If it meant living a good life alone.
She would rather return to that dark, damp, stinking sewer and go hungry with her little sister.
As long as they were together.
"It's all right..."
"I'll solve the food problem."
"No matter how many children there are, no matter how much food everyone needs..."
"I'll find a way."
"I'll take everyone away with me."
"You won't have to worry about your sister starving to death, or about everyone going hungry."
"I promise!"
Seitenshi seemed to understand what the girl had left unsaid.
It felt as though something had given her heart a vicious squeeze.
She pulled the girl tightly into her arms again, even harder than before, as though she wanted to pass every bit of warmth in her body to her.
If the Imperial Palace could not house them all, she would turn those halls used for lavish banquets into dormitories!
If there was not enough money in the budget, she would sell all those couture gowns and jewels she could never possibly wear!
In short.
As the ruler of this land.
If she could not even fulfill the humblest wish of letting her people eat their fill, how could she have the face to remain in this position?
What right did she even have to be called Seitenshi?!
Meanwhile.
Haimo could clearly feel Seitenshi's soul changing.
However.
Just as Seitenshi made her vow.
"Got you! Stop running, you damn brat!"
A rough, furious shout suddenly rang out.
It brutally shattered the little bit of warmth that had just begun to form.
"Pat, pat, pat..."
A flurry of hurried footsteps.
It was the sound of bare feet striking a street awash with filthy water.
Accompanied by heavy panting, it came from a lane not far away.
Haimo had already