Chapter 186

Helen stared blankly at Lucas' actions, her body trembling slightly. The misty reddish hue in her eyes gradually welled up with tears. When he called her a silly rabbit, she realized she was willing to listen to that for a lifetime.

"Your responsibility now is to be a teacher, not to worry about providing for a family." Lucas said.

His dark eyes lowered as he looked at the little deer-ear girl peeking out from behind Helen. Softly, he continued, "Once they are in Sedona City, they'll be my subjects. It's my duty to ensure they have enough to eat and a place to live. Don't compete with me for this job."

Helen fought back tears and managed a faint smile. "Yes, young master."

Strangely, the weight on Helen's shoulders seemed to lift, as if an invisible burden had eased significantly.

"Alright, they must be tired. Let's take them to their lodgings." Lucas said with a gentle smile.

"Yes, yes." Helen nodded obediently.

In reality, trying to support over thirty beastkin children on her meager monthly wage of one silver coin was a daunting task. At the very least, they'd have to go hungry sometimes—after all, beastkin children had big appetites.

"Helen, when I call you a silly rabbit, I mean it," Annie approached, speaking softly. "You can relax now. The young master instructed us to prepare housing for the children as soon as we knew they were coming."

"Yes, yes." Helen found herself at a loss for words, but she kept nodding.

"Let's go. It's almost noon, and they can have a proper meal." Lucas led the way toward Sedona City, with Ayesha following closely.

"Understood." Helen immediately turned and ran toward Mary, leaving Hazel momentarily stunned. The other girls looked at the little newcomer with excitement.

"Wow, a little cutie." Annie's brown eyes sparkled.

"Hey, hey. Annie, what kind of language is that?" Mina raised an eyebrow, her cat ears twitching. "Don't scare the little ones."

"Uh… well, it's nothing," Annie scratched her slightly flushed cheek and bounced off toward Lucas. Could she really attribute this to the young master? He had once mentioned that cute girls like her were akin to "cuties"—utterly adorable.

"What's going on now?" Mina caught up, swaying her hips. "Definitely another little drama brewing."

Nicole crouched down, looking at the girl with deer ears. Her voice softened as she asked, "What's your name?"

"I-I'm Hazel." The girl replied timidly.

"Alright, come with your big sister." Nicole took Hazel's small hand and followed Lucas ahead.

Hazel glanced back and saw Helen and the others catching up. She quickened her steps, stealing glances at Nicole. Her heart fluttered: What a beautiful sister.

Helen's eyes curved into crescents, excitement bubbling over. "Granny Mary, did you hear what the lord said? He promised to take care of all of us."

"I heard." Mary gazed at the blush on Helen's cheeks, sighing inwardly. This silly girl shouldn't get too attached. There was a natural divide between human nobles and beastkins, and the deeper the attachment, the greater the eventual pain.

Besides, based on what she knew, no noble would undertake such a fruitless endeavor. Except, perhaps, for those wastrel second-generation nobles.

Supporting over thirty beastkin children—this wasn't a short-term commitment. Many of them were only seven or eight years old. It wasn't a small expense either; it would take at least five years to raise them properly.

Mary kept her thoughts to herself. She exchanged glances with the other old beastkins—they had decided last night that if things went awry, they'd risk their lives to help the children escape.

As they entered the city, everyone stood there, jaws practically on the ground. Their eyes darted around, and occasional gasps escaped their lips.

"Wow. Look at the size of these streets. So wide."

"Quick, check out those houses—they're gorgeous. Way better than the wooden huts in our tribe."

"Helen, will we get to live in houses like these too?"

"Hey, Helen, that handsome guy from earlier—do you like him?"

"Helen blushed earlier."

The conversation took a delightful turn, leaving poor Helen almost face-planting. She blushed and used her ultimate technique: cheek-pulling.

With a stern expression, Helen educated the curious little ones, "No nonsense, kids. You must address that person as City Lord, got it?"

"Oh, okay." The children whispered among themselves. But let's be honest—the topic was still that handsome guy.

The group arrived at a house. A sign hung on the gate, bearing three words: "Sedona City's Orphanage."

Lucas pushed open the gate and stepped inside. This place had once belonged to a merchant, but they'd exchanged it for a smaller building—perfect for an orphanage now.

"Ta-da."

In the main hall, over thirty wooden beds stood in neat rows. Each bed had a blanket made of animal fur, all brand new.

"Come on in, everyone. Take a look at your new home," Lucas stepped aside, addressing the group. "For now, you'll be staying here."

Lucas' newly constructed house wasn't designed to accommodate over thirty people, so this spacious place would serve as temporary quarters for the beastkins. Once the second phase of construction was complete, they'd have proper new homes.

Mary and the others walked into the house, eyes wide, staring at everything—the thirty-plus wooden beds and the blankets. It touched a fragile place in their hearts.

"This…" Mary thought about their tribal life, where beds and blankets were nonexistent. The orphans usually slept on straw-covered floors, huddled together for warmth.

Now, everything was prepared for them, leaving Mary and the others bewildered. It felt like a dream—almost unreal.

"These are the basics," Lucas said slowly, with a gentle smile. "All the orphanage children will attend elementary school. The City Lord's office will cover your tuition fees. If you perform well in exams and rank among the top, there will be rewards."

"As for your meals, the City Lord's office will provide for you until you're fifteen. Accommodation and food are taken care of. But for other things, you'll need to work hard on your own."

"By the time you turn fifteen, you'll be adults, responsible for yourselves. And remember to pay back the tuition fees."

People tend to fall into complacency when everything is arranged for them. Lucas didn't want to raise a bunch of idle individuals. Only when life remained challenging would these orphans strive for progress and become exceptional individuals. Lucas was nurturing the future, not merely reaping the present harvest. 

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