Even long after they had left the toll station behind, Sophia's pretty face still wore a look of deep disdain and disgust.
Kennard and Baron Haines, on the other hand, chatted and laughed without the slightest sign of concern. They even began discussing whether fifty silver coins per carriage was expensive or cheap.
Seeing that neither of them paid her any attention, Sophia finally lost patience and deliberately gave a loud huff.
"Hmph! Roads are supposed to make traveling easier for people, yet they actually charge money to use them. That's outrageous!" Sophia's eyes widened with indignation. "And you two kept praising that fellow called Xu Yi! I heard he was the one who suggested building toll stations along the roads, wasn't he? Anyone that greedy must be absolutely rotten!"
Baron Haines and Kennard exchanged a glance, then shook their heads with helpless chuckles.
"Sophia, let me ask you something. The Feilson Carriage Company invested over four hundred thousand gold coins in building this road. If they didn't build a toll station, how would they recover that investment?" Baron Haines asked.
"Why do they have to recover it?" Sophia demanded. "Building roads is a wonderful thing that helps so many people. Everyone should be competing to do it! Since the Feilson Carriage Company was willing to pay for the construction, plenty of people would praise them for doing a good deed. Why insist on building a toll station and get themselves criticized by so many people for nothing?"
Kennard sighed softly and shook his head. "Sophia, you're almost eighteen. You're not little anymore. Could you stop thinking like a child from now on? You're quite right that if the Feilson Carriage Company didn't build this toll station, they would be doing a tremendous good deed and earning plenty of praise.