4. The Church

The Eluvuris Kingdom was huge. It was famous for its industry and its crafts. Despite having a vast land, most people gathered in the capital. The disparity between the streets could be seen through the naked eye. The ones that belonged to nobles had stores, elite houses and fancy facilities. Meanwhile, the ones that belonged to poor commoners turned into slums.

After receiving permission, Helena finally left the mansion. Her first destination was the orphanage. The place was built by the church next to each other. The orphanage and the church were a shelter during the Bloody Riot. It was located in the most crowded area in the kingdom, Angles Street. Before she came around, the street was a slum crawling with poor and violent people. Helena collaborated with the church and used the charity money to create new facilities. The crime was still around, but the built wells had helped many people. The clean water improved their lives. No one drank polluted water anymore. The number of ill people decreased.

 Famine was not a problem since the church received an endless supply of noble gold. Helena knew it was only a temporary fix since people could not rely on the church forever. She made a rule for fit and healthy people to help around in exchange for food. Of course, this angered some people who wanted a free meal. They created a fuss in front of the church. Helena, fortunately, brought Violet and some guards to arrest those men for good. 

Everyone made a new connection after her rules were established. Miss Eliza got hired by a bakery after she volunteered to make bread for the church. The owner of the baker was in dire need of more bakers, and she was accepted on the spot. Mr. Karl, who was fishing as a hobby, became a fisherman. The fishmonger told him about the lack and raging price of seafood. Both worked together and gained plenty of profit. They ended up needing more workers after the business was booming. The church eventually created a special board for job seeking.

The trip to the orphanage was uncomfortable. Unlike the road in front of the Blackmoore's house, the one on Angles Street was rough. Helena had built new facilities but never paid attention to the road. Her bottom was pretty hurt on the bumpy street. 

When she stepped down from the carriage, the children ran to her. They recognized the vehicle belonged to her family. 

"Lady Blackmoore!"

"Good afternoon. Do you all behave well when I'm gone?"

"Yes! Everyone is waiting for you!"

She could not forget her roots when she was a commoner. Helena used to run and play around her neighbourhood with other kids. Of course, Helena could not do it anymore. She used charity as an opportunity to get close to the commoner without being criticized by nobles. Perhaps her title as a "Saint" still remained. She had not done any misdeed in this timeline.

"Ah! You're the girl from yesterday!" 

Helena heard a familiar voice and turned her head back. She saw Adham carrying a bunch of boxes. Helena came forward and bowed down courteously. "My name is Helena Blackmoore. Thank you for saving me." 

He was flustered by her stiff greeting. "No need to be formal. I'm just glad you are safe. Why are you here?"

"I want to offer my gratitude for saving me."

Helena gave him the gold pouch. Adham grinned when he saw the stack of coins and snatched it from her hand. "You're welcome! You can contact me if you need help. I work for money anyway."

She could not believe that man used to be her lover. Helena crossed her arms while tilting her head. "Wow, you're not going to deny the reward like a gentleman?"

"Pride is not going to bring food to the table. I have to pay my cost of living here."

Helena stunned. "You live in here?"

"I grew up in this orphanage. Since I don't have a house, they allow me to stay despite being an adult. My money helped them raise the kids."

This was a piece of new news for her. Adham never told her anything about his past. Perhaps he found it shameful because her partner was a noble. Helena understood and never forced him to tell her everything. A pang of guilt stung her heart. She recalled how she had forsaken him in the past. She abandoned the orphanage and the church in her second life. As a result of Sinner's Punishment, many children lost their parents and only relatives. The church received many kids, and they could not handle it. Bloody Riot made the situation worse for them. The church lacked necessities and food to take care of themselves. Some died from illness because they could not afford medicine.

"Whitesmithe, do you finish the job?"

Sister Mary came to the orphanage to check the place. Adham almost forgot his task. "Oh, right! Bye, Blackmoore."

The old nun used this opportunity to speak with Helena. "Lady Blackmoore! How are you? I'm worried you caught a cold or something yesterday. I told your butler about Whitesmithe. You don't need to reward him. Your donation each week was more than enough."

"It is fine. He deserves it for saving me. I am sure he will use it for something good." 

Helena and Sister Mary then checked the orphanage and the church. The facilities in the orphanage were fine, but the church ceiling was leaking. Helena ordered her guards to do some fixing. Fortunately, the reparation was not hard and finished in a short time. 

"Thank you so much for your assistance, Lady Blackmoore. Please wait for a moment. I have a little gift for you."

The old nun left and returned with something in her hand. She gave her a vial of clear liquid. Helena frowned at the bottle, wondering about the content. The nun laughed at her reaction. "It is just holy water. Keep it close to you. This will save you from evil."

Helena did not know how to respond to the gift. "Thank you."

"Feel free to visit if you have a problem! You are always welcome in here."

Helena was exhausted. She should have listened to Violet and rested for today. However, Helena had another agenda other than visiting the church and orphanage. Before she stepped into her carriage, a little girl waved her hand and greeted her. "Lady Blackmoore!"

Helena turned her head and smiled at the girl. Lilian Umber was a cheerful girl with brown hair and a bright smile. Helena met her a lot during charities. She always played with other children in the orphanage because her father was busy. Behind her was a buff man in his thirties, following her with a concerned face. 

"Lilian, don't run away like that. You might fall down."

Helena greeted the older man. "Good afternoon, Mister Umber."

Mr. Daniel Umber was surprised to see Helena and bowed down immediately. "Good afternoon, Lady Blackmoore."

Mr. Umber used to be a drunkard and one of the people who protested against her new rule in the church. He never learnt his lesson after being arrested. However, on a heavy rainy day, he came to the church with Lilian in his arms. The little girl had a high fever and was dying. He could not buy medicine or seek a doctor as he barely had a dime. That man begged them to help him. The church treated Lilian until she passed critical condition while Helena used her pocket money to buy her medicine. Of course, Helena berated him after that. She might be a good person, but her patience had a limit. 

"I usually don't care if a man drank himself to death, but for lord's sake! You no longer live for yourself. You have a daughter to take care of! Be a better parent before the one above takes her!"

Perhaps it was a real slap for him. After Lilian recovered, Mr Umber changed his path. He became a coolly in the harbour and helped people transport items using his strength. Lilian gradually became healthier as she got more food on her plate. Not to mention, her father now drank less than before.

Lilian tugged her sleeves. "Lady Blackmoore, will you go look around at Angles Street?"

It had been a while since she stepped on Angles Street. Helena never visited the place in her second life. She used to sneak in and go to the street alone. Today, Helena came with her guards. She stared at them with puppy eyes, begging them to let her go. "Can I please visit Angles Street?"

They understood the meaning behind her eyes. Eric, one of her guards, just sighed at her request. "You are free to go as long you do not disappear from our sight, Lady Helena."