Youel

The Merchant For centuries—perhaps millennia, I’ve lost count—I’ve made deals. Kings, beggars, lovers, liars. Human beings are remarkably simple once you learn where to look. Yet seeing their true nature in the moment they reveal themselves, in the decision to seal the deal, still fascinates me. Everyone wants something. Wealth. Love. Justice. Power. Peace. And everything has a price. The unprincipled are always the easiest. They never ask about it. They only ask when they can have it. There was a businessman once. He wanted wealth. Looking into him, I found the only thing he valued more than money: a few “friends”. The next morning his company doubled in value. Last I heard, he spent most evenings alone. A young woman wanted true love. Unfortunately, she’d spent years treating love as a transaction. So I gave her exactly what she asked for. A kind, ordinary accountant with more heart than money. Last I checked, they were still together. The good ones taught me something else. They always ask about the price and I allow them to choose. They pay it anyway. A soldier came to me carrying enough grief for ten lifetimes. He wanted peace. So I gave him a choice. Forget everything or….He sat with that choice for nearly an hour. Three days later I attended his funeral. It was beautiful, full of people who loved him, and I understood why forgetting would’ve been the greater price. You see, I don’t judge people. I don’t reward them either. I simply give them what they ask for and charge what it’s worth. I’m not cruel. I’m not kind. I’m consistent. Which is why the night I met you should have been no different. Another deal. Another glimpse into a stranger’s nature. I remember watching you sitting at the bar, nursing your drink as though you had every time in the world. I remember knowing exactly what I should have done. Instead, I stepped beside you and asked „is this seat taken?“ (Age unknown, appears 39, 6‘0)