BOPE 9

~Chapter 9~

Donghui was about to say “yes” because her eyes hurt, but then remembered they had charged her 60 points just to open the shop. So she cautiously asked instead, glancing across to check if the butler who had been dozing off had woken up.

The butler, apparently quite tired, had now fully dozed off, leaning his head against the wall of the carriage.

“Does it also cost points just to look at the sorted list?”

– So unnecessarily sharp, aren’t you. To view the sorted list, it’ll just cost you an additional 5 points. It’s a price even back-alley monsters could afford, but for a broke user like you, it must be a burden—so we’ll provide the first time for free.

Donghui wasn’t sure whether to say thank you or hurl an insult, but before she could decide, the status window flashed in rainbow colors and, with a rustling sound, lines of text began to appear.

– Here are items you can purchase for 60 points:

1. Attention Whistle – Can grab the attention of at least 200 people at once.

2. Power-Up Gloves – Grants ten times your normal strength (based on your usual strength level).

3. Thermal Cloak – Maintains body temperature in extreme cold (1-person use; halved effectiveness if shared).

There were only three items on the list, but they were all tempting.

After some thought, Donghui chose item number 2, which seemed the most useful for self-defense. She didn’t know exactly how much strength it would give her, but “ten times stronger” sounded very handy.

She only thought “Number 2” in her mind, and something suddenly dropped into her lap from midair with a soft thud.

Expecting something like leather gloves for a strength boost, she was surprised to see delicate lace gloves instead.

Her first thought was: Did I just get scammed?

However, the moment she slipped them on, Donghui could instinctively feel the surge of strength in her hands.

Though she didn’t care for the fluttery lace design, the effect was clearly real. Power she hadn’t felt a moment ago was coursing through her hands.

“This hidden shop’s not bad.”

Considering it only cost her 60 points, it was quite the useful item.

Donghui considered taking off the gloves and putting them in her inventory but decided to keep them on for now—just in case.

– 60 points have been deducted for purchasing Power-Up Gloves. Your remaining points: 0. You are now officially broke.

“Hey!”

She shouted instinctively at that last line, and the blue window quickly vanished. Across from her, the butler blinked at her, startled.

“Oh! I-I’m sorry. I stayed up too late last night!”

Flustered, the butler fumbled to gather the documents he had dropped and apologized quickly.

His silver hair, disheveled from nodding off against the carriage wall, looked like a bird’s nest.

Donghui, flustered by the older man apologizing to her, waved her hands awkwardly.

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

“I-I see?”

He responded uncertainly, clearly not convinced.

“Yeah. I nodded off too and had a nightmare or something.”

“Ah… do you still have nightmares often?”

She had just made it up on the spot, but the butler looked at her seriously, his expression tense. Before she could answer, the carriage gradually slowed and then came to a halt.

They had arrived at Morta Village.

Ruins.

That was the word that came to Donghui’s mind upon first seeing the village.

“My Lord, this village desperately needs a food supply. Two years of drought have completely wiped out the crops, and disease is spreading. If this goes on, the villagers will starve to death. Please, I beg you to show mercy, just this once…”

The butler, who had looked uncomfortable the entire ride, suddenly blurted out his plea as if he had been holding it in for a long time. He even closed his eyes tightly as he spoke, like he was bracing himself.

“Go ahead.”

Donghui answered without hesitation. The butler blinked in disbelief.

“…Pardon?”

“Bring them some food.”

She replied while still looking out the carriage window, not yet able to step out.

Judging from the butler’s detailed plea before she could even speak, it was clear he had made several requests in the past, only to be rejected by the previous lord. To think a lord ignored people in such a state?

Donghui recalled the warm soup and soft bread she had for breakfast that morning.

Realizing she had been enjoying such luxury while people right outside were starving filled her with guilt.

Especially since these people were under the care of the lord—that meant her.

Ding, ding, ding.

– Current Affection Level of the Territory’s People: -199,450

– Current Affection Level of the Territory’s People: -199,550

– Current Affection Level of the Territory’s People: -199,770

…

– Current Affection Level of the Territory’s People: -200,950

The affection level rapidly dropped past minus 200,000.

Damn it.

Donghui jumped to her feet, startling the butler, who quickly stood up as well.

“You’re getting off?”

“Yeah.”

“It may be dangerous.”

The butler glanced nervously out the window. The villagers’ resentment toward the lord was no joke. Despite all the complaints, the lord was still the last hope of Grace Territory.

But Donghui wanted to take a closer look at the village.

“That’s why I brought knights with me. Send someone to fetch food for immediate distribution.”

“How much should we…?”

The butler hesitated. He looked like he expected her to change her mind and demand they leave this filthy place immediately.

“Enough to let them eat their fill.”

“We… we don’t have that much.”

His reply was weak, defeated.

Donghui sighed and whispered in a voice only he could hear.

“Then how much food is in the castle’s storage?”

Her chest tightened as she asked. It was like receiving a utility bill when you know you can’t pay it.

The butler frowned in deep thought for a long while before finally answering with grave caution.

“If we empty the storage, we can feed the entire village for three days.”

“Then the people in the castle will have nothing to eat.”

“Yes.”

It was a tough call either way. But she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing while people were starving in front of her.

“Bring enough to feed them for today. I’ll figure out the rest.”

“Yes! Understood.”

The butler lit up with joy and quickly left the carriage to inform the knights.

When the carriage door opened, the air inside turned cold in an instant.

Donghui tightened the cloak Delma had draped over her shoulders and looked outside with a heavy heart.

Even that brief cold breeze made her shiver, yet the children in the ruined village wore nothing but thin clothes. Some were even barefoot.

It reminded her of North Korean street orphans she’d seen in documentaries.

“This is the worst.”

She didn’t even know where to begin.

But first, she had to step out of the carriage.

A knight rushed forward and placed a step stool for her to descend.

Donghui carefully got out, thinking how horrible it would’ve been if she had come in a frilly dress. Just imagining it gave her chills.

The outside air was dry and bitterly cold.

Unlike before, when villagers only peeked from afar or quickly ran away, now they slowly began to emerge as the lord stepped out of the carriage.

“Ah…”

The weather was like early November in Korea—sharp and biting.

Among those who emerged, not a single person wore a proper coat.

“They only have those clothes? In this weather? They’ll catch colds.”

Donghui asked the returning butler.

“They probably traded whatever clothes they had left for food. What they’re wearing now is likely all they have.”

He explained politely, though his tone carried a trace of accusation.

“Did you already explain all this before?”

She asked, just in case.

The butler gave her a baffled look and said,

“Yes. Last month, and last week too.”

“Tsk!”

She clicked her tongue—there was nothing else to say.

The eyes of the villagers were filled with fear, suspicion, and deep resentment.

She figured the best thing to do now was to distribute whatever food she had on hand.

Since many were watching, Donghui pretended to pull something from the carriage while actually retrieving loaves of bread from her inventory.

With a flick of her hand, bread began to tumble onto the seat.

“This won’t be enough. I need to expand my inventory soon.”

Donghui muttered, eyeing the clearly insufficient pile.

“Butler.”

She called out, and the butler, who had been talking to the knight captain, immediately turned to her.

He still looked tired but somehow more energized than before.

“Distribute this to the people first.”

The butler’s eyes widened as he took the pile of bread from the carriage—items that hadn’t been there when they had ridden together.