‘Does a wet cloth reduce body heat? Would that actually work?’

Kailas tilted his head. In his mind, a wet cloth only touched the outer skin, while fever came from inside the body. It seemed strange that something so simple could lower a fever.

‘Unless wrapping a larger area than just the forehead with a cold wet cloth might help.’

After thinking this far, Kailas snapped back to reality and shook his head vigorously.

‘She’s not a beast-folk anyway! Thinking about this from my perspective is completely useless!’

Kailas retrieved a small towel from one corner of the room and soaked it in water.

His ever-present in-law(?) continued to nag him relentlessly.

[‘The Dragon Trampler grumbles that you look too awkward to be helpful.’]

[He says it’s too wet.]

[He comments that it doesn’t look cooling enough.]

“Argh! This is so high-maintenance!”

He had started with good intentions to provide care, but after all the nagging, he wanted to throw everything down in frustration.

Wringing the towel almost to the point of tearing it, Kailas shot Cioranne a prim look.

“…I’m only tolerating this because you’re sick. Because you’re sick.”

No matter how ill-tempered he might be, he wasn’t the type to take out his frustrations on someone suffering in pain.

Kailas pushed back her bangs and placed the folded wet cloth on her forehead. It must have been cooling, as Cioranne’s face relaxed slightly. Seeing her pitiful expression, Kailas’s lips jutted out again.

“Truly a foolish woman.”

Noel was equally reckless for speaking so harshly to a woman like her.

[‘The Dragon Trampler says you did the same.’]

Already accustomed to ignoring the deity’s words, Kailas let the comment slide off him.

Thinking of Noel naturally brought back memories of the morning’s events. There had been so many conversations that he’d almost forgotten…

‘The ring.’

Even in the darkness, the tiny jewel’s sparkle caught Kailas’s eye distinctly. Kailas twisted his lips.

‘It’s irritating.’

He didn’t know exactly what was irritating. It just made his stomach churn unpleasantly. Kailas extended his small hand and tapped the ring. The rugged design, ordinary except for the small gem, seemed to understand everything about Cioranne, which twisted his insides even more.

‘That idiot Noel couldn’t understand what I was saying and conveniently gave us privacy. Ran understands everything I’m trying to say even when I just meow.’

When it looked like that fool might propose, he meowed loudly to break the mood. But instead, Noel left them alone!

Kailas’s golden eyes rolled dramatically. Resting his chin on his hand, he stared intently at Cioranne’s face.

‘So Holy Maidens can marry. Well, those damned clergy all get married, have lovers, and have children too.’

As Kailas pouted, thinking about those unlike Cioranne who didn’t behave like proper clergy, he realized his displeasure wasn’t subsiding. He reached out and grabbed Cioranne’s finger. The deity squawked when he realized what Kailas intended to do.

[‘The Dragon Trampler asks why you’re removing it.’]

“Because I hate looking at it.”

What other reason did he need?

‘I’m the Emperor. The highest person in this country. I can do whatever I want!’

He had no intention of searching for the reason behind his irritation. The deity clicked his tongue, watching Kailas act before thinking.

[‘The Dragon Trampler says you’re being petty.’]

Kailas raised his head shamelessly.

‘You just realized I’m petty? I’ve always been narrow-minded. The most narrow-minded person in the world. So shut up.’

While Kailas and the deity continued their bickering, he focused again on removing the ring from her finger.

“Kyle?”

“Gasp.”

Cioranne, whom he thought was asleep, was looking at him through narrowly opened eyes. Kailas froze when he met her hazy blue eyes.

Cioranne’s round eyes curved gently. Her slender hand stroked Kailas’s hair.

“How sweet.”

Whether from weakness or half-asleep, Cioranne closed her eyes again after stroking Kailas’s head.

“…!”

Kailas’s ears instantly turned bright red.

* * *

When I visited the infirmary after hearing His Holiness the Pope’s words yesterday, it was in terrible condition.

‘Could it be that no one has provided treatment since then?’

A thin layer of dust had settled on the desk where the priests had been chatting over tea. I swallowed a sigh and rubbed my face.

‘No wonder Richard said people wouldn’t stay quiet if they saw my face.’

Rather than anger, I felt pity for their pettiness in using me as an excuse for their spite.

‘May God fill their hearts with more compassion for others than they currently possess.’

No matter how much they resented me for treating heretics, ignoring others’ suffering and abandoning the infirmary was a problem with their hearts. After finishing my prayer, I treated each person who had been waiting for healing for a long time.

“I’ll heal you now.”

But there were too many people needing treatment. Even though my holy power was immense, it wasn’t bottomless.

After treating the people who had gathered waiting their turn, those who had left the infirmary exhausted from waiting, and even seeking out heretics to heal them, night had fallen.

I don’t even remember how I got back to my room. Everything was blurry and dreamlike.

But even through it all, I remembered something. The gaze that kept watching over me, rough like a foul-mouthed grandmother but with clumsy concern.

‘How sweet.’

Perhaps knowing I had overexerted myself yesterday, no one called me for dawn mass. Thanks to that, I slept deeply, and when I woke in the morning, my body felt light, my holy power seemingly replenished.

The first thing I saw upon opening my eyes was an elegant black cat with fluffy fur curled up on my chest.

I smiled brightly and played with Kyle’s fur.

“Good morning, Kyle.”

“…”

But Kyle, who should have responded to my greeting, turned his head away sharply.

This was different from his usual reaction. I picked Kyle up with both hands and sat up, examining his face carefully.

“Kyle, are you sick? Your nose looks fine, so I don’t think you’re ill.”

Then I heard Kyle’s inner thoughts.

[‘Kyle’ is feeling embarrassed.]

“…?”

I was just petting Kyle as usual—what was there to be embarrassed about?

Anyway, since the infirmary was now my sole responsibility, I couldn’t spend all day cuddling with Kyle. I got dressed, filled Kyle’s bowl with cat food, and headed to the infirmary.

“Kyle, I’ll be back later. Eat your food and play while I’m gone.”

Kyle didn’t respond this time either. I shrugged my shoulders.

‘Must be going through puberty again.’

Growing rapidly day by day, it made sense he’d experience puberty too.

Despite my hard work healing yesterday, the line stretched endlessly before I even arrived, probably because rumors had spread that the Holy Maiden had finally started healing.

When I entered the infirmary, the young priest who had been my only ally before was standing there.

“Hello, Holy Maiden!”

“Oh? Why are you here?”

“I thought it might be difficult for you to run the infirmary alone, so I came to help.”

“While I appreciate the sentiment…”

I worried that the young priest might be marked for helping me, making his life at the temple difficult. This concern made me hesitant to accept his kindness.

Seeing me hesitate, the young priest smiled more maturely than I and said, “Actually, I’m returning home next month. So you don’t need to worry about me.”

“Home?”

“Yes. It seems my older brother passed away, and suddenly there’s no heir.”

“That’s…”

Going home seemed like a good thing, but I couldn’t congratulate him when his brother had died. As I stumbled over my words again, he spoke with adult-like composure:

“So I want to help the Holy Maiden until the end and seek God’s guidance. Would that be all right?”

“Of course! I’m extremely grateful.”

When I bowed my head, he let out a clear laugh. After briefly wondering what I could offer this young priest who had readily come to help me, I placed my hand on his forehead.

“May God bless your path ahead.”

After hesitating, I added, “And may those who envy you have a change of heart.”

The young priest bowed his head in gratitude for my blessing. Then, with bright clear eyes, he asked:

“But why did you bless those who envy me? I have nothing. Even the home I’m returning to is a humble, insignificant household.”

“Because you’re doing what’s right. In this world, there are plenty of people who envy those who live righteously.”

I smiled gently and changed the subject.

“Now, shall we begin today’s work?”