Noblesse Oblige and the Slums

Aristocrats with a Marquis rank and above are obliged to take turns in distributing food for the poor.

This old custom that the ancestors started voluntarily has become something customary and obligatory from who knows when.

Tch, what a troublesome thing our ancestors did.

Lance Houses eldest son, Robert, is looking at the food distribution in an open square in one corner of the slums irritatingly.

The one working is the Lance Houses servants. Robert keeps on grumbling even though he is just seeing it over from inside the carriage.

Theres a bigger open space a little further ahead, but he needed to get off the carriage because the road is too narrow.

Robert, who doesnt want to set foot in the dirty and smelly slum, made them distribute the food in this small square.

Just by hearing there will be free food, people came rushing from nowhere and formed a long line that continued until outside the square. When can I go home When Robert heaves a sigh, Bryan sitting across from him glares at him with a bored face.

Why do I have to follow along, Robert-sama. Even though my turn was just last week.

Robert usually came with his younger sister, Lyla, but because she had a tea party she couldnt miss today, Robert ended up coming alone.

As he cant stand waiting alone in such a place, he called Bryan at the last minute.

Food distribution is said to be the duty of noble sons who will succeed the title, so Robert has no choice but to come here. Even so, he has no intention of doing any work.

The idea of noblesse oblige doesnt exist in Roberts dictionary.

Pardon me, Robert-sama. We are running out of bread and soup. I will go back to the mansion and bring some more.

A servant reports to Robert from outside the carriage.

What stupid things are you saying. If we have no food left, then were done for today. Were going home.

If the servant goes to bring extra food now, he will go home even later.

In the first place, the number of guards will decrease if someone gets the food, so he is worried about his safety. Because here is the slum with poor public order.

No, we cannot. Robert-sama. Its the rule to provide food for everyone who has gathered.

The servant insists, but Roberts opinion remains the same.

Humph, who will see whether we follow the rule or not?

Were going home immediately, Robert shouts at the servant.

Robert-sama, what will you do if the slums people file a petition?

Bryan worriedly asks even though he is scared of Roberts tyrannical behavior.

Bryan, are you also stupid? Who will believe what those kinds of people say?

I am the next Duke of Lance, you know?

With a reason that can only make sense to Robert, they start preparing for their return.

And naturally, people still waiting in the long line voice out their dissatisfaction.

No way- Thats it?

I havent eaten yet-

Im hungry.

Theres a lot of children in this slum.

Knowing that they wont get to eat, the children start crying and clinging to the servants. Some children ask them to Please somehow do something.

Tch, damn brats.

Out of all the things he can do, Robert spits out another curse after seeing this scene uncomfortably.

Then, from the line that started to look like chaos, one man steps forth and heads straight toward Roberts carriage.

Hey! This is different from what you promise! Why are you stopping the food distribution when you havent provided enough for everyone?

Robert doesnt answer.

Because he feels that he is doing charity right now. While they can feel thankful, they dont have the right to utter any complaints.

Well, it can also be said that he simply couldnt answer after getting scared from seeing the mans appearance.

Please at least for children under 5 years old, would you please give them something to eat?

The man forced himself to swallow his anger and bowed his head to Robert.

If they cant get something to eat this time, they have to hold out until next weeks food distribution. There can be children who lost their lives because of that.

Robert-sama Theyre so pitiful, you see? Just for the small kids

Feeling sympathetic towards the man who has desperately pleaded, Bryan persuades Robert to give them something.

Are you stupid? To get free food, these guys can easily bow down their heads, you know? There will be no end to it if we heed every single one of them.

Robert has had a bad temper recently.

He is still holding a grudge for the humiliation he got at the academy.

He appealed to his father to write a complaint letter to the Stuart House, but the reply he got was (it was written very long but in short) Eh? Isnt it not my childs fault?

What can you expect from a parent with a child like that? Even though a Count couldnt go against a Duke if his father were to do anything.

When he recalled the annoying Emma Stuarts face, he felt irritated eh? the appearance of Emma Stuart stuffing her cheeks with slime jelly suddenly flashed through his mind, and Thump his heart throbbed unnaturally.

Even though I wouldve let her get along with me if she had apologized there. What a stupid woman.

In Roberts mind, the image of Emma talking to Arthur, Emma talking to the Second Prince, Emma talking to the freckled merchants son floats in one after another.

It was a little late, but at that point, he felt irritated more than he ever felt before.

If its the usual Robert, he will probably get cold feet from the mans appearance and continue the food distribution, but Robert at this moment has his irritation shoot up to the MAX level.

We got no food left for you to eat. Youre being an eyesore!

*BAM* Robert opens the carriage door and yells.

The servants, the children who have gathered for the food distribution, and the man bowing his head are all surprised and turn their gazes towards Robert.

Even towards the raging noble son who had gone out of his way and showed his face, the man still felt indignant.

Within a year of the rotating duty cycle, last weeks and this weeks food distributions are called the two weeks of hell in the slums. This is because those two weeks quantity and quality of food are much worse than what other nobles usually provide.

Other nobles would always give them goodie bags filled with biscuits and other food that can last for a long time. Yet in every two weeks of hell, they have never been given anything of the sort. Not even once.

In the slums, people have no guarantee they could have a decent meal other than the distributed food. So if he loses his temper here, then the children can actually, really die.

I-It wont be for free! I will trade it with a special ink! A bright red ink that absolutely cant be removed.

At the mans words, Roberts face broke into his usual wicked smile.

I remember its about time for that freckled merchants sons store to open.