Rem discovered that fear had different sounds.
A child's fear was a cry.
An adult's fear was silence.
That morning, the Aldren Estate was too quiet.
Elara prepared breakfast without humming.
Aldric had left early to check the fields and still hadn't returned.
Even the servants spoke less.
Rem noticed all of it before he had even finished his bread.
He didn't ask anything.
Not yet.
In that second life, he had learned that people revealed more when they thought no one was paying attention.
After breakfast, he found Edgar near the barn.
—Did your father tell you what happened?
—No.
Edgar kicked a small stone.
—My father told me.
Rem looked at him.
—What?
Edgar hesitated.
—That one of the Viscount's men went to some farmers' houses yesterday.
Rem went still.
—Why?
—He asked questions.
—About what?
—Production. Sales. Quantities.
Rem felt his stomach tighten.
—That's all?
Edgar shrugged.
—My father said rich men never ask questions just out of curiosity.
Rem almost smiled.
Edgar was learning.
—Did he ask about us?
—He asked about the Aldren Estate.
—And?
—My father didn't say anything.
Rem nodded.
That was good.
But it wasn't enough.
In the fields, everything seemed normal.
And that was exactly what bothered Rem.
The plants were growing.
The workers tended the soil.
The wagons kept passing by.
The sun kept rising.
The world hadn't changed.
But something had.
Rem could feel it.
As he walked between the crops, he noticed a man standing on the road.
He wasn't a worker.
He wasn't a merchant.
He was just watching.
Rem stopped.
The man looked back at him.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then the stranger turned his back and kept walking.
Rem followed him with his eyes.
—Who was that?
Celine was standing beside him.
Rem hadn't noticed when she arrived.
—I don't know.
—He was looking at you.
—I noticed.
Celine wrinkled her nose.
—Do you know him?
—No.
She thought for a few seconds.
—Then he's strange.
Rem laughed softly.
—That's a very good conclusion.
—I'm six years old. I'm not stupid.
—I never said you were.
Celine crossed her arms.
—You talk like my father when he tries to pretend he's talking to a child.
Rem froze.
Celine kept walking.
—Sometimes you forget that I know things.
Rem stared at her.
Six years old.
And she was already noticing.
That was dangerous.
Not Celine.
The fact that other people might notice too.
That afternoon, Aldric called Rem aside to talk.
They stood behind the house.
The wind stirred the trees.
—Do you know why I asked us to sell far from the village? Rem asked.
Aldric remained silent.
—Because everyone here knows everyone else.
—Yes.
—And because the Viscount collects.
—Yes.
—Then why is he asking questions?
Rem waited.
Aldric took a deep breath.
—Because you managed to do something I couldn't do for years.
Rem said nothing.
—Find a way to make money without depending on his men.
The words hung between them.
Rem lowered his eyes.
—Is that bad?
—No.
Aldric placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
—It's dangerous.
Rem looked up.
—What's the difference?
Aldric smiled without humor.
—Money attracts attention.
—And power?
—Power attracts enemies.
Rem fell silent.
Aldric continued:
—Harlen doesn't need to prove we're doing anything wrong. He only needs to find a way to make it difficult for us to continue.
—How?
—By raising taxes.
—But he can't charge us just anything.
—Not officially.
Rem understood.
Of course.
Laws could be interpreted.
Contracts could contain clauses.
Inspections could appear.
One small thing at a time.
Until a person could no longer breathe.
That was exactly how systems worked.
You didn't have to break a person.
You only had to increase the weight they carried.
—Dad.
—Yes?
—What if he tries?
Aldric looked at his son.
For a moment, he seemed to forget he was talking to a child.
—Then I'll protect our family.
Rem felt his chest tighten.
In his other life, no one had ever said that to him.
No one had promised they would stand in front of him.
No one had said he wouldn't have to face everything alone.
Rem turned his face away.
—I want to protect you too.
Aldric smiled.
—I know.
Two days later, the man returned.
This time, he wasn't alone.
Three mounted knights came with him.
None of them wore armor.
They didn't need to.
Their presence said enough already.
Aldric went out to meet them.
Rem stayed inside the house, watching through the window.
The man from the first visit was holding a scroll.
—Inspection of the lands.
Aldric didn't touch the document.
—Based on what?
—An order from the Viscount.
—What's the reason?
The man smiled.
—You're asking a lot of questions.
—It's my land.
—For now.
Rem felt a shiver.
Aldric remained motionless.
—Come in.
The men began walking around the property.
Rem watched.
They weren't merely looking for irregularities.
They were looking for something.
Anything.
A poorly stored sack.
A tool out of place.
A different plant.
A reason.
Any reason.
Rem realized then that he had made a mistake.
Not by selling.
By selling too quickly.
Harlen didn't know exactly what they were doing.
Not yet.
But he knew something had changed.
And now he was trying to find out what.
At the end of the inspection, they found nothing.
The man put away the scroll.
—Everything is in order.
Aldric didn't reply.
—For now.
The man turned away.
Before climbing into the carriage, he looked directly at the window.
Directly at Rem.
The boy stood still.
The man smiled.
It wasn't a friendly smile.
It was a smile of recognition.
As if he were saying:
I know you're there.
The carriage departed.
Rem kept watching until it disappeared.
Elara approached.
—Rem?
He didn't answer.
—Son?
—Mom.
—What is it?
Rem turned to her.
—He didn't come looking for trouble.
Elara frowned.
—Then what did he come looking for?
Rem looked at the road again.
—The person creating the trouble.
Elara fell silent.
So did Rem.
Because now he was certain.
Harlen wasn't interested only in the fields.
Or the sales.
Or the coins.
He was interested in finding out who had changed the rules of the game.
And Rem had no intention of letting him find out.
Not yet.
That night, he opened a small notebook he kept hidden beneath his mattress.
There were three names on the first page.
Aldren.
Harlen.
Merchants.
Below them, he wrote a fourth word.
Routes.
Then he stared at it.
If Harlen controlled the easiest route...
Then Rem needed to build another.
Not just to sell.
To survive.