After deciding on his plans for tomorrow, Aarya left Inse's study, spending the rest of the surfing the internet. As night came, he then joined his mother and grandmother for dinner.
Dinner was simple: pea soup, some chicken, and bread. Aarya ate just enough to feel full, more out of necessity than enjoyment. Inse and Ferst shared a bit of light conversation, while Aarya mostly listened. Soon, they each retreated to their own rooms for the night.
Lying in bed, Aarya found himself struggling to fall asleep. Thoughts about the future filled his mind, stirring up a mix of nervousness and irritation. 'Monsters, magic, blessings, debt… and chamber pots.' He scowled. 'First thing I'm doing when I get rich is installing a proper toilet.'
With a sigh, he rolled over, determined to shut his mind off and get some sleep.
The next day, Aarya woke up late, almost brushing noon, and hurried through a late breakfast. Afterward, he made his way to Inse's study. Today, she wore a beautiful brown dress that accentuated her features. Upon seeing Aarya, Inse smiled warmly and greeted him.
"Good morning, snoozy rabbit."
"Good morning, Mother. And I really don't like being called 'snoozy rabbit' or any type of rabbit," Aarya replied as he settled into a chair.
Inse chuckled, unfazed. "So, snoozy turtle it is."
"No, Aarya! And why turtle?" he protested.
Inse laughed again, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Because you're taking your sweet time waking up! Just like a turtle taking its time to come out of its shell."
Inse and Aarya chatted for a while until a maid entered, announcing Mr. Belhite's arrival. Inse instructed the maid to have them seated in the living room and to serve tea.
As they walked into the living room, Aarya noticed Chulond sitting comfortably with a cup of tea, while Jarg stood attentively beside him. When Inse entered, Chulond set his cup down and stood up to greet her.
"Good afternoon, Barnosses Ditew and young Lord Ditew," he said, bowing respectfully.
Both Inse and Aarya returned the greeting, taking their seats. Inse and Chulond quickly fell into conversation, exchanging pleasantries and discussing matters that seemed important to them. Aarya shifted uncomfortably in his chair, feeling a growing sense of impatience. He never liked the formalities that accompanied visits like these, but now that he was noble, he understood that they were necessary. So, he settled back and listened quietly.
Finally ending the idle chatter, Inse steered the conversation toward more important matters. "Before we finalize our business, Mr. Belhite, I would like you to take a look at something. Would that be all right?"
Chulond wasn't surprised by this; it was a familiar pattern he'd seen with most small nobles. They would offer him some minor assistance and invite him to their homes, only to unveil something they expected him to buy—usually inferior goods or some kind of scam. He had no intention of falling for it, planning to refuse any proposal with a polite excuse, just as he had done in the past.
"I would love to," Chulond replied, keeping his tone upbeat.
At Inse's gesture, a maid entered, bringing three bags on a plate and setting them down on the table in front of them.
"What is that, Lady Ditew?" Chulond asked, curiosity evident in his tone.
Inse opened the bags to reveal their contents, and Chulond's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Please, try some," Inse encouraged.
Chulond hesitated for a moment before taking a pinch of salt, examining it curiously. After tasting it, his expression shifted to one of genuine surprise. He did the same with the sugar, intrigued by the quality.
For the black pepper, he pulled out a corn and handed it to Jarg. Startled, Jarg hurriedly accepted it and tasted it as well. His face turned bitter at the flavor.
Noticing Jarg's reaction, Chulond began scrutinizing the bags again, trying to make sense of how the nobles had acquired such high-quality products. Realizing he was sitting in front of nobles, he put the bags down and smiled apologetically. "I apologize, my lady. I was really intrigued. Can I assume you showed this to me because you want to sell it?"
Inse nodded, about to respond, when Chulond cut her off. "I can pay 20 gold for all three bags." As the words left his mouth, he regretted making the first offer.
Aarya was taken aback by Chulond's offer, his surprise evident on his face. He glanced at his mother, only to find her expression perfectly composed, like a seasoned poker player. Thankfully, no one was paying attention to him, allowing Aarya to regain his composure.
"I'm glad to hear you're interested in purchasing these, but I have some conditions before I can sell them to you," Inse said.
Still regretting his earlier words, Chulond asked, "What conditions, my lady?"
"I want to make a deal," Inse replied, her tone serious as Chulond leaned in, eager to listen.
"I want you to purchase wheat, barley, and other goods from us. If you agree, not only can you buy these three bags, but every time you buy other goods from us, you can also purchase these three items in bulk."
Chulond contemplated the deal for a moment before responding. "I'm fine with purchasing goods from you, my lady, but Dunsany isn't on my usual route of travel. The deal would only be possible if I dropped off the goods I'm carrying in the city and return to buy from you in a week. Would you be able to gather the amount I need by then?"
Inse heard this and glanced at Aarya, who assured his mother with a look that they could manage it. "We can manage that," she replied confidently.
Chulond stood up, extending his hand. After agreeing to the business arrangement, Inse and Chulond began negotiating the prices.
Chulond proposed renegotiated rates of 4 gold coins for each bag of sugar and salt, and 6 gold coins for each bag of pepper.
In the end, Chulond agreed to buy goods worth 120 gold coins, along with 140 gold coins' worth of salt, sugar, and pepper. This brought the total to 260 gold coins.
After finalizing the details, Inse and Aarya headed toward the storage shed while Chulond and Jarg left to fetch their wagons for loading the goods. Aarya and Inse walked side by side, smiles lighting up their faces as they moved toward the shed. For the first time in a while, Inse felt a glimmer of hope—hope that they could finally rid themselves of their debts and start leading better lives.
However, that hope quickly vanished the moment they opened the shed doors. Inside, they found the stored goods had disappeared.