Chapter 11

The next day, Evelyn called Rykal, who was about to go care for his grandmother.

“You called for me, Lady Evelyn?”

Evelyn folded the newspaper she had been reading and looked at him. 

“I have something to tell you, Rykal.”

“Yes.” 

“The truth is, your grandmother’s fever went up quite high yesterday.” 

Rykal’s expression hardened. 

“How high…?” 

“Up to 40 degrees.” 

Despite Evelyn’s calm tone, Rykal couldn’t hide his shock. 

“What… why are you telling me this now…?” 

“You were already distressed from being scolded by Dyffrin yesterday. I didn’t want to add more burden to you. But ultimately, your grandmother’s fever went down completely.”

Evelyn continued calmly. 

“When I was young and got a cold, my grandmother would use a folk remedy. I didn’t expect it to work so well. Her fever almost completely subsided within an hour.”

“How is that possible…?” 

“I made soup with Catton herbs and gave it to her. Just like my grandmother used to do for me when I was little. My grandmother had extensive knowledge of herbs.”

Evelyn emphasized that it was her grandmother’s knowledge. 

If she claimed she had found the method to lower the fever with Catton leaves herself, it would certainly raise suspicion.

She had planned to pretend not to know that the cure for this plague was Catton leaves, but seeing Rykal’s grandmother yesterday made her think a lot. 

There must be others whose lives were threatened by the plague, just like Rykal’s grandmother… 

She couldn’t keep pretending not to know any longer. 

So, even if she didn’t directly develop the cure herself, she decided to give a hint about the cure to someone who could do the work.

“Catton…? Isn’t that a common wild herb?”

“Yes, that’s why I was able to go to the nearest hill and pick some right away yesterday.” 

Rykal had a distant look on his face. 

“…Did you do it yourself, Lady Evelyn?” 

“Yes, I was the only one who visited the mansion yesterday.” 

“Haah.” 

Rykal exhaled deeply, perhaps feeling guilty for having her do such a rough task.

“It’s fine. It was nice to have a hike after so long.”

“Still…”

“Enough about that. We both got scolded enough by Dyffrin yesterday.”

When Evelyn replied with a light laugh, Rykal’s lips moved slightly before he finally spoke on another topic.

“Was feeding her Catton leaves really all you did…?”

Rykal seemed to have a hard time believing that ordinary Catton leaves could have brought down the high fever. 

But it didn’t matter whether he believed it or not. 

After all, the doctor would be called today to check on the grandmother’s condition, and she would be declared cured, so they would have to acknowledge the effect of the Catton leaves.

“Yes, that’s right. Still, it’s good to get a professional opinion, so make sure to call the family doctor today to check on your grandmother’s condition.”

Rykal nodded with a troubled expression. 

“I understand.”

* * *

Late in the evening, when Rykal’s excited voice echoed through the hall, Evelyn realized that her prediction was correct. 

“Lord Dyffrin, this is an incredible discovery…!” 

Dyffrin, who had returned home with him, nodded. 

“This might be the key to ending the plague.”

As Rykal conversed with Dyffrin, he immediately approached Evelyn, who was sitting in the hall.

“Lady Evelyn!” 

Evelyn, who had been working on her hydrangea embroidery, put down her needle at the sound of her name being called.

Rykal, whose complexion had been dark lately, was now radiant. His flushed face made him look like a child.

“Grandmother’s condition has almost completely returned to normal!”

‘I already know that, you rascal.’

Evelyn suppressed a smile inwardly and put on a look of feigned ignorance.

“Really?”

“Yes! The family doctor examined my grandmother today and said her fever is completely gone, and most of the other symptoms have disappeared as well.” 

Evelyn finally smiled brightly. 

“Oh, that’s wonderful!”

“Thank you, Lady Evelyn.”

Evelyn didn’t know Rykal could have such an expression. He had blown away all his worries with a brilliant smile.

At that moment, Dyffrin approached.

“Evelyn.”

Evelyn looked up at him. 

“You fed Catton leaves to Rykal’s grandmother, didn’t you?”

“Yes, normally it doesn’t have such a dramatic effect, but I guess we were lucky.” 

Dyffrin shook his head. 

“No, just to be sure, we gave it to other plague patients, and it had the same effect. This discovery might actually help us quell the plague.” 

Evelyn sighed with relief inwardly. 

She had set the table for them, but she had worried they might dismiss it as a coincidence. 

“We’ll observe the reactions a bit more and then start working on a cure.”

“That’s really great.” 

Evelyn clasped her hands together, pretending to be moved. Rykal spoke. 

“It’s all thanks to you, Lady Evelyn.”

“It’s not thanks to me; it was just good luck.” 

“No. Who else would have thought to use Catton leaves to reduce a fever? Isn’t that right, Lord Dyffrin?” 

Rykal turned to Dyffrin, but Evelyn didn’t expect much. 

‘There’s no way Dyffrin would praise me…’ 

“Well…” 

Dyffrin hesitated before continuing. 

“If the plague is resolved early, it might be thanks to you.” 

‘What’s this?’ 

Evelyn, surprised, quickly brightened her eyes. 

“Really?” 

“…Don’t make me say it twice.”

The way he averted his gaze gave Evelyn a sense of glee.

Whenever she saw Dyffrin’s bashful side, she felt a childlike urge to tease him. 

Evelyn’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Dyffrin before suddenly hugging him. 

“What are you doing…!”

His flustered attempt to push her away betrayed his true emotions. Glancing up, Evelyn could see his eyes narrowed.

Evelyn, with a hint of laughter, said, 

“You just looked so adorable all of a sudden.”

For a moment, Dyffrin froze, halting his attempt to push her away. His body seemed to stiffen.

“Ahem.”

At that moment, Rykal’s voice, reminding them of his presence, came from the side.

Evelyn decided it was time to stop the teasing and moved away from Dyffrin.

So she didn’t notice the faint flush creeping up Dyffrin’s neck.

* * *

A few days later, there was an article in the newspaper about the development of a cure for the plague. 

Of course, the credit for developing the cure went to Dyffrin. 

Since he was the one who had actively pushed forward the work.

Well, it’s not like Evelyn was particularly eager to receive recognition, so she folded the newspaper without any regrets.

She was simply relieved that the plague would subside quickly.

‘The second hurdle has been overcome.’

In the process, she had become unexpectedly close to Rykal. 

No, rather than just close, Rykal had now become completely on her side. 

He would even subtly side with her during her little arguments with Dyffrin. 

‘He was a reliable ally…’ 

Now that his grandmother’s plague had been completely cured, Rykal had returned to his own home, which Evelyn found a bit disappointing.

As Evelyn finished her lunch and refreshed herself with cool water, the head maid, Merrilyn, approached her and spoke. 

“My Lady, a letter has arrived saying there are new fabrics in the dress shop. Would you like to go take a look?”

Evelyn pondered for a moment.

‘Hmm…’

Evelyn didn’t have many occasions to meet people these days, so she hadn’t ordered a new dress. But it wouldn’t be bad to go check out the dress shop, just for fun. 

“Alright, let’s go in the afternoon.”

“Yes, I will prepare your outdoor attire.” 

Merrilyn bowed respectfully and disappeared upstairs.

Evelyn spent some time in her bedroom before preparing to go out in the afternoon. 

The weather was a bit cloudy, but since most of the journey would be by carriage, it didn’t matter much. 

Still, Merrilyn, being cautious, had packed an umbrella just in case.

The carriage carrying Evelyn and Merrilyn set off towards the town. It would take about 20 minutes to get there. 

Evelyn settled into the bumpy carriage, gazing out the window. The sky seemed to grow darker, making it look like it was going to rain. 

‘Good thing we brought the umbrella.’ 

As Evelyn pondered various things, she suddenly coughed. 

“Cough, cough.” 

Merrilyn, her eyes wide, hurriedly handed her a handkerchief.

“Are you alright, My Lady?” 

“Yeah… I think I’m catching a cold.”

Evelyn had been coughing frequently lately. She wondered if it was a lingering effect of the plague but knew it couldn’t be. She hadn’t come into contact with any patients or been bitten by any bloodsuckers. Besides, the cure had already been developed. 

So, she assumed the coughing was just from a common cold. 

Still, it was puzzling why she, who mostly stayed indoors, would catch a cold.

At that moment, Evelyn noticed Merrilyn’s worried expression. Momentarily concerned about her health, Evelyn quickly shifted her thoughts and smiled inwardly. 

‘I really picked the right head maid.’ 

Merrilyn had been excellent in her role as head maid. 

Not only did she meticulously manage the household accounts, but she also had a commendable attitude. 

She was polite and respectful to Evelyn and strict with the other maids. 

Given that some maids had a history of skimming from the household funds, it seemed she was determined to manage things carefully. 

The other maids, whose wages had been increased, didn’t resent Merrilyn’s strictness. 

With the saved household funds, the house was repaired, and old items were replaced, making it look clean and well-maintained. 

Thanks to Merrilyn’s efficiency, Evelyn’s life had become more comfortable.

 A flawless household would be crucial in defending against future challenges.

“We seem to have arrived, my lady.”

As the carriage stopped, Evelyn’s thoughts were interrupted. 

As she stepped out of the carriage, a cold raindrop fell on her head. 

It seemed it was starting to rain. 

‘I’d better get inside quickly.’

As Evelyn opened the door to the dress shop, a small bell chimed. There were already a few people waiting, having come to hear news about new fabrics.

The people glanced at Evelyn.

As the daughter of an impoverished baron who had married the Duke Apparent of Liwonoc, Evelyn had become the empire’s Cinderella, so most people likely recognized her.

She tried to ignore the stares and sat down in a corner. Fortunately, the attention soon dispersed.

Instead, she could hear whispering voices.

“Did you hear about’ Lord Fenris?” 

‘Fenris…?’ 

Evelyn couldn’t help but perk up her ears at the mention of Fenris. 

“Lord Fenris? Do you mean the Second Prince?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Evelyn had a conflicted expression.

‘So it’s really about that Fenris…’

Fenris was the Second Prince, a central figure of attention, and the second male lead in this novel.