Melly

Claire had only glanced over when, before he could do anything, a little girl seemed to pop out from nowhere, scooping the lamb into her arms and staring at him warily.

She was a girl of six or seven with brown hair and a somewhat sallow complexion. She looked malnourished, but her lively eyes and delicate features still made her rather adorable.

However, Claire was no lolicon. He would not harbor ill intentions toward a little girl.

"Hello." Claire offered a friendly smile and waved in greeting.

But the girl was timid and did not dare greet Claire. She merely watched him with her big, lively eyes, though she was no longer quite so guarded. This Big Brother did not seem like he had come to steal her lamb.

Seeing that she did not speak, Claire maintained his friendly smile. "My name is Claire. What's yours?"

The girl looked down at the lamb in her arms, then at Claire. Finally, she lowered her head and said in an extremely tiny voice, "Melly."

Her voice was so soft that Claire would not have heard it if he had not been listening carefully. Still, since she was willing to tell him her name, she must have developed at least a little favorable impression of him.

After all, the original Claire had been quite handsome, and his approachable smile made it perfectly normal for a little girl to like him.

He cautiously took a few steps forward. When she did not run away, Claire relaxed and slowly walked over until he stood before Melly.

He crouched down, took a candy wrapped in colorful paper from his clothes, and held it out to her. "Would you like this candy?"

Melly visibly swallowed. She had eaten candy before, but it had always been dark brown sugar. She had never seen candy as colorful as this.

Besides, she normally only got a few pieces of brown sugar, and she had not had any for months. This colorful candy had to be much tastier than brown sugar.

Though her mind was still hesitating, Melly's little hand reached out on its own, her bright eyes filled with longing.

"Melly! Don't take it!" A shout suddenly rang out. A boy even taller than Claire ran over from afar, yanking Melly away from in front of Claire and slapping the candy from Claire's hand onto the ground.

Kellan dragged his sister several meters away, then hid Melly behind him and stared at Claire with the wary gaze of someone judging a villain.

Claire did not mind. This was simply an older brother caring deeply for his sister. He was not so petty.

"Melly, haven't I told you not to eat things from strangers?" Kellan did not forget to turn around and remind his sister.

But Melly did not seem to be listening. She stared painfully at the colorful candy that had been knocked to the ground and licked her lips. She had not even had brown sugar in months.

Claire noticed Melly's gaze and picked up the fallen candy. It was wrapped in paper, so falling onto the ground did not matter.

Without paying it any mind, Claire tore open the wrapper and put the candy into his mouth.

Even Kellan could not help swallowing at that point, let alone Melly behind him, whose drool was practically about to spill out.

"See? The candy I gave her is fine," Claire explained. "How old are you?"

He asked because the boy's towering, sturdy frame stood over six feet tall, yet his delicate-looking face appeared quite young. Claire could not determine his age at a glance, and he also wanted to make conversation and build some rapport.

Although Kellan remained wary, he answered, "I'm sixteen this year."

Claire nodded slightly. Mm, the same age as me, yet he's a head taller—and he's pretty strong, too.

Still, that was normal. He was an entry-level mage; only an idiot would compare height and muscles with warriors.

"Are you a knight?" Claire continued.

"No. I'm still far from even being an apprentice knight." Kellan shook his head, though his eyes were full of hope. "But I'll definitely become a great knight someday!"

"Oh?" Curious at those words, Claire asked, "Why?"

"Because once I become a knight, my family will be able to eat their fill, and our lives will get better."

Kellan's face reddened slightly as he spoke of such a simple wish, but it truly was his dream, and he had always worked toward it.

Only then did Claire notice that even this tall, burly older brother had a sallow, thin face. Like his sister, he was malnourished.

After a moment of silence, Claire smiled again. "Your wish is very admirable. It will definitely come true one day."

"Really?" Kellan became somewhat excited at the encouragement.

"Yes. I don't know whether you can become a knight, but eating your fill is something that can be done," Claire said softly. In his previous life, there had been a saying: wasn't the most important thing in life simply being able to eat one's fill?

Since he had become the lord of this land, he had an obligation to make sure his people could eat their fill.

"Then is my dream admirable too?" Kellan pressed. Whenever he had spoken of his dream before, people had laughed at him, but the person before him seemed different from everyone else.

"I think it's very admirable. Is there anything greater than being able to protect your family?"

"Yes!" Kellan nodded vigorously.

Claire seemingly pulled two more colorful candies from his clothes as if performing magic, then asked with a smile, "So, do you want some candy now?"

Kellan still hesitated. Although this Big Brother did not seem like a bad person, his mother had told him never to take things from strangers.

Claire did not know whether to laugh or cry. Why was it so hard just to give someone candy?

"Kellan, Melly, where are you?"

A shout came from somewhere in the distance, echoing across the wheat field.

"Mom, we're over here!" Melly jumped up and waved.

A woman quickly ran over, immediately pulling Melly into her arms before shielding Kellan, who was much taller than her, behind her. She watched Claire warily.

"Uh..." Claire started to speak but stopped. Why was giving them candy so difficult?

First the little sister, then the older brother, and now their mother. Was their father going to show up next?

Before Claire could say anything, the woman took her children's hands and backed away, never taking her eyes off him in case he made any move.

She was clearly deeply wary of outsiders.

It was at that moment that Regan found them.

"Young Master, where are you? It's time to leave!" Regan called loudly, but before Claire could answer, he had found the place.

He jogged over and stood respectfully behind Claire. Just as he was about to urge Claire to leave, he noticed the mother and her two children across from them.

Regan frowned instinctively. "Young Master, why are you here with these low... commoners?" Halfway through, Regan remembered what Claire had said earlier and promptly changed his wording.

"Who are you? Why have you come here?" The woman became even more alert after seeing Regan. She picked up a stone from the ground and aimed it at them.

Regan flew into a rage and pointed at the three of them. "Do you know who he is? The sole heir of the Griffin Family! How dare you point a stone at the Young Master!"

But Kellan and the others clearly had no idea what the Griffin Family was. They remained wary, though Melly knew it definitely was not something edible.

"You'll be executed for this!" Regan warned.

Regan had wanted to continue, but Claire stopped him with a wave.

Claire could see that after Regan uttered that threat, the woman's expression changed drastically. Her previous vigilance instantly turned to terror, and the fear on her face was so palpable that he could almost feel it.

Thud!

The woman immediately dropped the stone, pulled her son and daughter down, and knelt on the ground, looking utterly humble.

"Lord Noble, we know we were wrong. We're only a little short of this month's tax. Please give us a few more days." The woman pleaded desperately, with none of the fierce manner she had shown while protecting her children moments before.

Her humiliating, dignityless appearance made Claire feel awkward and uncomfortable. He had never seen such a scene in his previous life.

When he looked at the two children kneeling beside their mother, he saw that their once-normal expressions had immediately turned fearful upon learning that he was a noble. Melly was even curling into her mother's arms. The liveliness she had shown when first meeting Claire was gone, leaving behind only boundless fear.

The woman did not even dare lift her head. Still kneeling on the ground, she pleaded again, "Please, don't raise the taxes anymore. Otherwise, our whole family won't survive."

In her understanding, it was because the nobles in Nafu City kept raising taxes that they could no longer afford food.

Claire looked at the mother and two children before him, and something trembled in his heart. His expression immediately turned cold.

He could not bear to look at such wretched misery, such humiliation ingrained to the bone, and simply turned away.

"Regan, give them ten Silver Coins," Claire said softly. Ten Silver Coins should be enough for them to live on for one or two months.

Although Regan did not understand, once he saw his Young Master walking away, he still took out ten Silver Coins and tossed them onto the ground.

"This is a reward from the Young Master. Hurry up and thank him!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" the woman repeatedly said.

Only after Claire had gone far away did she stand up with her children.

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