To my surprise, Lise turned to me and answered my question. "Dame Mathilde isn't stupid. She treats us with the respect we deserve simply because... Anna vouched for us."
I raised an eyebrow at the inane reasoning. "Anna vouched for us?" How? Through a letter, I'm assuming.
"A year ago, Herr Stein handed me a letter coming from my sister," Mathilde explained, affirming my theory. "In exchange for not handing him what he deserves, Anna managed to write me a letter regarding her current state. In it, she sang praises for both Lise and yourself."
Wow... Wait.. that was the deal that almost destroyed and inadvertently saved the settlement!?
"As such, I am inclined to trust you both simply from her word."