The Villainess only wants to go home

Chapter 43 - Poverty

'Am I lost? I can't feel anything heavy in the earth that might be a dragon. I'm definitely lost' I sighed in disappointment wishing I had my phone to navigate my way through. I looked around the dirty and dark alleyway, a few homeless people sat around miserably, clothes in rags and hair messy and oily from the lack of cleaning.

A few children lay on the hard and dirty ground, figures like skeletons. No muscles to be seen just skin and bone.

No matter what place or where in the world, there is always poverty and the poor at every corner.

I just stared in hostility, there was no ache in my heart seeing how they just lay there like the dead. No sympathy for them as they are only just ink and words written in a book.

They was nothing I could do to help them to solve their problem even giving them a few coins to solve a few days' worth of food, they would just return back to begging for something to quench their hunger again.

I jumped back when I felt a sense next to me. Looking at the person, I relaxed my hand that was behind me ready to take out the tanto. It was just a woman, her brown hair was tied in a very messy ponytail, flies flew over her dirty and greasy hair, there was bags under her tired green eyes. Her cheeks were sucked in revealing that she hasn't eaten for days. Her scent was revolting that I had to cover my nose with my cloak.

"P-please" her voice was raspy and dry. She reached her bony hand out like she was trying to grab something "I-I ne-ed...food...my...baby..." My eyes widened in horror to see a baby, wrapped in thin brown cloth as she held him gently in her left arm. I couldn't help but hold back the lump in my throat, the baby's face was blue, it's lips dry and his cheeks swollen inwards.

It was dead.

"My...baby...it's...hungry" she croaked, trying to catch breath every time she uttered a word. This baby looked like it has been dead for days. The smell of dead corps penetrated through the cloak, stinging my nose.

'How long have you kept the deceased baby in your arms? Did you know that your child has been dead or-' I stared down into the woman's eyes in sudden sympathy. 'Is the grief of losing your child so unbearable that your mind cannot condemn the idea of losing such innocence'

I glanced down again at the corps wrapped in the thin material that was meant to prevent the baby from getting cold. There was no emotion that could explain how I was feeling right now. Even if my heart started to hurt for the innocent child that was gone from this world, my cold expression hadn't left and I gazed at the shut eyes of the baby, it's soul in a far better place than this slum.

"The child. What's it's name?" I questioned my sight not leaving the baby. "M-a-ximus" she croaked again under the raspy and dry voice.

'A boy'

This woman what should I say to her? your son is gone or I'm sorry, but your son is dead.

I closed my eyes and prayed for the loss of her son. 'I pray this soul has found its way to paradise' was the last thing I thought before I bent down and placed a cold hand on her dry and bony hand.

"Madam your-" I couldn't tell her. I was to hesitant to. I felt guilt stir up in my chest. Why was it suddenly so hard to tell her? I had informed families about their loved ones passing when I worked as a doctor in the organisation. It never bothered me to tell them without feeling sorrow or guilt, so why? Why is it hard now? why can't I muster up the courage and tell her? Could it be because it's a mother? a mother losing her baby that hadn't lived to walk, talk or grow into a man just because she couldn't feed him.

"I'm sorry" was all I could muster to say. She only stared into my hood with empty eyes, no hope left in them as it just stared into the empty space.

The only thing I could do is end her misery, take her away from this accursed world that lead her to this cruel life in the street and let her reunite with her child. Maximus.