The Swordswoman's Revenge Story after Rebirth

The Swordswoman’s Revenge Story after Rebirth

Chapter 55 Throw Them Out

The moment the farmhands heard that their wages would be paid, the crowd fell silent.

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From her vantage point above them, Isolde studied their faces. They all had the same look–dark–skinned and thin. Being tanned was expected, but being so emaciated was not.

Laborers, if well–fed, should be strong. But Montlins Manor’s farmhands were anything but.

Michelle was a far–sighted person–she wouldn’t have starved the workers she depended on. There was only one explanation: Otto and his gang had been skimming off the food budget as well.

Isolde took a deep breath, then spoke slowly, “I understand that many of you are leaving. If you’ve found better wages elsewhere, I won’t stop you. As for Otto and the overseers, I’ve already paid them their wages inside. Now, I will pay yours, according to the figures Otto himself reported to Michelle.

“Your wages during the harvest season were recorded as one thousand coins a month. In the off–season, five hundred. Wages are issued monthly, so the manor owes you one month’s pay. Go to Helena, register your name, and collect your money.”

A deathly silence fell over the crowd.

The farmhands looked at each other in confusion, as if unsure they’d heard correctly.

Then, one man blurted out, more shocked than when they were demanding their wages, “You’re saying we get paid monthly? One thousand coins for the harvest season? OMG. Really?”

“That’s right,” Isolde confirmed. “The records show that, but right now, we’re still in the off–season, so each of you will receive five hundred coins. In addition, Montlins Manor issues a summer allowance of one -hundred coins per month, making it a total of six hundred.”

Otto’s expression stiffened.

When Isolde had been flipping through the ledgers earlier, he’d been confident. The wage records were deliberately vague, tucked away at the very end of the books. Unless she had read through everything, she couldn’t possibly have found them.

And with the workers forcing the issue so quickly, she shouldn’t have had time to go through the books at all!

she had.

The workers earn two hundred

read, step up and check for yourself,” she said. “This is the ledger Otto submitted to Michelle every month. The wages section clearly states five hundred coins as the non–harvest wage. “In Windermount, where I managed an estate, the harvest wage was always increased to a thousand. Three meals a day. One

flipping through the pages, trying to make sense of the numbers.

of them, and pointed to

but do vou recornize vour names? Do you recognize the numbers hecide them?”

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55 Throw Them Out

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They knew their own names. And

to collect wages? Miss Langley says there’s no such thing as two years of unpaid work. From the first month, we’ve been earning! Turns out, I have a lot of money

workers turned to him, wide–eyed. One lanky young man grabbed Eddie’s arm, his voice trembling.

counts. As long as you work,

crowd, “That’s not what Estella and Otto said! They told

joined in, and soon, the anger in the crowd

raised her voice and declared, “I did say I would cut wages, but not yours. The ones I was going to cut were Otto’s and the overseers‘ wages. They earn 3,000 a month yet do no real work–shouldn’t their pay be reduced? They threatened me, saying that if I cut their wages, they would take you all with them and leave Montlins Manor unable to function. I had no choice but to ask Jessica to find temporary replacements. I would love for all of you to stay. However, I understand the bond you have with Otto and the

again. Seeing the situation turning against them, Estella and Otto attempted to flee, but Harlan and Vincenzo blocked their path with expressionless

think you’re going? First, explain exactly how much of the field workers‘ wages you’ve

and the overseers. Some, particularly those with hot tempers, had already thrown punches. Otto, being a frail scholar, could

for so many years, a mere promise was not enough to

steal our wages, but they even tried to trick us into leaving the manor with them. Let’s

Give us back our

leave. We want

leaving. You

from the wall and stood

it?” Oliver asked

complicated could a manor

knew they were skimming wages all

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