novelraw Chapter 84 : A Deal Struck in the Open
Chapter 84 : A Deal Struck in the Open
Rooga POV
The merchant’s cart was almost full when he returned to Father, his grin slick as oil.
“Sir Valemont,” he began, bowing low. “Your land is blessed. Truly blessed. It would be a waste for only your hands to tend it.”
Father’s eyes narrowed. “And what are you suggesting?”
The merchant spread his arms. “Let me provide workers. Strong backs, eager hands. They’ll help with your fields, and in return—” He leaned in. “—half the yield goes to you, half to me. I’ll see it sold at the best price.”
Father’s jaw tightened. He opened his mouth to refuse, but I tugged at his sleeve. “Papa… ask what happens to the people who work the land. What do they get?”
Father grunted but asked anyway.
The merchant smirked. “Why, whatever they plant themselves, they keep. A fair deal, no? Everyone eats, everyone profits.”
The crowd that had been lingering nearby suddenly stirred. Murmurs rippled, and soon voices rose.
“Let me work the Valemont fields!”
“I’d rather earn my food than take charity.”
“With land like that, we won’t starve this winter!”
Father raised a hand, his voice deep. “You already know I give food freely. You won’t go hungry as long as I breathe. Why tie yourselves down with sweat when I’ve already promised?”
But an older man stepped forward, his back bent but his eyes sharp.
“With respect, Lord Valemont… a man who takes without working loses his pride. Better we bleed in the soil than wait for handouts.”
Others echoed him. “Aye! Let us work!”
“We’ll make it a community!”
I watched Father’s expression twist — a rare conflict. He wanted to provide, to protect… but they wanted to stand on their own feet.
His gaze swept the villagers, then softened slightly. “If this is your will… then fine. But understand this: whatever grows on Valemont land will still feed the mouths of this land first. No merchant will take food from a starving child.”
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The merchant’s grin wavered for a moment, but he bowed again. “Of course, of course. You have my word.”
I didn’t miss the gleam in his eyes though.
I hugged my knees tighter, whispering only to myself: Papa’s too kind. Mama’s going to hate this.
After Rooga and Darius return from market,
Selene POV
When Darius returned with the wagon lighter but his pockets heavier, I already sensed it. The way his shoulders carried both pride and hesitation.
And when he explained what happened in town, how the merchant had wormed his way into our fields, how the villagers themselves begged to work the land—my blood boiled.
“You decided this without me?” I snapped, rising from my chair. My voice echoed through the small house.
Darius flinched but didn’t back down. “Selene, it was their will. They wanted to work.”
“And what about Rooga’s secret?” My voice cracked sharper than I meant it to. “What happens when someone stumbles too close to that tree? When they see too much?”
He clenched his jaw.
I pressed on. “What about when the beasts break through the wall? Do you think those villagers will hold? Or will they scatter and leave us to pick up the pieces?”
Silence.
I slammed my palm on the table. “And what if—” My throat burned. “What if someone kidnaps Rooga? Do you understand, Darius? If the empire itself learns what he can do—he’ll be dragged away and used just like I was.”
The words tasted like blood. I didn’t realize until then my hands were shaking. “You need to think, Darius. You’re a swordsman. You swing and cut. But who is standing at your side when decisions like this crush us? Who is holding all of it together? I… I don’t even know what to do anymore.”
The room went heavy. My chest heaved, the memories of shackles and battlefields clawing their way back.
Then, from the shadowed corner, a soft voice.
“I can.”
I turned. Lyra stepped forward, Riaz half-asleep in her arms, his small hand clutched against her shoulder. Her expression wasn’t timid, wasn’t hesitant—it was steady, like steel tempered in silence.
“I can manage the people,” she said calmly. “I’ll set the boundaries. The fields will be theirs, but the tree and the land around it will be forbidden. No one crosses unless given leave.”
She shifted Riaz slightly and met Darius’s eyes. “But for that to work, you’ll need to reemploy some of the old staff. Maids who know discretion. Ones who served here before and understand what loyalty means.”
For a moment, the house was silent again. Darius rubbed his temple, clearly weighing the choice.
As for me… my heart still hammered, but a small, fragile part of me eased at Lyra’s words. Maybe we could manage this. Maybe Rooga could still be safe.
But the fear didn’t leave. It never did.