Becoming a god by raising witches

"Miss Andy, have you ever thought about what others would say if you eloped with me?"

Andy was stunned.

She used to think of herself as a superior person, the daughter of a duke, and didn't care what others thought or thought. But after the kidnapping incident and the crisis at the masquerade ball, she realized that she cared a lot about what others thought. Their words were like knives stabbing her pride.

So, what would happen if she eloped with Locke?

What would others say? She couldn't even imagine.

“But I don’t want to marry anyone else. I just want to be with you, Locke Bemon. Only with you am I safe.”

Andy mustered all his courage and said.

She adopted a very humble attitude, just like an ordinary young girl, striving to win her love.

She believed that she would never again be able to ask someone so humbly.

She looked at Locke longingly, yearning for his love and response, his pity and protection.

Locke listened to the girl's rapid heartbeat and breathing, and looked at her flushed face and tightly clenched fists, feeling complicated emotions.

Hannah should have been like her, meeting someone she admired and having the courage to confess her feelings one day.

But why did she have to have such parents? Why did they have to burden her with such an unfair fate?

No, no, I must find a way to save Hannah.

She should live a complete life like an ordinary girl.

I'm sorry, Ms. Andy, but someone needs me more than you do.

I cannot reciprocate your feelings.

“Miss Andy, let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a noble princess who was always protected under the king's wing and never suffered any harm from the outside world. She grew up carefree, but she always longed for the outside world. So, one day, she chose to run away from home.”

Andy frowned, not understanding why Locke suddenly wanted to tell her a story, but when she heard about running away from home, she inexplicably thought of herself.

"and then?"

"Then she walked into the jungle, where terrifying sounds of wild beasts echoed from the depths. She was terrified of being caught by them and could only keep going forward. Suddenly, she saw a suspension bridge, but it looked shaky and very dangerous."

Locke noticed Andy's expression growing increasingly tense, knowing she was captivated by the story, and continued...

"The sounds of the wild beasts grew closer and closer. The princess had no choice but to grit her teeth and walk onto the suspension bridge. She was very careful, her heart pounding with fear, especially afraid that she would fall. And just as she feared, one of her feet slipped and she almost fell. Her heart pounded and she screamed loudly."

"My God."

Andy felt like she was that princess, and her heart clenched with anxiety.

"Just then, a jungle hunter appeared on the other side of the suspension bridge. The hunter came over and successfully brought the princess to the other side, rescuing her."

Andy breathed a sigh of relief. Was this hunter a metaphor for Locke himself?

Thinking this, she continued listening to Locke tell the story.

"The princess saw the hunter and mistakenly took her frightened heartbeat for infatuation, believing she had fallen in love with this brave hunter. So she brought him to the palace and told her father that she wanted to marry him. The king loved the princess very much and married her to the hunter. However, after the marriage, the princess never felt that infatuation again. The hunter, having acquired enough wealth, no longer needed to hunt. He spent his days eating, drinking, and playing cards. He was neither gentle nor romantic, but rather vulgar, completely different from the princess's tastes. The princess liked things that the hunter didn't like, and the hunter liked things that the princess didn't like. The princess lived a very repressed life and could only cry every day."

Andy looked at Locke in disbelief.

"Why is this happening?"

"Because the princess didn't love the hunter. She mistakenly thought the feeling of being rescued was love. When people are afraid, their heart races, which is a feeling very similar to being moved. She and the hunter were from two different classes. The princess lived in high society, pampered and accustomed to luxury since childhood, with plenty of time to learn about culture and art. The hunter, on the other hand, lived at the bottom of society, hunting every day just to survive, with no time to explore art or other hobbies. He and the princess couldn't possibly have anything in common. When these two completely different people married, the ending was naturally tragic."

Locke explained,

“Miss Andy, I am the hunter, and to me you are a princess who is high above. If you insist on marrying me, it is destined to be a tragedy.”

“Rock Bemon, it’s not like that. I, I really, really like you.”

"Then do you understand me?"

Locke asked.

“I…I know you are a good person, a sheriff with a strong sense of justice, and a responsible investigator.”

Miss Andy said, biting her lip.

"No, I saved you just like a hunter goes hunting, it was out of necessity. I was on a mission to save Count Hagen's daughter. I'm not a saint. If I weren't the sheriff, and you weren't Miss Andy, if there were any dissatisfaction, I wouldn't have saved you, you understand?"

"No, that's not it. You saved me twice, once when I was kidnapped and once at the Duke's mansion. You must like me."

Miss Andy's eyes reddened slightly. She had mustered up all her courage to make such a bold move, but she hadn't expected to be rejected by Locke.

Although Locke's words made a lot of sense, she couldn't listen to them at the moment, and felt that Locke was just making excuses.

“You need time to think and calm down, Miss Andy. I’m sorry, I’m just a nobody and I can’t accept your love.”

Locke turned and left, no longer wanting to get entangled with Miss Andy; he had already made himself perfectly clear.

Locke knew very well that Miss Andy's affection for him was most likely related to the witch's red crystal necklace, and that this affection was fake.

And he's not in the mood for romance right now.

After refusing Miss Andy's offer, Locke took a carriage to the Reindeer Estate in the Ur district.

Butler Montessler, accompanied by a group of maids, greeted Locke.

"Butler Monte, gather everyone here."

Locke said.

Initially, he wanted Monte and Herbert to stay, since there were more ordinary people around and Hannah would feel safer. But now the situation is different. Even Hannah herself is not an ordinary person, and she is the most dangerous one, so there is no need to keep them here.

“Yes, Mr. Bemon.”

Butler Monte gathered everyone together.

The head maid Olena, who earns around 1000 micks a week, along with Vera, the captain of the guard Baal, the horse trainer Herbert, and two colleagues.

The three gardeners, cooks Andrei and Marciu, earn a weekly wage of 800 mcg.

Courteney and Laetia are maids who earn 600 mice a week.

The maids Lisa, Gemma, Vivas, and Jenny, each earning 500 Micks a week, along with 49 guards.

Four maids doing odd jobs, each earning 300 mcg a week.

They all stood neatly in the manor hall.

Locke looked at the employees who were paid weekly wages and thought about how he could save 16.76 gold coins every month. His mood improved slightly.

"Mr. Bemon, everyone is here. Is there anything to announce?"

Monte asked.

Everyone looked tense. Although they had heard the rumors that Locke was a penniless man, the thought of losing their jobs still made them uneasy. Especially with the recent workers' protests in the West End, more and more people were losing their jobs. Even for them, losing their respectable jobs could plunge their lives into despair.

Just thinking about this made them curse Locke Bemon in their hearts. Why did this man have to curry favor with the princess and get her to give him the reindeer farm? Why was he a penniless wretch? Why was his maid Rebecca so difficult to get along with?

Locke looked at everyone seriously and said,

"I have something to announce now."

I'm coming.

Everyone looked at Locke with trepidation.

They originally thought this day wouldn't come so soon. After all, the manor still needed manpower to manage it. Even if Locke Bemon was awful, he wouldn't fire everyone, would he?

But seeing Locke's expression, they realized they had underestimated him.

He's most likely going to lay off employees, and it'll be a large-scale layoff.

Locke paused for a moment, then said,

"Her Highness the Princess said that you have followed her for many years, and she has decided to send you to continue working at Lucimare Castle if you wish."

"Sigh, I knew it meant we were going to pack our bags and leave."

Andrei said with a sigh.

"Wait, what did Mr. Locke just say?"

"He said Her Highness the Princess wanted us to continue our work at Lucimare Castle!"

"It's head maid Olena," she said excitedly.

"This is so great!"

Lisa, Gemma, Vivas, Jenny and the other maids cheered.

The guards also showed expressions of surprise, not expecting that Her Highness the Princess had not forgotten them.

"We are willing, of course we are willing."

Everyone spoke at once.

They suddenly realized that Locke wasn't so bad after all. Although he was a bit poor, he wasn't as despicable and shameless as Rebecca had described.

Locke breathed a sigh of relief; their willingness to leave saved him trouble.

“Starting tomorrow, you will no longer need to come to the manor; you can go to work at Lucimare Castle.”

Locke said.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Bemon."

Most of the servants said.