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!

somehow, she had.

workers earn two hundred coins a month,

“Anyone here who can 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,

illiterate, crowded around the ledger, flipping through the pages, trying

stepped up, took the book from one of them, and

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

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55 Throw Them Out

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squinted, then started murmuring. They knew their own names. And the numbers next

returned, having changed his clothes. Seeing the commotion, he grinned. “Everyone here to collect wages? Miss Langley says there’s no such thing as two

Eddie’s arm, his voice trembling. “You mean… we get paid from the first month? Not after two years?”

Miss Langley says the first month counts. As long as you work, you get paid. And since the harvest is coming, wages will go

voice rose from the crowd, “That’s not what Estella and Otto said! They told us Miss Langley was cutting

joined in, and soon, the anger in the crowd boiled

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 overseers after so many years. If you choose to stand with them, I respect that. I will still pay you

crowd erupted once again. Seeing the situation turning against them, Estella and Otto attempted to flee, but Harlan and Vincenzo blocked their

and said coolly, “Where do you think you’re going? First,

thrown punches. Otto, being a frail scholar, could no longer keep up his arrogance

many years, a mere promise was not enough to appease

wages, but they even tried to trick us into leaving

Give us back our wages!”

leave. We want

are leaving. You don’t need

wall and stood beside Oliver, watching the

asked in

smiled faintly. “How complicated could a manor

were skimming wages all along?”

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