The next day, a knock sounded on the door. Mary opened the door and saw that it was Lura who was neatly dressed.
Lura looked at Mary who wore light, revealing clothes that seemed very comfortable to use in bed. No wonder she could become one of Aldred's women. Even her breast was of the right size and with pristine skin. Lura envied her slightly.
"How can I help you, Lura?" Mary asked.
"Is Aldred inside?"
"Yeah, he is currently sleeping. Do you want me to wake him up?"
"Ah, no. I don't want to bother him."
"You don't have to be so stiff."
"Aldred," Lura greeted, surprised that he was already awake.
"Good morning, Lura," Aldred greeted. "What do you need from me?"
"We found Richa's parents."
"That fast?" Aldred raised an eyebrow.
Lura nodded, feeling proud of her subordinates' capability. She had promised them a good amount of bonus if they could find Lina and Nordig in a day. Though, it wasn't that hard to find them as every citizen here was noted by the administration.
"Can we go and visit them now?" Aldred asked.
"Sure, I will lead you there."
"Okay. Let me wake up the others." Aldred went to bed and called for his wives to wake up.
After waking up, they quickly got dressed and walked to the door.
"Let's go," Aldred said.
Lura nodded and led them out of the mansion. Walking on the streets, Aldred noticed the bustling activity of the port city. It was a busy city and perfectly designed.
Aldred and his wives were currently walking on the pedestrian lane. On the other side, there was the transportation and cargo lane where big carriages brought goods and people at a high speed.
This city was very productive and all the people here were walking with smiles on their faces.
Aldred nodded. This city was a peaceful city with a growing economy, political stability, and low crime rate, though Lura said during their walk that crime was starting to increase due to an increase in pirate activity near the region.
The group of powerful fleets sailing around the great lake looking for treasure was also the cause of the unrest, but Lura believed it was a temporary problem. If the fleets went away, so would the problem.
"The golems will make sure the crime rate to be as low as it can get," Aldred assured.
"I am confident of that," Luna replied. "After all, I have seen the golems with my own eyes, and there is no doubt that they will take care of the citizens in this city."
Aldred smiled. He was glad that his golems weren't only used for wars, but also for protection and security. With these tireless golems walking around the city day and night, the people will feel much safer now.
"Help!"
As they were walking on the street, they heard a scream coming from the alley.
Aldred, Lura, and the wives looked at each other before rushing towards the alley.
When they arrived at the scene, they saw a golem already neutralizing two men with a knife in their hands. A middle-aged lady was breathing heavily while holding her purse tight.
"Thank you," the lady said to the golem as it left without a word.
Aldred and the others were relieved that the lady was fine.
"Thankfully, the golem already took care of it," Lura said.
Aldred approached the two criminals. "Your father doesn't order the golems to kill the criminals?"
He asked this because he detected the two men were still alive.
"No. He doesn't really like killing. He believed that people commit crimes because they are desperate. Killing these desperate people is too much for him. But, there is an exception. Those psychopath murderers are true criminals. My father showed no mercy to them."
"The people here are lucky to have your father," Aldred said. "It's not every day I see a person in power using it to the benefit of the people."
Lura smiled. She was also proud of her father and wanted to be like him in the future. When she heard Aldred praise her father, she couldn't contain her happiness and pride.
They saw the middle-aged lady leave, and they also left the alley.
After walking for several blocks, they arrived at a small, worn-down house. It was neat like it was cleaned and taken care of regularly, but time rotted the wood away, and the homeowner didn't seem to be able to afford to buy wood to replace the rotten parts.
They then saw a pair of middle-aged couples sitting together at a table as if they were waiting for someone.
"Are those them?" Aldred asked.
"Yes. They are the parents of Richa."
"I see. You guys wait here." Aldred took a deep breath and approached the couple.
Lura and the wives watched Aldred as he spoke to the middle-aged couple. There was an expression of disbelief on the couple's faces at first, but as Aldred explained to them, tears came out of their eyes.
They saw Aldred calming the couple. He then said that Richa told Aldred to come here and pay their debt.
They cried even more.
"It's our fault," the mother said. "It's because we have too much debt so she had to go. We wish for her happiness, but we become her burden instead. She should have lived her own life and left us."
The father didn't shed any tears anymore, but his disappointed expression at himself would make anyone think that he would commit suicide because of guilt.
Lura sighed. Looking at the couple made her fearful of losing her father. For all of her life, her father was her whole world. Her mother had died when she gave birth, so her father was the only one that was there for her.
If she lost him… even imagining that possibility pained her.
"Lura, are you okay?" Mary asked.
"I am fine."
Aldred returned to them with a sigh and seemingly with a heavy heart as well.
"How are they?" Mareona asked.
Aldred sighed again. "They have been waiting together for the day their daughter would come back. Instead, they were visited by the news of her death. I don't think any parents in the world could take such a blow."
They all went silent after that comment.
"Lura," Aldred called. "Can you please take care of them discreetly?"
Lura nodded. "I will."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Lura smiled at him. She would take care of the two couples genuinely. Not only did she sympathize with them, but she also thought it would be a good chance to form a good relationship with Aldred.
That made her feel terrible. It was as if she only did this to form a connection with Aldred and obtain benefit from it…
She recalled her father saying that to obtain and maintain power, one must do something near the line of morality while still maintaining kindness and a genuine appearance on the surface.
Basically, do something bad while looking good on the outside.
Her father also said not to overuse this as it might create a culture in the political sphere where trickery and corruption ran rampant.
She shook her head to remove the complicated thought. This was no time to think about it.
"Don't worry, Aldred. I will take care of them discreetly as you asked."
