Chapter 9

"Then how was the Salim district?"

"Ah, it was terrible. It was so smelly that I wondered if my nose had turned weird. The atmosphere was dull, and some people were groveling, scrapping the ground. They were all very skinny. No one begged for money. Because they knew no one would show mercy to them. I should be helping them... And yet, I could do nothing but hide and stay still."

Rachel looked straight at Louis, not even noticing that his tone had turned harsh.

Her heart was hurting so much that she wanted to plug her ears, but she knew that she had to listen to this.

"A child approached us and looked at me without saying anything. He looked like he was five years old, but he might be older because he was really thin. After I gave him the apple I happened to have, he took it and ran away.

But that's the only thing I was able to do. To temporarily fill his stomach. That child alone. Even though a lot more people need more things.

Yet I was too powerless at that time."

Louis' calm words made Rachel's eyes teary.

"There are many people in the Salim district who don't even have a family registry. But they are certainly the citizens of this country. Since then, I have sworn to devote my life to the country. I want to make sure that light shines to every corner of this country."

The prince knew despair. He knew his powerlessness.

That's why he could be that perfect. That's why he was trying to become stronger.

That's why he wanted power.

Louis lowered his eyebrows apologetically and said, "I've talked too much." Then he carried Rachel under his arm and laid her gently on the bed.

"I'm sorry for making you push yourself." Louis stroked her hair with a gentle face. Before he left, he told her, "I'll come again."

Rachel had a lot of regrets. And she was currently accepting the reality.

But she had new regrets now.

Before, Rachel was proficient in water magic. She should've done something.

For example, she probably could find a way to clean the sewage by working with the alchemists.

In particular, hygiene and water problems were likely to cause epidemics and deaths in slums.

Maybe that's why Louis chose Rachel as his fiancee. He was seeking a supporter.

Now that she thought of it, Louis talked about the Salim district several times when they engaged at fourteen years old. What did she say at that time?

Surely, it was...

"Your Highness, please refrain from bringing up such a distasteful topic. You don't have to worry about the people who are living in a different world from us."

Like that, Rachel trampled his heart. Many times.

What kind of expression did Louis make when she said that?

Rachel could only guess, but she was sure that Louis had received a lot of such reactions since he was ten years old.

Maybe that's why he stopped asking for others' understanding.

On the contrary, he decided to increase his value and made it look like he wanted to gain power for himself.

Perhaps, he was trying to guide and carry out his plan.

But those were all her speculations.

Louis hid everything in that smile, not saying anything vital to anyone.

Rachel thought that the prince should be able to forgive her childishness in the past.

But she was wrong.

His Highness... Did he forgive me for brutally breaking his expectations?

This couldn't be dismissed with an excuse that she didn't know.

She didn't try to know.

I have to start educating myself about this.

Rachel realized that it might be too late. That there might be nothing she could do since she had lost her magic power.

Still, she wanted to learn.

Rachel continued to stare out of the window, gazing at the setting sun.

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