Being a Life Player in the Middle Ages

While they were talking, Martha and her husband deliberately went to the street outside, so Martha didn't hear the previous conversation. She only happened to hear this sentence because a customer came in to buy something.

When Martha heard that Mia wanted to stay in Constantiburg but couldn't live alone, she made the decision without thinking.

John, who came in after her, didn't say anything, but his calm expression revealed his intention. He would support Martha's decision.

Mia and the other girl stopped talking and looked over at her.

Perhaps Martha had just spoken impulsively, but now, seeing the surprised expressions on their faces, she became even more certain of this idea.

"We have enough rooms at home. You can choose the one you like to stay in. The store also happens to need someone to help look after the store. If you want, you can work here."

Martha was originally a woman who loved children very much, and she had been behaving well and obediently these past few days. Even when she was injured, she would take the initiative to help her with housework within her ability. Mia was obviously very popular with the elders. Martha had a high degree of favorability towards her. When she knew that this poor little girl had nowhere to go, she felt sympathy and naturally wanted to take her in.

She said that their family was well off and it was perfectly possible to raise a little girl. If she hadn't just started dating, it would have been too presumptuous to bring it up. Martha even wanted to adopt Mia directly.

Mia was surprised at the kindness shown by Martha. Taking in a stranger, especially a child who could only be a burden, was not an easy thing, but she made the invitation so easily. Mia was sure that she had not heard what she and Bayard said, nor did she know that she could take back some of the caravan's property, so Martha was willing to take her in out of her kindness.

Moreover, she was willing to let Mia help in the store and even mentioned a job, which meant that they were willing to hire her as a child.

Such kindness and genuine consideration for her are rare even in modern times, let alone in a world like this.

For a moment Mia didn't know how to react. She remembered that she was still a child. She turned to look at Bayard, but found that the latter didn't seem surprised at all.

She heard Bayard say to Martha in a serious tone, "Are you sure you want to keep Mia? Perhaps this will bring some unnecessary burdens to your family."

"Yes, I'm sure, my dear Bayard." Martha addressed the young knight in this way, and it was obvious that they had a close relationship. "You know our family situation. John and I have always wanted to have a child."

Martha and John were not as old as they looked. They were only in their forties—although this was considered old for ordinary people—and had been married for almost thirty years, but had no children.

No, it should be said that they once had a child, but the child who they thought was the cutest in the world did not stay in this family for long before returning to God's arms. This has always been the couple's biggest regret.

Bayard was silent for a moment before he said, "This is not a simple matter. I hope both of you can think carefully before making a decision."

Although it is said to be a matter of both parties, in fact, it is mainly to let Martha and the others think about it again. Bayard is their neighbor and knows Martha's family situation very well. He also knows that they have always wanted to adopt a child, but they just haven't found someone who is suitable. He sent Mia here. In addition to her urgent condition at the time that required treatment and proper care, he also thought that if Mia had no other family members, she could stay and live in Martha's house.

But despite this intention, Bayard still hopes that they will make this decision after careful consideration.

Martha wanted to say that she was not acting on impulse and that she really wanted Mia to stay, but John stopped her.

He said to his wife, "Give Mia some time to think about it."

Although he did not object to the decision made by his wife, Mia's own wishes were equally important.

Martha also reacted, swallowed back what she was about to say, and then said to Mia sincerely: "Okay, Mia, think about it carefully, but I want you to know that we really hope you can stay."

Leaving these words, Martha pulled her husband to continue entertaining the guests, leaving the space back to them.

However, after she did this, the atmosphere between the two of them became more relaxed.

Mia put away her previous panic and smiled: "Knight Bayard, I think you don't have to worry about how I will live if I stay here."

This was to tell Bayard that she would stay at Martha's house.

Mia is not really a child, and although she is not too old, she has always been decisive and will not drag her feet once she decides to do something. Although some people may think she is a bit reckless, for young people, recklessness is not necessarily a bad thing.

Since Martha proposed this option, Mia weighed it and thought it was a good idea. However, compared to accepting the kindness of Martha and her husband with peace of mind, she would rather choose to pay the rent and food expenses before staying there.

And if she could get back the property of her businessman father, she wouldn't have to worry about her financial resources.

Thinking of this, Mia's face straightened and she said to Bayard, "Mr. Bayard, there is actually something I would like to seek your help with."

Seeing her serious expression, Bayard thought it was a little funny for a child to make such an expression, but he nodded seriously and said, "Please go ahead."

Mia told him everything about wanting him to help her get the inheritance, but she didn't mention the idea of ​​giving him a portion of the property as compensation. From the previous conversation, Mia felt that Bayard was unlikely to accept such compensation, and proposing it rashly might make him angry.

Indeed, Mia didn't ask for any compensation. However, after learning of her predicament, Bayard pondered for a moment and said, "I think you need a lawyer. I happen to know a lawyer who specializes in inheritance matters. I can introduce him to you."

Yes, lawyers. This profession has existed since the ancient Roman period, and the Eastern Byzantine Empire is similar to Byzantium in Mia's original world. Byzantium was one of the two countries after the Roman Empire split. The same is true in the history here. The similarities between them are very high, so it is not surprising that there are lawyers here.

But Mia didn't know this before, and there was no relevant content in Mia's memory. After all, no matter how much her father loved her, she was just a girl, and here, it was impossible for a girl to inherit her father's business, so her father would not tell her these things.

As for Mia herself, she didn't know much about Western history. Although she had dabbled in it out of interest, all she knew were the major events of each period and biographies of some outstanding figures. As for the lives of the people in this period, she only had a one-sided impression of "darkness, poverty, backwardness and ubiquitous exploitation."

So when Bayard said this, she realized that she could still ask a lawyer for help.

Moreover, the lawyer that Bayard planned to introduce to Mia was of extraordinary background. He was a descendant of the nobility. Although he did not have a noble title himself, he had a brother who was a viscount, which meant that he still belonged to the aristocratic class. Moreover, because of his excellent business ability, he provided services to several nobles at the same time. Faced with such a lawyer of noble birth and ability, even if Mia's relatives had some ability, it was unlikely that they would compete with her for the family property. After all, they and Mia's father were only cousins, and the right of inheritance was after children and siblings. At this time, even women had the right to inherit family property. Mia was the only legitimate child, and she could inherit all the wealth.

If she wanted, she could even entrust a lawyer to help her recover the businessman's properties in other places, including those he had purchased for his lovers.

Originally, Mia only wanted to get back the family property in the city where Mia once lived, but now because of Bayard's proposal, she felt that she could get back more.

However, Mia has no intention of taking back the private property given to her lover.

She was very disgusted with the fact that Mia's father had a mistress outside even though he had a wife, and she also hated the behavior of third parties. But this was different from the modern mistresses. The lovers of the businessman could not be said to have voluntarily become his lovers. They were more likely to be "sold" to him by their families.

Some of them were born in poor families, some were daughters of merchants, and some were even daughters of impoverished noble families - this was the case with the lover he wanted to send Mia to be taken care of - for one reason or another, they were sent to the merchants by their families and became dishonorable lovers.

Mia didn't want to delve into the specific reasons, but taking back the family property would obviously make it impossible for these women to maintain their current lives, and they would likely pass it on to others since they were still very young. Even with these, they might still not escape such a fate, but Mia didn't want to be a pusher.

Especially after knowing that if she couldn't get her property back and the custody was taken away by those relatives, she would probably suffer the same fate, it was hard for Mia not to empathize with her.

Mia also knew that some of them had given birth to children for businessmen. Although these children were illegitimate, they also had inheritance rights in this country, but they were lower than Mia's legitimate children, so they were naturally eligible to obtain part of the inheritance.

And Mia is not little Mia after all, so she can't feel at ease to take back the wealth that doesn't belong to her.

So Mia did not plan to recover these riches, but just regarded them as the inheritance that Mia's father left to his illegitimate children.

As for other properties, even those abroad, she wanted to recover them. It was obviously impossible to rely solely on Bayad, and she couldn't shamelessly ask others for help, but hiring a lawyer was possible.

Although lawyers' fees are not low, their remuneration is based on commission. How much return they can get depends on how much inheritance the lawyers get back for their employers. So if they want to make more money, they will serve her wholeheartedly.

Given Mia's father's wealth, Mia felt that the other party would not refuse the commission.