“Isolate the patient!”

“Take those with full-blown symptoms to the temple, and examine the others before moving them!”

Zenya, a village of around 200 people, was about half a day’s carriage ride from their estate. Most of the village consisted of fields, and most of the inhabitants were farmers. Due to its small size and lack of any notable specialities, it was not particularly well known.

A village most people had never heard of… Zenya suddenly became incredibly famous during Elliope’s time as Grand Duchess. This was because it had once been the source of a disease that had plunged the entire Grand Duchy of Ilmos into chaos.

“Stand in that line. The spots have spread quite far.”

“Ah… Does that mean I’m going to die like Uncle Tommy?”

“We’re doing this to prevent that, so please try to stay calm!”

The disease first appeared as small spots on the body. 

As time went on, these spots would quickly grow into dark, festering blotches that would eventually lead to the death of the victim. 

Known as the Blotching Disease, it was so deadly that it wiped out a quarter of the Grand Duchy’s population. While the Imperial Family secretly welcomed the Grand Duchy’s weakened state, neighbouring nations such as Seor seized the opportunity to invade various parts of its territory.

That the Grand Duchy had not collapsed despite such devastating losses, and that Theodor had managed to retain his position as Grand Duke, was nothing short of extraordinary. 

“There was no need for Your Grace to come all this way, but…” 

It was because of this man – who had endured countless battles until a cure and an ointment were discovered – that the Grand Duchy still stood. 

“…I am still Kallian’s wife, after all.”

Standing beside Kallian, Elliope observed the situation unfolding in Zenya. The moment she heard Dylan’s words, she had quickly taken Kallian’s hand and rushed to Zenya.

‘I didn’t know Zenya was in Elsen.’

In her past life, the name of the village had been famous, but its exact location had been unclear. She had only heard that it was a small village tucked away in a remote corner of the Grand Duchy – who would have thought it was in Elsen territory?

At least she was lucky to have known in advance that the epidemic would break out.

‘…Even then it would have been a disaster if it hadn’t been for him.’

At the very moment Theodor succumbed in the midst of his duties, Kallian was on the battlefield, fending off foreign forces that were preying on the weakened Grand Duchy, already ravaged by the Blotting Disease. 

Even as he rushed back to pay his respects to his fallen lord, countless soldiers perished in his absence.

Elliope suddenly remembered the moment Kallian entered the funeral hall. 

A man exuding an overwhelming chill, the lingering scent of death clinging to his very being.

Once, even her own body carried the scent of death. So she paid no attention to the aura that surrounded Kallian. She feared nothing; she had no worries. 

‘For truly, I feared nothing.’ 

She trusted herself completely to him. 

The memory of that time now stirred a strange feeling in her – what had once seemed sinful in every way now felt completely natural. 

‘Just like last night.’ 

The thought of being consumed once again by the happiness Kallian had brought her, like a small boat helplessly tossed about in a raging storm, made her heart flutter and tingle.

“Drink this.”

At that moment Kallian held out a cup to Elliope. It was filled with warm chocolate – chocolate that was unbearably sweet. Then Kallian spoke, his tone alternating between grumbling and genuine concern.

“This morning, you could have stayed at the manor and eaten.”

“I’m really fine.”

“This place is full of disease.”

“And yet, you my lord, came down knowing this.”

“Because I bear the responsibility…”

“I also bear responsibility.”

“……”

“…Because, as man and wife, we are bound by destiny.”

When she whispered in a small, almost furtive voice, Kallian did not respond. Instead, he fixed his eyes intently on Elliope. It was as if he could see exactly what her eyes were longing for. Feeling the warmth rise to her cheeks, Elliope pressed a hand to her flushed face and quickly looked away. 

“By the way…” 

She glanced at the knights and priests who were busy keeping order. 

“Wasn’t it a bit… no, way too early for the outbreak?” 

Originally, the disease had only appeared in the last years of Elliope’s life as Grand Duchess. 

Worse, when it first appeared, the Grand Duke’s condition had been unstable, making the crisis even worse. 

But now it had broken out several years before it was supposed to.

“…perhaps it’s better that it was discovered so soon.” 

At least, as in her past life, it was fortunate that the outbreak had not occurred while the Grand Duke was consumed by battle and unable to react. 

Besides, Elliope already knew the proper cure and treatment. 

The people would survive and Elsen would not suffer devastating losses. 

Since Kallian was responsible for Elsen, she hoped it would remain strong. 

Just then a priest approached and spoke to Elliope.

“As you said, everyone has been isolated, madam.” 

“Good. I’ll leave the rest to the priests. Now all we have to do is find the cure.” 

“Still, it’s fortunate that you know so much about the disease, madam. How do you know so much?” 

The cure was none other than the common moonlight herb – a discovery the priests had once risked their lives to uncover in her past life, while Kallian fought to buy them time. 

Still, she couldn’t reveal it yet.

Spotted Disease was first discovered in the Empire, and knowing the cure too soon could arouse suspicion. People might question how you could have such knowledge, leading to unnecessary doubt and scrutiny. 

Indeed, when Elliope once shared what she had learned from studying the Grand Duke, the attendant had reacted with scepticism. 

“How can you know something that hasn’t even been taught?” 

“I looked it up myself.” 

“Is that even possible?” 

She quickly became an object of suspicion. Some believed that, as an envoy of the Imperial Family, she might be trying to steal information about the Grand Duke.

So this time Elliope offered a different explanation. 

“…When I was in the capital, I worked as a maid in the Imperial Pharmacy.” 

It was a hastily concocted lie, but people believed her. More importantly, Kallian did not question her words. Instead, he simply observed her actions and offered his help. 

“What must we do to find the cure?” 

She was deeply grateful for his help. As she gave instructions at Kallian’s side, she couldn’t help but feel that in some ways she was fulfilling the duties of a Grand Duchess far more than she ever had in her previous life. 

“Are there any herbalists nearby?” 

“Ah, there are a few in the village. We’ll find them.” 

“No, I think I’ll go myself.” 

“Madam… Are you serious?”

She refrained from giving specific instructions as to which herbs to look for, so as not to arouse unnecessary suspicion. It seemed safer to meet the herbalist herself and make it look as if she had stumbled upon the moonlight herb. 

“But if that’s the case, we can do the search instead…” 

“I want to do it myself.” 

At her words, she noticed a flicker of admiration in the eyes of those around her. They seemed to see her as a noble and capable lady of the manor – a sight that made her feel a pang of guilt. 

If she wanted to be seen as a good person, it wasn’t for these people, but…

“Madam.”
Kallian held out his hand. The knights and priests, accustomed to noble men fiercely guarding their dignity, were visibly surprised by the gesture. 

It reminded them of their visit to the Viscount’s estate before the night market – when Kallian had shown no concern for how he might appear, even if it meant appearing henpecked. 

Elliope hesitated for a moment before gently taking his hand. 

“You can go this way.”

When the priest blinked in surprise, he quickly drew a map and handed it to them, marking the locations of the herbalists. 

As they walked Kallian commented on the cold and without hesitation took off his cloak. He wrapped it around Elliope before taking her hand in his. 

Huhhh. Zenya was a place where the wind blew fiercely. Compared to the lively bustle of the night market, the quiet countryside carried a sombre weight. 

The wind rushed across the vast fields, ruffling Kallian’s fringe as it passed.

A scene unfolded before them that made it seem as if they were the only two left in the vast, open field. 

As the wind grew colder, Kallian took Elliope’s whole hand in his, holding it tightly with the palms facing outwards, wrapping her fingers in his warmth. Feeling the heat seep into her skin, Elliope instinctively curled her fingers. Kallian turned to her, his gaze steady as he gently tightened the threads of the cloak around her shoulders. 

‘So it is.’ 

The feeling that they had been a couple bound by love from the beginning only grew stronger. 

‘I wish it had been so.’ 

The more time she spent with him, the more she realised what a good husband Kallian really was. Regardless of how their marriage had begun, she found herself growing fonder of him. 

In fact, she regretted that their union had begun under the weight of others’ disapproval.

Her nose turning red from the cold, Elliope dug deeper into the warmth of her cloak. They walked in silence for a while until a small hut came into view. Thin wisps of smoke drifted faintly from the chimney of the weathered house. 

“Is anyone there?” 

Elliope cleared her throat and called out. A pang of worry settled in her chest. 

‘The moonlight herb doesn’t grow this time of year, does it?’ 

It usually bloomed in summer, which meant they would have to wait for the right time to harvest it – an inevitable delay in the treatment. 

In their previous lives, Kallian’s army had managed to repel foreign invasions, but they couldn’t stop the spread of the disease while they waited for the herb to grow. Far too many lives had been lost as a result.

As the door creaked open, Elliope let out a small sigh of relief. Through the slightly ajar, weathered door she caught a glimpse of the earthen walls inside. 

Hanging from those walls were bundles of moonlight herb. 

Her breath caught. There was enough – more than enough – to make medicine for all the patients. 

“……” 

Elliope lowered her eyes slowly. 

A thin man, slightly shorter than her, stood in the doorway. His eyes darted from her to Kallian and back again. 

“Who are you?” 

His gaze sharpened, glowing with a strange intensity as he studied her closely.

“Hmmm… we are interested in this moon herb…”

Elliope was about to offer him a fair price and ask him to sell them all, when suddenly…

“Hiiiii!”

The man screamed, as if he had suddenly had a fit, and slammed the door.