Nazel was not actually angry about Mevis and the others keeping things from her. She even felt it was perfectly understandable.
But Dulham did not see it that way. He still had too much of a rough, untamed streak. In his view, if they wanted help, they should lay everything out clearly. That was the proper attitude.
Faced with Dulham's indignation, Nazel smiled and consoled him. "It's nothing. Think about it—if we looked at things from their perspective, would Solam's return be good or bad for us?"
"Of course it'd be good! Haven't our father-and-daughter lives been built on Solam's support? Don't they know that? We and... wait!" As he spoke, Dulham gradually caught on. "You mean they're afraid we'll meddle? They..."
Dulham had originally wanted to say, What gave Mevis and the others the right to look down on them? But halfway through, he truly could not continue.
Because the matter was plain to see: wealth stirred people's hearts. Even if Dulham and the others had no such intentions, outsiders would still have every reason to guard against them. It was simple. After Solam disappeared, Athkatla's business had, in a sense, become Nazel's. After all, Solam's order at the time had been for Nazel to manage the business here. Other than Solam, who could strip Nazel of that authority? So long as Solam did not appear, Athkatla's vast enterprise would remain Nazel's.
And that was indeed what had happened. Over all these years, had Solam managed the business here even once? No! Solam had merely handed Nazel a ship and a bankrupt merchant guild. Nazel herself was the one who had truly built everything from the ground up! Many people acknowledged that!
So, from an outsider's perspective, would Nazel want Solam to return?
The answer was obvious. As they