Chapter 10….
Inside the rustling transparent wrapping were breads of all shapes and colors.
Donghee picked one up and peeled off the wrapper to demonstrate.
The butler, unfamiliar with the transparent plastic, couldn’t hide his surprise.
“You tear it like this and give it out. For now, we only have this, so start by giving it to the children first. Once the cart from the castle arrives, distribute it to the elderly and weak in order.”
“Yes, understood.”
The bread the lord handed out had an incredibly sweet smell.
Even the butler, who had worked at the castle for over 40 years, had never once tasted such a luxurious bread.
He swallowed his saliva unconsciously and hurriedly unwrapped the packaging. The knight standing next to him stepped in to help as well.
The knights guarding the carriage glanced longingly at the bread.
Seeing them lick their lips made Donghee feel guilty.
“Once we return to the castle, the knights who accompanied us today will also receive the same bread.”
“Th-thank you very much!”
At Donghee’s words, big smiles spread across the knights’ faces.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
With just one word from Donghee, red hearts exploded above the knights’ heads.
Some people sent out dozens at once, and the popping sound didn’t stop for a while.
She hadn’t even given them anything yet—just promised to—and they were this happy.
Once the wrappers were removed, people started to gather around.
The starving villagers looked ready to pounce, their eyes gleaming with hunger.
Although it could’ve been a tense situation, the butler seemed experienced. He straightened up and stepped forward, speaking in a loud voice.
From behind, the butler looked dependable in a way she hadn’t expected, despite his frail and skinny frame.
“The lord will distribute food to Morta Village today.”
As soon as the butler finished speaking, murmurs spread among the villagers who had been eyeing the carriage.
Donghee had expected cheers, but instead, their faces grew more suspicious, trying to figure out if there was some hidden catch.
“Only those with children under five years old should come forward first.”
The bread the lord had brought was nowhere near enough for all the children in the village.
At the butler’s shout, adults holding young children began to step forward hesitantly.
Even as they approached, they kept turning back, uncertain and wary of the stern knights, and nervous about approaching a noble’s carriage for the first time.
The first to reach the carriage was a young woman holding a toddler, about two years old.
She looked around twenty, just as thin as the others, but she had courage and strength in her eyes that had pushed her to come forward first.
Donghee watched her closely as she approached the carriage.
The woman, holding her child tightly, looked ready to fight even armed knights if necessary to protect her child.
“Here. Take this for now, and you’ll get grains later.”
Contrary to her tense expression, she was startled when a piece of bread was handed to her without question.
“A-are you really giving this to me?”
“Take it.”
The butler handed the bread to her, pulling it out of the plastic wrap.
Once the woman safely received the bread, more people holding children began to gather.
The area in front of the carriage quickly filled with people.
The remaining bread was gone in no time, and the area became busy with parents tearing the bread and feeding it to their children.
Thanks to the sharp-eyed knights standing guard, no one dared snatch bread away from another.
Many parents chose to feed their children right next to the knights for extra protection.
One woman, who had been feeding her baby water from an empty breast, tore the bread in half and put a piece in her child’s mouth before offering the rest to her husband. But the man shook his head and fed the rest back to his wife. Seeing her eat seemed to make him happy, and a bright smile spread across his face.
Ding, ding, ding!
Sounds of increasing affection scores rang out from everywhere.
Even though they only received a single piece of bread, hearts of various sizes floated above their heads, popping like soap bubbles.
But Donghee didn’t feel like checking the numbers right now.
She simply watched the people devour the bread in silence, her face heavy with emotion.
“My lady, it’s time to return now.”
“Already?”
It hadn’t even been 30 minutes, but the butler approached the carriage and said this.
Surprised, Chloe frowned, and the butler hurriedly added,
“Ah… y-you usually leave right away… W-would you like to stay a little longer?”
“Yes. I have to see the cart arrive and make sure everything gets distributed properly.”
“O-of course! Yes, my lady!”
The butler looked genuinely happy and ran over to the seated villagers.
Soon, a temporary distribution station was set up at the village entrance.
Although it only consisted of a few tables and worn-out chairs hurriedly brought from the village hall, hope lit up the villagers’ faces.
“The supply cart is arriving!”
Someone shouted loudly.
“Yaaaay!!”
Finally, cheers echoed through the village.
Although the butler encouraged her to wait comfortably in the carriage, Donghee insisted on sitting in one of the chairs at the distribution station.
“This chair is very uncomfortable…”
The butler anxiously brought out a chair with no cushion or back support.
“It’s fine. I’m comfortable.”
The old chair wobbled with every slight movement, but Donghee adjusted her balance and sat upright, gazing ahead.
Wearing a simple navy dress and minimal accessories, the lord looked genuinely empathetic to the pain of her people.
The butler, who knew Chloe’s typically flashy taste better than anyone, was deeply moved by her appearance today.
“If you feel uncomfortable at any time, please let me know. I’ll escort you to the carriage immediately.”
Donghee responded with a warm smile and a nod.
Delma, who had arrived with the cart of grains, remained by Chloe’s side.
Delma had been crying nonstop since arriving in Morta Village.
At first, Donghee thought it was because of the pitiful condition of the villagers. But upon hearing her mutter through sniffles, she realized the reason was different.
“Our lady finally started to care for her land. I can die without regrets now.”
Delma was crying not for the villagers, but because of Chloe Grace.
The once-selfish noble had finally taken an interest in her people’s lives.
Feeling awkward, Donghee didn’t know how to respond and tightly sealed her lips.
Up front, the distribution had already begun.
Even while receiving their small portion of grain, the villagers repeatedly bowed and thanked Chloe.
How long had she been sitting there?
Her back and tailbone ached from the hard chair, but thankfully the distribution was nearly finished.
“You can stand up now.”
Delma, who had been sticking close to Chloe, looked at the nearly empty line and spoke.
Donghee had just been considering getting up and now stood reluctantly.
That’s when it happened.
A young boy, about five years old, cautiously approached.
“What is it?”
Donghee asked, looking at the boy standing before her. His trousers were too short, revealing skinny ankles like tree branches. His nose was red and running.
The boy quickly wiped his nose with the back of his hand and held something out toward Chloe.
She couldn’t quite see what was in his dark hand.
“What’s that?”
“A gift… for you.”
The boy’s voice trembled slightly with shyness and nervousness.
“For me?”
“Yes.”
Donghee glanced briefly at Delma before bending down and reaching out her hand.
With great joy, the boy placed what he had been gripping into her palm.
“What is this?”
It was a small white stone, about the size of a 100-won coin. It was warm from being held so tightly for so long.
“It’s my treasure. I’m giving it to you.”
Though it was just a plain rock, the way it gleamed showed how dearly the boy had cared for it.
“Are you sure you want to give me something so precious?”
Instead of answering, the boy nodded vigorously.
“My mom said if the lord hadn’t come today, my little brother might’ve died. She said I could last a bit longer without food, but my brother couldn’t. She made soup with the bread you gave us, and he got better. She said she’ll cook me porridge with the grain we received today.”
Though she’d guessed he was five, he sounded older.
“How old are you? What’s your name?”
“I’m nine. My name is Denny.”
Denny’s thin cheeks flushed as he introduced himself.
“You’re a wonderful big brother, Denny. Your little brother is lucky to have you.”
Donghee removed the cloak she was wearing and handed it to Denny.
“This is in return for your gift. Cover your brother with it.”
She figured he’d refuse if she said it was for him, so she added that it was for his younger brother. Denny, confused, accepted the cloak.
“It’ll get cold soon.”
Seeing him hesitate, Donghee added.
“Thank you!”
Hearing that the weather would get colder, Denny bowed deeply. He had the musty smell of a child who hadn’t bathed in days.
After receiving his thanks, Donghee silently watched as Denny ran home.
Then, slowly, she looked around the village.
Back at Grace Castle, Donghee opened her status window to check her affection score first.
–The current favorability of the territory’s people is: –171,010
“What on earth?!”
The score, which had been more than minus 200,000, had gone up by nearly 30,000.
