“This bastard damn it, did I win first?”
“Crazy. It was boring and embarrassing.”
They spit on the floor while swearing at each word, laughing at each other that they liked each other.
Dorothea understood why there was such a swear word in Joy’s mouth.
If we live with people like that all day, the only thing a child can learn is swearing.
People’s eyes flickered as they passed the village entrance and focused on Dorothea and Stefan.
The gaze of them carefully looked at with hostility, vigilance, and a greedy light to aim for a good opportunity.
“They are like nobility.”
Dorothea thought it was okay since she dressed in shabby clothes, but when she was among them, it turned out not well.
Her head was not greasy, her eyes were not dry, not curved back, no rough lips, no yellow teeth, or skin disease.
Dorothea realized she had completely failed to blend in between them.
When Joy came to see Dorothea at the detached palace, Joy realized that she was more concerned about Dorothea’s dress and body cleanliness.
“Ignore it and follow me. There is nothing to steal anyway.”
Joy took the lead and whispered softly.
Dorothea and Stefan kept their mouths shut and followed Joy closely.
From daylight, Dorothea saw people battling and fighting, children lying dead on the dirty floor, and people stealing the laundry.
‘It’s not just a poor neighborhood.’
The atmosphere would not have been this dark and bloody if it were just a poor neighborhood.
There must have been traces of minimal morality or the unique community of a small village.
“I came here because my father said gold was found in a creek nearby, but there was nothing but dung.”
As the atmosphere darkened, Joy was joking.
So, the Black Village was not a traditional village. Few people did ordinary labor, such as farming or catching fish in rivers.
If such a stable thing had happened, Joy would have left this black village right away.
The Black Village was a land where the poor people aiming for a lot of money were temporarily gathered under the influence of mines and nobility. The number of people who borrowed money from gambling also increased, making this land rougher.
“That’s my house.”
Joy pointed to a house built with planks to one side.
The house, which looked like it would crumble when Stefan was kicked, seemed too small for Joy, Dorothea, and Stefan to enter at once.
“Will Stefan wait outside?”
Stefan nodded, realizing the house was too small for him to enter.
So Dorothea left Stefan and followed Joy into the house.
“If I had known the princess was coming, I would have cleared the house.”
The inside was narrower than it looked from the outside.
Households were piled up, so there was only enough space left to fill when only three people were crouching down.
“Po!”
When Joy went inside, She was relieved that her father wasn’t there and called her younger brother.
“Sister?”
As Joy called his name, the little boy crouched in a corner and raised his head.
The eight-year-old boy this year was small enough to be considered a six-year-old.
There was a lot of mucus in his eyes and a runny nose in his pharynx.
There was a nice bruise down the neck, which we can see because of the loose garment and the curly hair was much worse than Joy’s.
“Po! We are rich now.”
“Rich?”
The little boy smiled broadly at the sound of being rich.
“We were leaving this house.”
“What about this house?”
“We’re going to a better house!”
Joy grabbed Po tightly with both arms.
“Then what about Father?”
“Except Father.”
“Except Father?”
Po’s voice was terrifying.
“What if Father is chasing us?”
“It’s okay. We are going to a place that Father will never go to.”
Joy confidently comforted her brother. It looked pretty much like a sister.
“Can you see that lady over there? We will go with her.”
Joy introduced Poe to Dorothea.
Dorothea met Poe’s eyes.
Green eyes resembling Joy could be seen inside his bloodshot eyes.
“Hello, my name is Po…”
Poe looked at her, who looked clean, and nodded.
“Hi.”
Dorothea responded with a smile, trying to be as friendly as possible.
“The lady is pretty.”
Poe whispered to Joy about Dorothea’s smile.
That was then.
“Who is standing in front of my house!”
A distorted scream was heard outside as if drunk.
At the same time, Joy and Po’s eyes widened with fear.
“Father!”
Po hugged Joy tightly.
“Oh, Princess…!”
“Don’t worry. I came here because I am not afraid.”
Dorothea reassured the two of them and went outside.
Stefan was facing a group.
Among them, a man so drunk that his face went red and pointed at Stefan.
His body was bulging out without a jacket, with his ribs exposed.
“Damn it, can’t you get out of my house right now?”
“…”
Stefan, surrounded by people, did not move a single step.
“Stefan, I think we should go now.”
Dorothea came out the door and said, Stefan nodded.
Joy and Po followed carefully, sticking their heads out the door.
“Who is that girl? get out of my house!”
The man yelled at Dorothea, but Dorothea ignored him and grabbed Joy and Po’s hands.
“Let’s go, Joy. Po.”
“Joy! Po! Comeback here!”
When the man shouted at the two children, they shuddered and crouched.
Dorothea pulled the two of them together, but they were still stiff and unable to do anything.
“What are you doing now?!”
“I sold these children to Count Duncan. So I came to pick them up.”
Dorothea said to the man.
“Count Duncan? I’m just on my way to meeting that person! He doesn’t need kids. Where are you lying?”
“Did the Count just say he didn’t need them? Now these children will not live here.”
Dorothea held Joy and Po’s hands tighter.
The man’s eyes turned to Joy as Stefan took a position to protect her.
“Are you going to run away like your mother?”
“…”
Joy did not respond to the man’s words.
He was so atrocious that Dorothea wondered if it was Joy who spoke fearlessly to her.
Dorothy wrinkled her brow and looked at the man.
“Don’t threaten her. If you are an adult, act like an adult.”
“How did I raise those bastards!”
“How did you raise them?”
Dorothea asked angrily.
“How did you raise your two children to a mine for gambling debt?”
“You don’t deserve these kids.”
Dorothea said, holding Joy’s little hand that felt bare bones.
“Damn it! Where’s that little girl talking about qualifications!”
As the man approached Dorothea with a strong chest, Stefan blocked him and pushed him away.
Stefan’s power pushed the man away as easily as a piece of paper.
Surprised by Stefan’s power, the man opened his mouth and widened his eyes.
“Joy, Poe, let’s go.”
Dorothea winked at Stefan, took the two children completely outside, and walked toward the entrance to the Black Village. Then the Black Villagers, watching the situation, surrounded Dorothea and Stefan.
“You seem to be precious people, if you steal children, do you use them?”
They were united when they could extort money from each other’s money.
“Stefan.”
Stefan nodded at Dorothea’s words.
With that trustworthiness, Dorothea took the two of them by the hand and left the place casually.
When Joy’s dad and the village folk tried to block Dorothea’s way, Stefan stopped him.
“Move!”
“…”
Despite the threats from the villagers, Stefan did not give up.
Meanwhile, Dorothea walked leisurely through the village.
“Oh, Princess!”
When Joy called out to Dorothea while dragging her, Dorothea smiled like she didn’t care.
“Stephan will stop everything.”
“Still, there are so many people…”
“Ouch!”
As Joey added, a scream was heard in the distance.
When they turned around, the people rushing at Stefan bounced like beans from a frying pan. Stefan, expressionless, blocked the road and did not let anyone through.
Joey and Po couldn’t keep their mouths shut at the amazing sight.
“Did you see it?”
Dorothea smiled softly.
* * *
Returning to Anastasia Palace, I had my servants wash Po and change her into new clothes.
“Sister, sister! Look at this! Do I look rich?”
Dressed in new clothes, Po ran excitedly and showed off to Joy.
I didn’t have clothes that fit Po, so it was pretty long, but Po felt as he flapped his sleeves.
“Po, you look like a real prince!”
Joy hugged Po tightly.
“Are we really living here? In this palace?”
“yes. Instead, I have to work here.”
“The best! Now you’re working for a rich family, aren’t you?”
I was a little amazed at the way he was so excited.
‘You have become a servant. How can it be that good?’
After all, if you live there, you’ll be lucky to work in a wealthy house.
When I saw a sack of potatoes lying on one side. It was the sack that Joy brought during the day.
My heart warmed a little at how much effort she had to protect that sack of potatoes in the Black Village.
I’m sure her father or other people were looking for it. The weight of a single potato felt several times heavier.
‘Stupid guys.’
I could have just come with my bare hands. come a little earlier
“So, Princess, what can we do now?”
I was pensive, and Joy asked.
“For now, there is no work today, so take a break.”
“Are we going to rest?”
“You came in suddenly, and I haven’t decided what to do yet.”
Joy was restless at my words.
“Still, I came into a wealthy house like this, so I couldn’t stand still.”
Joy couldn’t stand not doing anything.
‘It felt like I was committing a sin if I didn’t do anything.’
“Then take Po and sit here.”
I pointed to the sofa opposite her.
* * *
