Creeeeeak…
The study door pushed open. Amelia walked in first, followed by the cold and distant Rhea and Mira.
"Lord Lucas," Amelia called out softly before stepping aside to let the others through.
"..." Rhea froze. Amelia didn't even introduce her? The silence was agonizingly awkward, leaving her with no choice but to keep her face masked in a layer of icy indifference.
"Lord Lucas, we meet again," Mira said, taking the lead to break the tension.
"Please, have a seat," Lucas gestured toward the chairs. His eyes settled on the white-haired, green-eyed woman before him. He offered a refined, elegant smile. "Welcome. You must be Amelia's sister."
"Yes," Rhea managed a stiff nod.
Lucas glanced at Nicole, who returned a gentle smile and began pouring tea for everyone.
As Rhea sat down, she felt a slight sense of relief, though her heart was still on edge. This handsome noble had an aura that felt even more commanding than her own. She had intended to demand Amelia's return immediately, but the words wouldn't come out.
"Amelia, what did you all decide?" Lucas asked, turning to the young girl. As the host, he needed to steer the conversation.
"I'm staying," Amelia said bluntly, her eyes locked onto Lucas's.
"Hmph," Rhea let out a cold snort. "Staying? It's not safe for you here."
"Not safe?" Lucas arched an eyebrow. He understood her angle perfectly. A playful smile played on his lips. "Miss Rhea, what makes you think my city is unsafe?"
"Because you are human," Rhea said, her tone direct and unyielding.
"I see. So you think that because I'm human, I'll harm Amelia?" Lucas couldn't help but chuckle. He finally understood why Amelia was so socially stunted—she was a carbon copy of her sister.
"Amelia is a birdkin. She's worth at least five hundred gold coins," Rhea said, getting straight to the point. She wasn't one for beating around the bush.
"Understood." Lucas's smile widened. He pulled open a desk drawer and took out a small, ornate box. He set it on the table and flipped it open. "In this box are several pearls. Each one is at least fifteen millimeters in diameter, with a total value of over three thousand gold coins. If you're worried I'll sell Amelia for profit, take this box as collateral."
His message was loud and clear: You think I'd sell her for a measly five hundred gold? Here is six times her 'market value' in pearls. Take it if you're so worried.
"You..." Rhea stared at the pearls, her mouth slightly agape. She didn't know what to say. Three thousand gold coins? How many high-level assassination missions would she have to complete to earn that much? And he was just tossing it out as a guarantee for her sister.
Cough, cough...
Mira cleared her throat and nudged Rhea's waist, whispering urgently, "Big sis, the wings! Ask about the wings!"
Rhea gave a small nod. Round one: loss. She had been defeated by the sheer weight of the man's wallet.
"Father, my sister wants to discuss a partnership with you," Amelia chimed in suddenly, completely ignoring Rhea's bewildered expression.
"..." Rhea felt like she was going to cough up blood. When did I say I wanted to partner with this noble? Her own sister was throwing her under the bus.
"Oh? A partnership?" Lucas raised an eyebrow and gave Amelia a meaningful look before turning back to the stunned Rhea. His suspicions were being confirmed.
"Ahem..." Rhea cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment, regaining her icy composure. "Amelia mentioned that you have a way to transport wheat to heights of several hundred meters?"
"Yes, that's correct," Lucas nodded. "My hot air balloons can easily carry several hundred pounds of cargo."
"Is that... is that really possible?" Rhea's eyes widened as she stared at Lucas's calm, refined face.
"It's not difficult," Lucas said, tapping his finger on the desk. "However, the cost is quite high. Transporting it that way would make the wheat several times more expensive than usual."
After all, air freight—even via hot air balloon—was a premium service.
"It's actually possible..." Rhea and Mira exchanged a shocked glance. For as long as they could remember, the sky belonged to the birdkin alone.
"If it's for air-dropping wheat, I'll agree to it—for Amelia's sake," Lucas said with a smirk.
He had been wondering how to lure the birdkin into his sphere of influence. He thought he might eventually have to use force, but Amelia had already done the heavy lifting for him.
"Amelia grew her wings. How did you do it?" Rhea asked the question that mattered most to her.
"It's simple: eat well, sleep well, and eat until you're full," Lucas said, spreading his hands. The fundamental reason their wings weren't growing was simple malnutrition.
"That's it?" Rhea frowned. She couldn't believe the problem that had plagued their race for generations could be solved so easily.
Cough, cough!
Mira nudged Rhea again, whispering, "The tribe is starving, sis."
"Er..." Rhea choked on her words and glared at Mira. She remembered the state of Stone Mountain. Most of their people were barely surviving on the edge of starvation. During winter, it was common to eat one meal and then go hungry for two days.
Eating "well" and "until full" were simple concepts, but for the birdkin, they were a luxury. They could maybe provide for a few elites, but feeding all the wingless youngsters was impossible.
"I'll have Nicole describe what Amelia eats for her meals. You can use it as a reference," Lucas said. Seeing the two women's reactions, he decided to add some fuel to the fire. He didn't believe for a second that the birdkin could resist this.
"Please... go ahead," Mira answered for Rhea, both of them listening intently.
"Nicole, give our guests a rundown of the daily menu," Lucas said, flashing a slightly mischievous smile.
"Of course," Nicole replied, catching his drift instantly. The Master is about to bait someone again.
She looked at the serious expressions on Rhea and Mira's faces and began slowly: "For breakfast, we focus on health. Amelia's breakfast is a bit special. She starts with a cup of fresh milk—worth five copper coins—and a fried egg. That's usually accompanied by rice noodle rolls, steamed buns, or noodles."
"For lunch and dinner, there must be meat. For example, a steak worth three hundred copper coins. Amelia usually eats seven or eight of those. Then there's fish—steamed or braised... braised pork trotters, roasted chicken , grilled lamb chops, and so on. A single meal, if converted to market value, costs about one silver coin."
Pffft!
Mira sprayed her tea right back into her cup. One silver coin for a single meal?!
"Cough! Cough, cough!" Rhea hacked in shock, staring at Nicole before turning her head mechanically toward Amelia.
It all clicked. She finally understood how Amelia's wings had grown. They hadn't been grown—they had been funded. Her sister's wings were literally made of money.
Who could afford a method like that?
Damn rich people!
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