Return of the General's Daughter
Chapter 186: The Alpha Members

Chapter 186: The Alpha Members

The moment the dwelling was completed, Lara fetched Grandmother Arlina and her grandchildren from the village. When the old woman saw the house that they were moving into, she could not help but tear up.

The house was modest by modern standards, but to Arlina, it was nothing short of a palace. The moment her clouded eyes landed on the structure—its freshly woven cogon roof, its tiny front yard bordered by a low, hand-carved fence, and the neat row of homes it was nestled among—her lips trembled.

Tears welled in her eyes. "Young lady... Are you sure we can stay here?" she asked, her voice catching on the edge of disbelief.

"Yes, Grandma," Lara replied, her voice soft but certain. She hadn’t expected such a powerful reaction, not from the stoic woman who had survived so much, nor from the two teenage girls and their younger brother, who stood silently behind her with wide, guarded eyes.

"But this is not for free, Grandma. Remember, you have to work for me, so in a sense you are also paying for staying in the house."

"Oh, young lady... As long as we have work and food, we’ll give everything we have," Arlina said, her voice thick with emotion. "We won’t be a burden, I swear it."

With a warm gesture, Lara beckoned them inside. The three grandchildren followed slowly, still hesitant, their feet crunching on the pebbled path as they approached the house. They ascended the six sturdy bamboo steps and stepped onto a tiny balcony, barely a square meter wide, yet charming in its own way. From there, they crossed the threshold.

Inside, the living room, though small, was welcoming—four carefully carved bamboo chairs arranged around a rectangular table. A low, open shelf served as a partition between the sitting area and the dining area behind it, creating a subtle sense of space.

A four-seater table, smooth and polished by hand, stood in the dining room. Through the door to the left was the bedroom, furnished with a single bed for Arlina and a cleverly designed double-decker bunk for Zeeta and Leah. The bunk’s access ladder was not just a ladder—it was a series of pull-out drawers, each drawer spacious enough to store clothes or trinkets. It was the kind of thoughtful, space-saving design reminiscent of her old world’s city condos.

The girls stood in stunned silence, brushing their hands along the polished bamboo, marveling at its strength and simplicity. This wasn’t just shelter—it was their home now.

"I will leave you, Grandma. There is rice and eggs in the kitchen. You have to make do with that. Tomorrow, you can go with Reya to the market to buy supplies."

That was when Arlina broke. The weight of hardship, of uncertainty and hope, all came rushing to the surface. She clutched Lara’s arm with wrinkled hands and sobbed.

"Young Lady, you are so kind. Thank you for being so helpful." The old woman sniffled.

Lara stiffened. Kind? She didn’t think she was kind. They would be her workforce, and having studied the human psyche in the past, she knew they would be more productive if they had a good place to sleep and enough to eat.

This wasn’t altruism—it was strategy.

Lara left the family and returned to the big house where Samuel and Jethru were waiting for her.

"Lara, aren’t you being too kind? You went a long way to help them out. Is it because you pity them?" Jethru asked, his expression a bit complex.

"I will benefit more from them than they will from me, Master, Grandpa," Lara answered without hesitation.

Of course, the two masters understood what she meant. The old woman was ignorant, but she seemed to be a good person. The grandchildren were a different story—still adrift, still unsure—but that could change.

Later that day, Thalia arrived. She had agreed to move into the dormitory, bringing her quiet strength and her scars. She and Mona would share one house; Palos, the silent shadow who often followed Mona, would sleep in the loft above.

Thalia’s eyes widened as she stepped inside the house next to Grandma Arlina’s. She had expected something functional at best, but what greeted her was warmth, thoughtfulness, and a sense of home. A deep breath left her lips, the first relaxed sigh in days.

Lara noticed that her disposition improved greatly after she vented to the magistrate. Thalia shared with her that when she inquired at the restaurant where she was first molested, she learned that Ruffus was dead, Hook was presumed gone, only a mangled hand left to bury.

The brothel that had been her hell was shut down, and the other girls were temporarily sheltered in an inn while arrangements were made. Thalia had spent the last few days there, weighing her options. She didn’t want to return to her family. She couldn’t.

"So, Miss, what do you want us to do?" She asked, curious as to what her future would be like.

"It depends on where you will be suited best. If you are good at sewing, I’ll have you work on that. If not, then you can help process medicinal and beauty products. Take a rest for today. Then tomorrow, we can do an assessment."

The last to arrive were Lina and her husband, the Catalan couple and their young son. After much thought, they had decided to accept Lara’s offer. Primo Lenard had been appointed Captain of the Town Guard, and he’d now be working closely with Angus.

Lina, feeling she’d overstayed her welcome with her sister, was ready to build something of her own. When they had saved enough, they would try to buy a property if they could. Anyway, Lucas was also offered a position as a guard, and he would be earning a decent salary just like Lina.

When the couple entered the gates, Lina took one long look at the little row of homes and nodded, her eyes gleaming with quiet determination.

And so, by the fading light of that day, Lara stood under the Narra Tree just a short distance from the houses and watched the quiet activity unfold—the new residents finding their rooms, unpacking the few belongings they had.

Her team was forming.

Lina, her seamstress.

Grandma Arlina, her herbalist.

Thalia, resilient and steady, would be her marketing arm.

Zeeta and Leah, who would learn and one day become vital to her beauty products and wound healing balms.

Mona, who surprised everyone with her sharp eye for design.

This was only the beginning.

They didn’t know it yet, but the humble row of homes would soon become the beating heart of something greater. Something bold. Something that would one day be known simply as Gabriella, a strong presence of women in a world dominated by men.