The carriage arrived at the port.
Stonehaven was a small port with many reefs, making it unsuitable for large ships or passenger ships.
Not far away was a trading port called Brighthaven, which received little attention.
Stonehaven was a satellite city of Brighthaven.
There were many cheap laborers here who brought in logistics that were unreasonable to process in the expensive Brighthaven area, warehouses for long-term storage of unsold items, and small-scale fisheries operators.
As workers of unknown status gathered after hearing rumors, public security was poor.
Although there were many people on the street, there was an eerie atmosphere.
The main road was fine though.
It seemed to be kept neat and safe, with many places of business catering to wealthy merchants, businessmen, and aristocrats looking for places to invest.
The two got out of the carriage.
Both Bridget and Julian were dressed plainly today, deliberately avoiding the appearance of wealthy aristocrats. Nevertheless, the two of them stood out.
As soon as she got off the carriage, children came running towards her.
"Please give me just one coin!"
"I'm hungry!"
"Please do me a favor. Madam, who is like a flower!"
"Good luck! Good luck! Here, some coins!"
The coachman, who was Millea's confidant, chased the children away.
Bridget didn't want to reveal her destination, so she deliberately brought Millea's personal confidant instead of the Royal Guard knights.
Julian loosened his tie a little, seeming uncomfortable.
"There are a lot of children."
"They are war orphans."
The Kingdom of Baltak has been in a long war for decades.
Julian finished it off, but the aftereffects of the war still lingered.
Bridget asked.
"Have you ever seen orphans?"
"Often on the battlefield. Mostly sent to national orphanages with the support of the Royal Relief Service."
Even as he said that Julian was puzzled.
He saw soldiers taking care of all the orphans, but why are war orphans begging in a city like this, without any protection, instead of on a battlefield?
Bridget told him, looking into his eyes.
"Those kids ran away from the orphanage and came here to make money."
Clearly, the country is supporting and caring for war orphans, so why did those children refuse help and end up on the streets?
There were more than one or two. There were a lot of children out on the street.
Bridget smiled bitterly.
There was a time when she was as ignorant as Julian.
She never thought about the life of a war orphan in her life.
The same would apply to Julian.
So Bridget wanted to show Julian another world he didn't know about.
A world that Julian should know but is overlooking.
"The orphanage is not in a good state these days. It has become a hotbed of crime. The children provide free labor, and many people make a profit in the process."
Bridget headed towards the docks.
Very small children and girls were working with their backs bent and face sunken, either mending fishing nets or cleaning the floor that was covered in fish scales and entrails.
Boys a little older than him were carrying objects as big and heavy as his body, sweating like blood.
Handsome supervisors were constantly whipping the children.
He beat their small, thin body without mercy, yelling at them loudly, without showing any sign of being able to hit them.
The children did not cry even though they were being hit. They gritted their teeth and moved their hands and feet faster, enduring the pain with dry eyes as if they were used to it.
"It's the children who beg who can't even do that kind of work."
This time, Bridget took Julian down the street and into a back alley.
The scenery has completely changed.
Unlike the main street, which was relatively clean, the back alleys were all mess.
Skinny children begged from sailors smoking cigarettes among the trash.
The men chased the children away, annoyed as if it were their usual routine.
Children who had given up begging found food by searching through the garbage.
Eating garbage couldn't make you healthy.
Children were lying anywhere, sick and dying.
The wild dogs were drooling and targeting the dying child.
There were also many widows in the alley.
These were women who had lost their husbands in the war.
Women who could not find work at odd jobs in the busy ports would spread out mats and sell their bodies anywhere on the streets.
Children sat with their backs turned to their mothers who were selling their sex, sharing food they found in the trash.
"... How did you know about this place? Have you been here before?"
Julian wondered how Bridget knew about this place and brought him there.
But Bridget, the guide, shook her head.
"No, this is my first time. I didn't know it would be this bad. I found out about this through documents."
"Document?"
"Isaac makes money by trafficking war orphans and widows. He mainly sells people at the port."
The love fight that broke out at Winston's mansion moved the hearts of the employees.
They turned their backs on Isaac, who didn't even treat them like human beings and were loyal to Bridget.
If Bridget was curious, Isaac's secret was also revealed without hesitation.
Bridget was able to receive important documents and secret ledgers from Isaac's servants and butlers.
Isaac worked with orphanages to sell children to all sorts of people looking for cheap labor.
He also sold women to brothels, where they served sailors who had been on ships for a long time and were starved of lust.
Like selling Bridget to the Count of Kensington, he did whatever it took to make money by exploiting the vulnerable who had no one to protect them.
"It's not just Isaac. Many people do it. No one stops them, no one gets punished. But it was hushed up until a few years ago."
It was also popular during the reign of Josephine and the Duke of Linchester.
But...
"It's become very public in the last three years. The situation has become more extreme."
She's not here to criticize Isaac.
Bridget looked at Julian, clearly stating the point she wanted to make.
"There is a vacuum in state affairs."
Julian was speechless.
***
Returning to the palace, Julian parted ways with Bridget and headed to his office.
The office had an attached secretary's office.
Count Nicholas and his secretaries were surprised by Julian's appearance.
It was very rare for Julian, who had no interest in the King's business, to come to the secretary's office.
"I greet you, Your Majesty."
"Investigate the situation at the Royal Rescue Center and report back today."
"Oh, are you talking about today?"
"Are you not capable?"
If you asked me that, I had nothing to say.
"I will do my best."
No one dared to have a long conversation with the sensitive-looking Julian.
The secretaries immediately rushed outside to investigate the matter.
In the empty secretary's office, Julian paced nervously.
I'm angry.
It was anger directed at oneself.
"There is a vacuum in state affairs."
It was clear what Bridget meant.
"Shit."
He ruffled his hair, which he had worked so hard to style, and took off his tie and the ring on his hand and threw them away.
It seemed as if all the expensive and beautiful things he was wearing were condemning him.
***
Bridge heard from Anna that the secretaries at the central palace were scattered and running around in all directions.
Millea asked, not knowing the circumstances.
Her gaze rested briefly on Julian's coat draped over Bridget's shoulders.
A romantic situation was pictured in her head.
"Was it fun? I think it was."
There were several romantic moments that Millea imagined.
However, it was not a time that could be described with the word 'fun', nor was it a time that could be called a 'date'.
Still, Bridget nodded.
"I was satisfied."
Because the goal has been achieved.
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