“What’s going on, Rosie?”

Eloise, who had been preparing meals for the people heading out to help with the recovery, came up to the first floor at the commotion.

“O-outside! Horses! Sheep! C-cows too!”

“Calm down, Rosie. What did you see?”

Rosie wasn’t usually so excitable. Yet she came running, out of breath, making such a fuss.

Horses? Sheep? Cows?

At those words, Eloise let out a sigh. Just as the fields had been swept away, many livestock had been carried off by the flood. The price of animals had skyrocketed.

People returning from Camborne had said that the Keynes’ shop, already struggling, had finally closed its doors because of it.

And now, horses and sheep?

She wondered if the child was seeing things, but soon the sound of animals could be heard from outside.

“What is that sound?”

Everyone in the house, puzzled, came out to the entrance. They hadn’t misheard. Judging by the noise, there were more than just a few animals.

Everyone went outside, curious about the source of the sound.

Those who stepped outside soon stopped in their tracks, jaws dropping. Several wagons were approaching Blissbury.

“There must be more than twenty… I’ve never seen so many wagons moving at once, except when I went to the capital.”

Julia, who had followed, stared in disbelief at the incoming wagons.

Most of them were freight wagons, and each was loaded with livestock.

At the front of the procession was a passenger carriage, which quickly came to a stop in front of Blissbury.

“Whose carriage is that? It looks huge and expensive.”

Julia asked, puzzled. But no one could answer. The carriage that stopped was large and ornate—something rarely seen even in Camborne.

The carriage door opened, and a well-dressed middle-aged man stepped out. At a glance, he was someone well-versed in etiquette and of considerable status. But no one had ever seen him in Camborne.

The man approached the crowd and asked,

“Is this Blissbury, where the residents of Feltham are staying?”

“Yes, it is… May I ask where you’ve come from?”

Eloise replied politely, and the man removed his hat and bowed slightly.

“My name is Mark Russell, from the Royal Supply Agency.”

“The Supply Agency?”

Eloise recognized the institution. It was under the royal family’s jurisdiction, but in truth, it belonged more to the military.

It had been created to ensure the smooth supply of military goods during the prolonged war.

But with the war now over, she’d read articles suggesting the agency would soon be dissolved.

So why had someone from the Supply Agency suddenly appeared in Blissbury, and with so many animals?

“Yes. By order of His Majesty the King, our agency has been commanded to provide emergency aid to the areas affected by the Great Forbunt Flood. First, to ensure stability for the residents here, we are delivering food and livestock sent by the royal family. Tomorrow, a team of engineers from the agency will arrive in Camborne.”

“Engineers? Is that true?”

People standing behind jumped in surprise at the mention of engineers.

The engineering corps specialized in building roads and bridges for the military. They were exactly what was needed to restore a village buried in mud.

“God be praised! Protect Her Majesty the Queen!”

At the mention of the engineers, some from Feltham fell to their knees, praying. Some were already weeping with joy.

“Chickens!”

“There are so many sheep! They look just like the ones we used to have!”

Children ran to the wagons full of animals, stamping their feet in excitement. Even Mrs. Parker hurried over, counting the hens as if she’d finally been saved.

Just then, Ryan stepped out onto the porch. Mark Russell greeted him with even greater formality.

“Are you Sergeant Thornton?”

At his greeting, Ryan’s expression stiffened for a moment, though no one seemed to notice.

“I’ve heard you’re looking after the people of Feltham. If you don’t mind, I’d like to discuss the distribution of the first round of royal aid.”

“With deepest gratitude and respect to His Majesty the King. Please, come inside.”

At Russell’s words, Ryan gave a military salute and led him in.

After the two went inside, Eloise and the others began examining the supplies brought by the agency.

“There’s so much flour!”

“There’s milk and butter too! And plenty of sausages and vegetables!”

“There’s bedding as well! Just in time, since it’s getting chilly and we needed to change the children’s blankets…”

The wagons were packed with clothes, shoes, shovels, pickaxes—everything the people needed most right now.

The villagers, unloading the supplies with the drivers, could barely contain their joy and asked Eloise,

“How did this happen? Isn’t this kind of help only given in lands owned by lords with close royal connections? Did Baron Stanford request this?”

“I don’t think so… I really don’t know how this happened…”

Eloise was just as baffled, but hurried to gather clothes for the children.

With the autumn wind blowing, several children had already caught colds wearing only thin clothes.

The aid included thick shirts and pants in all sizes—enough to last through winter without worry.

Then someone in the village said,

“Could Sergeant Thornton or the other gentlemen have helped?”

“Oh, surely not.”

At that, Eloise shook her head with a laugh.

A sergeant might be highly respected in a rural village, but in the capital, it was a common rank.

And for the king to grant a sergeant’s request? Unthinkable.

“Then how did we get such an incredible amount of aid so quickly?”

“Who knows.”

Eloise glanced toward the study.

“Who knows. Maybe one of us did something worthy of a royal reward.”

Her joke made the others laugh. It was truly a ridiculous idea.

Inside the study, Russell closed the door and, now with military precision, saluted Ryan.

“It’s been a while, Colonel Wilgrave.”

“The same to you, Sergeant Mark Russell. I didn’t expect you to come in person… And what’s all this? It’s several times what I asked for. And engineers too?”

At Ryan’s words, Russell smiled warmly.

“The Duke of Kent would have loved to see your face right now. He always complains that you’re never impressed, no matter what he does for you. If he saw you so moved today, he’d be very proud.”

Russell was genuinely surprised.

He was one of the people who knew Ryan well, often meeting him as the Duke of Kent’s aide.

He also knew how indifferent Ryan had always been to the Duke’s gifts.

Ryan had even refused land that would let him live as a noble, saying he wasn’t up for managing it.

Compared to what the Duke had once tried to give him, today’s livestock and supplies were nothing.

And yet, Ryan was so moved.

“The engineers aren’t soldiers who served directly in the war, so no one will recognize your face. I checked again, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you.”

“Some of the supplies also come from the Cameron family.”

“From Cameron?”

“Yes. The viscount was deeply moved to hear that his son had fulfilled his duty as a soldier and saved people.”

“…Isn’t he just glad Richard hasn’t gotten into trouble with women?”

“That might be part of it.”

They both laughed, thinking of Richard, who was absent.

Outside, the joyful voices of the people could be heard. Ryan looked out the window with a satisfied expression.

He saw Eloise, holding the children’s hands, overflowing with happiness.

Watching her smile, he felt more fulfilled than ever before.