Chapter 053
“…I expected it, but it’s really serious.”
I murmured quietly as I looked at the stretched-out scenery of the street before me.
While there was a commotion in the center of the street preparing meals for them, the actual recipients seemed to be staring blankly into space, showing no interest at all.
“Madam Dahlia, the supply preparations are complete.”
Just then, it seemed Roman had finished the preparations and approached me to report.
“Great. I can use this distribution tray, right?”
“Yes? That’s true, but… um, Madam Dahlia, are you really planning to hand out the food yourself?”
“Yes, why?”
As I rolled up my sleeves to get started, Roman stammered, looking extremely flustered.
“Didn’t you come to observe the overall situation of the street? We can handle this. You never know what unexpected situations might arise while handing out food to them…”
“Roman.”
I interrupted him mid-sentence and handed him the distribution tray filled with food and potions.
“I told you. I came here to work just like everyone else today.”
Roman, awkwardly holding the distribution tray I offered, looked at me with a face full of unspoken concerns.
“I know what you’re worried about, so I’ll be extra careful.”
He was worried whether I, having never done this kind of work before, could manage to do it safely.
“So you work hard today too, Roman.”
“…Yes. Understood.”
As he stared at me while I filled the distribution tray with food, he eventually nodded and followed my lead.
It seemed that Roman wasn’t the only one who hadn’t expected me to carry the food myself.
All the knights who had been watching me with surprised eyes around me seemed to have heard what I said to Roman, and they started carrying things busily, averting their gaze.
To officially start the distribution, I followed the knights as they moved around, taking a careful look at my surroundings.
“Oh.”
In the midst of this, I made eye contact with a child.
The first thing that caught my eye was the child’s clear, bright eyes.
The little boy looked about five years old. He was clinging to a woman, staring directly at me with a disheveled appearance.
“Hello.”
I bent down and tried to greet him warmly, but the child only tightened his grip on the woman’s hem, showing no other reaction.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
As I looked at the child, I glanced at the face of the woman he was holding.
She appeared extremely thin and pale, her eyes wandering aimlessly as if lost in space, even with someone in front of her.
The woman, presumed to be the child’s family member, looked to be in a serious condition at first glance.
“Hello. I brought some food; please try to eat a bit.”
I placed the food in front of the woman.
However, she showed no significant reaction, no matter how much I tried to engage her.
‘I wish she would at least drink some potions.’
If I left the food there, it was clear she wouldn’t touch it all day.
In the end, I picked up a spoon, poured some potion, and brought it closer to the woman.
Smack!
At that moment, a small hand covered the woman’s lips.
The child, who had been nestled in the woman’s arms, raised his hand to protect her mouth.
His tightly closed lips and trembling hand spoke volumes.
Though his expression was blank, it was clear that the child was very tense.
Watching the child, I took a sip of the potion I was holding.
“It’s not weird. If you drink this, you’ll get strong and be able to eat a lot of food.”
I tried my best to lower my guard and match the child’s eye level.
Maybe my efforts paid off, as the child, who had been looking at me with round eyes, slowly lowered his hand.
Noticing that this was a sign of permission, I began to pour the potion into the woman’s mouth little by little.
I’m not sure how much time passed.
I could see the woman’s eyes, which had been aimlessly drifting, starting to gain focus.
“Ugh…”
“Aren’t you hungry? Please try some bread.”
As I placed the bread in her hand, she slowly started to lift it.
She seemed to be in a state of barely waking from unconsciousness, making communication difficult.
I had expected her to eat the bread, but I was taken aback when her hand moved not toward her own mouth but toward the child’s mouth, who was nestled in her arms.
Although her face still seemed to wander in the air, her gesture of offering the bread to the child clearly showed her intent.
“I brought enough bread and soup for the child as well, so don’t worry and eat.”
I quickly picked up the bread again and placed it in the woman’s hand.
I wasn’t sure if she understood my words, but as the child began to eat the bread, the woman also started to chew and swallow the food little by little.
I watched the child devour the bread quickly and spoke to him.
“If you ever run out of food, come to the center of the street anytime.”
The child remained silent, but it was clear he understood my words, as his gaze briefly turned toward the center of the street.
“I’ll be going now. Enjoy your meal.”
There were many others who needed the potion, so I couldn’t stay with the woman and child for long.
Fortunately, seeing the woman’s face, which looked more relaxed than when I first saw her, allowed me to step away with a lighter heart.
After that, I repeatedly fed the potion to many people and handed out food.
As I moved around in a daze, I realized only late in the day that the sun was setting.
“Madam Dahlia! We’ve run out of all the food we prepared. I can’t believe how well people have been eating today!”
Sir Paul, running up to me with an excited expression, looked genuinely happy.
“Indeed. That’s a relief.”
I left him with a request to continue feeding them potions for the week.
“Of course! I hadn’t even dared to think about potions due to budget issues, so I really appreciate your concern.”
With tears in his eyes, Sir Paul expressed his gratitude, overwhelmed with emotion.
Given the numerous tasks piling up due to the war recovery efforts, the budget allocated for those in Delling Street must have been limited.
Not knowing that the potions I brought today were made by me, Paul probably assumed I had used my own funds.
“Well, that’s not entirely incorrect.”
It was true that I had paid Joy separately for potion production.
“Oh no! I’ve shown a disgraceful side. I must hurry to clean up before the sun sets.”
Quickly regaining his composure, Paul left again at a brisk pace to tidy up the street.
“Whew, my legs… “
As I quietly watched the knights hastening the final cleanup, I suddenly felt the fatigue wash over me.
I wanted to finish tidying up and return home quickly.
Just as I was about to turn and move with my heavy body, like a waterlogged cotton ball…
“Huh?”
As I turned my head, a small wildflower was thrust in front of me.
Startled, I looked at the face of the one holding the flower, and it was the same child I had given food to earlier.
I didn’t notice when the child had climbed onto the cart, but their eye level was almost at mine.
“Is this for me?”
The child still had a blank expression, but their intention in offering the flower was clear.
As I carefully accepted the flower, the child turned to get down from the cart, as if they had completed their task.
Just then.
Creak.
A sound of something breaking came from near the cart.
In an instant, Roman and the knights, now pale-faced, began to shout loudly.
“Madam! Move to the side!”
“The cart is tipping over!”
At that moment, the sight of the child wobbling on the cart and the large pot tilting toward me seemed to move in slow motion.
If I quickly pulled my feet back now, I could avoid injury.
But what would happen to the child?
The child, who would fall with the pot, would be crushed beneath that massive pot and seriously hurt.
With no time left to think further, I immediately grabbed the falling child and held them tightly.
‘Even if I get hurt, I’ll be less injured than a child.’
With that thought, I tightly shut my eyes.
midori
thanks! yasss the potions are working! oh no, the child! …is evan going to show up after secretly observing? i am kind of surprised joy didn’t follow.