Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Two Worlds Apart

The air was mild and comforting. The light from the sun illuminated her room, filling it with a calm yet happy atmosphere. When Alina peaked through the window of her room, she saw the familiar sight of their garden. Peonies have been blooming, stretched to the vast grasslands owned by her family. Gardeners, maids, and workers hurrying here and there to accomplish their tasks. Their private army practiced knife and gun drills far away from their main mansion. As she did not hear how their guns roared and how the people chattered, the scene appeared calm to her.

However, Alina was feeling different. She can not smile, even if she forced herself. Today was the start of her responsibility that she did not want. It was a command by her father and the duty given by their country. Even if she found it unpleasant, she had no choice but to do it.

"Lady Alina, your father invited you to join him for breakfast. He said he will discuss something with you."

With a monotonous tone, Irene, her butler, informed Alina. She had hair like snow, which was unique only to the personal servants of the Lambert.

"You don't need to be formal, Irene. We are in my room."

Hearing Irene's formal tone, she chuckled slightly. She had been with Irene since they were children. If anyone asked her who she trusted the most... that would be her butler.

"Fine, Alina. But hurry. You father is waiting. Also, your brothers are not present." Irene smiled a bit.

"Oh? where are them?"

"They are on other farms, suppressing revolts as well, I guess?"

Besides the farm where Alina was assigned, their family operates more. The Lambert had half of their country's total new farms created seven years ago. They were vital in Ophir's economy, almost accounting for 30 percent of their GDP.

"My father has his hands really full, huh? He even had to use me, his hated child. I really hate this. Why do I end up going to that farm?" said Alina as her eyes deepened with sadness and guilt.

"Does it remind you of him?" Irene already knew.

"Why does it sound like you don't care, Irene? He was our childhood friend, and my family just made that happen to him."

"It is not like I don't care about him. But, what good will it bring to speak about it now? It was already too late. And could we do anything about it?"

"... I know that." She could not refute Irene. After all, it was the country itself that decided it must happen.

"Anyway, we should not keep your father waiting," said Irene. "And Alina... don't get too caught up in the cattle later. They are not him."

"Yes. Let's go."

Switching her friendly attitude to a mask worthy of a Lambert, she stepped out of her room, and her butler followed. The halls of their mansion were vast and grand. Gold was engraved in its every corner, and paintings worth millions of Ophirian osh sprawled across it. Carpets made of fine silks were spread across the floor, and extravagant chandeliers lit their way. It was truly the symbol of Lambert, one of the most elite families in the republic.

She knocked on the large door at the end of the hallway. When she was given permission, she entered with her butler in tow. Inside, a man in his fifties, sturdy and tall, sat at the end of the grand dining table. He wore black formal attire with an accent of gold designs. His eyes were azure, like that of Alina. He looked old, but his handsome feature was still there.

"Father, here I am."

"Good. Now, sit down. We have something to talk about before you start with your work."

Following his father's instruction, she sat on the opposite side of him. Irene blended with the background and disappeared. Her father began eating. All of the dishes were prepared by top chefs of their country, using the products of their farms. It was something new to their country. Seven years ago, the people of Ophir were reluctant to eat it. But now, most of them already prefer it to animal meat. They said that it was juicier and more tender than any meat. Alina, however, did not enjoy eating them.

"Hmmm... nothing beats human meat," said his father as the spiced aroma of the meat reached his nose. As he placed the finely cooked flesh in his mouth, its buttery and savory flavor burst. Its juices crept in every chew he made. While he enjoyed his meat, Alina looked at him with a slight reproaching face.

—how can he enjoy eating humans?

"What? are you not enjoying your meal?"

"No, I am enjoying it, father, "said Alina as she ate the meat served on her plate.

He gave her a suspicious glance, but luckily, he did not pursue the matter. It was an absolute rule to the Lambert not to show any affection to their cattle — the humans on their farm. No matter what — she should not give even a millimeter of mercy to their cattle.

"About your mission in the Aurelion farm, I will assign you 100 personal guards, but you can also use the forces we have in there. Just coordinate with the administrators for the farm's details. I will expect it to be done in 3 weeks. Understood?"

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"Understood, father. I will do my best to accomplish it."

"Good. This will be the first time I assigned something to you. Do well not to disappoint me, at least," said her father. "That damn Bernd. Spreading his filthy ideas everywhere. Doesn't he know the reason Ophir is wealthy now?"

"I promise you I shall quell the pests on our farm," recited Alina, with her right hand on her chest.

It was the first time her father had allowed her to prove herself. Her father did not trust him that much.

—I will not waste this.

"You can leave after you finish eating." His father shrugged. He did not really expect anything from his youngest daughter.

Alina nodded. They continued eating their food in silence.

***

Sieg always hated this place. It was only a few meters long. 50 people were there, all under the age of seventeen. Due to cramping many people into such a small space, a putrid smell was on its atmosphere. There were no rooms that separated them from each other. Their only light was the faint light coming from the candles. They built no proper flooring. Instead, the ground was covered with hay.

"Good morning, Sieg. Here's yours," said Elise, with her usual cheerful expression.

She extended her hand towards him, giving Sieg a boiled potato. She had been with him for the last seven years. Many of the original occupants of the barn were processed already. He, Elise, Ranulf, and Gert were the only ones left among the first batch. But the management added new young children to keep the barn's population at 50.

"Thanks... Good morning, Elise. By the way, do you know where Ranulf and Gert are?"

From morning to afternoon, they were free to roam around the farm. In fact, the administrators encouraged them to go outside since that can help produce better quality meat. However, once the sun had set, they should be inside their barn. Sieg did not want to know what would have happened if they did not follow that.

"I don't know where Gert went, but Ranulf is fetching water."

"Oh. I'll go help Ranulf. See you later, Elise."

She nodded and continued giving boiled potatoes to the other children on the farm. Seeing her usual merry expression, the children smiled as well. For a while, they seemed to forget the world they were in. The potatoes were actually their rations for this morning. The administrators of the farm, at least, feed them the bare minimum needed to be alive and grow.

Sieg lifted the water canisters lying in their barn and began his walk to the water station. When he stepped outside, thousands of barns identical to theirs came in his vision. Their divide into eight sectors was visible, with each sector having its food and water station. The center of the barns was a gigantic processing factory, protected by massive walls and armed men. In the farthest borders of the Aurelio farm, electrical fences and anti-personnel landmines were situated.

He found Ranulf standing in a queue in the water station, holding canisters. Noticing his approach, Ranulf turned his head towards him. Sieg offered his help. Like Elise, he had been with Ranulf for the last seven years. He had grown close to him. Continuing to wait in the queue, they heard some people murmuring.

"What? The owner of this farm is coming here?"

"Yeah. I heard she will come to exterminate some rebels?"

"Shit. Our life might become harder because of these rebels."

"I can't blame. Who doesn't want to kill those bastards?"

—those rich bastards are coming again, huh?

His hands clenched, suppressing her anger, his face grimacing. He hated them, too. Those bastards outside the farm treated them as substitutes for cows and pigs. Those who feasted on the flesh of his friends in the barn. This feeling was not only limited to Sieg, but to most people on the farm. As a result, many revolts happened in the past seven years, but it was all suppressed.

"Sieg, it's our turn."

Bringing him back to reality, Ranulf called him. It was their turn. They filled their canisters on the faucet of the station.

"Let's head back," said Sieg after they finished filling their canisters.

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