Chương 371: 366. Cinran - III

"How can a brother try to pimp his sister to a noble...?" Isuha whispered harshly, her eyes already glistening with tears.

"I never expected such a thing from you..." She spun and made for the door. Te syb was so surprised that it took a moment for his mind to understand how she had misunderstood. Feeling horrible, he lunged, catching her wrist before she could enter the shop.

"Wait! You misunderstood! It's not what you think!" She folded her arms and stared hard at him.

"Then what else is it?" Tesyb saw people slowing on the street, watching them with curiosity, so he pulled her away from the shopfront and walked with her farther down the street until they reached a quiet stretch with no one nearby. She glared at him, with her arms still crossed.

"Well? How did I misunderstand?" Tesyb exhaled. He knew why she'd jumped to that thought. A noble wanting a good-looking young woman to come to his manor... anyone would assume the worst. But he had known Lord Kivamus for half a year now, and he knew that the baron would never do such a thing. But Isuha didn't know him the way he did. He began, "Calm down first. You're reminding me of Hyola." Isuha frowned, tapping her foot on the ground in anger.

"Who is that? Someone you like? You didn't even tell me about her!" Tesyb snorted.

"No, no! She's way too scary for that... Anyway—listen. It's not what you think. You don't know Lord Kivamus like us Tiranati people, so I understand why that thought came, but he's not like other nobles. Not even close! He'll never do anything like propositioning a woman to serve him in that way. In fact, he protects the village and the villagers better than you can dream of. He is taking personal risks to free people who live as slaves, and now they're living life freely in Tiranat, instead of serving a master.

Hyola was one of them." Isuha's anger wavered.

"Slaves… became free? Did he pay their slave price? It sounds costly..." Tesyb shook his head.

"No, that's not how it's happening. The village couldn't afford that anyway. But that's another long story, and I don't have time to explain it right now. Let's leave that for the next time. What matters is this—Lord Kivamus wants you there because of your skills as a seamstress." She stared at him.

"For my sewing skills?"

"Yeah," Tesyb said.

"He's making some kind of contraption that will make it much easier and faster to weave and sew clothes. But he needs someone skilled in sewing to help him with it, so I suggested your name." Isuha leaned closer.

"A contraption? What does it do? Wait, is it—" she lowered her voice "—some kind of witchcraft? Does it sew clothes if people bring sacrifices to it every day?" Tesyb burst out laughing.

"No. No sacrifices. No witchcraft. This particular machine hasn't been built yet, but I've seen other machines he made, and none of them have anything strange about them. That's why he calls them machines—things that make work easier." He shrugged.

"I don't really understand much about those machines or sewing, so you'll have to ask him yourself for details." Isuha looked unsure.

"Even if that machine works like you say… What will that change? Even if it can make hills of clothing, what good is that if nobody can afford to buy them? Our shop can hardly sell anything here these days, and Cinran is a much bigger place than Tiranat. That contraption won't change anything..."

"If Lord Kivamus says it'll work, then I believe him," Tesyb replied with a shrug.

"And I'm speaking after seeing his tall promises actually come true—again and again—but any details about the machine are way above my pay grade. You'll have to ask him about it." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. She hesitated.

"Let's assume I went there—and I'm not saying I will—but let's assume for a moment that I agreed to go back to Tiranat for a while. I wouldn't even know how to act properly in front of a noble. What if I don't curtsy right? What if he gets angry and has me whipped for that?" Tesyb exhaled slowly.

"There's a lot you don't know about the village, and about him. I don't have enough time to explain everything now, but trust me—I'd stake my life on this—he will never do anything like that. Talking to him is easy. Like talking to an old friend. He encourages everyone to ask questions. He treats people like equals, whether they are nobles or commoners. When you speak to him, you'll never feel like you're speaking to someone superior, like it always feels with nobles.

You just feel like you're speaking to a long-time friend and can talk to him about anything." Isuha let out a breath.

"I want to believe you... but it's difficult to imagine a noble like that. Not that I've talked to many. When nobles come to buy clothes at the shop, I only take the measurements of their wives or daughters. If it's a man, the shop owner sends me upstairs and handles it herself. As much as it annoys me, I understand why... It's just to keep me safe from their grubby hands. So it's hard to believe Lord Kivamus is that different, even though he's also a noble, just like them."

Tesyb said, "You'll have to see it yourself then. And he also told me to tell you that he'll pay you the same wages you earn here, at the very least." Her eyebrows shot up.

"Wait—what? He'll pay me? Like in a full-time job? I thought he just wanted me to visit Tiranat for a short time to help out, until that contraption was built. I was even worried that if I didn't agree, he could remove you from your job as a guard." Tesyb laughed.

"I don't want to brag, but I'm one of the best fighters there. Apart from the captain, anyway. So he won't remove me without a very good reason. And just to be clear, he doesn't want you there for a short visit. He wants you to work there permanently as a seamstress, or rather, to help him as an advisor in building those cloth-making machines. He even mentioned that your shop owner would also be welcome, since she is also a skilled seamstress."

"I don't think she'll ever agree to move away from Cinran... She's lived here all her life." Isuha frowned, looking into the distance.

"Will he really pay me?" Tesyb shrugged.

"Truth is, the guards and villagers haven't been paid in coin yet, although it shouldn't be long now until that starts. But everyone is still getting housing and food for free, so we don't have any real expenses these days. Anyway, once he starts paying everyone in coins, he said he'll pay you at least the same wage you earn here. Maybe even more, from what I understand. How much are you making here?" Isuha looked down the street, lost in thoughts for a while.

"Not much... The same as any apprentice here. I've been sewing for years, so I'm far too skilled to still be called an apprentice, but it's not like I can afford to open a new shop here. 14 coppers a day is what I get now. It used to be 18, but last autumn the shop owner told me she could either cut my wages and keep me there or I could try to find another job for the same amount.

The old man at the sewing shop next door is a creep, so I didn't even consider that, and the third shop in the town wasn't hiring, so I accepted her deal." She added with a shrug.

"It's not possible for a seamstress' apprentice to earn any more in Cinran these days. I've heard Ulriga has much bigger demand for clothing and they can pay more for seamstresses. With my skills, I could probably earn twenty coppers a day there, even in this downturn of sales. More when the times get better. But the living cost would also be much higher in a big city like that. Even if I share a room with other women, I'd still have to pay much higher rent and food prices, so I postponed that idea as well."

Tesyb nodded with relief.

"That was a good decision. It won't be easy for you living alone in a big city. If you decide to move, I think the baron will start paying you immediately. The common laborers, servants, and guards haven't been paid in coin yet, but he never hesitates to spend gold on his new projects, which is the reason he wants you there. I can't tell you about his past projects right now—not at this place where others could overhear—but I'm speaking from experience.

The skilled craftsmen like the blacksmith and carpenters are being paid in coins even now. So if you move, you'll start earning right away." Isuha looked uncertain.

"I don't know... You've boasted a lot about the village, but it sounds too good to be true... The shop owner also keeps saying that things'll get better soon—though nothing has changed for more than a year now—and that we'll start getting big orders any day now. Maybe she'll even raise my wage back to 18 coppers a day in the future..." She looked at him again.

"Do you think he will pay me that much?"