“I wonder if it’s ready yet. I can’t wait to taste it.”
Watching Josette, her chest swelling with anticipation, Becky wanted to tell her, “You shouldn’t be in a line like this, Your Ladyship. There are people who can’t even afford to eat.” But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Still, she hoped that if there was a bigger problem than her stopping Josette, the guards discreetly escorting Josette would intervene.
“Thank you for waiting. We will now distribute today’s soup kitchen meals. Please return your containers to the designated rack after you’ve finished eating.”
Cindie, dressed in priest’s robes, emerged from the sanctuary with the children who were helping out.
“What unusual clothes,” Josette observed.
“Those are the robes worn by people with the title of priest. And the one wearing those priest’s robes is Lady Cindie,” Becky explained.
“I’ve heard about the sanctuary from my older sister before, but I didn’t know there was one here.”
“Everyone who lives in this district knows about it, but ordinary commoners and aristocrats rarely set foot here. It seems to have been forgotten over the years.”
Josette was standing somewhere in the middle of the line, so she couldn’t get a clear view of the priests or the children helping. If she wanted to see them up close, she’d have to wait for the line to move.
“The line is moving. We’ll be moving up a bit.”
“Ah, yes!”
Becky hurriedly followed as Josette moved forward.
“Thank you for waiting. Here you go.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Thank you.”
As the line advanced, Josette and Becky received bowls of soup from one of the children helping out.
“I’m looking forward to tasting it. Where should we eat?”
“The others are sitting a little ways off and eating.”
“It seems so. Then, let’s do the same.”
The area in front of the sanctuary was, as usual during the soup kitchen, crowded with people carrying bowls and bringing the distributed food to their mouths. Even finding a place to sit was a struggle for Josette and Becky.
“This spot is free. Let’s sit here.”
“Understood.”
Becky managed to find an unoccupied space and guided Josette there. Becky sat down, and Josette followed suit, lowering herself to the ground. If Josette had been wearing her usual aristocratic attire, she wouldn’t have been able to sit on the ground for fear of soiling it. However, the clothes she was wearing now were specially made to allow her to move around the slum area without drawing attention, even while eating on the go. From the outside, they looked like ordinary commoner’s clothes. Even so, in this slum area, they were a bit too refined, making her stand out slightly, but it was within the range of what the people of this district would tolerate. Josette herself had eaten directly on the ground while visiting street stalls, so she had no reservations about sitting.
“How do you find the taste?”
“Hmm. It’s not as delicious as I expected, but it changes my mood just to eat in a different environment like this.”
“I always eat like this when I come for the soup kitchen, so it must feel new to you, Josette.”
“Yes, it does.”
While the taste wasn’t what Josette had expected, the act of drinking warm soup outdoors itself felt novel and satisfying.
“Excuse me. May I sit next to you?”
“Huh? Yes. It’s free, so please do.”
“Thank you.”
As Josette and Becky were savoring the soup from the soup kitchen, a man’s voice suddenly asked if the spot next to them was available. Becky thought that since it wasn’t their land, it was polite to share, and she saw no reason to refuse.
“Uwah, what a handsome man!”
“Huh? Oh?”
Becky’s face lit up with a girlish expression as she looked at the man who had spoken to her. Troubled by Becky’s sudden change in demeanor, she looked at the man’s face and realized it was someone she knew. The man, oblivious to Josette, began to eat the soup he had received without a word.
“Is he perhaps an acquaintance of yours? If so, please introduce us.”
“Me… well, it’s a bit complicated because of past events involving my family, so I’m not particularly keen on it, but if Becky insists, I suppose I have no choice.”
As Becky pleaded with her, Josette reluctantly agreed to make an introduction.
“Marc, could you spare a moment?”
“Huh? Uwah, Lady Josette! What are you doing in a place like this!”
“Careful! You’ll drop your soup.”
Startled by Josette calling his name, Marc almost dropped the soup he was holding. Josette quickly reached out to steady it, preventing the bowl from falling.
“If you ask why I’m here, I’m having the soup from the soup kitchen. Why are *you* here?”
“Well, embarrassingly, after the incident, I was forced to leave my home and ended up living in the academy dormitories. However, meals are only provided for the morning and evening of school days. On holidays, we’re expected to provide our own. But I’m not receiving any remittances from home, I’ve run out of money, and my friend told me I could get free food here, so I came.”
“I see. You’re having a difficult time. But haven’t you considered working to earn money?”
Hearing Marc’s reason for being there, Josette asked why he wasn’t working to earn money.
“I don’t know how to work, and I’m at a loss.”
“What do you mean you don’t know how? You just go to a shop or a workshop and humbly ask to be hired. If you’re lucky enough to find a place that’s short-handed, they’ll surely hire you.”
“You expect me to beg a commoner?”
“Yes, that’s right. Besides, you’re a commoner now, aren’t you? Have you forgotten?”
“That…”
It seemed he couldn’t bring himself to beg a commoner, perhaps due to his pride as a former aristocrat. Josette thought that a little while ago, she herself might not have bowed down to commoners or lower aristocrats, but she felt a flicker of irritation at Marc’s attitude.
“I cannot forgive what you did. Honestly, I have no desire to speak with you, but since she asked me to introduce you, I’m speaking to you now.”
Marc had previously kidnapped Marie, the owner of Marie’s Bakery, which was connected to the Duke’s family, causing significant trouble for the shop. When her older sister, Elnet, went to rescue her, Marc resisted with force, and was considered to have defied the Duke’s family. As a consequence, he was demoted from the aristocracy to commoner status and expelled from his knight’s family. Josette was not directly involved in the incident, but she could not forgive the harm inflicted on her friend Marie.
“So, I’ll make the introduction. This is Becky.”
“Please don’t suddenly change the subject after mentioning such heavy things. I said it casually, but now I don’t know what to say. Um, I’m Becky. H-hello. Oops, I stumbled over my words.”
“I’m Marc. Nice to meet you, Becky.”
Becky, having stumbled over her words, shook hands with Marc with a wry smile.
“I apologize for the trouble I caused the Duke’s family. And I also regret the trouble I caused you.”
“Well, it’s in the past, and you’ve made amends, so I won’t forgive you, but I’ll stop blaming you.”
The “you” Marc referred to was Marie. Marc seemed genuinely remorseful, and he bowed deeply to Josette. Seeing this, Josette felt there was no need for further pursuit.
“So, Becky, Marc here attends the same academy as me, a year below me. He was originally from a knight’s family, but due to various circumstances, he’s now living as a commoner.”
“I see. So you’ve been through a lot.”
“It’s all my own doing, if you trace it back,” Marc replied with a self-deprecating smile.
Becky listened intently to Josette’s explanation. Marc added with a wry, self-mocking smile.
“That’s true… Marc, have you thought about working? The pay won’t be high, but it’ll be good life experience, and if you don’t try to live extravagantly, it should be enough to buy your own meals on holidays. Learn about how commoners work. How about that?”
“Are you saying you’ll find me a job, Lady Josette?”
“Rather than searching, I’d have you work at Becky’s shop here. I’ll personally guide you until you learn the job.”
“You, Lady Josette, will be instructing me?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Marc found it hard to believe that Josette, a Duke’s daughter raised in luxury, could provide such instruction. However, since he was struggling to even eat, he thought it wasn’t a bad offer to be given work.
“Alright. Then I’ll work for you. Please take care of me, Becky.”
Marc extended his hand to shake Becky’s, but Josette batted it away.
“That’s no way to speak to your employer. Say ‘Please take care of me.’ My lady. Now, say it again.”
“P-please take care of me. My lady.”
Chastised by Josette, Marc corrected himself and extended his hand to Becky. Becky’s face turned bright red with shyness.
“Oh, “My lady” is a bit much…”
“Oh? Would you prefer ‘Master’?”
“No, ‘My lady’ is fine. Please take care of me, Marc.”
Becky and Marc shook hands, and Marc was hired to work at Becky’s shop.
