From Slave to King: My Rebate System Built Me a Kingdom With Beauties!-Chapter 186: Lily
Maui was left in charge—not Murkfang or any other goblin—and the weight of that responsibility settled on her shoulders like armor she hadn’t asked for but accepted nonetheless. Byung had made the decision deliberately, bypassing his right-hand goblin despite Murkfang’s loyalty and organizational skills. The reason was brutally simple: Murkfang had shown himself to be an incompetent leader during the crisis that nearly destroyed them all, making decisions that would have compromised the lives of goblins if circumstances had played out differently. His judgment under pressure was flawed, too reactive rather than strategic.
But Byung didn’t punish him for it, didn’t strip him of duties or publicly humiliate him, because he knew for certain it wasn’t Murkfang who had made the orcs attack. The blame lay elsewhere, with forces beyond the settlement’s walls. Borg had planned the assault with Rodell’s backing—it was deliberate, a coordinated effort to draw Kragg out into vulnerable positions where Borg could seize power through treachery disguised as combat. And the fact that the goblins proved stronger than they anticipated, surviving and repelling forces that should have overwhelmed them, had worked in Byung’s favor by making the settlement valuable rather than disposable in Rodell’s calculations.
So Maui commanded now, her authority absolute in Byung’s absence, her word carrying the weight of both her own considerable reputation and his explicit trust. She found the transition surprisingly smooth—there was little to nothing demanding her immediate attention because everything was going well, functioning like a well-oiled engine. The forges operated on schedule, mining quotas were met, patrols rotated efficiently, food supplies flowed from the farm without interruption. The systems Byung had established ran themselves with minimal intervention.
She found it strange that Byung had left alone with no backup, no escort, not even informing her of his precise destination and no one was aware of his meeting with the dwarf. It went against every tactical instinct she possessed—lone travelers were vulnerable, exposed, easy targets for ambush or misfortune. But he must have his reasons, calculations she couldn’t see from her position. Maui hated to admit it, but there were things he knew that she didn’t despite her having far more exposure to this world, more years of experience navigating its dangers and politics. His knowledge came from somewhere else.
Maui watched Grishka from across the town square, the towering Chieftess moving through the settlement with her four honor guards flanking her in perfect formation. The goblins dared not look directly at her—their eyes dropped whenever she passed, instinctive submission to predator presence that no amount of alliance could fully overcome. She looked at the goblins like they were helpless children despite their varying ages, her red eyes assessing them with the detached interest of someone evaluating livestock rather than equals. Not cruel, exactly, but utterly without sentimentality.
Grishka’s gaze swept the square and caught Maui watching. Their eyes met for a heartbeat—red meeting green—and Maui instantly looked to the ground, the reaction automatic despite her own considerable status.
Grishka had saved her life during that ambush months ago, creating the opening that allowed her escape from what would have been certain death or capture. Maui owed her, yet there was this fear that came with Grishka’s presence, a primal awareness that this being could end her without effort if whim dictated.
She had no idea how drastic the change Byung had managed to instill in the Chieftess truly was. To everyone else, Grishka appeared unchanged—still cold, still distant, still radiating danger like heat from forge fires. But subtle shifts had occurred, invisible to those who hadn’t known her before. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Grishka gestured sharply to her honor guards, a cutting motion that sent them stepping back to establish a perimeter rather than following directly. Then she walked toward Maui with deliberate strides, each footfall heavy enough to be felt through stone.
Maui straightened instinctively, uncertainty flooding her. She had no idea how to communicate properly with Grishka beyond basic gestures—the Chieftess was mute, unable to speak, and Maui knew none of the complex sign language the honor guards had developed over decades of service. But Grishka simply gestured for her to follow, a clear invitation that was simultaneously command.
They walked together through the settlement, Grishka leading with Maui trailing half a step behind out of respect. They moved past the forges where hammers rang, through residential areas where goblins paused to watch them pass, and finally into the territory these orcs had once occupied during their initial days in the settlement—a cluster of guest houses that had stood mostly empty since the Stonehide tribe departed for the mountains.
Maui wondered why Grishka was bringing her here specifically, what purpose this detour served. Then she saw it.
Multiple white flowers scattered across a small garden plot behind one of the guest houses—Oriental Lilies, their elegant petals distinctive even in various states of decay. Most had withered away completely, brown husks collapsing into soil, victims of neglect during the weeks the area stood abandoned. But there was one that managed to survive, standing tall with petals still white and vibrant, leaves green and healthy despite lacking the care such delicate flowers required.
Maui counted silently—over a dozen dead flowers surrounding the single survivor. These were Oriental Lilies, flowers that held cultural significance for certain orc clans, symbolizing purity and remembrance. She looked over at Grishka questioningly, trying to understand the significance.
Grishka reached down with surprising gentleness, her massive hand moving carefully to avoid crushing delicate stems as she inspected the soil around the surviving flower. The earth was moist, recently watered, enriched with nutrients that hadn’t been there naturally. Someone had been tending this flower deliberately, consistently, ensuring it survived when all others died.
She gestured for Maui to come closer, and Maui did so cautiously, kneeling beside the Chieftess. This flower should be dead unless someone was taking care of it regularly—daily watering, checking soil condition, removing pests. The level of attention required was significant, especially for someone as busy as...
Then it hit Maui like a physical blow, and she muttered under her breath: "Byung." The realization crashed through her with certainty. It was Byung who had made sure this flower survived, who had taken time from his endless responsibilities to care for something fragile as he found it beautiful and a reminder of the orcs’ presence.
Maui looked at Grishka with new understanding. The Chieftess was aware of this even before having sex with Byung—her honor guards must have reported his activities during their surveillance, watching him tend the garden when he thought no one observed or pocked up his scent. And while this might seem like a mundane thing to outsiders, the fact that Byung had taken care of it for an entire month was commendable.
Maui smiled despite herself, understanding flooding through her. The sex wasn’t the determining factor in Grishka’s decision to bind herself to Byung, not really. This was. This quiet, consistent care for something that mattered to her, maintained without expectation of reward or recognition. He had won her before ever touching her body, by touching something deeper—the part of her that remembered being more than a monster. This was a habit she developed when she was little, she believed it chased away bad karma.
Grishka might be terrifying, might have slaughtered hundreds, might command through fear and overwhelming power. But at the end of the day, consideration was one thing she didn’t get from others because they all assumed she had everything settled or handled. They saw strength and stopped looking deeper, never recognizing that even the strongest could be lonely, could crave acknowledgment that someone noticed the small things that brought them joy. Byung had noticed.
