Handmade items from farmers didn't fetch a good price in Beldora. Buying them from town would be expensive, and they’d have to pay someone to haul them back. Roan wouldn't turn down a chance to earn money, would he?

  Sleeping on a hard board was good for the spine, but sleeping directly on the wood was out of the question. In the barracks, they had no choice but to endure it, but now that they had their own place, they had to make it comfortable.

  When they moved, Silvia had even told them to collect some dried rice straw to use as padding. In these times, people didn't use cotton batting as mattresses; even if they had it, they wouldn't waste it. Dried straw was the standard.

  "I'll go ask... or maybe I’ll wait until only the little girl is home. Her brother is quite cold; he doesn't seem to want us here," Lucy hesitated. Roan’s attitude was blunt, and she wasn't the only one who felt it.

  "The three of them were living a quiet life. We’re newcomers; we should know our boundaries," Lucy said seriously. Elena agreed. If all else failed, they could go to Beldora. It would just be more exhausting.

  Elena understood why Roan might dislike her. Their house was right against the mountain, making it easy for him to sneak out and hunt. Now that they were next door, his movements were restricted.

  While Lucy stayed home to clean and find a chance to ask about the mats, Elena went to the headquarters to haul the dried straw. Unlike most people who just threw it on the bed, Elena trimmed the prickly ends, leaving only neat stalks. She borrowed a fodder cutter to slice them to a uniform length and then used a needle and thread to secure them. In an era of few resources, straw could make a decent mattress.

  Lucy made a trip and brought back two mats. As she helped Elena finish the straw bedding, Elena learned that Sofia had refused to take any money.

  "That won't do. We have to pay. The girl is blind; people might think we’re bullying her," Elena said, her brow furrowing.

  Sneaking over to negotiate while the head of the house was away was a bit shady to begin with. There was no excuse for taking things for free.

  Lucy looked troubled. "I tried to pay, but Sofia insisted they were a gift. I tried to hide the money on the windowsill, but she found it and shoved it back at me. I was afraid of pushing her so hard she’d fall over, so I figured I’d just give the money to her big brother later."

  From the start, Lucy had no intention of taking advantage of a little girl.

  Elena nodded. "Then don't put them on the beds yet. If they won't take the money, we’ll return them." Elena was starting to regret it; she’d rather have gone to Beldora. If a problem could be solved with money, she didn't want to owe anyone a favor.

  As the evening smoke began to rise from the houses, Marco returned from the mountain with a load of firewood. He had spent the whole day looking for wild eggs and had missed Elena’s visit. However, he had known who was moving in—kids often hear news faster than adults.

  "Sofia, why are there two mats missing?"

  Just as Elena had guessed, the bamboo mats and straw ropes were meant for the purchasing station. Marco noticed the count was off the moment he got home.

  Roan also returned from the fields at that moment. He passed Elena’s courtyard; the gate was closed, and while there were people inside, it was quiet. It seemed they intended to keep to themselves, which suited Roan perfectly.

  He stepped through the door just as Marco discovered the missing mats.

  Sofia looked delighted, her face turned up with an expression that said 'Didn't I do well?' "I gave them to the two sisters next door! Sister Elena tried to give me money, but I wouldn't take it."

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  "..." Marco felt a sharp sting of regret.

  Why give them away?! Those city soldiers lived much better than they did—they had candy and meat! Was his sister that foolish? Giving away things that could be sold for cash? Had the neighbors tricked her?

  Roan felt like he was about to cough up blood. Weaving mats was hard work, and she was blind—yet she just gave them away?

  Sensing the tense atmosphere, Sofia said timidly, "Should I not have? But Second Brother, didn't you say that sister was nice? You brought her eggs, and she gave you extra candy."

  She was nice, and she did give him candy—but he had traded for it! It wasn't a handout!

  But seeing Sofia’s distress, both Roan and Marco softened instantly. They couldn't bring themselves to scold her. Roan, who hadn't spoken yet, quickly said, "It's fine. Weaving two mats isn't much trouble. If you gave them away, then so be it. I'll just weave some more."

  Sofia still looked like she might cry, reflecting on whether she had been too generous.

  Knock, knock, knock...

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Elena was standing at the entrance. There was no telling how much she had overheard.

  "Oh, you're all here. I came to pay for the mats," Elena said with a smile, looking as if she hadn't heard a thing.

  Roan felt a wave of relief, but looking at Sofia, he forced himself to refuse. "The mats were a gift from Sofia. If she says they’re a gift, they’re a gift. I can't take your money."

  His heart ached for the lost income, but he wouldn't let his sister lose face.

  Elena looked at Sofia, then at the expressionless Roan, and finally at the pained face of Marco. Her smile widened. She turned to Sofia. "In that case, I won't pay. Sofia, thank you so much."

  As she spoke, however, she shoved the money into Roan’s hand.

  Sofia didn't know. Her face turned red, and she said shyly, "No... no need for thanks." She had really wanted to give them a gift, but she also realized she had made a mistake. The household items weren't hers alone; her brother had helped with the mats. She shouldn't have given them away without asking.

  Since the items are gone, I'll just twist a few more pounds of straw rope to make up for it, Sofia decided firmly.

  Roan stared at the bills in his hand. After a moment of silence, he gripped them tightly. He looked up at Elena. Thinking he was going to return them, Elena quickly made an 'X' with her arms in refusal. She called out a goodbye to Sofia and bolted away.

  Roan: "..."

  Once the sound of Elena’s footsteps faded, Sofia apologized to her brothers. "Big Brother, Second Brother, next time I'll consult you first. I... I'll twist more rope. Please don't be upset."

  "I'm not angry. You can make the decisions for things in this house. If you gave them away, you gave them away." Roan held the money, his expression unchanging as he turned to a stunned Marco. "Now, go take a bamboo basket and two drying trays over to them."

  Hearing that her brother wasn't forced and was even supporting her with more gifts, Sofia cheered up again. "The two sisters are good people."

  We barely know them. How can you be sure they're good people? Just because they give you candy and say nice things? Looking at the guileless Sofia, Roan was filled with apprehension.

  But then he remembered that since Sofia’s vision had faded, she rarely left the house. Aside from her close friend Clara, who occasionally visited, the house was usually empty. Roan swallowed his words.

  Sofia was just too lonely. That was why she was so happy to see two new people appear out of nowhere.