The journey to Fojetta had been more comfortable than expected.

The identity badge bestowed by His Majesty played a significant role. Just displaying it with a slight gesture earned us exceptional treatment. Merchants were eager to add extra items, and nobles insisted on sending their attendants, questioning why we had only two escorts.

The coachman seemed genuinely touched, remarking that it was the most comfortable journey he had ever experienced, and even Jayden was bouncing around with excitement.

On the seventh day, I opened the small window on the carriage door to feel the salty breeze when Jayden, riding alongside on his horse, suddenly spoke up.

“The Duke really had nothing to worry about.”

“What would he worry about?”

“Obviously, about you, my lady.”

I shifted my gaze from the distant scenery and adjusted my posture. Trying to appear disinterested, I asked him why, while he hummed a tune.

“…Why?”

Jayden raised an eyebrow slightly, as if he were questioning the oddity of my question.

“Because he’s your husband. And you two just got married.”

It was difficult to understand.

The person who supposedly worried hadn’t even bothered to send any additional escorts besides Jayden. Not that it mattered—I would have firmly refused them since it would interfere with my plans.

“…What did he say?”

The question slipped out, even though I hadn’t intended to ask. Why couldn’t magic cure a broken pride? I even wondered if I had ever possessed any pride in front of Leopold.

“Well, for example, even if you surround yourself with magic, it’s hard to withstand physical shocks, so take well-paved roads even if it means going a bit out of your way. Prepare fruit with meals in case the food doesn’t suit your taste. At night, make sure to hire at least three guards to stand at the door… What else was there? I wrote everything down in my notebook. Should I read it all to you?”

“No, no.”

I waved my hand in embarrassment at the detailed instructions. They weren’t particularly special—just the kind of advice one might give a friend going on a trip.

Yet, they felt special to me because my threshold for my husband’s thoughtfulness was so low. It was like how a small piece of apple could taste incredibly sweet to a child who had never experienced sweetness before.

“My lady! I can see the sea over there. We must be almost there!”

Jayden exclaimed loudly. At his words, I craned my neck and followed his pointing finger with my gaze.

Fojetta was larger than the term “village” suggested. Houses clustered in groups of four or five dotted the winding coastline, with fields filling the spaces in between. It seemed the pirates had targeted those lush crops.

As we reached the village entrance, I spotted a small elderly woman and a middle-aged woman supporting her.

When I stepped out of the carriage, they greeted me politely.

“We’ve been expecting you. You’re the healer from the capital, aren’t you?”

The elderly woman, with her back hunched, kept her hands neatly together as she spoke with continued politeness.

“Hello. Did you know I was coming?”

Puzzled by their familiarity, I asked, and the old woman smiled gently.

“Yes. Thanks to His Majesty’s grace, even a small village like ours has received such a blessing. I am the village chief.”

The woman beside her cheerfully introduced herself.

“Hello. I’m the chief’s daughter, Julia, and I help manage the village.”

“I’m Hazel. But when you say His Majesty’s grace, what do you mean?”

Julia explained excitedly, her face glowing with enthusiasm.

“Three days ago, some knights arrived and repaired all the houses damaged by the pirate attack. They’ve also gathered the injured so they can receive treatment as soon as you arrive.”

The village chief added joyfully, “Moreover, they’ve promised to place our village under a noble’s protection, ensuring our safety in the future.”

Surprised by this unexpected news, I looked up at Jayden. He shrugged his shoulders, pretending ignorance, and avoided my gaze. Sensing something was off, I grabbed Jayden’s arm and asked urgently, “You knew about this?”

Jayden hesitated, still looking away. “Well… it was the Duke’s orders.”

Why did that title suddenly come up? My confusion deepened. “The Duke? You mean Leopold?”

“Yes. Remember when you had dinner with the Duchess? All the knights were summoned. I think even Lanette came here.”

Hearing the name of a key figure in the knight order, my confusion quickly morphed into a sense of betrayal. How could there not have been a single word about this during the journey? I had thought he was the only family I could trust and rely on.

Moreover, it was absurd to learn they had arrived three days ago. Even for knights with exceptional stamina, that would have required riding non-stop without eating or sleeping.

Barely holding back a sigh, I asked calmly, “So, does this mean Fojetta now belongs to the Lawrence family? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“He said to keep it quiet if we didn’t want to die. It seems the Duke enjoys teasing people.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at such a typical Leopold threat. At the same time, I felt strangely touched. It seemed all of this had been done with me in mind—the instructions given to Jayden, the presence of the knights.

However, it was more reasonable to view it as an order from His Majesty. I had realized many times, even after returning to the past, that there was no goodwill directed at me.

I must never forget the man who said he couldn’t annul the marriage for the sake of appearances and didn’t even see off his wife on a long journey.

Steadying my emotions, I politely addressed the mother and daughter who were watching our conversation with interest. “Sorry, I was a bit surprised by some information I didn’t know. Where are the injured people now? It’s best to start treatment first.”

Julia answered eagerly, “We’ve gathered them in the temporary tents over there. By the way, in the far-left tent, there are a few who broke away from the pirate group. We captured them to exchange for the villagers they kidnapped, but they’re tied up, so they’re not dangerous. They’re already injured, too.”

“Got it. Let’s tend to the urgent cases first.”

Leaving the unpacking to Jayden, I followed the village chief and Julia to the tents.

Inside was a scene of complete chaos, far worse than I had expected.

Patients lay on thin mats on both sides, spaced only a hand’s width apart, and everyone was in serious condition. There were people with blood-soaked bandages, others with abdominal wounds, and some with broken legs.

Cries and groans of pain erupted from everywhere, and clumps of blood mixed with dirt rolled across the floor.

In the midst of this horrific scene, which I had never witnessed before, I froze momentarily until a familiar face came running from inside, shouting, “My lady! You’ve finally arrived!”

Thankfully, I snapped back to reality.

“Sir Lanette. We don’t have time for greetings; let’s change all the bandages first. I’ll handle the treatment in rotation.”

Even the time to acknowledge the greetings of the welcoming knights felt too precious. Sensing the urgency in my tone, they began to move swiftly and efficiently.

Magical healing was mentally exhausting.

Physically repairing wounds, stopping bleeding, or setting twisted bones was relatively straightforward.

The challenge lay in the memories of the injury that accompanied the healing process, forcing me to witness horrific situations.

In my case, the stronger the magic, the more vivid the memories became. I experienced the brutality of arrows piercing organs, the fear of blades cutting flesh, and the savagery of being crushed by merciless maces.

Despite my training at the academy to act unfazed by such memories, maintaining composure was no easy task.

By dawn, after enduring scenes that felt as if I had experienced them myself, the emotion that lingered was not relief but anger.

In the memories I witnessed, the pirates harmed people purely for amusement—truly, just for fun.

Innocent villagers suffered without reason, and some had died, while many more would have perished if I hadn’t arrived.

And… I still had the tent with the pirates left to deal with.

‘Hazel. Remember. You are a healer. You must not turn away from those in pain. Even if they are criminals, never forget your duty as a healer. Judging the weight of their sins is not your responsibility.’

Should I treat them as my mentor had taught? Her stern voice echoed in my fevered mind.

Despite my hesitation, my feet began to move on their own, naturally and inevitably.

“Are you really going to treat those bastards?”

Jayden, who had joined as an assistant later, voiced the complaint that mirrored my inner thoughts.

“They deserve to be torn apart. My lady, or rather, sister, if you just turn a blind eye, I’ll take care of it.”

He had once made a fuss about how I dared to use the term “sister.” Watching the agitated Jayden actually helped cool my head, and I replied calmly.

“Didn’t you hear we need them for an exchange? There are more villagers captured on their side, so hold off.”

“Why bother exchanging? We have enough knights here. We could just sweep them away.”

“And if they get cornered and threaten to kill the hostages? Can you guarantee that no one will get hurt?”

Jayden, who had been passionately arguing, fell silent and sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair.

“…I feel the same way as you. Calm down.”

Covered in sweat and blood from tending to patients, he eventually led the way with a reluctant expression.