Nolan, after hearing Emily’s timid request, turned to one of the maids nearby, still clearing the empty plates.

“How much money do we have in the mansion right now?” he asked, with a natural calmness, though the question itself was surprising.

The maid, visibly taken aback by the inquiry, blinked a couple of times before responding.

“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know precisely. The head maid is the one who handles the accounts.”

Nolan let out a sigh, clearly annoyed.

“And where is she?”

“She left a little while ago, sir,” the maid replied, apologetically and with a nervous tone.

Nolan paused before adding, with a hint of sarcasm, “Well, it seems my staff is taking quite a few days off lately.”

The maid, visibly worried, bowed her head in apology.

“I’m very sorry, sir.”

“It’s fine,” Nolan said, dismissing the issue with a wave of his hand. “I need you to gather some money. Quickly.”

The maid hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much she should collect.

“How much, sir?”

Nolan smiled slightly and gestured toward Emily, who was shrinking in embarrassment in her seat.

“Enough to impress her grandparents.”

Emily, upon hearing that, felt her face flush instantly.

‘It’s like they’re buying me!’

“Please…” she murmured, embarrassed. “You don’t… you don’t need to spend much. You’ve already helped me a lot.”

Nolan looked at her with a calm smile.

“Well, it all depends on what the maid brings. And whatever she brings, you’ll have to accept it.”

Emily swallowed hard, praying internally that it wouldn’t be too much money.

She clung to the hope that the maid would probably bring a small amount, considering she was just a mere commoner.

However, within minutes, the maid returned holding a rather full bag, which took up her entire hand.

The leather bag looked heavy, and Emily, with her heart racing, mentally begged that it was filled with copper coins.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

But, given the size... if they were silver, or worse, gold, she might just faint!

The maid approached respectfully and handed the bag to Emily, who received it feeling the weight of its contents in her hands.

It was heavier than she had imagined.

Nolan, curious, looked at her and asked,

“Aren’t you going to count it?”

Emily, nervously smiling and not daring to open the bag, shook her head.

“There’s no need. Any amount is enough. I trust you… you’ve already helped me so much.”

Nolan, satisfied with her response, looked at the maid and added,

“I hope you’ve given Emily enough money. We wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on her grandparents, right?”

The maid, clearly feeling the pressure, nodded quickly.

“I’m 100% sure, sir, that Miss Emily’s grandparents will be more than pleased with this gift.”

Emily, nervous at the maid’s confidence, started to sweat as her mind wandered about what could be inside that bag.

Nolan, noticing her tension, simply pointed to the plate in front of her.

“Finish your meal; you don’t want to leave it all.”

The conversation took a back seat as they both focused on finishing their food.

Minutes later, the scene changed.

Emily said her goodbyes to Nolan and the staff at the mansion, but this time, to her relief, she was guided to a more discreet exit.

The servants had informed her that the main entrance was packed with curious nobles, pretending to have casual conversations but really waiting for Nolan to come out.

Emily thanked the servants for everything as she slipped out the side door, her heart pounding.

The bag she carried felt considerably heavier than she had anticipated, only increasing her anxiety.

‘Please, let it be copper coins…’ she thought as she walked as quickly as possible toward her home.

She quickened her pace, avoiding the curious looks of passersby and guards, whom she bid farewell to in a rushed manner.

All she wanted was to get home, where the weight in her pocket could finally be released.

When she arrived, she almost knocked on the door several times out of nervousness.

Her grandmother, an elderly woman but with a vibrant energy, opened it with a warm smile.

“Emily! How did it go?”

Emily tried to calm her breathing, trying to sound as composed as possible.

“Good… all good,” she said, with a nervous smile. Her eyes scanned the room looking for her grandfather, but his usual chair was empty. “And Grandpa?”

Her grandmother sighed.

“He’s lying down. He got injured today, so tomorrow you might have to cover for him at work.”

Emily nodded, still processing that information.

At that moment, almost without thinking, she took out the bag she had hidden in her dress and placed it on the table.

Before Emily could say anything, her grandmother quickly grabbed it, curious about its contents.

The room fell silent as her grandmother opened the bag, and her eyes widened at what she saw inside.

At first, they seemed like bronze coins, but upon closer inspection… they were gold!

“They’re gold!” her grandmother shouted, her hands trembling as she started counting the coins, pouring them onto the table with excitement.

Emily couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

‘Are all the coins really gold?!’ she thought, watching in disbelief as her grandmother pulled out one after another, all gleaming with the pure shine of the metal.

“Jacob!” her grandmother shouted, calling her husband from the other room. “You have to see this!”

Her grandfather, Jacob, responded with a groan of pain.

“My leg hurts too much to get up!”

“Get here right now!” insisted her grandmother, with a mix of excitement and authority in her voice.

Minutes later, Jacob dragged himself from the bed to the table, leaning on an improvised crutch.

When he saw the pile of gold coins spread out on the table, he froze, his mouth slightly open in disbelief.

The joy on his wife’s face was undeniable, but when he looked at Emily, she seemed to be completely in shock.

Emily didn’t know how to feel.

The wave of emotions hitting her was too much.

‘They’re buying me!’ she thought to herself, as her mind struggled to comprehend what had just happened.