The Slums

[Portia's POV]

"We will be arriving at the palace shortly, My Lady."

Stenov's voice—the chariot driver—wakes me up from the short nap I took inside the carriage. I turn right to see the outlook of Tamerlaine's capital city, Esterash.

From what I know, Esterash is the most densely populated city in the Tamerlaine empire, with more than 70.000 people living there. This city is also famous for its historical sites and downtown district, which have become foreign tourists' favorite spots when visiting.

The streets are filled with people who conduct their daily lives. Stores and boutiques are open along the streets, and various attractive banners are installed in front of the stores to pull people into purchasing new items. A bunch of noble girls stroll outside the boutiques after buying the latest fashion mode. They giggle each time passing in front of a café with some handsome young gentleman sitting on its terrace.

There are also a lot of unique street foods that make me go mouthwatering whenever passing their tent. I remember how I used to escape from the ball and hide in the downtown district to hunt delicious street foods.

"Five copper for a puppet show ticket! Five copper for a puppet show ticket!"

A man in jester costume peddling tickets for a puppet show approaches some tourists, who are stunned by his extravagant make-up. The jester smiles wide, "Wanna watch some good show, dear tourists?"

The atmosphere is vast and alive as if telling how a capital city of an empire should be.

However, in contrast to this lively situation, I took a depressed sigh because get stuck again in this place.

Two days ago, a letter with an empire stamp came after Oliver took his leave from our mansion. It told me to go to the palace and have lunch with the queen, Eleanora.

I remember Adeline's sulking face because she could not go here with me because she had to attend her cousin's wedding in the southern region for a week. She went there with Yuri, and Anthony was always busy with his job as the Duke—even though he looked concerned about me when I left the mansion this morning.

Really, I do not have time for this. I have a lot of unfinished things inside my mind. For recent problems, I feel relieved because Oliver is willing to help me investigate the Blue Lily and reduce the potential of getting the Blue Dot illness in the future. However, there are more problems than that.

I need to prepare many things before entering the Central Academy. Anthony has given his permission. Even though his 'exceptional condition' is so troublesome, I will use this opportunity well. If I calculate it right, I will enter the Central Academy next spring season, right when I turn fourteen.

Moreover, I still have a business to run with Raeliana. Darwin's ball will be held at the end of this month before winter comes. After returning from Esterash, I need to send another letter to Raeliana to discuss this matter further.

"Haaaaah." I retake a long sigh. Today's weather is bright and cloudless, perfect for slacking along in the garden while drinking cold tea, but why am I here now? Someone, please save me from this damned place!

"Hm?" I blink in pause when I see something on the side of the road that catches my attention. "Stenov, stop now."

"Yes, My Lady?"

"I told you to stop this carriage, now!"

Confused at my shout, Stenov pulls the reins suddenly, making that four-legged with excessive power animal neighing loud. Stenov hurriedly appeases the black horse so it will not run away. I do not have time to care about them as I leave the carriage and run into an alley.

Stenov noticed my escape from the carriage and instantly panicked. "Lady Portia! Where are you going?"

Not bothering to turn and look at him, I wave my right hand as I keep running. "Just a little business! You can go to the palace without me, bye!"

"Yes?" Stenov blinks in amazement. He can not speak further and stands rigidly there while patting Blackie, the horse's name. How could he dare go to the palace single-handedly?

Leaving Stenov, I run into an alley and enter the slum area. There is always a place like this in a big city. As it is said, the brighter the light of a place, the darker its shadow. A slum is created from a distant gap between the rich and the poor.

However, that does not mean that every poor people here are the victim of the rich's wrongdoing. Even though they were given a chance to change their fate and unleash themselves from the poor condition, they will eventually choose to live here because it is ways more comfortable rather than going to work. They just need to lie down like garbage and still be given a portion of food from the rich's charity.

It is a fear curse of change. They were afraid of failure and losing all the comforts, so they would never have the courage to take a step forward and just be stuck there forever.

Haha. It is not like I have a right to talk harshly to them when I am as bad as them.

Let's get back to the main topic.

"Huh, I saw that just now." I stop at the intersection and look in all directions. Which way did he go?

I run without thinking from the carriage because I see him here, in the slums. Subconsciously, my eyes begin to tear because I feel emotional right now.

That man.

An important person in my previous life. My bestfriend, Ezekiel.

"Portia, whenever you feel down, just remember that you have me as your place to release all your sadness. I will always be there for you. We are best friends, aren't we?"

His sincere words that night made me stop crying after being humiliated at a night ball. All my dance partners refused to dance with me, and my dress got spilled from spaghetti sauce. He was indeed the only best friend I ever had. We first met at these slums when I often hid here from all my trouble. So from that, I said I had no right to comment on the poor's life in these slums because I also found comfort here with Kiel.

Until that night came.

"Portia … let's run away together. We could start over a new life out there. You do not need to bother about others' opinions or how this crap society treated you like a piece of shit anymore. We could live like two birds flying free in the sky, having a wonderful adventure and visiting new places together. I promise to make you happy as long as you are with me."

If I knew that was the last night I met him, would it lead to a different ending if I said something rather than just sat frozen because I did not know how to answer?

If I had said yes and run with him to start a new life, would he not have been found dead in the slum trench with seven big holes in his chest?

When I saw his corpse with my own eyes, I could feel a blood teardrop from the corner of my eyes as I screamed like a madwoman who mourned on an unknown scrounger from the slums.

Even though he was a scrounger for other people, for me, he was my second closest person after Diane. Losing him made the wound from Diane's death open wide again. There was no more light in my pitch-black life after that.

The pain still lingers in my heart and makes me stop walking because my heart aches badly. It hurts. I need to find him as soon as possible, so this hurt feeling will go.

"Ah, you really pissed me off!"

A loud kick from the end of this alley makes me flinch. Without thinking too much, I run toward the source to find out what is happening there. The slums are well-known for their complicated path and full of branch roads. If I am a new person who ever took a step here, I will be lost and end up in a gangster lair. But I am not. I remember every detail of this place until the secret passage to hide from the empire knight when patrolling.

I arrive at the source of that loud kick voice. There are two drunkards kicking something—no, someone on the ground. I hide behind a trash bin and peek from the slit. I try to figure out who is the poor child that becomes their anger bag.

"Your ugly face makes me lose my appetite! Why are you so lousy, huh? Did your parent never been taught to fix their breed?"

"Hahaha! He didn't have any parents, Dude. Do you remember that wench who hung herself last week after getting impregnated by ten people? That whore is his mother!"

"No wonder this child is so ugly. He didn't even know which one was his father! Or … maybe he was a mixture of all their sperms?"

My hands clench hard. Now I am on the verge of exploding from anger. How could they say something so harsh as that to an innocent child? They really are heartless!

"Don't … talk bad about mother," mutters that little boy. Those drunkard men are about to leave when hearing his trembling voice come and make them turn to him again.

"You can still speak like that?"

"I think he should be given more punches."

'No!'

My eyes opened wide when one of those drunkards lifted his arms and prepared to punch that little boy, who was already black-and-blue. I need to do something, but what should I do?

Unlike the incident in the palace garden, this place is too cramped and I can not guarantee if my illusion trick will succeed. Even though I make it successful somehow, I need to go out and bring that little boy out of here alone. So it means that I need to face those drunkard men.

That little boy tries to lift up his head slowly. I can see his sapphire blue eyes gleam and fade behind his messy bangs.

Wait, I feel familiar with those eyes. A silver-moon-like hair. A delicate face. Beauty mark under his right eye.

"Ezekiel!" I refrain from screaming after realizing he is Ezekiel, my best friend who died terribly in my previous life.