Pheeeww~~ I'm so full~
We've been going around the capital city, trying out street foods, and window shopping for quite a while now~
As expected, even though gourmet food is delicious, street foods still strike a different spot~ It's like eating fast food, but still more healthy than fast-food since they don't use any chemicals and preservatives! All organic~!
"So? Where do you want to go now? I know I've said it time and time again but you should probably stop buying food. Anne and I are full now, so you can't just give us your leftovers anymore."
"I know I know~ If I eat any more than this, I might gain weight and Roland-sama might get mad at me~! "
"It's good that you understand. Now then, do you still want to look for a few more things for your shampoo or should we go home?"
"Hmmmm~ Let's go around a little bit more then go home~"
"Alright..."
I took a deep breath and released it slowly.
Looking around this bustling scenery of the marketplace, I know that it will be a while before I could see it again. This atmosphere... Even if the buildings and people are different, this atmosphere reminded me of the marketplace I used to visit frequently back in Japan, sometimes along with Hana and Kazuto, sometimes going there for mom's errand.
I still remember the old lady selling meat buns with an ever steaming large container of it beside her who always gives me something extra, or the balding yet ripped old man selling fish and seafood who'd yell "AKARI" so loudly, the entire marketplace seemed to know my name now.
It feels nostalgic, even though it's different.
I secretly glance towards Lu-nii beside me. He's also looking around with distant eyes. He must feel the same huh? After all, it's something that we could never experience in the noble's district. Being in this atmosphere after years would remind you a lot about your past...
Come to think of it, Hana might never be able to experience this... As the princess, it would be very difficult for her to visit the commoner's district and experience this atmosphere. After all, even if she manages to come, she'd need to bring a lot of royal guards and her identity might be revealed. She might not be able to experience what we're experiencing now.
But... At least once... I want Hana to experience this kind of thing...
Maybe after Lu-nii and I are strong enough, we could be her guards and go incognito. Then we'll be going around the marketplace, just like in the past...
"Uhn... Let's do that."
"Hm? What did you say?"
"No, nothing."
"...Are you sure?"
"Uhn."
Kuh... It's only at times like this that he's sharp. I-I need to distract him.
"...Hm? Wait... I think I heard something..."
"What did you hear?"
"...It sounded like a cry."
"...Is it just your imagination? I mean, we're in the middle of the marketplace."
"...Maybe."
We continued to walk, but I'm not keeping an eye around us...
I'm sure I heard something like a muffled crying, but it seemed pretty far. The marketplace is very noisy, but...
"...There it is again! It's coming from that alleyway!"
"...I get it. We will approach slowly and silently, okay? Don't rush in."
"U-Uhn!"
"Anne, notify the guards and secure the perimeter without notifying the masses."
"U-Understood. But..."
"It's fine... If something bad happens, I'll create a signal with my fireball and escape with Risa as soon as possible."
"I-I understand. Please be careful."
Lu-nii nodded and then clenched my hand tightly and looked me in the eyes.
"Don't be reckless, okay?"
"Mm. I know."
We then slowly approach the alleyway between a bakery and a fruit shop. There were several people coming in and out of the bakery and haggling and choosing fruits in front of the fruit shop, but I could now hear the soft sobbing of a little girl as we approached the alleyway.
We stopped right in front of it and peeked in, and quite a distance into the alley, we saw three children, two girls and a boy. They seemed to be quite young, probably a few years older than I am. Though I couldn't be sure with all the soot and traces of dirt on their skin.
They also seemed to be hiding a very thin and malnourished body behind the ragged clothes they wore judging by their sunken cheeks and tin arms and legs. The boy and the ponytailed older girl were kneeling in front of the younger girl with short hair, seemingly distressed.
The younger girl was holding her leg as she cried. There was blood on her left knee that seemed to be scraped from a fall.
"...Lu-nii. I'll help them."
I whispered. I wanted to go to them as quickly as possible, but I knew my position and waited for his permission.
"...Okay. Let's go together. I'll be ready in case something happens."
"Uhn. Thank you."
I slowly entered the alleyway with Lu-nii closely following behind me.
The three suddenly turned their heads in a panic, seemingly flustered and scared.
"Please don't be afraid. I am here to help."
I smiled as best as I could. At this point, they could probably see my face even though I'm wearing a hood. I'm standing while they're looking at me from below. Though, I'm still short so maybe not.
"Help? What can you help with?"
The brown-haired boy glared at me. He turned his body towards me, hiding the two girls behind him.
He's very brave. Even though I can see the fear in his eyes, he still does his best to protect them.
"Please believe me. I can help your little sister."
I conjured up a small ball of water in my hand and they immediately gasped in surprise.
"I'm skilled with water magic. I can use it to heal your wounds."
Now that I can see them closer, I could see small scratches throughout their arms, legs, and face, some new and some old. The ponytail-haired girl had much larger cuts and bruises as well, but I can heal them all. After being trained by Lawliela-sama, I can cure this level of scratches and bruise easily and not leave a scar."
"Please... Let me help you."
The boy stared at me for a few moments, his eyes locked onto me. Then, he looked back at the ponytail-haired girl. She nodded slowly. She still seemed unsure, but she did nonetheless.
The boy turned to me again and shifted a bit to the side, giving way for me to the little girl.
The girl looked at me with tears flowing down her beautiful black eyes in fear, pain, and confusion.
I kneeled down beside her and smiled softly and petted her hair.
"It's going to be fine now, okay? You won't feel any pain anymore~"
The girl timidly nodded and her crying stopped.
"Good girl. You're such a strong girl for now crying anymore."
I petted her head one more time, and then began casting <Healing Water> to her scraped knee and all the wounds I could see on her body.
She flinched a bit when the water I conjured from my hand began enveloping her knee and the rest of her body. But soon, her face calmed down and began to relax.
The wounds slowly closed, reverting back to her supple and beautiful light-colored skin.
When I was done, she looked around her arms, legs, and touched her face, and a super cute smile appeared on her face.
"T-Thank you very much, big sister...!"
"Hehehe~ You're very welcome~"
I turned towards the other two.
Hehe~ They look so surprised. Their mouths are opened so widely.
I then cast <Healing Water> again for both of them and healed all the scratches and bruises on their body.
Their eyes widened in shock when water suddenly crawl up their skin and enveloped them, but their expression softened and relaxed momentarily after. When I was done, they looked around their body. Their eyes widened in shock and wonder.
All three of them turned towards me, their eyes still widened in surprise, and now with wonder and amazement instead of fear.
I smiled, and then looked towards Lu-nii for a moment. He stared back and then nodded with a helpless smile a while after.
I turned back towards them and smiled as best as I could.
"Now then, let's have a meal together~"
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
After healing the three children, I brought them to the nearest diner I could find in this marketplace.
"Are? Why is it empty???"
I swear this diner was at least half full when I saw it in passing before. Also, what's with this atmosphere?
It was kinda rowdy before with all the glasses of ale being drunk inside. It was similar to a regular diner you'd see in various isekai light novels where adventurers usually hangout in.
But now, it was so quiet with no one inside, and the waiters were welcoming us super politely and nervously as we went inside.
"I had a royal guard reserved just now so you can talk peacefully."
"Oh~ Thank you, Lu-nii~! As expected of my considerate elder brother~!"
"...Stop being gross and order some food. They're starving."
Just then, three growling sounds resounded from behind us.
I looked back and saw the brown-haired boy averting his glare embarrassedly while the girl held their stomach with cute blushes on their faces.
"Oh right~ You must be hungry~! Feel free to order anything~! We'll treat you!!!"
They all turned and looked at me with widened eyes. The two girls looked at me excitedly while the boy seemed... nervous and wary?
Hm... What is he wary about? Do I look like a bad guy? Well, I am supposed to be the antagonist of "Lovely Happenings", but I don't look scary right? Even when I was Akari, I'm not scary, just handsome. Now, I'm a freaking cute baby, so please don't look at me like that.
We quickly sat down on the largest table they had, which was a rectangular table with a wooden bench on either side. Lu-nii, Anne, and I sat on one side while the three children sat on the other.
I immediately ordered plenty of food for them since they seemed to be reluctant. But, the moment food was placed on our table, they immediately scarf down the food and fill their cute cheeks with it.
Ufufufu~ They look like squirrels~
Hm~ Now I want to see Alexus, Noir, Evelyn, Celine, Vallerie, and Illya stuffing their cheeks full of food. They never did that, now that I think about it. They're always so elegant and proper and ate in small bites. I think I am the one doing the squirrel cheeks when they feed me cakes.
When we met, Evelyn and Celine would always try to feed me. They'd take turns shoving food to my mouth. It was so much, but I could not reject them. After all, who would reject being fed by two cuties! That is simply blasphemy.
Though after that, I had to workout even more to maintain this body of mine.
After they finished the three children sighed in satisfaction and said their thanks to me.
"Thank you very much for feeding us such delicious food."
"Thank you very much!"
"T-T-Thank you very much..."
"You are very welcome~ Ah, that's right. I forgot to introduce myself. It is nice to meet you. My name is Alterisa~ This is my elder brother."
"Lucas. It is nice to be your acquaintance."
The three of them stared at us for a moment before lowering their heads.
"My name is Vincent. It is a pleasure and honor to meet you."
"Iris. Thank you for helping us."
"M-M-Maria..."
Oooohh~ Vincent, Iris, and Maria huh~? Vincent seemed to have a good head on his shoulder. Even though he is a little crude, he's still trying his best to act polite.
Iris seemed cold and distant. Her face is also very stoic. She kind of reminded me of Luke. Though, she is a hundred times better. A cool girl huh~ That's nice~ Much better than a deadpan guy like Luke~
Then lastly, Maria. Umu umu, she's very cute! Super duper cute! She's like a small cute animal you'd want to protect! She reminds me of Noir because of her shyness and timidness, but while Noir is a Yamato Nadeshiko, Maria feels like the cute girl in your class that'd rank third in the popularity poll, but receives the most confessions and love letters from boys!!!
Her shy and timid personality would make anyone want to protect her! And I sure am feeling it right now!!!
Just imagining Noir on my left and Maria on my right, calling me "Onee-sama"...
Guhehehe... Guhehehehe... Guhahahahahahaha!!!! What a marvelous scene!!!
...
A-Ahem... I lost myself a bit right there.
After they introduced themselves, I tried asking them how they could become like this. Where are their parents? Why are they so malnourished?
I asked them as gently as possible, trying to not make them too... depressed. I want to know their situation so perhaps... I could lend them a little help.
They all went silent when I asked. Maria started to sob and Iris immediately hugged her and stroked her hair, soothing the poor little girl.
A few moments later, Vincent began to tell their story.
"We... are children who have been abandoned by our parents. I met Iris and Maria a few months ago... Iris was fighting against several men in ragged clothes, probably homeless men who were also living in the shadows of the capital. I am weak, but with me as an extra target for them, she managed to defeat all three. Since then, we have been together..."
I see... They've been fighting for their life this whole time... Those wounds weren't just from falling or accidents.
"After a while, we realized how well we worked together... I can use my words to ask food stall owners or diners for food scraps so we can eat. Iris could protect us from other people who seek to harm us. Even Maria, who was only five years old, helped me find food and ask the people walking if they could spare us some coins. We could somehow continue to live like this... Somehow..."
I looked at them as tears began to flow down their eyes. They are such strong children...
In the age where they should have been studying towards their bright future, spending time with their family, making friends, they've been fighting all their life. Fighting against the fate that didn't favor them. They continue to survive with any means necessary...
Such a strong will...
I could feel tears flowing down my cheeks, dripping onto my cloak and pants. I want to cry my heart out. How can fate be so cruel to such young children? No children should suffer from such a fate.
But I can't break here.
If I want to help them, I can't break into a full on cry... I need to stay strong.
What they need now is something that could give them hope. Something or someone that could help them out of this spiraling down fate. They didn't need someone who cries for them, because I'm sure they've cried a lot.
I took a deep breath and looked at them one by one.
Even though he was crying, Vincent was still trying his best to keep his calm. His eyes burning with the fire of determination. The resolve to fight against his own fate.
Iris was clenching her teeth as she embraced her little sister. She has the will to protect her sister no matter what and the resolve to obtain that power. Her cold eyes were similarly burning with determination.
Lastly, Maria. She was sobbing and sniffling in her sister's embrace. Her hands and teeth were clenched tightly, trying her best to not cry out loud. Even though she was about my age, she was just as strong as her sister and Vincent. She has incredible willpower.
Mm. If they haven't given up, then perhaps it is not too late.
I wiped the tears off my eyes and cheeks and put on my best smile to the three of them.
"Vincent, Iris, Maria."
They all turned towards me at the sound of my voice. Their eyes looked right at mine.
"Would you like to come work in my household as my servants?"
"O-Ojou-sama?!?!"
Ah, Anne finally slipped up. Well, considering how long she had kept it under control, it was rather impressive.
The three were also similarly surprised. They all froze in place and their eyes were wide open now.
"Please... Just treat this as one of my many selfish requests... I want to give them a chance... Make them a servant apprentice for a while, at least until they can learn the basic skill to live and support themselves. If they are unqualified or they do not wish for it, then we can let them go."
I turned and looked at Anne. She seemed super shocked, even more than when she saw me about to freeze the floor of my hallway in front of my room and ice skate there.
I know this is a ridiculous request... After all, not anyone could just become a servant of a ducal household. They must have an amazing reputation and skill, guaranteed by a servant's academy or other nobles. Even Anne here, who seemed clumsy and cute at first, is actually a first-class servant who could do her job perfectly. The fact that she could get along with all my actions proves how amazing she is.
So for me to just suddenly take children off the streets and have them enter a ducal household as a servant is super baffling.
But... Well, to be honest, I still couldn't fully understand my position as a daughter of a prime minister and a duke.
I was a girl from a regular family in my previous life, so I guess my common sense is still... not that common for my life right now.
I know that I don't have any power to take them. Even though I am born into a ducal household, I am living under the protection of my parents. Nothing more. I don't have any actual influence or power there, at least not until I grow up and my business grows.
But now that I have a way to help these three poor children... I want to at least try...
Anne hesitated. She couldn't accept or deny my request. It wasn't in her position to do so.
Her eyes then gravitated towards Lu-nii and I turned towards him as well.
He was closing his eyes. His back was straight and his hands resting on his lap, sitting in a very elegant manner.
After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at Vincent, Iris, and Maria one by one.
"Haaahhh... Fine. I will help you get father's permission as well."
"R-Really?! Thank you, Lu-nii!!!"
All three of them gasped and a large smile began to form on their faces. But before they could celebrate, Lu-nii began to speak once again.
"Vincent and Maria, you two will learn how to become Risa's servants. While Iris will train to become Risa's guard. All of you will need to help her, support her, and protect her no matter what from all matters of harm that could befall her with everything you can. Know that you owe your life and future to her."
"Y-Yes! Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity!"
""T-Thank you very much!!!""
Wooww... Lu-ni... I have to admit... You're so cool right now...
Afterword
...Risa, don't say that in front of him, okay?
"Eeeh~? But why~? He can't read my thoughts~ It's fine~ You're such a worrywart, author~"
N-No, seriously-
"It's fine it's fine~ I'm praising him you know~ It's a rare thing, after all, ~ Lu-nii being cool-"
"Hooh? Is this how you repay my kindness, Risa? Fine then, I won't help you with father."
"G-Geh! Author, why is he here?! How could he be here?!?! W-Wait! Lu-nii, let's talk about this! Let's be civilized!!!!"
...........
...I never said no one else could enter this afterword section.