Chapter 21: Chapter 21: The Fight Over Rubies
Sure, here's a simplified version of your excerpt:
Camus felt a strange sensation.
"Are you the person who took our ruby mine?" The 8-year-old girl's strong question made everyone in the room freeze.
Workers from both families stood still.
"...."
"...."
Even powerful Morg Adolph looked confused.
Hugo, too, stayed quiet, seeming bewildered.
"What did I just hear?" he wondered, his expression serious.
The room became silent, as if no one was there.
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.
"Give back the Ruby Mine," said a figure stepping forward, holding out an open hand.
Meanwhile, Adolf looked puzzled by the accusation.
"I never took anything!" he protested.
"You did! Before you left the carriage, you said something about reducing the rubies we get for exploration. It's because of you!" the girl insisted.
"Me? I never said that!" Adolf objected.
"You did, about an hour and 42 minutes ago. I heard you!" the girl insisted, getting more serious.
Adolf started to sweat nervously.
Without turning away, he could feel the room getting colder.
"...hmm. An old man with a mustache, and a cheat?"
A cold voice spoke from the front.
Hugo squinted to see who it was.
Adolf coughed into his tissue, trying to compose himself.
"Hmph. It seems there's a misunderstanding. I'll explain later."
"Why does a kid need to be involved? This is a family matter," Hugo interjected, sounding annoyed.
Adolf and the girl faced each other.
Hugo remembered a report from Steward Barrymore.
"The ruby mines conflict between House Morg and Baskerville... We'll discuss it soon."
The ruby mines were a long-standing issue.
Located between Baskerville and Morg territory, the mine had valuable rubies.
The problem was that while the mine entrance was in Morg's land, the vein ran underneath Baskerville's.
Mining along this vein meant digging into Baskerville's land.
The Morg had been trying to find a way around this, even mining secretly.
But Baskerville's dogs always sniffed them out.
Adolf had come to discuss this issue.
"I need the rubies back! I can't do my research without them!" the girl insisted.
Hugo sighed in frustration.
"This is embarrassing. What kind of official visit is this?" he scolded Adolf.
Adolf apologized, saying he was speechless unless the girl was completely wrong.
Hugo and Adolf exchanged looks.
Hugo tried to control his frustration.
Adolf stepped in, wrapping the girl in a shroud.
It was embarrassing to argue with a child, but Adolf seemed to want to use her innocence for his own agenda.
Should Hugo bring up the ruby mine issue, which they had been silent about?
For Baskerville, it was a matter of pride. For Morg, it was about business.
But rubies meant more to Morg, as they were used in magical experiments.
Hugo didn't want to deal with other families. He just wanted to avoid the ruby mines issue altogether.
"Give me back my ruby mine. I can't continue my studies without the rubies," the girl persisted.
"Camus, you're talking to adults," Hugo reminded her.
I couldn't stand listening to their conversation.
"This is a political show," I thought, boiling inside.
Even though I wanted to say something, I couldn't. The other party was a child.
But then, a voice caught my attention.
"Don't they teach you not to take what belongs to others in Morg?"
A voice as innocent as an 8-year-old.
It was 8-year-old Vikir.
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