Aidel, Rainien, and Bien hurriedly moved their steps to personally explore various parts of the capital.

“Even within the same capital, the atmosphere is clearly different.”

“This area we’re in now is where factories are gathered.”

In response to Rainien’s words, Aidel answered while unfolding a map showing the geography of the capital. As they moved away from the center lined with shops and headed east, a landscape densely packed with factories unfolded.

“Is this noise the sound of machines running in the factories? Moreover, the air seems polluted.”

Bien frowned slightly while covering her ears with both hands.

The sound of looms running incessantly flowed from a nearby cotton mill. Hazy coal smoke rose from chimneys atop the factories standing in rows.

Until now, Bien had only visited the capital’s center, filled with clothing stores, cafes, and restaurants, like other noble young ladies. To her, the scenery here was unfamiliar and even frightening.

“Your Highness, I mean, Lady Aidel. Why don’t you hold a handkerchief to your mouth?”

As the acrid smell that seemed to pierce their heads grew stronger towards the inside, Bien suggested, but Aidel shook her head.

“I’m fine. We came here to clearly understand this place. If you’re struggling, would you like to rest for a moment?”

“Rest? And leave both of you… No, absolutely not!”

Bien jumped up, waving her hands at Aidel’s reverse suggestion. She absolutely couldn’t do that to complete the mission given by the Grand Duke.

“Then, hang in there a little longer.”

“Of course. Please don’t mind me and focus on what you two need to do.”

Bien quietly closed her mouth and moved her reluctant feet. However, she didn’t forget to position herself between Aidel and Rainien.

It was then that they turned into a narrow alley lined with factories. Someone suddenly jumped out from around the corner.

“Ah!”

“Lady Aidel!”

As Aidel let out a short cry of surprise when someone collided with her body, Bien and Rainien simultaneously called out Aidel’s name.

“Ouch…”

The identity of the person who collided with Aidel was a small child who came up to her waist. Aidel, flustered at seeing the child sitting on the ground, quickly approached.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes… I’m fine.”

Aidel bent her knees and lowered her head towards the child, asking worriedly. The child looked up blankly at Aidel’s face visible under her hat and answered.

‘I didn’t know such a beautiful person existed…’

Even her slightly frowning expression of concern was graceful. As the child gazed, as if falling into her jewel-like light green eyes, a gentle voice reached their ears.

“I didn’t notice you in time.”

In response to Aidel’s apologetic words, Bien’s frustrated grumbling could be heard, ‘No, it was the child who ran and collided first…’, but Aidel paid no attention and extended her hand towards the child.

“Take my hand and stand up.”

“Ah…”

The child blankly stared at the pure white hand extended towards them. It was like a precious work of art they had never seen before.

Unconsciously reaching out their hand, the child suddenly stopped when they noticed the stains on their own hands.

‘What if I dirty those beautiful hands…’

The child frowned, looking sadly at their own hands. Aidel, who had been quietly observing the child, gently wrapped her hand around the child’s first.

“…!”

Smiling at the child who opened their eyes wide in surprise, Aidel applied force to her hand and lifted the child’s small body. The child, with a reddened face, stood in front of her, not knowing what to do.

“How old are you?”

“Ah, I’m nine years old.”

The child, wearing a hat pressed down over short, messy hair, looked even younger than their actual age due to their small frame. The worn and tattered shirt and overalls the child wore were covered in colorful stains all over.

“What’s your name?”

“E-Ena…”

“You’re a girl.”

“Yes…”

Although the short hair made the gender ambiguous, it was a girl. Ena seemed shy standing in front of Aidel, unable to make proper eye contact and fidgeting.

“Ena, where are you coming from?”

“The, the factory.”

“…Factory?”

“I work at the dye factory over there.”

Aidel now realized what the stains on Ena’s hands and all over her body were. At the same time, Aidel felt a sharp pain in her chest. Aidel’s eyes, tinged with sadness, scanned Ena’s small body.

“So you work at a dye factory. Are there many friends like you there?”

“Yes… Most children from poor families who can’t go to school get jobs at factories like me.”

“May I ask why you can’t go to school?”

“Well, because tuition is expensive. My family can barely afford to buy a single loaf of bread…”

Aidel bit her lip tightly. It was the answer she had expected, but hearing it directly from the child’s mouth made her heart ache even more. For the poor who survived on one meal a day, and even that just a single piece of bread, education was a luxury.

“Can you tell me how many hours you work in a day, and how much you get paid?”

In response to Aidel’s question, Ena clumsily counted on her fingers as she answered. Even excluding meal times, the child was working nearly 15 hours every day.

Moreover, the wages were terribly low compared to the working hours. Because she was a child, she received only one-tenth of an adult’s wage, and even that was halved again due to being female.

“…Isn’t it hard?”

“But… if I don’t work, my younger siblings will starve.”

Ena answered, clutching responsibility in her small, stained hands. The small shoulders of the child, driven by poverty and hunger, were too heavy.

Looking at the child’s clear eyes gazing up at her, Aidel took a deep breath and tried to shake off the dark expression on her face. She narrowed her eyes and spoke in a calm voice.

“Ena, thank you for answering. I seem to have taken up a lot of your time… Do you know the bakery cafe in front of the clock tower square?”

“You mean the one with the red sign? I know it.”

It was a place that smelled of delicious bread every time she passed by. Although she couldn’t afford to buy as much bread as she wanted there, just the smell made Ena feel full, so she often passed by on purpose.

“Yes, that’s right. Actually, I needed help with an assignment, and you’ve been very helpful. As a token of my gratitude, how about I treat you to some bread there?”

“Really? That’s wonderful!”

“Then, let’s meet there when the clock tower bell rings five times.”

She could have given the child money right away, but… that method seemed like it might be burdensome. So instead, she decided to give bread that the child could eat to her heart’s content. She planned to arrange with the bakery so that the child could choose any bread she wanted anytime.

‘But this too is not a fundamental solution.’

Aidel fell into thought as she watched Ena’s retreating figure after making a promise to meet again.

She was already aware that factory sizes within the capital were growing as modernized industries developed through the opening of trade routes.

The water management project she had recently promoted was also centered on a canal that would quickly connect the western outskirts of the capital where the port was located to the eastern area of the capital where factories were concentrated.

However, she had no idea that under the pretext of industrial development, even such young children were being employed, and they were living with their labor exploited without proper education.

Rainien, who had been worriedly examining Aidel’s deeply clouded face, carefully opened his mouth.

“Lady Aidel, are you alright?”

“Ah… Sir Rainien. I was thinking, how about we make child labor the topic for this assignment?”

“I thought you might think that way. I was also surprised by what the child said earlier.”

“I knew that factories were being built in the capital and many workers were gathering here… but I didn’t know that such young children were being employed and exploited. It’s shameful.”

In response to Aidel’s self-reproaching words, Bien spoke up as if to comfort her.

“Lady Aidel, please don’t blame yourself too much. Even I didn’t know about this. What noble would pay attention to such matters?”

However, Bien’s words were not much comfort to Aidel. Just because one’s status is high doesn’t mean they should turn a blind eye to the lives of those with lower status.

Especially if one has power and authority, they should more actively consider and change the difficulties of others. Aidel and Rainien began to discuss in depth the issue of child labor within the capital.

“Is child labor really the right thing?”

“Labor is an essential element in industrial development. Also, like that child, if it’s for livelihood, jobs are desperately needed.”

“That could be true. However… children should be guaranteed opportunities for basic education before labor. The value of their labor should also be properly evaluated.”

Rainien agreed with Aidel’s opinion but offered a view from the opposite perspective to maintain fairness. Aidel also rebutted his opinion, and the two reached a consensus on how to improve child labor conditions.

“I think we can each summarize from our own perspectives based on what we discussed today.”

“Alright. Let’s discuss after the next Public Administration Theory class ends.”

Aidel nodded in agreement to Rainien’s words. Although today’s assignment was finished, she still had something left to do.

Aidel looked at Rainien for a moment and then spoke again.

“Sir Rainien, do you have time?”

“Yes, I don’t have any special plans today.”

“Then, could you help me personally?”

“Personally…?”

“Yes… I think it would be good if you could help me.”

Although the assignment was over, he had been reluctant to part with her. When Aidel asked for personal help, Rainien’s blue-green eyes brimmed with joy.

“Of course. I’ll help with anything if it’s Lady Aidel’s request.”

“Thank you for saying that, Sir Rainien.”

As Aidel and Rainien smiled at each other, Bien, who had been watching their interaction, intervened as if to change the atmosphere.

“Then shall we return to the center of the capital?”

Bien, who already knew why Aidel had asked Rainien for help, took the lead.

‘That kind prince might get hurt, but…’

Bien also realized that Rainien was even more gentle and intellectual than rumors suggested after spending the day with him. Just seeing his warm and careful gaze towards Aidel showed how considerate a person he was.

‘Still… it’s better to be clear about relationships between men and women.’

Bien steeled her wavering heart as she looked at Rainien.