A loud, urgent banging on the door of his house jolted Lys awake.

  BANG! BANG! BANG!

  His eyes flew open. The hut was still almost dark; only the faintest gray light was creeping in through the small window. He sat up quickly, his heart racing for a second before he remembered where he was. ‘Oh, I’m in another world now!’

  He pulled his head up a little and saw beside him that Mira was already awake. She sat up on her mat, rubbing her eyes, and put a finger to her lips, telling him to stay quiet, not wanting to wake mom up.

  She whispered, “Some people from Sara’s house are outside. They’re asking for you.”

  Lys blinked the sleep away and nodded. He grabbed a thicker shirt and pulled it over his head to fight the morning chill, then slipped on his shoes. “Stay here. I’ll see what they want.”

  He walked to the door and opened it.

  Three women were standing outside, each holding a lantern. Behind them was a wooden cart with large wheels, perfect for carrying heavy loads. The woman in front, tall, with short brown hair and a practical coat, stepped forward.

  “You’re Lys, right? The one who wants to sell wolf pelts to Madam Vesper?”

  Lys nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

  “Good,” she said, sounding relieved to find him. “Madam Vesper is leaving for the capital very soon. She wants the pelts now so she can take them with her. We brought the cart. Can you bring them out?”

  Lys glanced back into the hut. Mira was standing right behind him, watching everything with worried eyes.

  He turned to the women. “Give me a minute. I’ll bring them.”

  He stepped back inside and started gathering the dried pelts that were stacked neatly near the door. They were still a bit stiff from the cold night air. Mira followed him.

  “What’s going on?” she asked quietly, keeping her voice low so she wouldn’t wake Elara. “Why are they here so early?”

  Lys picked up the first heavy pelt. “Madam Vesper is leaving at dawn. She wants to take the pelts with her and pay me before she goes. I forgot to tell you last night.”

  Mira frowned. “You’re going alone? It’s still dark outside.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Lys said, lifting the second pelt onto his shoulder. “It’s just to Sara’s house. Quick in and out. You should go back to sleep.”

  Mira shook her head firmly. “No way. I’m coming with you. What if something happens? You’re still recovering, and carrying all these heavy pelts by yourself…”

  Lys wanted to argue, but he saw the genuine worry in her eyes. So he sighed softly. “Alright. But only if you tell Mom first. She might wake up and panic if she finds the house empty.”

  Mira nodded quickly. She hurried back to Elara, who was still sleeping soundly, and gently shook her shoulder.

  “Mom… Mom, wake up for a second.”

  Elara stirred, blinking sleepily. “Mira? What’s wrong?”

  “Some people from Sara’s house came for the pelts. Lys is going to deliver them now. I’m going with him so he doesn’t have to carry everything alone. We’ll be back soon, okay?”

  Elara sat up a little, still half-asleep. “Okay, Be careful, both of you. And come straight back home.”

  “Okay, we will,” Mira promised, kissing her mother’s forehead. “Go back to sleep.”

  Elara nodded and lay back down, already drifting off again.

  Mira came back out, tying a warm shawl around her shoulders. “Ready.”

  ---

  Together, they carried the pelts out one by one and loaded them onto the cart. The three women from Sara’s house helped without saying much. Once everything was secured, the tall woman nodded.

  “Let’s go. Madam Vesper is waiting.”

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  Lys and Mira walked beside the cart as it rolled slowly through the quiet village. The sky was just starting to turn lighter, but the streets were still empty and cold. Mira stayed close to Lys the whole time, glancing at him every few steps.

  “It’s still too early for anybody to come outside. Good thing I came with you, or you would have to return alone with the money.”

  Lys smiled, seeing she wasn’t wrong. After last night’s scare, he was still a little shaken. So he didn’t argue.

  -----

  They reached Sara’s house just as the first rays of sunlight touched the rooftops. The gate was already open, and Sara herself was standing outside, looking fresh despite the early hour.

  She smiled when she saw them. “You came! I thought your mother wouldn’t let you come this early.”

  Lys nodded. “Haha, no problem. My sister came with me. The pelts are all here.”

  Sara looked at Mira and gave her a kind smile. “Good morning, Mira. You came to help, too?”

  Mira nodded politely, though she stayed close to Lys. “Yes. I didn’t want him carrying everything alone.”

  Sara’s eyes softened. “Aww, that’s sweet of you. Come inside. Madam Vesper is having her breakfast. We can settle everything quickly.”

  As they followed Sara into the house, Lys felt a small smile tug at his lips.

  -------

  They followed Sara into the warm main hall. Madam Vesper was already finished with her breakfast. She sat at the long table, holding a delicate teacup between her fingers. When she saw Lys, she placed the cup down gently and stood up with a polite smile.

  “Good morning, young Lys,” she said smoothly. “I hope I didn’t wake you too early.”

  Lys gave a small bow. “Good morning, Madam Vesper. Not at all. Thank you for coming so quickly.”

  Sara smiled beside them. “Shall we go outside? The pelts are ready.”

  Madam Vesper nodded. “Lead the way.”

  The four of them walked out to the front yard where the cart waited. The morning air was fresh and cold. The four large wolf pelts were neatly folded and stacked on the ground beside the cart.

  Madam Vesper stepped forward and knelt beside the top pelt. She ran her fingers through the thick gray fur, then lifted one corner to check the underside. A small, satisfied smile appeared on her face.

  “Well… you weren’t exaggerating,” she said, looking up at Lys. “These are exactly as you described. The texture, the thickness, the subtle sheen, they really are exceptional. There is no doubt that these are Freki pelts. I had my doubts, even after Sara told me and vouched for you, but seeing them in person… I’m impressed. You really kept your end of the bargain very well.”

  She stood up and brushed her hands together. “I look forward to a long and profitable business relationship with you, young man.”

  Lys gave a modest shrug and glanced at Sara. Sara returned the same small shrug, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

  The three servant women quickly loaded the pelts onto the carriage. Once everything was secure, Madam Vesper turned to Sara and handed her a small leather pouch and a folded piece of paper.

  “The full payment, as agreed,” she said. “And the contract for the additional conditions. Please witness it for me.”

  Sara took both items. She opened the pouch slightly, peeked inside, and nodded with satisfaction. Then she unfolded the paper and began to read it out loud so Lys could hear.

  “This agreement states that Madam Vesper shall provide a permanent ten percent discount on all future purchases made by Lysander Veyne, and that the origin of the pelts shall remain confidential…”

  Lys instinctively raised his hand. “It’s okay, Sara. I can read it myself.”

  Sara stopped mid-sentence, surprised. Mira, who had been standing quietly beside Lys, also looked shocked. She knew very well that the old Lys could barely read simple village signs, let alone formal contracts.

  Lys took the paper from Sara’s hand. He stared at it, pretending to read. But the words were written in elegant, flowing script, the formal language of merchants and nobles.

  But the most weird thing was, it looked like complete nonsense to him. The words were totally unknown to him. No words he knew back on Earth resembled it in any way. His face showed clear confusion for a split second before he quickly hid it.

  Sara noticed immediately. Her expression softened with understanding. She gently took the paper back from him.

  “Its okay, Lys. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” she said kindly, her voice soft and polite. “Many people in the villages can’t read well. Especially after the curse eighteen years ago, most of the academies closed down, and learning became a luxury only the capital families could afford. I myself only learned because I traveled to the Royal Academy when I was young. As a villager, it’s very common not to know these formal letters.”

  Mira stayed quiet, but her eyes were wide. She clearly wanted to ask when Lys suddenly said, he knew how to read, but she bit her tongue when she saw his embarrassed face.

  Lys gave Sara a grateful smile. “Thank you. I’ll learn it properly one day.”

  Sara smiled back warmly and folded the paper. “Whenever you’re ready, I can help you practice. No rush.”

  Madam Vesper climbed into her carriage. She gave Lys one last nod. “Until next time, young Lys. I hope our next meeting is just as pleasant.”

  With that, the driver cracked the reins, and the carriage rolled away down the path toward the village gate, disappearing into the early morning mist.

  Sara turned to Lys and Mira. “Would you like to come inside for a quick breakfast and tea, before you go home? It’s still early.”

  Lys shook his head politely. “Thank you, but I should get back. Mom is alone at home. I don’t want her to worry if she wakes up and finds the house still empty.”

  Sara understood. She handed him the heavy pouch of coins. “Here. Count it when you get home. And here’s your copy of the contract.”

  Lys took both. “Thank you again, Sara. For everything.”

  Sara gave him a gentle smile. “Anytime. Be safe on the way back.”

  Mira stayed close to Lys as they walked out of the gate. The morning sun was just starting to rise properly, painting the village in soft golden light.

  As they walked home side by side, carrying the money and the contract, Mira finally spoke in a low voice.

  “Brother… since when can you read those fancy letters?”

  Lys gave her a embarassed smile.

  “Well, I thought I knew. But guess not. They are harder than I thought.”

  Mira narrowed her eyes, but there was a spark of curiosity and doubt in them. She didn’t push any further.

  ----------------------------------------------

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