Free Web NovelChapter 475: Chapter 475: A Tragic House-Elf
Inside the banquet hall, guests flowed in and out without end. Each of them was dressed very suitably; the men mostly wore long tailcoats, and the women wore colorful evening gowns.
And in the center of the hall stood a man, like the moon surrounded by stars.
He was about forty years old, with a small mustache on his upper lip that curled slightly upward. His brilliant blue eyes scanned his surroundings, and a faint, knowing smile played on his lips.
Kinuta Pollajera, the 28-year-old head of the pure-blood Pollajera family. He was also the host of this banquet, which was meant to celebrate his tenth wedding anniversary with his wife.
In the eyes of others, Kinuta and his wife Manila were simply a match made in heaven. Not only were their families both pure-blood and well-matched, but they also looked like a perfect couple. Furthermore, both were humble and courteous.
To outsiders, their marital relationship appeared to be very good. They always acted with mutual respect, no matter the time or occasion.
Of course.
Most importantly, the Pollajera family had vast holdings in the wizarding world! From book publishers to newspapers, from magic toy shops to black market suppliers, their family had stakes in almost every industry in the wizarding world.
Such a prominent figure naturally made people from all corners of the wizarding world eager to befriend him.
Take a political careerist like Fudge, for example.
Through the screen, Jellall had already spotted him in a front-row seat in the center of the banquet. He had to admit, this Minister for Magic was indeed quite skilled at navigating social circles.
He could hold a conversation with people from all sorts of factions. Even on topics he didn’t quite understand, he could pretend to respond fluently.
From this perspective, it could truly be said that he had earned his position as Minister for Magic through his own abilities. Skillful maneuvering was also a sign of capability.
However, Jellall hadn’t deliberately turned on this surveillance device just to watch him. With a soft snap of his fingers, the image on the screen in front of him abruptly changed.
This was a dark basement, lit only by two broken kerosene lamps.
A black-haired woman in a bright red evening gown swayed gracefully, holding a glass of red wine that was half full.
This woman was Manila Pollajera, Kinuta Pollajera’s wife, and the mistress of the Pollajera family. She had once been hailed as the most elegant woman in the wizarding world, a regular guest of the Noblewoman’s Weekly, the jewel of the pure-blood families...
With all these accolades, in everyone’s impression, she was a perfect woman – graceful, dignified, and gentle. But in reality, she had a hidden side that was unknown to others.
At this moment, before her, a house-elf covered in wounds hung upside down. This house-elf’s name was Lara, and she was a very young house-elf.
Lara, like her parents, belonged to the Pollajera family’s servants.
However, several years ago, Lara’s parents had passed away one after another. At the time, Lara didn’t understand why, only seeing her parents’ bodies being carried away covered in wounds.
It wasn’t until two months ago, when she was brought to this basement by her current mistress, that she finally understood how her parents had died.
And soon, she might suffer the same fate as her parents.
Zap.
As Manila pressed a switch in the basement, the entire space was filled with a sudden crackle of electricity. Countless electric ions gathered, converging on Lara’s body from all directions.
"Aaaah!" Intense pain caused Lara to let out a piercing scream, but her voice could not penetrate the sealed basement.
The constantly flashing electric lights illuminated Manila’s crazed and twisted smile. The noblewoman, at this moment, seemed to have torn off her opulent and hypocritical mask, revealing her true demonic face.
Likewise.
In the glow of the electricity, Lara’s face was full of pain and indignation. But she could not resist, nor could she possibly resist. She felt this must be the fate of house-elves, after all, they were the private property of their masters.
Crack.
After about five minutes, Manila finally stopped what she was doing.
This was certainly not due to a crisis of conscience, but rather because Lara was the only house-elf left in the household. If she killed Lara, not only would her spineless husband be displeased, but there would also be no one to manage the household affairs.
She couldn’t possibly do those family chores herself, could she? Don’t be ridiculous, she was a noble pure-blood!
Clack.
The noose was removed, and the weak Lara fell to the ground like a rag. Blood trickled from her lips, but she was too weak to wipe it away. She tried to struggle to get up, but due to her body’s spasms, she couldn’t.
"Stop pretending, get up now." Manila, wearing high heels, kicked her fiercely, flipping the house-elf’s entire body over. "You know you have duties today, so clean this basement!"
"Yes..." Lara responded weakly.
Even though the grief and indignation in her heart had reached its peak, her body instinctively responded. This was the ingrained servility of house-elves, a deeply rooted subservience.
This servility was certainly not naturally occurring, but rather the result of wizards intentionally guiding them through special means.
From "Heart-Control Potion" to "Enslavement Rings," they had continuously modified the thoughts and bodies of house-elves through enslavement since ancient times. This was an evolutionary process of the species accumulated over many years.
This servility was very, very difficult to change from within. It could only be broken by external influence.
"Filthy pig, such a lowlife!" Manila sneered at Lara, who was slowly struggling to her feet, smoothed her clothes, and turned towards the staircase.
Seeing this, Jellall frowned slightly and sighed. "Let’s start with her, Aura." His voice seemed to carry a special magic, piercing through layers of void.
"Of course, my lord." From behind Lara, a black void slowly opened. Aura, dressed in a small black suit and with a confident expression, slowly emerged.
Snap.
Aura snapped her fingers, and Lara’s expression froze. She turned her head with a slightly vacant look.
"From now on, you are no longer a slave, my compatriot."
Aura gently stroked Lara’s head and said softly, "Think about how your family, your parents, died. Are you still going to endure this kind of suffering? Come, come with me, let’s rebel against these evil wizards."
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