Elise and Karan strolled through the streets bustling with the festival. Elise rubbed her slightly protruding belly after eating a hearty breakfast.
Lately, she had been craving food more often. She felt like she was gradually gaining weight. When she expressed concern, Karan told her she “looked much better,” but Elise was still worried.
If she gained weight, she’d have to buy all new dresses, and her body might become sluggish, affecting her work efficiency.
‘I should reduce my food intake for a while.’
As soon as she had that thought, a tantalizing aroma wafted by, as if to tease her.
Elise lifted her head as if enchanted, and saw skewers of sweet and sour fruits on sticks.
“Shall I buy you one?” Karan asked, noticing Elise’s eyes sparkle. Elise firmly shook her head, trying to resist.
“No, I don’t want any.”
“I want some,” Karan lied. He didn’t particularly like sweets or snacks, preferring to eat a lot during meals instead.
The only time he said he wanted food outside of mealtimes was when he wanted to feed Elise something.
“You eat it yourself,” Elise said, turning her head away. Without further persuasion, Karan bought two fruit skewers.
“My hands are full. Could you hold one for me, Elise?”
One of Karan’s hands was already full of heavy bags. He had bought anything Elise had even glanced at.
From animal-shaped sponges she would never use to toy rings, the items varied in type and size.
Elise sighed and took the skewer. The sweet and sour aroma became even stronger, making her mouth water.
“Just taste it, Elise,” Karan coaxed gently. Elise raised an eyebrow.
“You won’t gain weight, really. And you’re beautiful even if you do gain weight.”
The same words every time.
Elise pouted.
“Then, let’s do this. We’ll eat and then exercise.”
“Exercise?”
“I’ll show you how.”
It was an obvious ploy. Nevertheless, Elise couldn’t help but give in. Karan’s smile as he urged her to eat was charming, and the fruit looked tempting.
A honey-coated strawberry slipped into Elise’s mouth.
Karan’s smile deepened.
Karan realized what it meant to feel full without eating. No, it wasn’t just a feeling of physical fullness. It was more like a spiritual satiety.
“Shall we walk while eating?”
Karan quickly finished his fruit skewer so he could hold Elise’s hand.
After throwing the wooden stick in a trash bin, he took Elise’s hand.
They could have walked without holding hands for a bit, but Karan refused to let go even for a moment, saying, “What if we lose each other?”
Though slightly uncomfortable, Elise didn’t mind and held his hand back.
The streets celebrating the New Year’s party were painted in various colors. Colorful paper flowers hung from trees, and brightly colored paper umbrellas were opened wide to create shade.
Musicians played diverse music at various spots on the street. People walked or stopped to sway to the music.
Everywhere they looked, they could see people caught up in the excitement.
After walking for a while, Karan suggested, “Shall we go somewhere quieter?”
He gently pulled at the inside of Elise’s arm.
“Sure,” Elise agreed, as her ears were starting to hurt from the noise.
They left behind the enthusiastic applause and cheers for a street performer who had just finished their act, and entered an alley.
Passing through a narrow alley between buildings where stalls couldn’t be set up, they emerged into a completely different world.
“If we keep walking this way, we’ll reach the river that flows through the capital. We can take a boat there. But before that, there’s something I want to show you,” Karan said.
“What is it?” Elise asked, carefully avoiding puddles as she followed Karan. When they came across large puddles, Karan lifted her across.
“You’ll see. I’m not sure if you’ll like it though.”
“I like everything you show me,” Elise said sincerely. Karan shrugged.
He always tried to show Elise only good things, but this time he wasn’t confident.
He wasn’t sure if she would share his perspective.
“It’s over there,” Karan said.
As they emerged from the long alley, the river breeze blew as Karan had said. Elise brushed back her wind-blown hair and looked where he was pointing.
Under the bridge built to cross the river, there were several makeshift shelters made of haphazardly assembled boards and clothes.
“That’s…”
“It’s where the beggars live,” Karan explained.
“Are we going to give alms?” Elise asked, turning to look at him.
“If you want. Shall we go?”
Elise wondered what Karan wanted to show her.
She followed him, tilting her head in curiosity.
As they approached the area under the bridge, a foul odor assaulted their noses. People sprawled on the ground slowly rose, glancing at Elise and Karan.
On their dirty, unwashed faces, only their eyes shone.
Their glistening eyes flashed with calculations of how much money they might get.
An elderly person with a severely bent back approached Elise, extending grimy hands.
“Please spare a coin. Just one coin…”
Elise’s nose wrinkled in sympathy. How did this person end up living here?
Just as she was feeling pity, someone recognized her.
“Is that… Elise?”
“Elise! You’ve come to find us, haven’t you? That’s it, right?”
A figure suddenly emerged from the deep shadows. Elise narrowed her eyes.
And then she was shocked.
The person with disheveled hair in rags was Viscount Worton!
“Elise? That wicked girl who abandoned us?”
Soon, Viscountess Worton appeared too. Both looked in terrible condition. Elise’s expression turned cold.
“Be quiet! Elise has come to take us back. Keep your mouth shut,” Viscount Worton said, affectionately pronouncing Elise’s name. He was indulging in an absurd fantasy, forgetting all the despicable things he had done.
“Elise, let’s go quickly. I heard you became the queen of Tetris? We can go to Tetris too. A count’s title would be nice. As the queen’s father, I should receive at least that much. A four-story mansion would be good, and just 20 servants…”
Despite his previous disdain for Tetris and mockery of Karan as a barbarian, he now planned to leech off Tetris.
“Shut your mouth,” Elise said coldly.
“What did you say, Elise?”
“I said shut your mouth. Even this place is too good for you both.”
“E-Elise! How dare you speak to your father like that!”
Viscount Worton raised his voice. His wife clutched his arm.
“Dear, calm down. Elise has always been ill-mannered. I’ll reason with her.”
As Viscount Worton stepped back, clutching the nape of his neck, his wife stepped forward.
“Elise, you shouldn’t treat your father like this. If you’re human, shouldn’t you repay the kindness of those who raised you? Moreover, didn’t you say you’re a queen? A queen is the mother of the kingdom. You should set an example as a mother.”
“Raised me? Me? Who did?”
“Who else but your father and me, of course.”
Elise was dumbfounded.
“You didn’t raise me, you abused me. Speak properly.”
Once, just recalling her childhood would make Elise’s breathing quicken and her body tremble.
That’s how terrible their treatment of Elise had been.
Fortunately, now she could recall those memories without being hurt. She had realized she had done nothing wrong.
“Elise, it was all for your own good.”
“So starving me for three days for dropping a fork was for my own good?”
Karan, who had been listening silently, flinched. This was a part of Elise’s past he hadn’t known about.
“For the sake of education…”
“Yes, and for education, you pinched and hit me where it wouldn’t show.”
Karan gripped his sword handle. He wanted to draw his sword and behead the Worton couple right there, but he restrained himself.
Their judgment was Elise’s to make.
“Elise, my daughter. You were hurt a lot. See, didn’t I tell you, wife! Didn’t I say to treat Elise well! Dad didn’t know, Elise.”
Viscount Worton pushed his wife away. She stumbled and fell into dirty filth. She screamed, but the Viscount paid no attention.
“Elise, I apologize. Your father will apologize. Okay? So take me with you. If you don’t like that woman, just take me, okay?”
“What? Are you crazy?”
The Viscountess grabbed the Viscount’s trouser leg.
“You’re not going anywhere without me! Who pushed me into this gutter!”
“You’re right! It’s because you, as a wife, messed up the children’s education that our family was ruined! Because of that Iris girl! Ah, if only Elise’s mother was alive!”
At the mention of “mother,” Elise’s eyes widened. Elise knew almost nothing about her birth mother. Viscount Worton had always been reluctant to speak about Elise’s birth mother.
But if she asked now, wouldn’t he answer?
Though she pretended to have forgotten everything about her birth mother, it was impossible to truly forget the mother who gave birth to her.
Like an old wound, traces of her birth mother always existed somewhere in her heart.
“Elise’s mother? How could that girl have a mother? Can someone who abandoned their child be called a mother?”
The Viscountess’s words cut Elise sharply.
The two fought, veins bulging in their necks. Their vicious struggle for survival was repulsive.
“Wait a moment! Is it true? Did she really abandon me? It’s about time you told me the truth, isn’t it?”
Elise interrupted the couple’s quarrel.
“Why would I have any reason to lie to you, Elise?”
“What do you know to be running your mouth? Can’t you keep quiet?”
Viscount Worton roughly grabbed his wife’s arm and pulled her.
She abandoned you, keep quiet if you don’t know, would a child abandoned by parents care for them, one more word and I’ll hit you.
After a prolonged fight, Viscount Worton raised his hand high. Then, with a slap, he struck Viscountess Worton.
“Kyaa! Kyaaaa! You hit me? You actually hit me!”
Viscountess Worton lunged at Viscount Worton.
“Stop it, all of you!”
Elise shouted. Truly, the fact that even half of Viscount Worton’s blood flowed in her veins made her shudder.
“Yes, Elise. I’ll stop. So shall we go together now?”
Viscount Worton still hadn’t given up hope. Elise let out a deep sigh.
Karan stood close behind her.
“Just say the word, Elise. I’ll shut that mouth of his right now. Make it so he can never speak again.”
Elise stared at Karan. While doing as he suggested would be the easiest way to get rid of Viscount Worton, she didn’t want to dirty Karan’s hands.
Elise sighed and took out a heavy purse filled with gold coins.
At the clinking sound of money, the demeanor of the beggars who had been lying listlessly changed.
Like wildcats before prey, they lowered their bodies and began to move stealthily.
“I have nothing else to give you. Money is all I have.”
Elise threw the money purse. Seeing the glittering gold coins through the open gap, Viscount Worton’s mouth fell open.
“E-Elise, you truly are my daughter! My daughter indeed.”
Viscount Worton hugged the money purse. But Elise didn’t stop there. She threw two more money purses.
“With this, our parent-child relationship is severed. Consider this payment for giving birth to me. Let’s never see each other again.”
They should understand her words well. Elise looked around.
The eyes of the poor were tinted with greed.
Elise grabbed Karan’s forearm.
“Let’s go, Karan. I don’t want to stay here any longer.”
“Will this be enough?”
Elise nodded. Seeing her gesture, devoid of any lingering attachment, Karan smiled with satisfaction and escorted her.
As they climbed up onto the bridge, horrific screams echoed from below.
It was the sound of greed devouring greed.
