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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Their World Will Change
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Crabslie was still working diligently every day at the convenience store near the house.
- Assistant Manager Choi Dol-soe.
The name tag attached to his convenience store vest sparkled brightly.
Crabslie had recently been promoted to ‘Assistant Manager’.
It was a reward for his significant contributions to the store's sales.
While he didn't care for the money, his salary had also seen a hefty increase.
“Let’s see…”
After quickly analyzing the previous month's sales and transaction records, Crabslie began rearranging the products on the display shelves.
Popular items were moved to the upper shelves where customers' eyes would naturally fall,
while less popular ones were placed on the lower shelves.
And that wasn't all.
He mulled over ways to make first-time customers want to return, and to entice those who came in to spend a thousand won to spend two thousand instead.
He meticulously analyzed which items often led to subsequent purchases and strategically placed them near one another. He also noticed that most of the customers were from single-person households and adjusted his stock orders accordingly.
In particular, he placed a ‘Recipe Book’ on one of the tables provided for in-store dining, so customers who bought instant meals could get some ideas.
It was a handwritten book detailing ‘combo recipes’ for instant food products that were wildly popular among the younger customers.
For instance, adding string cheese to ‘Spicy Fire Chicken Ramen’ to make ‘Cheesy Fire Chicken Ramen’, or adding dumplings to beef bone broth ramen for a hearty dumpling soup…
Though it was a simple gesture, the majority of customers who opened the recipe book would scurry back to grab additional ingredients that paired well with the items they had already chosen. It was a common sight.
“Hoo.”
After finishing the product arrangement.
“I’m bored. I might as well mop the floors…”
He began to diligently mop the already spotless, gleaming floor with a wet cloth.
He had always been like this, even when he served as the Chancellor of the Anux Imperial Palace.
A classic workaholic.
365 days a year, he never took a single day off, always finding new tasks to occupy himself.
If he ran out of his own work, he would even help other departments with theirs.
Ding!
Just then, the entrance door opened, and the bell attached to it rang.
“Busy?”
Dressed in a tracksuit, Kang-jun walked into the convenience store, holding Seol-i’s hand tightly.
“My Lord, Your Highness the Princess…”
Kang-jun scratched his head awkwardly, then said nonchalantly,
“I was just out for a walk with Seol-i and decided to drop by.”
Seol-i gasped, “Woooow…” and looked up at Crabslie with sparkling eyes.
“G-gummy bear jellies…”
“Would you like some?”
“Mhm, Seol-i wants some…”
“I shall buy them for you.”
He immediately picked up a bag of gummy bears, scanned the barcode, and handed it to Seol-i.
“Please, have some.”
“Fank you,” Seol-i replied, popping a gummy into her mouth and chewing happily before continuing.
“Dis is yummy!”
She then gave a few gummies to both Kang-jun and Crabslie, adding with a smile,
“It's yummy, so let's share and be good!”
Crabslie popped the few gummy bears Seol-i had given him into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully before replying.
“How can you be so adorable…”
“Grandpa, want more?”
“I am most grateful, but I have had enough.”
He then met Seol-i’s eyes and added gently,
“Perhaps it is because Her Highness the Princess shared them, but they taste all the sweeter.”
Just then, Kang-jun cut in.
“Anyway, how long are you planning to keep working at this convenience store?”
Crabslie replied in an exceedingly polite tone, with the utmost courtesy.
“Although the Imperial family’s financial troubles have been resolved, as you well know, my Lord, resting simply does not suit my disposition…”
Kang-jun nodded a few times as if to say he understood without needing further explanation.
‘Then the reason he’s been looking so down lately can’t just be because the work is hard…’
Kang-jun had brought Seol-i all the way to the convenience store because Crabslie had been uncharacteristically listless every day.
He intended to gently probe through casual conversation to see if something was troubling him.
“Have you tried the Ogre Serum?”
“Ah!” Crabslie exclaimed, his voice suddenly full of excitement.
“No wonder it tasted so exceptional. It must have been a serum made from ogre blood. I’ve already had four packs today.”
As the three of them were gathered around the counter, chatting idly,
Ding-!
The entrance door swung open again, and a pair of young, disheveled siblings stepped into the convenience store.
“Hello…”
Crabslie placed his hands over his stomach and bowed nearly ninety degrees as he greeted them.
“Welcome to GU.”
Seol-i did the same.
“Wewcome to GU.”
She giggled, “Kyahaha,” clearly enjoying mimicking Crabslie.
But…
For some reason, the look in Crabslie’s eyes as he watched the siblings was endlessly somber.
‘What is it?’
Kang-jun’s gaze followed the brother and sister.
The girl, who appeared to be the older sister, looked to be in elementary school.
Her younger brother couldn't have been more than five or six.
“We’d like to check out, please.”
The items the young siblings brought to the counter were nothing more than an instant bento box containing frozen rice and a few meager side dishes.
Beep-.
After a brief hesitation, Crabslie scanned the bento’s barcode and looked down at the siblings, speaking in a very formal, quiet tone.
“That will be five thousand won.”
The girl who seemed to be the older sister took a card from her pocket and handed it to him…
At that moment, Kang-jun’s eyes caught sight of the card in the girl’s hand, and they began to tremble violently like an aspen leaf in the wind.
A Child Meal Support Card.
It was a government-issued card that provided about ten thousand won a day to ensure that children at risk of skipping meals, such as those from child-headed households, were fed.
How did he know?
When Kang-jun was young, he and his sister used to visit a convenience store every day, filling their basket to the brim of the ten-thousand-won limit and paying with that very card.
It was impossible for two people to have a proper meal at a restaurant for a mere ten thousand won, so a convenience store was practically the only place they could use it.
That was hundreds of years ago.
Yet, the memory was still vivid.
Poverty was always like that.
No matter how many layers of time piled up, the poverty of the past was not easily forgotten.
Was that why?
He saw an image of his younger self and his sister superimposed over the two siblings.
“Enjoy your meal.”
After quickly finishing the transaction, Crabslie returned the card. The two children bowed their heads and immediately went to the microwave.
“Were you feeling down because you were worried about those kids?”
At Kang-jun’s question, Crabslie gave a bitter smile and spoke in a soft tone.
“The owner of this convenience store refers to children like them as ‘underfed children.’”
“Right, underfed children.”
“They use the pittance provided by the state to buy meager meals, which they then share with each other.”
Crabslie added,
“I wished to help them, but the owner insisted that I must not.”
“Why?”
“Because kindness that cannot be sustained could one day do more harm than good.”
After a pause, Crabslie added emphatically, “Furthermore.”
“It is not just those two children.”
“Are there many kids like them?”
“Yes, more than enough to go around.”
At this GU convenience store where Crabslie worked, at least a dozen underfed children came in consistently every day.
Since he couldn't offer sustained kindness to all of them, it was better not to help at all, just as the store owner had said.
“As you know, my Lord, such trivial acts of kindness or help can never change the world.”
Having said that, Crabslie added,
“Only a grand movement, one that can be called a revolution or reform, has the power to change the world.”
At those words, Kang-jun sank deep into thought.
His heart had certainly softened.
He felt a desire to help those children.
He didn't know why.
Maybe it was because they reminded him of his past self and his sister…
Or maybe it was because they were around the same age as Seol-i.
“Hey, kids.”
Kang-jun, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly called out to the young siblings.
“You two, come here for a second.”
The two children exchanged sidelong glances, wary of Kang-jun, and stood still for a moment.
“I said, come here.”
The older girl asked,
“Why?”
Kang-jun furrowed his brow slightly and shot back,
“You two are going to share that, right?”
“Yes…”
“Hey, who are you trying to feed with that?”
“Excuse me…?”
“Go pick out whatever you want to eat.”
When the girl just blinked, Kang-jun added in a deliberately gruff tone,
“This ahjussi will pay for it, so go grab any food you want or anything you need, you hear?”
The girl fidgeted with her hands and muttered,
“I’m not supposed to take things from strangers…”
“Then we can just get to know each other, starting today.”
Kang-jun walked over to the girl and said,
“My name is Lee Kang-jun.”
Seol-i chimed in.
“He’s my papa.”
“I’m Seol-i.”
Kang-jun then asked,
“What are your names?”
The girl glanced up at Kang-jun and replied,
“I’m Hwang Gi-ppeum.”
“That’s a pretty name.”
“This is my little brother.”
“What’s your brother’s name?”
“My brother is Hwang Gyu-jin.”
“And your mom and dad?”
“They passed away…”
“Is that so?” Kang-jun asked, then answered in a nonchalant tone as if it were no big deal.
“Then you and this ahjussi are the same. My parents passed away when I was young, too.”
With that, Kang-jun gestured toward the aisles with his chin and added in a flat tone,
“Go pick out everything you want to eat.”
“But still…”
“It’s okay now that we know each other, right?”
The younger brother was the first to scamper off, starting to pick out all the foods he had been wanting…
“Hey, Gyu-jin…”
The girl, Gi-ppeum, soon ran after him and, as if giving in, began to pick out various items herself.
Kang-jun grabbed a basket and walked around the store with the two children, helping them choose things.
“Looking at you two, I can tell you don’t drink much milk. You have to drink a lot of milk if you want to grow up tall like this ahjussi.”
“Milk is expensive…”
“And you have to eat lots of different fruits, too. You know all the vitamins in fruit are incredibly good for your body, right?”
“I know, but…”
After filling several baskets with all sorts of food, Kang-jun handed his card to Crabslie.
“Use this to pay.”
It was none other than the credit card that Kajan, the general manager of the Secret Society of the Wealthy, had issued him a while ago, insisting he would need it.
“Can you two carry all this?”
“Yes, we can carry it…”
Kang-jun nodded once and added,
“From now on, if there’s anything you want to eat, just come here, tell this grandpa, and take whatever you want.”
“Really?”
“This ahjussi will come by later and pay for everything, so don’t worry about a thing and take as much as you want.”
Having said that, Kang-jun pressed them as if he were scolding them, “Got it?”
“Yes, thank you…”
Kang-jun asked again.
“What did I say my name was?”
“Lee Kang-jun…”
“Good, you have a great memory.”
He continued,
“If you ever need my help, come here and ask that grandpa to get in touch with me.”
“Your help?”
“Whether you want a delicious meal, don’t have money for school supplies, or someone is bullying you—anything at all.”
The girl asked,
“But why are you helping us?”
Kang-jun thought for a moment before answering calmly.
“I’m helping you so you can grow up to be wonderful adults. When you’re grown up, you can help other kids who are having a hard time.”
He then added,
“And if there’s ever a day you need to go to school with your parents, tell me, and I’ll go with you.”
“Why?”
“It’s boring to be alone when all your friends are with their parents. This ahjussi knows that feeling all too well.”
Suddenly, the girl burst into tears.
“*Sob, hic…*”
Seeing her, her younger brother started crying as well.
“Sis, why are you cwying…”
Watching them, Kang-jun asked gently,
“Hey, aren’t you going to stop that?”
“I’m sorry…”
“Why are you crying all of a sudden?”
“Because… I’m so grateful…”
They probably weren't used to kindness.
Even though they desperately needed help…
They had never received it, so it felt strange.
That must be why the tears were flowing.
“Hurry up and dry your tears. For today, go home and put all this food away in the fridge.”
Kang-jun then asked,
“By the way, where do you two live?”
“In the blue-roofed house at the end of the hill.”
“That’s really close to my house.”
He then added,
“I’ll come visit sometime.”
“Okay…”
“Let’s eat something delicious together.” Seol-i cut in.
“Seol-i wants to go too!”
The children nodded, and Kang-jun waved his hand dismissively as if annoyed.
“You can go now. This ahjussi is busy.”
The children bowed their heads, picked up the large bags, and exited the convenience store, struggling under the weight…
“Crabslie.”
At Kang-jun’s call, Crabslie answered softly.
“Yes, my Lord.”
Kang-jun watched the backs of the children as they grew smaller in the distance and said in a near whisper,
“You were right.”
He paused before adding,
“To change the world entirely, you need grand things like ‘revolutions’ or ‘reforms.’”
“Then…”
“I know full well that a small act of kindness or help like this can’t change the entire world.”
Kang-jun paused and turned to look at Crabslie.
“But as of today, at least *their* world will change.”
“It will become a much warmer and more abundant place.”
With that, Kang-jun lightly patted Crabslie’s shoulder and added once more,
“I’m leaving now.”
With those brief words, Kang-jun took Seol-i’s hand and left the convenience store.
At that moment.
Behind his Lord's departing figure, Crabslie saw an overlapping image of his past self, reigning as the Emperor of Anux.
“Yes, that is the kind of man he was.”
Muttering to himself, Crabslie smiled faintly.
“He was a benevolent ruler who would be remembered throughout history…”
He was certain that Her Highness the Princess’s beautiful heart was a reflection of her father’s.
The moon hung bright and clear in the night sky.
