Chapter 175: Sense of restlessness
Izaak couldn’t help but smile at the sight of lody. She sat ramrod straight, hands clasped tightly in her lap as if she had been scolded into perfect posture.
Just then, the rain began to pour down, and she lifted her eyes for a brief mont.
Izaak noticed how her nails were torn, the skin of her hands looked pale, her face was sared with dirt, and the outfit she had put on had holes in various places. To cover them, she had stitched the cuttings of from an old cloth above those holes.
For the first ti in life, Izaak felt how poverty could hit a person and how easy it was to take soone’s advantage because of it.
"How did you end up in the slave market?" Izaak asked out of curiosity.
lody t his gaze and replied, "A man lied to
saying that he would provide
a good work there. Luckily, before soone could purchase , His Highness took the necessary action." She heaved a sigh because being soone’s slave was what panicked her the most.
"Do you think the capital is safe for humans, especially females?" Izaak inquired her.
"Now, yes. The order of Prince Izaak truly helped us," lody truthfully responded.
"Hmm." Izaak nodded as he felt happy about it.
"Your Highness, doesn’t I stink?" lody suddenly asked him a question that he didn’t expect.
"What?" Izaak chuckled.
"I have been working since the morning. Earlier, I was mopping the floor, so I must be stinking badly. I apologize for it," lody said, her voice tinged with sha as she looked down at her dirt-streaked clothes.
Izaak shook his head with a kind smile. "You work hard, and I respect that. There’s no need to feel embarrassed. Your dedication speaks volus about your character, and that’s what truly matters," he asserted.
lody was astonished to discover how kind-hearted Izaak was despite being a royal prince. "Your Highness, thank you for being so kind," she remarked with a smile.
"Kind?" Izaak laughed at her remark. He was everything but kind, at least in his own eyes.
"Wh-why did His Highness laugh?" lody asked with a confused gaze.
"I’m everything but not kind, lody," Izaak replied with a wry smile. "You are a poor judge of character," he added. He gently pushed the curtain aside and looked out. "Your house is quite far. You should thank my chauffeur, who knows even such places," he affird and again looked at her.
"Perhaps. However, the person before
now is kind," lody replied, her voice tinged with sincerity as she t Izaak’s gaze.
She then glanced at the curtain, a silent request in her eyes. "May I push the curtain aside?" she asked softly.
"Of course!" Izaak replied, a gentle smile gracing his features.
lody shifted toward the window, her heart quickening with anticipation. With a delicate touch, she pulled the curtain back, revealing the familiar sights of her neighborhood. As she peered outside, she realized with a start that they were close to her house.
As lody withdrew her hand, she cast a cautious glance outside, silently urging the carriage to halt. With the route deteriorating into the mud, she anticipated the risk of the wheels getting stuck.
The coachman, his form enveloped in a weather-beaten raincoat, swung the door open and respectfully inford the prince of the unsuitable conditions for continuing the journey.
"I will walk from here," lody declared firmly as she prepared to exit the carriage.
"Take the umbrella," Izaak offered kindly, nodding to the coachman to fetch one for her.
The coachman opened the umbrella for lody and handed it to her with a respectful nod. lody looked at Izaak with gratitude shining in her eyes.
"Brother, you too, thank you for dropping
here," lody expressed her appreciation to the coachman, acknowledging his role in ensuring her safe arrival.
As lody prepared to leave, a thought crossed her mind. "Your Highness, I will return this umbrella soon. Have a safe journey to the palace," she said with a respectful bow.
Izaak humd in acknowledgnt, his gaze montarily drifting away from her. anwhile, the coachman closed the door from the outside and settled into the driver’s seat, ready to continue their journey to the palace.
But then, Izaak had a change of heart. He felt compelled to ensure lody’s safety by escorting her to the door of her house. Stepping out of the carriage, he joined her under the sa umbrella, much to her bewildernt.
"Wait for
here. I’ll return shortly," Izaak said, reassuring lody before instructing her to walk ahead.
As they started walking towards her house, lody couldn’t help but express her confusion. "Why did His Highness get off the carriage? I could have walked by myself," she remarked, her tone tinged with both surprise and a hint of discomfort.
At the sa ti, she subtly took a step away from him, instinctively desiring to maintain a distance between them, even if it ant exposing one side of herself to the rain.
Izaak noticed that and moved to her, bringing the umbrella to her. They finally reached her house, which was made of mud bricks. For the first ti, he felt he saw a person struggling to live in such a state too. He could sense that the house must have rainwater coming inside from the roof, which was covered with so grass about which he had no idea.
"Thank you for walking
here," lody said and she quickly ran toward her house. "The Prince shall leave for the palace," she murmured, covering her head with her hands.
Izaak humd and disappeared from her sight. He felt a sudden sense of restlessness. Why did lody always carry a smile on her lips despite her living conditions being worse? How could she look so satisfied even in such a small house?
His mind had gone haywire. Izaak, who was never bothered by anyone, especially humans, suddenly felt pity toward lody. He felt he should do sothing for lody as the voice ca from his heart.
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