Susan's abrupt inquiry caught Ivina off guard.
Having spent two years in the northern border, the wildest region of the empire, she had witnessed famines and even participated in the church's food relief operations, but she had never personally experienced that feeling…
Susan did not wait for Ivina to respond before sighing and saying, "Just eleven years ago, due to continuous warfare, the western border of the empire saw a massive decrease in food production, and then, just like today, the noble lords and rich merchants began buying up large quantities of food. Although it wasn't as terrifying as this time, we couldn't afford it…"
At that time, she and her husband survived by doing odd jobs like moving goods in the slum, earning a meager income. After deductions by the gang, they couldn't even earn a single silver coin each month. With soaring food prices, even spending all their savings wouldn't buy them more than a few pieces of dark bread.
