"Everything we have today is a blessing from you, Your Majesty."
Mrs. Hadak's eyes reddened again as she spoke.
"Your wisdom and kindness allowed us to amass tens of thousands of gold dragons in assets in just over a decade on Holy Flame Island."
"With this development of the Golden Fields, we only had to pay ten thousand gold dragons to receive a manor. Even the dragonstone for building it, the farming tools for clearing the fields, the highest-yielding seeds, and the young livestock were all supplied through interest-free loans."
"Otherwise, no matter how capable we were, we could never have established ourselves in the Golden Fields so quickly."
Although Hadak Manor was simply built, it brimmed with life. Animals could be seen everywhere, yet the grounds were kept impeccably clean and tidy.
The buildings of Hadak Manor were tall and orderly, though they could not yet be called a castle. Still, the Hadak family's many members meant the buildings were quite large.
As dinnertime approached, everyone at Hadak Manor bustled about, slaughtering chickens and sheep in a lively flurry of activity.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Hadak's five daughters led Danyla and her family to a nearby lake to admire the lotus flowers.
In the sunset's fading glow, the lotus flowers by the lake slowly closed their buds like bashful maidens. Crystal-clear droplets began forming on their pink-and-white petals.
Isilia ran excitedly to the lakeside and reached out to pick a lotus flower, only to discover, much to her frustration, that although it seemed within arm's reach, she could not reach it at all.
Mrs. Hadak's third daughter, Hana, knew what to do. She picked up a branch, carefully drew a lotus flower toward her with it, and gently plucked it.
"Here you are, Your Highness!"
Twelve-year-old Hana was no great beauty,