Vivid | Lee Minho

•Scene 7•

Minho's behavior after that day was strange.

When he was in the palace, he made sure to join you for breakfast every morning. You did not see him often throughout the day, and he usually stayed up late working, but when you awakened, you would find him sleeping soundly next to you.

On the days he was away, he would send letters asking about your well-being and updating you on his journey. It was as though he had not disappeared without a trace or word for two months before.

As much as you tried to distance yourself from him, he was unrelenting with his small acts of care. It troubled you. Something had changed in him. You did not know what, or why, but you hoped it would stop soon.

For his own sake and yours.

You sighed, lazily dragging your gaze over the scenery passing you by. You had decided to take a carriage ride around the city to see and interact with its people. Your mother had often said that a Lady's work was not confined to the management of the residence, but also included improving the lives of the land's citizens.

In order to do that, you had to see what their lives were like for yourself.

So far, the city had looked the same to you. Beautiful buildings, lively streets, happy, busy people. Adorance was the envy of all, and you could see why.

But you knew that in every prosperous city, there lived some who were not as fortunate. Their misfortune was the result of incompetence on behalf of the lord of the land. As such, it was your duty as a noble, as the new Lady Valorieve, to fix those shortcomings.

Adorance had no slums. The current Count and those that came before him had worked hard on eradicating them completely. Instead, orphans and poor families lived in government-funded complexes. But those buildings could only house so many, and most of those who were in need found themselves sleeping in dark alleys or chased to the outskirts of the city as a result.

You passed by a humble building, featureless, with only one window and a door that a number of kids swarmed out of. They were dressed in rags that drooped over their gaunt figures, and they carried small wooden boards in their hands.

"Stop the carriage," you spoke to the coachman through the tiny, sliding window. The ride came to a stop promptly and you stepped out of the carriage and onto the street.

Your personal knight was by your side immediately, eyes scanning the area for any potential threats. His name was Kim Seungmin, and he was part of the small retinue that traveled with you from Lurmuse. Despite his gentle features and soft voice, he was a formidable fighter, ruthless and shrewd with his actions.

At the sight of your carriage, the children fled and hid away, some running back into the building they came out of. There was no helping their reaction, even if you only had good intentions.

You walked toward the building just as a young woman stepped through the entrance. She appeared close to your age, and she was wearing a simple dress stained with charcoal and chalk. Her long dark hair was neatly braided, framing her pretty face.

With a gasp, she dropped into a clumsy curtesy before you could stop her, "Y-Your Ladyship!"

"Please be at ease." you tried to calm her with a smile that felt more like a grimace. Slowly, she straightened to stare at you nervously. Little children held onto her skirt, gawking at you like one would a strange bug.

"What is your name?" you asked, and she hesitated before answering, "Lee Chaeryeong, my Lady."

You smiled at her. "A pleasure to meet you, miss Chaeryeong."

"No, my lady, the pleasure is all mine!" she offered another awkward bow.

"Miss Chaeryeong, do you run a school here?" you glanced at the building and children behind her and she blanched, sputtering, "Y-yes, my lady."

"Don't worry," you assured her, smiling as kindly as you could. "You are not in any trouble. I only wish to learn more about your school and any similar establishments around here."

Though, you supposed Seungmin's armored presence beside you was not at all helping your case.

Chaeryeong tried to smile. "I-I would be happy to tell you, my lady."

So, you spent the rest of your day learning about the small school, its sole teacher, and her many students. Chaeryeong was a poor scholar's daughter who took on the task of teaching the city's scattered orphans how to read, write, and do basic mathematics. Skills that could help them in finding small jobs around town.

In the few hours you spent with them, you saw how dearly the children loved her, and how she loved teaching them in turn.

When you returned to the palace that evening, a plan had already begun forming in your head. There was a lot of work to be done if you wanted to pave the way for people like Chaeryeong and her students.