Chapter 8

I have read the history books written since this country changed its name to the Kingdom of Raminb.

It was as expected that the king and the prime minister's daughter married soon after my execution, and that Aura was written as a wicked magician who betrayed the country. The problem is what happened five years after that.

The people of our country rose up in rebellion with the slogan "Overthrow the royal family."

Sasha, who became the queen, probably following instructions from her father, the prime minister, began to actively interfere in politics. As a result, new laws were enacted under the pretext of "recovery from the great flood."

- A significant tax increase

- A ban on alcohol consumption for commoners

- A ban on the purchase of silk products by commoners

- A ban on the purchase and possession of gold, silver, and jewels by commoners

- A registration system for the use of medicinal herbs

All of these laws were terrible. The worst was the ban on the purchase and possession of gold, silver, and jewels. It wasn't just a ban on buying; the state confiscated the gold, silver, and jewels that commoners had possessed without question.

(These laws hurt the people, who were already suffering from the flood. How foolish.)

Even commoners want to adorn themselves. In this country, it has been a tradition for a long time that when a daughter gets married, her parents give her as much gold and silver as they can for her dowry.

This is to ensure that she can buy what she wants without relying on her husband's money, and that if a war breaks out, she can quickly take these items and escape.

According to the book, the fate of the gold, silver, and jewels confiscated by the state was very ambiguous. A significant amount of these precious metals and jewels, which should have been deposited in the state treasury, disappeared. According to the investigation by the new government, the missing gold, silver, and jewels were never found.

Moreover, the alcohol ban and the ban on the use of silk products made the urban areas very unsafe. Honest merchants went bankrupt one after another, while black market traders made huge profits from the illegal trade of alcohol and silk.

The registration system for the use of medicinal herbs also caused many patients to suffer because the application process took a long time, and many patients could not get the medicine they needed, leading to their conditions worsening. This could have been predicted with a little thought.

And even with such laws, the rich could get around them by paying bribes.

(No wonder the people hated the government.)

The rebellion, fueled by the accumulated grievances of the people, quickly became a massive wave that engulfed the country.

The royal family was executed by the people without a formal trial. The royal family was beheaded, and the nobles and their relatives were either beheaded or beaten to death. The country's own army was dysfunctional.

Seven years after my execution, all those who were in the political center, including their families, were wiped out.

The army of the neighboring Kingdom of Barwara, to the east, suppressed the turmoil in the country. The country's own army followed it for some reason. Perhaps there had been prior arrangements, or perhaps Barwara had skillfully guided the rebellion itself.

The second prince of the Kingdom of Barwara became the new ruler of this country, and his son currently governs it. The new king immediately abolished the foolish laws.

(I see.)

I raised my eyes from the history book I had been reading with great interest and sighed.

"Alesia, have you finished reading?"

"Yeah, for today."

"I've finished looking at the encyclopedia. Let's go home."

"Sure. Let's go home soon."

We handed the books we had read to the male inspector.

The man, with practiced hands, flipped through all the returned books to check for dirt or damage, then said, "Okay, you can go," allowing us to leave the library.

Ethan held my hand as soon as we left the library. Then he asked me a favor.

"Alesia, will you teach me how to read and write?"

"Sure. I'll teach you a little bit of reading and writing every day. But let's also work hard on the farm."

"I know."

We bought bread from a nearby stall and had it stuffed with rich grilled meat. We also bought water from a boy selling water on the roadside and filled our water bottles. We walked slowly, eating the bread. It was very enjoyable to eat while walking.

(The king, the luxury-loving woman, the prime minister, everyone, everyone was executed...)

I walked while munching on the bread. Ethan walked beside me, talking about the chicks that were born yesterday.

(Just seven years. The power of the royal family wasn't as solid as I thought.)

I wanted to read more recent books to understand the current situation, but I had to go home. My parents would worry if I came home late, and I have plenty of time. After all, I'm only nine years old.

The sun was moving downward from its highest point in the sky.

"If we go home now, we can still work before it gets dark."

"I'll feed the chickens today."

"Then I'll pet Pongk."

Ethan and I walked side by side, eating.

......

Hakim, a thirteen-year-old water seller, had followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who were also water sellers. But this job only provided enough income to survive without dying. It was a job with no hope for the future.

In the morning, when he couldn't sell water yet, he was lying on a thick branch of a tree in the park, killing time, when he saw two children in modest clothing secretly changing into nice clothes in the shade of the tree and entering the library. He was interested.

"What are those kids doing?"

The library was a place far removed from the poor. The poor couldn't read, and the entrance fee was high. Yet, that girl entered the library with a confident air and didn't come out for a long time. She must have been reading books. She didn't look like she was rich.

"I want to be able to read and write too, but I don't have the money to pay someone to teach me."

That's why he envied those two.

When Hakim got down from the tree, he found a ribbon in her hair. He picked it up and put it in his pocket. The red ribbon made him feel connected to her.

When the girl came out of the library and bought water from him, he wanted to return the ribbon, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was intimidated by her beauty.

"What should I do with this?"

That night, after cleaning his water jug in the waterway, Hakim took the ribbon out of his pocket and wished that the girl would come to the library again.