Unexplored Glamour

Chapter 16: Sympathy

Jerome was shocked and did not agree with his statement. "With Father joining? But that is risky! You think Mother will agree with this?"

Joseph butted in and spoke, "Hey, hey, chill out. Father will join us, but not on the battlefield."

Jerome asks in curiosity, "What do you mean?"

The king answered and said, "I will be joining the subjugation, but I will not be on the frontlines." He sighed and continued, "I will be attending the subjugation plan to boost our army's morale. Don't worry too much about me; I'll be in the army camp assisting the commanding generals in their attack plans."

Jerome felt relieved when he heard that his father would not be on the front lines, but he was still worried, as his two brothers were one of those who would lead the army.

"We should continue our conversation tomorrow and decide," King Albert said.

The three princes agreed, said goodnight to their father, and left.

King Albert went into their chamber room and closed the door. As he approached their bedroom, he looked at his wife, who was now sleeping. He lay down on the bed and rubbed her forehead.

He talked to himself and said, "Don't worry, Anne; we will find our daughter sooner or later, I promise."

He then kissed her forehead and went to sleep.

The girl was asleep on the sheaf of wheat when the sun shone on her. She woke up, looking puzzled and wondering how she got there.

Scarlett was lying in the narrow lane, asleep in the wagon cart with a sheaf of wheat, watching passersby; she did not care that they were staring at her, just trying to figure out what had happened to her and how she got there.

Though she thought she would never be able to escape, fortune smiled upon her when she discovered four large ropes embedded with arrows inside the tower. She used these to climb out of one of the castle's towers by tying the ropes from the arrow, one by one until they were long enough to reach the ground outside the arrow loop. It was a risky endeavor, but with the aid of her cunning and the books she read, she managed to succeed.

After exiting the cartwagon, the princess wanders the streets, watched by everyone she meets. People notice her beauty and her outfits (she is still wearing her blue dress and red shoes), but many are also self-conscious about the way she looks, feeling that she is a lonely princess walking the streets; they are shocked to see such a solitary angel walking towards the main roads. Scarlett explores the streets, discovering new things; fortunately, she takes all of her money from her drawer.

When Scarlett stopped at the stall markets, she bought everything she could find—food, drinks, and other items. The food in the outside castle was so good, as evidenced by the princess's gorgeous face. The meats, fruits, and other foods she bought there tasted even better than they looked.

She was so full that she packed some of her meal into a tiny bag. As she traveled across the kingdom, she observed beggars on the sides of the roads; the majority of them were children, and most of them were unable to walk since they had lost their legs.

She felt sorry for them, so she looked at the food that she had not consumed earlier. She looked at the beggars again, and he spotted someone who caught her eye.

Scarlett approaches it to take a good look at him. She took a good look at the kid, who was sitting with crossed legs. She saw that his clothes were in tatters, and what caught her attention was a small cardboard box with the words, "Give me some food to eat or any drinks you have." These words touched Scarlett's heart to give him some of her food.

"Thank you for the food, Miss Beautiful," said the kid, who was now hungrily eating the meat.

Scarlett heard the kid call her 'Miss Beautiful', so she chuckled and kneeled down to match her height to the kid.

Scarlett joked and said, "What part of me looks beautiful? My face or my dress?"

The kid stopped chewing the meat. He stood up, then scanned the young girl from top to bottom, then thought for a moment.

The kid asks while scanning what she wears, "Do you come from a high-ranking family?"

Scarlett smiled and said, "I am actually a princ-"

Scarlett stopped talking and covered her mouth with her hands. She was on the verge of declaring herself the princess of the kingdom, but thankfully she understood what she had said with her small, foolish mouth.

The kid wondered what the girl was doing.

Scarlett thinks for a second and says, "What I was saying is that I am principled." She thinks for a second and adds, "And no, I am not from a high-ranking family."

The child believed in what she said. She is not being principled if she is not giving the food to him. He nods as he understands, but he still doesn't believe her completely that she is not from a high-ranking family. He would just play along with the young girl.

"I am sorry for asking. The way you dressed up looks like you came from a high-ranked family." He was analyzing the girl's dress and face, and he was in deep thought.

"I think you look beautiful, whatever the clothes or dress you wear," the kid said while chewing the meat in his mouth again.

Scarlett laughs while the other beggar sees the young girl giving some of her food to the child. Scarlett saw the other beggars who were staring at her, so she stopped laughing and stood up.

"What's your name?" Scarlett asks the name of the kid who is now hungrily eating the food she gave him.

The boy swallowed the food he was chewing in his mouth and said, "I don't have a name, but everyone calls me 'Bum'."

Scarlett thought for a minute and smiled. "Alright, then, Bum, give some of your food to the others."

The kid named Bum frowned and said, "But I am hungry; also, these foods you gave me can only fill my empty stomach, and why should I do that?"

Scarlett smiled and said, "Because sharing is caring."

Bum didn't get what the princess said, so he ate the meat and thought about it.