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“Amelia gives us our monthly allowance, and anything the baby needs can be drawn from the family fund. The child’s food and clothes are given extra consideration.”
Viola was upset. “You have the highest salary, with an annual salary of 138 silver coins. Including your food allowance and year??nd bonus, you’re bringing in 200 or 300 silver coins a year. Your father and brother’s salaries don’t even add up to 200 silver coins, Why should I put up with this? That won’t work.”
Blake frowned. “So, what do you want me to do? We can’t just have Amelia manage the household without giving her any money.”
“Who says we’re not giving her any money? I told you to give her a third of your salary,” Viola shot back.
“How can a third be enough to cover the expenses? Besides, I’ve already promised her that I’d give her the money. If that’s not enough, we might need to sell off some servants. It should save some money if we’re not keeping so many people under our roof.”
Viola sneered. “Sell off servants? That’s something only desperate families do. You’ve been promoted and now want to sell off servants? If word of that got out, what would people think?”
Blake could feel the tension rising again, and the flicker of hope for a harmonious home was suddenly extinguished.
The next day, Blake didn’t manage to buy the Evergreen Pills after finishing his shift. So, he asked Amelia to buy eight Evergreen Pills at Arcane Sanctumn the next day, as well as to look for a wet nurse and a midwife.
Amelia agreed. After all, she needed to get Snowdrop Pills for Rebecca as well. Though Amelia had been neglecting the household duties due to her illness, she understood that there wasn’t much money left in the family, though their estate remained looking as grand as ever.
Before heading out to buy medicine the next day, she went to the accounts room to withdraw some money, only to find that there were only ten silver coins left in the account.
She knew they were low on funds, but was shocked to discover that such a small amount was all that remained. She had thought there would be at least two or three hundred silver coins left, especially since the second branch of the family hadn’t split off yet, and most of their funds had been turned over to the family fund.
Adding her husband’s, father??n??aw’s, and Blake’s salaries, plus the 100 gold coins they had received as a reward, surely they should still have two or three hundred silver coins remaining
Yet, there were only ten silver coins.
As Amelia went through the accounts, she realized that some of the dowry for Serena had been paid out, Freya had withdrawn some, and Viola had considerable monthly expenses. On top of that, Rebecca needed medicine, and the household staff had their monthly allowances. Each entry in the books was accounted for, with not a single coin unrecorded.
However, Viola’s spending was quite excessive. She consumed a pound of royal jelly every month, not to mention other supplements. The household had a stock of nourishing foods??any had been sent over after Blake’s injury, including a generous supply from Viola’s family.
So, why did Viola feel the need to buy more when there was so much in the estate already?
Determined to get to the bottom of it, Amelia went to Grace Mansion to ask Viola. Amelia was known for her timid nature, and she didn’t mean any offense by asking the question. But when she asked, Viola misunderstood.
She believed Amelia was criticizing her for spending so much during her pregnancy. In a fit of anger, Viola scolded her. She even handed Amelia a pair of scissors, urging her to stab her abdomen to terminate the pregnancy and save some money.
Horrified, Amelia rushed out of Grace Mansion. She could hear Viola’s sobs behind her. Just as Amelia was trying to regain her composure, a maid came to say that Rebecca was calling for her, saying that she was feeling unwell and needed Amelia to fetch a physician immediately.
“If she has ordered it, then you should go and get one! Why do you need to tell me?” Amelia snapped, frustrated.
The maid was startled by Amelia’s sudden outburst, as the latter was usually so kind.
Quickly, the maid explained, “Madam Rebecca says it’s serious this time. She wants Sebastian from Arcane Sanctum and insists you fetch him personally.”
“What right do I have to summon Sebastian?” Amelia felt like she was on the verge of breaking down.” Even when I go to buy medicine, I have to watch my tone. You all know that!”
The maid fell silent, her face pale as she stood awkwardly to the side.
Amelia pressed her palm to her forehead, trying to collect her thoughts, but each passing day felt like torture. When would this nightmare end? They had no money and no dignity, and the problems just kept piling up.
Remembering Blake’s request for Evergreen Pills and to find a wet nurse and a midwife, she felt the weight of it all. Each of these necessities required funds, not to mention the Snowdrop Pills for Rebecca.
Setting aside everything else, Amelia had to buy those Snowdrop Pills first. Gritting her teeth, she withdrew the ten silver coins, then pulled out what little personal savings she had left. She also took some of her more valuable jewelry to pawn off.
When she emerged from the pawnshop, it felt like her heart was bleeding. She hardly had any decent jewelry left. The finer pieces had all been gifts from Sophie, and Amelia had already sold some of those. Now, all that remained were a few trinkets that she couldn’t bear to part with. Regardless, she was left with no choice but to pawn them for quick cash. She intended to redeem them back later.
As Amelia made her way to Arcane Sanctum, tears streamed down her face. The only piece of gold jewelry left in her hair was a single hairpin given to her by her mom as part of her dowry when she got married.
Now, her jewelry box contained only gold??lated pieces. Here she was, the mistress of the grand Valor Estate, reduced to living like an ordinary commoner. The thought broke her heart.
How could she not feel sorrow over this?
With her maid in tow, Amelia arrived at Arcane Sanctum and quickly inquired about the price of the Evergreen Pills. They were far from cheap??ive silver coins each, and she needed eight of them. In the frigid weather, she felt the sweat on her forehead and struggled to hold back tears, unable to make a decision.
The shop assistants at Arcane Sanctum recognized her by now and were aware of her situation.
One of them, Paul, spoke up. “Madam Amelia, these Evergreen Pills are intended for women who are weak and anemic after childbirth. If you’re looking to replenish energy and blood, you can brew the medicine yourself, which is much cheaper. Besides, one pill is usually sufficient for childbirth. There’s no need to buy so many. It’s not like eight women are giving birth at the same time.”
Wiping away her tears, Amelia hurriedly asked, “One is enough? Really?”
“Absolutely. If you’re still worried, you could buy two. The pill isn’t a guarantee for easy childbirth. It’s mainly for those who are severely depleted. If the labor is prolonged and tiring, one pill can help give them the strength to continue.”
Amelia handed over the money. “Then, I’ll take two. And please get me two Snowdrop Pills as well,”
Paul nodded, weighed the items, and made the calculations before returning with some copper coins. Just a heads??p, the price of Snowdrop Pills is going to increase next month. Some of the herbs are becoming harder to find, which is driving up the cost. Sebastian used to treat your mother??n??aw’s condition, and with a daily dose of Snowdrop Pills, she improved significantly. With a couple more of treatment, she would have been back to normal. But now…”
Paul shook his head sadly.
e years
Amelia forced a smile, holding back her tears. “It’s just how it is. We can’t even afford to call Sebastian anymore. We can’t rely on the same prescription forever. We need to adjust the medicine according to her condition. When we can afford Snowdrop Pills, we’ll buy them, and if we can’t, there’s nothing we can do.”
Paul fell silent and handed Amelia the medicine, advising her on how to take the Evergreen Pills.
He reiterated, “Make sure to space the doses at least four hours apart??on’t take two at the same time If the fatigue is due to prolonged labor, one pill will suffice. But if there are other complications, like difficult labor or heavy bleeding, this won’t help. The extra pill can be taken two weeks after delivery.”
“I’ll remember that. Thank you so much!” Amelia said as she left the shop, her maid by her side.
When she returned home, Amelia first administered the Snowdrop Pills to Rebecca before sending someone to give the Evergreen Pills to Viola. She was genuinely afraid of Viola’s unpredictable temperament and didn’t dare to go in person. So, she gave detailed instructions on how to use the medicine to be passed along
The physician had already seen Rebecca but had only prescribed some remedies to help stabilize her condition. The key lay in taking the Snowdrop Pills. Although it wasn’t time for her to take them yet, Rebecca was feeling so unwell that Amelia had no choice but to let her start early.
Seeing her daughter??n??aw’s woeful expression, Rebecca’s temper flared. “What’s wrong with you now? You look like you’re mourning! I’m still alive!”
Amelia felt a swell of frustration but didn’t dare to retort.
Instead, she spoke softly. “Mother, Blake has put me in charge of the household, but there’s no money left in the accounts. I just pawned all my jewelry and spent the last of the money on medicine. There’s nothing left for household expenses, and it’s time to pay the staff their monthly allowances. What are we going to do?”
“Didn’t you just pawn your jewelry? How is there no money left?” Rebecca asked, her displeasure evident.
Gathering her courage, Amelia replied. “That money went to buy medicine, and I also bought two Evergreen Pills for Viola, which weren’t cheap??ive silver coins each. The remaining money isn’t much, but our daily expenses for food and lamps are also considerable. I was wondering if you or Viola might consider pawning some jewelry so we would have money for emergencies?”
Rebecca was nearly speechless in disbelief, her anger flaring. “What did you just say? You want me to pawn my jewelry? Are you trying to rebel? You think you can run this household while asking your mother- in??aw to pawn her jewelry?”