As she tapped her cheek with her finger, lost in thought, small footsteps appeared one by one in front of her.

‘Hmm?’

Elena saw children gathering in front of her.

Beyond their dirty clothes, their gaunt faces from lack of food stood out.

Five children hesitantly gathered in front of Elena. As if asking Elena to speak first, none of them opened their mouths, just rolling their wide eyes back and forth.

Perhaps because their faces were stained with dirt from not washing, the whites of their eyes stood out even more.

‘How cute.’

Despite their dirtiness, Elena smiled at the children’s characteristic round features. Children were beings that improved her mood just by looking at them.

“Ah……”

Suddenly Elena raised her head. She had thought of a way to avoid forcibly pushing through crowds of people.

‘Should I use these children?’

As she formed detailed plans in her mind one by one, Elena lowered her hand from her chin and straightened her back.

Seeing her lips relax despite being tightly closed, the children looked at each other with relief.

Expectations filled the children’s eyes: ‘She won’t chase us away for being dirty. She’s a kind-hearted noble, so there must be something to gain.’ They wiggled their toes and pinched their clothes while looking at Elena.

Elena, for her part, quietly looked down at the children.

Since no one opened their mouth, a strange battle of nerves unfolded.

‘This is interesting.’

Elena knew what words the children were waiting for, but she said nothing.

How pitiful. Take this money and go buy clothes.

The children were probably waiting for such words, but she still said nothing.

‘They must be frustrated.’

Knowing but not speaking was Elena’s own preparation to form a connection with the children.

‘It reminds me of when I first met Alix.’

When she first met Grand Duke Rudfelix Raion, while conducting the interview, Rudfelix had said:

[There are hungry children outside. They might die if they don’t eat today. Can you ignore them when you face them?]

He had asked the question very stiffly.

Elena’s lips softened as she recalled how gentle he had become now.

‘What did I answer then?’

The thought didn’t last long.

‘I said I wouldn’t give them money.’

“Excuse me……”

The boy standing at the front broke Elena’s contemplation, perhaps finding it difficult to wait while she had drifted into her own world of memories. The other children leaned on the boy as if he led the group. Elena learned the boy’s name was Ian after hearing someone quietly say, “You can do it, Ian.”

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re hungry.”

“Is that so?”

Ian was bewildered when Elena only asked back without saying more.

“Do you have any leftover food?”

“I’m waiting to eat with my boyfriend when he arrives. I’m still hungry myself, so I don’t have leftover food.”

“Even cold food would be fine.”

“If you’re asking about what I ate this morning, what noble would carry around leftover food in packages?”

At Elena’s wall-like response, Ian clutched his clothes even tighter. His request, made with courage, had been rejected. But since he needed to gain something here, he didn’t back down and looked at her even more desperately than before.

“We’re hungry, please help us.”

“How?”

Elena directly asked what kind of help they were requesting. Though the help was obvious, being asked like this made Ian uncertain what to do.

“Well…… money……”

Ian’s voice gradually became smaller as he found it difficult to directly ask for money.

“You want my money? Why?”

Is there a reason needed when asking for money?

“Do you like my money? Want to have it?”

It sounded just like asking, ‘Do you like my earrings? Want to have them?’

Ian kept getting distracted because this conversation he was having was so unusual.

Where was this place? Was he begging right now? Was he being used for this woman’s amusement?

“But what should I do?”

Elena leaned her upper body forward.

“I don’t easily give away my money.”

In the end, it was destined to be just entertainment. Ian looked at the alley with deeply disappointed eyes.

He wouldn’t die from starving today, but if tomorrow flowed like today, the time of hunger would continue.

As Ian took one step back, his younger siblings followed.

Elena saw right through Ian’s mind and tightened the previously relaxed atmosphere. Having continuously thrown out bait, she now decided to lead the fish that could only open and close their mouths without eating.

“So, would you like to make a deal with me?”

When Elena winked and smiled, Ian stopped with a surprised face.

‘If I do what I’m good at, wouldn’t it reach the saintess’s ears?’

Elena decided to start something with the children in front of her.

“Do you know one of the things I’m very good at?”

“What is it?”

Somehow it felt like he had to go along with this.

Elena dragged out the time with a face that suggested it was okay to have expectations.

‘How cute.’

Elena squinted one eye while watching the children fidgeting with their fingers.

“Spending money lavishly with an innocent face.”

She had lived a life where money was never scarce, so she was confident in that.

“Innocent?”

Ian pointed out a strange part, but Elena was already humming.

“What kind of conversation are they having?”

“Who knows.”

Lupin shook his head at Sekar’s question as they guarded nearby in case of danger.

“She’s not someone who moves according to expectations. Trying to read her thoughts is all in vain.”

Simple-minded Lupin focused only on Elena’s safety without any other thoughts.

“Don’t let your guard down until His Highness arrives.”

Sekar rolled his eyes at Lupin’s admonition.

“Who doesn’t know that? I’m saying this because we don’t know what kind of trouble she’ll cause.”

“What does that matter……”

Lupin, who was about to say that Aide Elena’s safety was the important thing, flashed his eyes sharply. At that moment, the children who had been talking with Elena scattered into the market, and Elena also rose from her seat.

“Let His Highness know.”

Sekar nodded and hurriedly moved toward where Grand Duke Rudfelix was.

Special mission. Aide Elena has moved!

***

The sound of pounding and the rough shouts of porters carrying cargo. Noisy but typical scenes of a harbor. Seagulls flew in the sky and the salty sea smell carried on the wind created a peaceful scene.

If not for the fragments of a ship that hadn’t been cleared away floating in the water, the atmosphere would have been so calm that the tsunami might have seemed like a lie.

“No one seems worried.”

“Wouldn’t they live thinking they could encounter a tsunami anytime?”

Even if it was a tsunami that seemed to have occurred consciously of the ship’s presence.

“Thank you.”

The captain repeatedly bowed and grabbed Rudfelix’s feet.

Though the ship had been half split by sharp rocks as the seawater parted, there were no casualties thanks to Rudfelix and Elena. Rudfelix had blown away dangerous flying fragments, and Elena had pulled people around her to safety. The captain was also one of those who had saved his life at Elena’s side.

“Has anything unusual happened?”

“We’ll have to keep watching, but the sea has calmed down.”

The captain shook his head and shared what he had learned. He said that once past a certain point, the sea that had been so turbulent had now returned to normal. The timing coincided cunningly, as if the sea had stopped its mischief after failing to harm Rudfelix.

“Contact me if there are any changes.”

Whenever disaster struck, Rudfelix had always deeply investigated the cause. But this time, he wrapped things up quickly. The fact that he was separated from Elena was fueling his impatience.

“My lord.”

A loud voice was heard from behind Rudfelix. Just from the urgent voice, Rudfelix’s shoulders stiffened. He turned around with a hardened face. His gaze also sharpened because of Sekar, who appeared breathing heavily.

“Has something happened to Elena?”

He asked if someone had targeted her again or if something dangerous had occurred.

“Like a stretched-out lion who wouldn’t budge…… she has moved.”

Sekar swallowed and answered seriously.

The expression “stretched-out lion” was exactly the right description for her. And the report that she had moved was the most important.

Rudfelix immediately mounted the horse Sekar had brought.

“Let’s hurry.”

Much time had already passed while Sekar ran all the way here. Elena moving was as important as if she were in danger. Everyone who knew her thought the same.

“Elena… isn’t that the young lady from before?”

The captain watching Rudfelix quickly riding his horse from the harbor wondered. They said that young lady had moved, but why was that such a big deal?

***

“Alix, you’re here?”

Elena’s hand was rummaging through her pocket as she looked brightly at Rudfelix. Each time she pulled out her hand, it held a fistful of glittering gold, so the children huddled together couldn’t take their eyes off her.

To be continued in Volume 4