaze, re-donned her earlier emotionless expression. She observed us, especially Lia and then herself.

I found it hard to comprehend her thoughts...

However, shortly Vilvy returned to my side, disregarding the trembling villagers and strolled past. As I followed in her wake, I asked, "Do you know where we are supposed to go?"

"I do not know."

Vilvy turned and nodded her head with profound seriousness.

So where exactly are you heading...

I sighed, scratching my head before responding, "I do know the place, but don't you plan to say something to these villagers? After all, you are now the chief of this town, or rather, the lord of this area, right? Given what had just happened, do you not plan to ease the public's mind with a few words?"

"I do not plan to."

Vilvy’s reply was especially straightforward, and I understood. She wasn't really a talkative person and entrusting her to calm the villagers would be less effective than if I were to do it. However, I was not Vilvy's deputy, merely her slave.

It was clear earlier that my relationship with Vilvy was not like before, not a partnership. Previously, I had a small degree of autonomy, a certain amount of liberty with decisions. But with Vilvy, it's different. As her slave, Vilvy could easily disregard my decisions, and I couldn't utter a word.

If Vilvy had killed those men earlier, could I have said something? I couldn’t do anything, merely watch as Vilvy killed those men, completely rendering my efforts obsolete. Vilvy and I hadn't agreed upon this, but would she even consider my opinion?

Leading Vilvy towards that building, it was obvious that no one cared about the new lord of this area, touted as the office of the lord. All the people caught here were eager to return to their homes.

This didn't seem to bother Vilvy. It appeared that she didn’t quite understand the role of a lord. To her, this village held no regal significance, just a new residence, as she still saw herself as a soldier.

But, the place didn’t appear suitable for office work.

Following the handling of those people and the subsequent walk, darkness had started to creep in already. Assuming it was around 5 or 6 in the afternoon, due to our northern location, darkness fell quickly.

Entering, we were met with the same frigid air, the place littered with rubble and trash. Already with the stench and refuse amplified, Lia squirmed uncomfortably behind me, and I didn't want to step foot in there a second time.

But Vilvy seemed unbothered by this. Marching into the hall, she scanned her surroundings before turning back to ask, "So, are we going to live here?"

"No, I think this place is just a gathering area… The lord's workplace and living area should be further back."

The hall must’ve been the place for the lord to hold meetings and host banquets. We would have to handle this place, but for now, we had no people to aid us. The only option was relying on the villagers.

I gently covered Lia’s mouth and nose, the smell here posed a significant problem. We moved towards a dark door in the back; Vilvy opened it revealing a corridor which led to another room across the hall. On either side, open spaces for ventilation bordered only by pillars forming a rectangular layout around a large courtyard containing a huge flowerbed and a fountain. Now, the fountain lay broken, lifeless, and the flowerbed had been reduced to barren, dusty soil.The translation would be:

This place might not have been very luxurious in the first place, maybe...

We walked down the corridor, and Lia curiously looked around the open space in the middle, looking at me with envy, and asked, "Dad, can we plant flowers here?"

"Well, we certainly can plant flowers. However, considering the season and the temperature, it's probably not possible just now," I replied, gently ruffling her hair.

Lia looked disappointed but understood there was no other way. She gently tugged at my coat and whispered, "Back there, I couldn't see any flowers. I've always wanted to see them. I heard flowers come in many colors, is that true?"

Looking at Lia's small face, I thought she was the most beautiful flower in the entire winter. I felt a little pained, gently pinched her face and promised solemnly, "Yes, it is. I promise you that as long as the weather permits, I will plant all kinds of flowers here, all kinds and colors. Dad will plant them for you."

"Really?!" Lia looked at me, hugged my arm joyfully and shouted excitedly.

I nodded and held my little daughter in my arms. I have never paid much attention to what Lia had gone through when she was little, nor I planned to. As for Lia, past darkness is all in the past, and I won't let her experience anything like that again. Now, Lia's childhood has just begun, and I'm going to bless her from now on.

We arrived at the door, Vilvy touched it and said, "It's locked."

"Ah... indeed...” Thinking about it, this was quite normal. I did not know who had the key now, and what we should do about this door. Did we have to go back and sleep in that dirty place now? No, I'd rather sleep outdoors. It was just cold outside, but that place was so foul that I feared I could fall sick.

Before I figured out a place to sleep, Vilvy directly kicked the door open.

I stared blankly at Vilvy. Well, things like this happened before. Vilvy could kick open the town gate with one kick, so kicking this door open bore no problem as well.

However, once the door was open, I was totally taken aback. It clearly was a residential area, with the corridor leading from the entrance. Yet the corridor was packed with sacks. The sacks looked full and bloated. I curiously eyed them, but Vilvy, who didn’t care at all, just walked into the house.

Wait a second, aren't you going to check out the bags before entering?

I opened a bag in front of me and was surprised to find rice. Yes, it was rice, not yet hulled, just harvested crop. And it seemed to be a recent harvest.

In some of the other bags, I spotted fur and dried meat. Some of the jerkies were not even fully dried. Once opened, a smell of decay wafted up.

Looking around, the corridor was filled with sacks. The amount of food was overwhelming. If this was a granary, it would make sense. But this was a lord's residence, so why was it filled with food?

Could it be that the soldiers moved the food here? That would be quite reasonable since the deserters probably thought a long war was imminent. The food should have been collected from the town's people. If so, there would be no food left for the townsfolk. The deserters definitely had no intentions of leaving seeds for them to grow, so it's likely the townsfolk had nothing left.

If that is the case, we won't starve, but what about the people in town? They will certainly die without food in winter. These grains must be distributed. As previously discussed, there is no Lord without people. Vilvy must have the loyalty of these soldiers.

"Dad! Is this our food? Did those people give it to us?!" Lia looked at the sacks in front of her and asked in surprise.

I shook my head and said, “This food belongs to the people down there, not us."

"But if we eat a little, no one should notice, right?"Lia gazed longingly at the cured strips of meat. I surveyed Lia and Vilvy, figuring that if these two started eating, not insignificant amounts would be consumed. However, if we don't eat this now, we don't really have anything else to eat. Vilvy hadn't brought any food, and though I had thought there would surely be food here, it seems we have overestimated our supply.

As a lord, it's quite normal to collect some taxes, so I guess it's not a problem for us to get a bite here and now. Though we should discuss this with Vilvy first. I studied Vilvy, and she mirrored my action. Then she declared, "I don't know how to cook."

"…Are you implying that we could consume this food?"

"Why not, isn't this ours?"

Seeing Vilvy's indifference, I noted the similarity between her and Lia. Vilvy was even like a magnified version of Lia, apart from the strength. I sighed and said, "I think these supplies were seized from the common folk below."

"But isn't it usual for citizens to support the army?"

"Firstly, citizens' support is contingent on their circumstances. Secondly, we are not the army. We are lords who should tax judiciously; killing the goose that lays golden eggs is a mistake."

"Killing a chicken? DO we have chicken to eat!?"

"…No, Lia, I was just speaking metaphorically…"

"Then let's find a chicken and kill it."

"No, no, no!! You're a lord, not a bandit!! Don't simply resort to robbery!!"

Well, these two seemed no more than children.

Since neither of them could cook, it appeared that the responsibility would fall on me. Luckily, I'm quite a good cook, after spending a considerable time alone. Except for the absence of condiments, our kitchen wasn't bad, I just had salt to use for flavoring. We had an ample supply of meat and a kind of tuber that resembled potatoes, so a stew seemed like a right choice.

There wasn't any rice, but I found a similar alternative- a white substance, not in a grain form though. No worries, it should be edible too.

As I was picking the ingredients, a burst of flames brought the temperature up. Vilvy had lit the freezing stove. The warmth and light kindled in the room, once icy-cold, felt like a new lease of life. Vilvy, standing near the stove, looked at me and offered, "Need help?"

"Just light the kitchen stove."

Walking towards the kitchen, carrying a bundle of ingredients, I discovered our stove resembled the local ones. It was a native hearth with a stovetop and a stewpot on top. Even though I prefer food cooked in iron pans, I couldn't afford to be finicky now. Vilvy was squatted nearby, starting a fire, and I grabbed a cleaver at the side of a board, only to put it down the second later.

It was rusty and beyond serviceable.

"Vilvy, can you help me dice these vegetables and meat?"

I looked at Vilvy's sword and asked.

She nodded and walked towards me.

Our kitchen was small, and the two of us inside made it congested. I tried to avoid Vilvy's movement, but as she wielded her sword, I had nowhere to escape, so I had to step on her left side. We became so close that Vilvy's scent lingered around me and her face was just at my fingertips. With her left elbow resting lightly against my chest, I didn't know what to say.

This situation was somehow intimate yet extremely awkward.

Just then, a small figure barged in between us. Both Vilvy and I were stunned. It was Lia who clung to my waist, eyeing Vilvy suspiciously. Vilvy dropped her gaze, looked at me, and after a moment, put her sword down and exited the kitchen. I instinctively reached out to stop her, but Lia was faster and held my arm tightly, looking annoyed. I smiled bitterly, bent over and pecked Lia on her forehead, "Go anywhere you want sweetheart, daddy needs to cook now."

"Don't...I want to watch dad..." Lia pouted her lips, her eyebrows scrunched up into a 'W'. She sat down defiantly in the kitchen, apparently unwilling to move.

With a helpless smile, I could only start cooking under Lia's watchful gaze.

Soon, I finished preparing the meals and placed them on the table. The beef stew with potatoes, a basic dish, coupled with steamed rice, should taste good. Since there were no chopsticks, I prepared three spoons.

Putting the kettle on the still burning stove to boil some water, we sat at the dining table. Lia and I were sitting on one side, our backs only illuminated by the flame from the stove. However, the irresistible aroma and warmth from the food in front of us filled the air. Eagerly, Lia picked up her spoon, scooping a large spoonful of meat and soup from the dish onto her own plate.

"Dad!!! This...this is too delicious!!!"

After the first bite, Lia covered her mouth, her face filled with disbelief.

"As long as it's delicious, eat more. There's plenty more."

I rubbed her head with a smile. The glory of cooking lay in the ensuing praises and happiness from the family. That was everything I had received at the moment. Seeing Lia's happy smile, I felt absolute satisfaction.

On the other side, Vilvy curiously took a bite, making me slightly nervous. However, it seemed like Vilvy didn't bother to chew much, she began to eat with large bites.

I had prepared a lot.

Normally, it should be enough for five or six people.

But it seemed that, with the efforts of Vilvy and Lia, barely a speck was left.

After dinner, I gently laughed as I looked at Lia, who was lying on my lap contented like a cat. Across me, Vilvy wiped her mouth, stood up, and said, "Then, you'll be in charge of our three meals a day from now on."

So, I went from being a slave,

to becoming a chef.