Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 43

PUT ME DOWN!!

I SAID LET GO OF ME!!

WAAAH...

CAUGHT IN UNDER 30 SECONDS...

DON'T STRUGGLE.

KEEP THAT UP AND I'LL DROP YOU.

GOOD. YOU LISTEN WELL.

...I THINK HE TOOK THAT AS A THREAT?

ED, WAIT A SECOND.

HE'S STILL JUST A LITTLE KID, AND...

IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE HE'S BEEN TAKEN CARE OF MUCH, EITHER.

THAT'S ENOUGH. JUST LET HIM GO.

LINA... HER HEART IS TOO SOFT FOR THIS.

...FINE.

HEY, YOU.

THEY CUT OFF A PICKPOCKET'S WRIST. BE CAREFUL FROM NOW ON.

EEK!!

UGH...

WAAAAH!!!

ED, HOW COULD YOU SCARE THE CHILD LIKE THAT!!

There, There, Don't Cry, Little Guy~

THAT BIG BROTHER OF YOURS SAID IT BECAUSE HE'S WORRIED ABOUT YOU TOO~

OH, RIGHT.

I-IT WAS SUGAR CUBES...

I-IT'S GOOD...

REALLY? THEN EAT SLOWLY. DRINK SOME WATER TOO.

THANK YOU!

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

I-IT'S ROBIN. I'M SEVEN.

I SEE, ROBIN.

IS IT OKAY TO STEAL OTHER PEOPLE'S THINGS, OR NOT?

N-NO, IT'S NOT.

THEN IF YOU KNOW THAT SO WELL, WHY DID YOU DO IT, ROBIN~?

TH-THAT'S...!

I WAS JUST SO HUNGRY.

I WANTED BREAD, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY.

I'M SORRY.

I WON'T DO IT AGAIN.

OKAY.

THEN LET'S GO TO YOUR PARENTS FIRST.

WE'LL TAKE YOU THERE.

I-I DON'T HAVE PARENTS...

THEY BOTH PASSED AWAY.

WHAT?

THEN WHERE ARE YOU STAYING NOW?

WELL...

I LIVE AT THE POORHOUSE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN.

THE POOR- HOUSE... THAT'S RUN BY THE TEMPLE, ISN'T IT?

BUT STARVING THE KIDS SO BAD THEY STEAL BECAUSE THEY'RE HUNGRY...

AND DRESSING THEM IN OLD, WORN-OUT CLOTHES LIKE THIS?

I KNEW THE TEMPLE WAS SERIOUSLY CORRUPT, BUT...

I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS AFFECTING THE CHILDREN TOO.

THE POORHOUSE IS A PLACE THE TEMPLE RUNS TO HELP THE POOR...

IT MAINLY CARES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN WHO'VE LOST THEIR PARENTS.

THE TEMPLE USES RUNNING THE POORHOUSE AS AN EXCUSE...

TO EXTORT HUGE DONATIONS FROM THE EMPIRE EVERY YEAR, BUT...

TO HELP THE POOR WHOSE NUMBERS EXPLODED AFTER THE WAR...

THE EMPIRE HAS PUT UP WITH IT AND WORKED WITH THE TEMPLE.

BUT INSTEAD OF USING THE DONATIONS WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY NEEDED,

TO LEAVE THE CHILDREN IN THIS STATE...

THE TEMPLE'S CORRUPTION HAS GONE TOO FAR!

...LINA.

WOULD YOU MIND IF WE STOPPED BY THE POORHOUSE WHERE THIS BOY IS STAYING?

THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO CHECK.

YES, LET'S.

ROBIN, LEAD THE WAY.

YES, YES~

I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE'S A POORHOUSE ALL THE WAY UP IN THE MOUNTAINS...

ROBIN, HOW DID YOU GET HERE THROUGH THESE MOUNTAIN ROADS?

ON FOOT, OF COURSE!

SAY, HYUNG AND NOONA~

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO THE POORHOUSE TO SCOLD THE KIDS, ARE YOU?

Why Would We Do That~

HE WAS SO JITTERY A MINUTE AGO, AND NOW HE'S ALL CHEERED UP.

ALRIGHT, THEN WHY DON'T I DO SOME DIGGING BEFORE WE GET THERE?

HOW MANY KIDS LIVE AT THE POORHOUSE WITH YOU?

Um~ Let's See, One, Two, Three~

Nine, Ten,

Twenty Of Us!

...SO I GUESS I SHOULD ASSUME IT'S MORE THAN TEN?

THEN HOW MANY ADULTS ARE THERE?

THERE AREN'T ANY ADULTS, JUST ONE NOONA!

JUST ONE?

ONE GIRL TAKES CARE OF ALL THE OTHER KIDS?

YEAH. THE PRIESTS LIVE AT THE TEMPLE AND ONLY COME BY SOMETIMES.

THE PRIESTS ARE SCARY, BUT NOONA IS NICE, SO...

I LIKE IT THAT NOONA TAKES CARE OF US.

NOONA TELLS US FUN STORIES TOO,

AND SOMETIMES SHE MAKES US YUMMY FOOD,

SO EVERYONE LIKES NOONA A WHOLE LOT.

A CHILD LIVING AT THE POORHOUSE

NOT AN ADULT YET, AND...

ALONE, TAKING CARE OF ALL THE OTHER KIDS...

DON'T TELL ME...

Ta-da!

WE'RE HERE!

THIS IS OUR POOR- HOUSE!

ROBIN!!

...·!!!