Non, after hearing Emily’s timid request, turo one of the maids nearby, still clearing the empty ptes.

  “How much money do we have in the mansiht now?” he asked, with a natural ess, though the question itself was surprising.

  The maid, visibly taken aback by the inquiry, blinked a couple of times before responding.

  “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know precisely. The head maid is the one who hahe ats.”

  No out a sigh, clearly annoyed.

  “And where is she?”

  “She left a little while ago, sir,” the maid replied, apologetically and with a nervous tone.

  Non paused before adding, with a hint of sarcasm, “Well, it seems my staff is taking quite a few days off tely.”

  The maid, visibly worried, bowed her head in apology.

  “I’m very sorry, sir.”

  “It’s fine,” Non said, dismissing the issue with a wave of his hand. “I need you to gather some money. Quickly.”

  The maid hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much she should collect.

  “How much, sir?”

  Non smiled slightly aured toward Emily, who was shrinking in embarrassment in her seat.

  “Enough to impress her grandparents.”

  Emily, upon hearing that, felt her face flush instantly.

  ‘It’s like they’re buying me!’

  “Please…” she murmured, embarrassed. “You don’t… you don’t o spend much. You’ve already helped me a lot.”

  Non looked at her with a calm smile.

  “Well, it all depends on what the maid brings. And whatever she brings, you’ll have to accept it.”

  Emily swallowed hard, praying internally that it wouldn’t be too much money.

  She g to the hope that the maid would probably bring a small amount, sidering she was just a mere oner.

  However, within mihe maid returned holding a rather full bag, which took up her entire hand.

  The leather bag looked heavy, and Emily, with her heart rag, mentally begged that it was filled with copper s.

  But, given the size... if they were silver, or worse, gold, she might just faint!

  The maid approached respectfully and hahe bag to Emily, who received it feeling the weight of its tents in her hands.

  It was heavier than she had imagined.

  Non, curious, looked at her and asked,

  “Aren’t you going to t it?”

  Emily, nervously smiling and not daring to open the bag, shook her head.

  “There’s no need. Any amount is enough. I trust you… you’ve already helped me so much.”

  Non, satisfied with her response, looked at the maid and added,

  “I hope you’ve given Emily enough money. We wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on her grandparents, right?”

  The maid, clearly feeling the pressure, nodded quickly.

  “I’m 100% sure, sir, that Miss Emily’s grandparents will be more than pleased with this gift.”

  Emily, nervous at the maid’s fidearted to sweat as her mind wandered about what could be ihat bag.

  Non, notig her tension, simply poio the pte in front of her.

  “Finish your meal; you don’t want to leave it all.”

  The versation took a back seat as they both focused on finishing their food.

  Mier, the se ged.

  Emily said her goodbyes to Non and the staff at the mansion, but this time, to her relief, she was guided to a more discreet exit.

  The servants had informed her that the mairance acked with curious nobles, pretending to have casual versations but really waiting for Non to e out.

  Emily thahe servants for everything as she slipped out the side door, her heart pounding.

  The bag she carried felt siderably heavier than she had anticipated, only increasing her ay.

  ‘Please, let it be copper s…’ she thought as she walked as quickly as possible toward her home.

  She quied her pace, avoiding the curious looks of passersby and guards, whom she bid farewell to in a rushed manner.

  All she wanted was to get home, where the weight in her pocket could finally be released.

  When she arrived, she almost knocked on the door several times out of nervousness.

  Her grandmother, an elderly woman but with a vibrant energy, ope with a warm smile.

  “Emily! How did it go?”

  Emily tried to calm her breathing, trying to sound as posed as possible.

  “Good… all good,” she said, with a nervous smile. Her eyes sed the room looking for her grandfather, but his usual chair was empty. “And Grandpa?”

  Her grandmhed.

  “He’s lying dow ioday, so tomorrow you might have to cover for him at work.”

  Emily nodded, still processing that information.

  At that moment, almost without thinking, she took out the bag she had hidden in her dress and pced it oable.

  Before Emily could say anything, her grandmother quickly grabbed it, curious about its tents.

  The room fell silent as her grandmother opehe bag, and her eyes wide what she saw inside.

  At first, they seemed like bronze s, but upon closer iion… they were gold!

  “They’re gold!” her grandmother shouted, her hands trembling as she started ting the s, p them onto the table with excitement.

  Emily couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  ‘Are all the s really gold?!’ she thought, watg in disbelief as her grandmother pulled out oer another, all gleaming with the pure shine of the metal.

  “Jacob!” her grandmother shouted, calling her husband from the other room. “You have to see this!”

  Her grandfather, Jacob, responded with a groan of pain.

  “My leg hurts too much to get up!”

  “Get here right now!” insisted her grandmother, with a mix of excitement and authority in her voice.

  Mier, Jaced himself from the bed to the table, leaning on an improvised crutch.

  When he saw the pile of gold s spread out oable, he froze, his mouth slightly open in disbelief.

  The joy on his wife’s face was undeniable, but when he looked at Emily, she seemed to be pletely in shock.

  Emily didn’t know how to feel.

  The wave of emotions hitting her was too much.

  ‘They’re buying me!’ she thought to herself, as her mind struggled to prehend what had just happened.