Chapter 94

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"I want a slum district."

What Emma had asked the king for was a region that could also be called the dark side of the capital. Amidst the progress of infrastructure development due to the coup, many people had found work and escaped the slums to lead decent lives. However, young children who were too young to work were left behind.

The young children managed to survive by relying on the once-a-week food distribution carried out by high-ranking nobles in rotation.

"Slum district?! What are you talking about?"

"Your Majesty, a few weeks ago, I became friends with the children in the slum. They were all very hungry... If my friends are in trouble, I want to help them."

Emma answered the king with a look of wonder, as if she didn't understand why everyone was so surprised. Now, with the salary Harold receives from the Rothschild Trading Company and the simple jobs the Stewart family gives to the children, there are no more children crying from hunger. But, you see, it was a few weeks ago, so I'm not lying, Emma justified to herself.

"Being hungry! But the slum district has a food distribution once a week, doesn't it?"

The king had never visited the slum district himself, busy with state affairs and security concerns. He only read the monthly food distribution reports, which provided far from an accurate understanding of the current situation.

At the king's words, Emma sighed. Sighing at the king was the utmost disrespect, and a tense silence fell over the grand hall. Only Hilda Sullivan, the Duchess, who was seated on a luxurious sofa at the edge of the hall, smiled contentedly.

Emma's sigh was exactly like the one of Hilda, known as the demon of manners, and Mersa, who was strict with etiquette on a daily basis. Even the king, let alone the nobles, froze at that sigh.

"Your Majesty, people eat every day. Why do you think the people in the slum can get by with just one food distribution a week? They are no different from us. How many meals do you think we eat in a day?"

Emma was indignant at the lack of imagination of those who had never experienced hunger and had never worried about it. Hunger is the most painful thing. The hall was filled with lavish dishes, which the nobles, who were not particularly hungry, could eat as a matter of course.

"Well, the report says that the food distribution provides enough food to last a week..."

"The food distribution, depending on the noble, sometimes doesn't even provide enough for everyone to have a single bowl of soup."

"Huh?"

"That's... a week's worth...?"

"That... that report... was... not... received..."

"Of course, I've heard that some nobles do provide enough food to last a week. However, the first time I visited the slum, the children were all hungry even right after the food distribution."

She remembered Hugh's words that the amount of food varied greatly depending on the noble in charge. Some nobles explained and distributed the food in a way that children could understand, dividing the warm food and the rest of the week's food into daily portions. However, in the summer, the food would often spoil, and in the winter, it would be taken by adults, so the children rarely got enough to eat.

"Wait a minute! Emma, you went to the slum district!?! Isn't that dangerous?"

The king and the surrounding nobles were shocked by Emma's words. It was unheard of for a noble's daughter to go to the slum district. When she said she had made friends with a slum child a little while ago, it meant that she had brought a hungry, pitiful child to the noble district, not that she had gone to the dangerous slum district herself.

The hall, which had been holding its breath during Emma and the king's conversation, began to murmur in disbelief. It was unthinkable that such a frail and gentle young lady had gone to the slum district, where even the nobles who distributed food would not enter without a guard. It was simply too dangerous.

"Dangerous? They were all very kind children."

Emma answered innocently, as if there was nothing to be afraid of. She had gone in a rather disappointing outfit that wouldn't make her look like a noble, but the king and the nobles didn't think of that.

"But, but, what? Didn't you have a proper guard? You weren't attacked, right?"

The king, despite seeing a healthy Emma right in front of him, asked Leonardo for confirmation. Rose and Prince Edward also looked worried.

"No, we didn't have a guard. We went with just the three of us..."

"Wh-What?"

Without a guard, and with just three children in the slum district? The hall was in an uproar at Leonardo's words. Even Hilda, who had been sitting gracefully, stood up. She hadn't known the details of how Emma had been entrusted to them, but she hadn't expected her to do something like this.

"H-How could you! Lord Leonardo, isn't this a serious matter? You know the slum district is dangerous. It's too late if something happens!"

A disapproving atmosphere spread through the hall, questioning the Stewart family's education.

"Don't worry! I scolded her properly. I went to pick her up right away. But, after all, even if it's dangerous, they are still human beings. If it's not a monster, George can protect his sister and brother."

Leonardo, despite the tense atmosphere, understood that he shouldn't say that they had actually stayed overnight in the slum. In reality, it was because George had been dealt a bad hand in a monster card game, and George had a complicated expression on his face at his father's words.

Emma... as always, you have a talent for making things worse, William thought, pressing his aching temples.

"Your Majesty, if you know the slum district is dangerous, why don't you do anything about it? The hungry children are living in that dangerous place."

The king told her not to go to dangerous places, but the one who had left the dangerous place unattended was the country itself. Emma was angry that the conversation had somehow turned into a scolding, even though she had been talking about a reward. She knew she was hitting a sore spot.

Why isn't this work done?

She recalled being scolded by her boss in her previous life as an office worker. There were no people, no time, and even if she worked herself to the bone, she rarely got praised. There were always tasks that got put off amidst the busy work. Most of the time, they were things that were a bit troublesome or that she didn't know where to start.

Comparing the king's busyness to that of a mere company employee might be a bit much, but even though he understood it was difficult, why did she have to be blamed? Emma's words, which were a reaction to this unfairness, pierced the king's heart.

"...You're right. It's my fault. There shouldn't be a slum district in this country. I shouldn't have been satisfied with the words on the report."

"Your Majesty, I know you work tirelessly for the people every day, more than I can imagine. I just want to help my friends. Can you please cooperate with my small, selfish desire?"

To the king, who was looking down, Emma repeated her wish for the slum district.

A girl wanting to help a place that even the country hesitated to touch...

"A-As you say, Your Majesty! Giving a slum district within the capital to a mere baron is unprecedented! Moreover, to be spoken to in such a way about the noble's charitable food distribution is unbearable!"

There were nobles who were not pleased with the Stewart family's support for the slum district. In the past few weeks, nobles who had noticed Harold and the children drawing pictures in front of Joshua's shop or helping to make dresses had made snide remarks. Some nobles, feeling that their work had been criticized, had even engaged in small acts of harassment. Emma's wish for the slum district was partly to be free from such nuisances.

"I understand what you're saying. However, I don't think Emma is lying. We will take responsibility and investigate the food distribution."

"But, but, why... why investigate... it's not necessary to go that far..."

The man's momentum weakened as he fell silent.

On the other hand, Emma, who had been suddenly confronted with strong hostility, shuddered and tried to maintain her composure by staring at Rose's ample bosom for comfort. She resolved to make an off-the-shoulder dress that revealed the breasts, as she had seen when they first met, for her own comfort.

"Emma, are you sure you want the slum district as a reward? To be honest, saving them is a big task. It will cost money, and you might not be thanked. You might even face dangerous retaliation. Are you sure you want to do this?"

The king, who had seen the girl tremble at just a few harsh words, felt it was too much to burden her with such a heavy responsibility. He was worried that her beautiful heart, which called the hungry children her friends and wanted to help them, might be hurt or tainted. He felt a sense of danger in Emma, who prioritized others over herself.

"Your Majesty, I want the slum district. I believe that everyone has the right to a healthy and culturally adequate meal and snacks. The Stewart family has the power to provide this. It is not an option for me or the Stewart family to have the power and not use it."

Healthy,

Culturally adequate,

Minimum,

Meal,

And snacks.

...Snacks?

William and George's subtle expressions contrasted with the compassionate words that came from the girl, which gave a strong shock to the hearts of the nobles in the hall. While the lords had resigned themselves to the fact that some of their subjects would go hungry, the frail girl on the stage, trembling before the king, said "everyone."

The wise words that followed, which seemed beyond her 12 years, carried a strong sense of purpose. It was as if one could see her daily efforts for the people.

Dressed in a pure white dress, with a clear heart, she advised the king...

"A saint..."

This word was whispered here and there in the hall.

In this world, a saint is a god-like being. It is not allowed to call oneself a saint without the church's permission. However, if that girl is not a saint, who could be?

"That's it! A saint!"

"Emma, the Baroness Stewart, is a saint!"

The small whispers spread as words of certainty. Following the example of the saint, the nobles resolved to ensure that their subjects could eat a healthy and culturally adequate meal and snacks without going hungry!

While some nobles harbored resentment, Emma's words influenced many, and the hall was filled with excitement as the journey to a country without hunger began.

"Saint Emma Stewart. I will grant the slum district in the capital as a reward from the kingdom."

The murmurs in the hall reached the king's ears, and he announced the reward to Emma.

"Saint... Saint...? No, (I just looked at Lady Rose's bosom!?) No, that's not it! Saint... Stop it!"

What kind of thing is the king saying to such an innocent girl! Emma denied it with all her might. It was too cruel to call someone a pervert in a room full of nobles.

"No, Emma is the kingdom's saint. There's no one like you (who is kind and pure)."

Saint... Emma humbly denied, but the king added his words.

Saint of the kingdom...!! There's no one like me who stares at Lady Rose's bosom!?

No, no, it's the bust!?

...That's not the point, Your Majesty! Are you really going to say that just because I complained a little?

Shaking her head, Emma looked like a true and genuine saint to all the nobles in the hall, who saw her as humble and not seeking attention.

"Your Majesty, it's too much attention for Emma. Let's grant the reward as she wishes."

Rose, worried about the cold sweat streaming down Emma's face, stepped forward to protect her from the king and the nobles' gaze, hugging her tightly.

"Sure. Sorry, Emma. Let's end the reward ceremony here. Everyone, enjoy the rest of the evening."

Emma, who inadvertently enjoyed Rose's bosom, was overwhelmed by the wonderful elasticity and thought, "Fine, I'll be a saint..."

"......Sister... Being a saint in a different world... How many dangerous flags are you setting up...?"

"Emma... Is he really doing this on purpose?"

William, with his temples aching even more, sighed. The reward talk, which started due to his carelessness, was ignored, and George was amazed at his sister's troublemaking.

"Ah, Emma is an angel and a saint."

Leonardo nodded contentedly.

Finally, Emma, who was freed from the stage, glared at George.

"George, from now on, please be more careful, Ren, Sou, and Hou."

"Sorry."

"But, well, we did manage to get the slum district... So it's good."

Underneath the slum district, there were rare mushrooms that were the raw material for Harold's ink. If it became their territory, Harold, who could make the ink, would also become part of the Stewart family.

From now on, only the Stewart family would have the rights to that ink.

There is no anti-monopoly law in this country.

Only George and William saw Emma's smile, which was far from that of a saint. Perhaps this was the first time she had successfully applied her knowledge from her previous life.