Chapter 32: Shopkeepers
After several minutes of negotiation and gentle persuasion, Noah and Alissa reached an agreement that left both siblings staring at him with barely contained disbelief.
One gold coin per day will be shared between the siblings as a salary for cleaning his modest shop and occasionally preparing meals when he felt too lazy to cook for himself.
I'm essentially paying them a small fortune for basic housekeeping.
Alissa's tail hadn't stopped wagging since he'd made the offer. Her amber eyes shimmered with something between gratitude and determination, the look of someone who'd been drowning and suddenly found land.
"We won't disappoint you...I promise!"
Kip bounced on his toes beside her. "Can we start tomorrow? I'm really good at organising things!"
This kid's enthusiasm is infectious.
Noah smiled, watching their transformation from desperate refugees to eager employees.
The gold coin represented more than a payment to the two siblings. It was dignity, purpose, a chance to earn their place in the world rather than simply existing on charity.
"Start whenever you're ready." He gestured around the sparse shop. "Though I should warn you, there is a lot of dust around."
"Leave that to us."