At Silas's side, the maid stepped half a pace closer. Her gaze shifted, then settled on Liona.

Liona, who was standing not far from Mae, finally offered the maid a small smile.

…Didn't expect Lilia to grow taller than me, she thought lightly. She used to feel so small back then.

Meanwhile, behind the maid's flat expression, her thoughts moved quickly.

That's Nana, right?

Her eyes swept over Liona's body with careful scrutiny—far too careful to be mere politeness.

Nana… why do you look so small and thin?

…Was she abused?

Is she being fed properly?

Her gaze then shifted—slowly—toward Lucas.

That depraved man…

Her memory immediately leapt to the rumors she had heard before. Filthy accusations. Disgusting whispers.

…Did he abuse Nana?

Her expression remained professional, nearly flawless. Yet beneath her calm stare, suspicion settled in—cold and sharp.

Meanwhile, Lucas was completely unaware of what was going on in the minds of those around him. He only cast a brief glance toward the high-class wagons parked not far away, then refocused on a single thing.

How much he could extract from today's harvest—without losing control.

---

Lucas returned the greeting with a brief nod.

"In that case," he said calmly, "how will the transaction proceed?"

Silas smiled faintly, as if he had been expecting the question.

"Ah, my apologies, Young Master," he replied politely. "I forgot—this may be your first time conducting a transaction directly with the Merchants' Guild."

He then turned slightly and looked behind him.

"Please."

Several well-dressed individuals who had come with him moved at once. Two of them lifted a large Libra scale from a cargo wagon positioned at the very end of the wagon line, the metal gleaming under the morning sun. They carried it to the edge of the field and began setting up the measuring equipment with practiced motions—clearly not their first time doing this.

"Each harvest will be weighed on-site," Silas continued as he explained. "Recorded, sealed, then loaded onto the guild's wagon. Payment follows the final weight."

Lucas gave a slow nod.

Silas raised his hand slightly, gesturing toward the scale.

"In that case, Young Master," he said, "please come closer to the Merchants' Guild's Libra scale."

Lucas stepped forward without hesitation.

At his side, Silvara moved as well, her shoulders slightly tense, her gaze alert, her hand never straying far from her weapon's hilt.

Silas noticed the reaction and gave a faint smile.

"Please rest assured, honorable knight," he said politely. "I always conduct business honestly."

He tapped his chest lightly. "The oath of the Merchants' Guild is to purchase any goods at a fair price."

Lucas clicked his tongue softly.

"Let's go. No need for small talk."

Silas let out a quiet chuckle, not offended in the slightest.

In the distance, Anya—still standing straight while guarding the perimeter—glanced toward the luxurious wagons. Her eyes immediately lit up.

"Wuaaah…" she murmured, barely audible. "So fancy…"

Her chest puffed up slightly.

Observeee…

Meanwhile, Silas had already turned around and issued a brief command.

"You there. Bring all the baskets closer to the scale, put it on the left side."

The people who had come with him moved at once. Basket after basket was lifted neatly and carried toward the Libra scale, arranged in order with minimal noise—clearly well trained. The baskets were arranged neatly on the left pan.

Lucas watched for a moment, then asked flatly,

"So I don't need to do anything?"

"That's correct," Silas answered promptly. "Just leave it to us, Young Master."

He then reached into his pocket and took out several small metal pins. Their surfaces gleamed, engraved with LG—the L curved in a way that resembled the zodiac symbol of Libra.

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"Pins?"

Silas smiled politely, as he always did.

"Libra weight pins. They are used in the weighing process. Each pin represents a standard guild measure—one libra, a half, or a quarter—to ensure there is no discrepancy."

Lucas studied the pins briefly, then nodded.

"Alright. Thanks for the explanation."

The weighing process began.

The maid who had been standing at Silas's side stepped forward. This time, she carried a thick ledger and a writing instrument. Her posture was straight, her expression composed—clearly prepared to record every figure shown by the scale.

At the same time, Silas moved up beside the Libra scale, his hands already poised to adjust the weight pins.

"Please observe closely, Young Master," he said politely, casting a brief glance toward Silvara.

Then he added, as if just remembering, "Ah, one more thing— one additional witness from your side is required."

Lucas let out a quiet breath.

Is this man really that devious, or is he just obsessively by-the-book?

He glanced back, sweeping his gaze briefly before speaking.

"Liona."

Liona looked slightly surprised, but she immediately stepped forward with composed strides. The moment she came to stand beside Lucas—

The maid turned.

Her flat expression softened just a fraction. She offered Liona a small smile.

But when her gaze shifted to Lucas, the smile vanished. All that remained was a cold look, bordering on contempt.

The maid's eyes returned to Liona.

…Nana.

Her chest tightened for no clear reason.

Why do you look like this?

So thin. Too thin. Like someone who hasn't been fed properly.

In her eyes, Liona looked like someone constantly enduring hunger—someone suffering in silence.

…Nana… why do you have to go through this?

Meanwhile, Lucas noticed none of it. He simply stood there, waiting for the weighing to proceed, unaware that behind the recorded numbers and guild regulations, a pair of eyes was watching him with suspicion that continued to harden.

One basket was lifted and placed onto the left side of the Libra scale.

The iron frame creaked softly, then—

thud.

The left pan dropped at once, tilting heavily downward.

The indicator needle trembled, swayed briefly, then began to slow.

Silas watched the movement calmly. Without haste, he took a Libra Pin from his palm and placed it onto the right pan.

Clink.

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