Chapter 132

Nora the cleric clicked his tongue at me as if pitying me and left the barracks.

‘You’re dead.’

The orders I gave are the most basic elements for all diseases and epidemics.

Cleanliness and isolation may seem trivial, but they’re easy and simple measures that can prevent and delay disease. Of course, they won’t have a huge effect on patients already severely infected, but they’re far better than leaving someone in a place swarming with bacteria.

Anyway, once things improve I’ll give that brat a harsh punishment for his rudeness. Given the circumstances I let it slide, and now he seems to think he can do whatever he wants.

“I’ll watch whether he’s Nora or Noh and see what mischief he gets up to.”

I grumbled as I wrote the clinic’s shift schedule. I’m the one who most wants to get out of here.

I’m pretty sure my goal was just to work at a company, save money, and FIRE…

‘This is all because of that Crown Prince bastard.’

I exposed some corruption, and he even resorted to poison and had a fit, so I couldn’t just stand by. I stopped writing and stood up. Thinking of him reminded me of something important.

“Prince Raven. I am Chancellor Cornelia.”

“Come in.”

The place I went to was Prince Raven’s barracks. Nicola greeted me warmly. Judging by the mud and dust on both of them, it looked like they’d come to help with the work.

There was no trace of displeasure on the prince’s face.

“You’re doing better than I expected. It’s surprising.”

Raven said as he wiped his face and hands with the towel Nicola had handed him.

“What’s hard about wiping things down and moving stuff around? It’s the sick citizens of the empire who are suffering.”

‘Oh….’

It was an unexpected side of him. For a plan I had only vaguely imagined, Prince Raven might really be the right person.

Changing the empire’s successor required a fitting character.

“You’ve worked hard too. If there’s anything I can help with, say so freely. To be honest, I’d rather be here than at the palace.”

Tears suddenly clouded my vision.

“Ah… that’s understandable. I’m glad you’re doing well. Still, be sure to be careful not to get infected.”

“Don’t worry. I’m strictly following the precautions the Chancellor told me.”

I began to bring up the purpose of my visit to the barracks.

“It will take time to develop a treatment. No one knows if it will be today or a month from now. So we need food and medicine to hold out until then. His Highness the Crown Prince drastically cut the amount I initially requested. So I’m asking that the Crown Prince himself intervene.”

Raven pointed to himself with a bewildered expression.

“…Me? Are you really referring to me?”

I replied with a bright smile.

“How could I…? You can’t do it either. Why not try asking the surrounding nobles for support?”

“No. Not the nobles—please petition your father, the Emperor, directly.”

“What?!”

I explained why that had to be done.

“If a royal comes down and then reaches out to other nobles, His Highness the Crown Prince will say that the royal family’s honor was diminished. Explain the situation here properly and request support from His Majesty legally and with dignity. It’s not difficult.”

Raven suddenly grew anxious.

“He probably won’t, he won’t listen. My brother told Father before and he refused firmly…”

Wow, the Crown Prince must be busy. There’s nowhere he isn’t involved.

“Some time has passed. Convey it yourself, not through someone else. If you emphasize the royal family’s honor, he’ll surely listen. This is something only you, the prince, can do.”

It’s okay if you fail. Lives matter more than royal honor; we can just take from other nobles.

But I wanted Raven to at least play the minimal role to step out from being a puppet royal.

“Just try it. You know? You said you wouldn’t run away anymore.”

He looked utterly unsure, but this was an area he had to fight in. I asked Nicola to take good care of things, then returned to my barracks.

‘You must be able to believe in yourself, Your Highness the Prince.’

After that, there were no moments to spare as I managed the plague areas again. Ten bodies wouldn’t have been enough. Sleep also became a luxury. It was a hard time for everyone.

‘It shouldn’t drag on….’

A plate with thin soup and a hard piece of bread slid across onto the desk.

“I thought wrong.”

I looked up through my mussed hair and found Aidan standing there with a very displeased expression.

“…Yes?”

“I said I thought wrong.”

“Did something happen outside?”

As I tried to stand, dizziness hit and I staggered. Aidan grabbed me urgently and sat me back down.

“Do you know how many days this has been now?”

“So… about a week or so?”

I had only answered his question, but he let out a deep sigh.

“At first I thought Coco looked amazing when she planned and gave orders.”

“Th…thank you?”

I was tired, but praise is praise and always welcome. Yet Aidan shook his head.

“I didn’t expect you’d stay up nights like this without taking care of yourself!”

I was a bit dazed, so I registered his tone a beat late. He looked as if he’d been cheated.

“Ah, ah. It can’t be helped. I’m in charge. The higher the position, the busier you are. Keep that in mind, Magic Tower Master.”

“That’s not what I know.”

“The situation is the situation. People are dying like that, so we have to act quickly.”

Aidan seemed about to say something, sighed deeply, and sat opposite me. He dunked the hard bread into the soup to soften it and offered it to me.

“Scratch the compliment. Eat quickly.”

I had no appetite, but his resolute green eyes made it clear that not obeying would only cause more trouble.

“We survived because Aidan helped. With so many sick people, moving heavy loads and cleaning wasn’t easy.”

His magic played a big role in separating and isolating the clinic by patient condition and maintaining cleanliness. Watching chores that others had to grunt through by hand be handled instantly by his hands made me think it was almost unbelievable.

“I’ll talk to my father about the food.”

I shook my head firmly.

“That’s exactly what the Crown Prince wants. If you later request support from the royal household they’ll say, ‘Of course we’d have approved it—why resort to shortcuts?’ and pick at it. Prince Raven must obtain it directly from the Emperor himself, even if it means flattering him.”

“This is why I hate the royal household.”

Aidan scowled.

“The first time is important. Even if you have to crawl before the Emperor, you need to get official support to make Prince Raven’s coming here worthwhile. He may… be blocking the request, but we’ll have to do something about it.”

“How on earth do you know all that?”

I dipped the rest of the bread in the soup and smiled faintly.

“You learn when you’ve been burned enough.”

Who gets it right in one go? You get hit at the back of the head many times and etch it into your bones and flesh.

He only stood up after confirming I’d cleaned my tray.

“Go to sleep. If you’re not here, I won’t come back either. Then I won’t work.”

I agreed obediently; it would be problematic if the Mage Tower Master went on strike.

He hesitated for a moment just before leaving.

“I finally understand why he pleaded so insistently.”

Then he left.

‘What was he talking about?’

My thoughts slowed and I gave up thinking further, resolving to go to bed early.

Unfortunately, reality was not kind.

The matters that needed organizing and decisions didn’t decrease; they only piled up.

Fortunately, Prince Raven helped the medical staff and clerics among the plague patients and never failed to encourage them. He was doing more than expected. It was also good that his healthy constitution prevented him from collapsing.

He seemed troubled by the task I set, but in truth it only required the courage to report to the Emperor.

‘It’s just that it’s not easy to make up one’s mind.’

The aftereffects of gaslighting remained, making him hesitate to act. Luckily, there was still spare food.

“Ugh.”

Sitting in the same position doing paperwork for hours left my body stiff. I stretched and loosened my tight muscles.

Outside, only faint embers remained and it was quiet. It seemed a long time had passed since dinner.

‘I should get some fresh air.’

I decided to go just to the nearby stream where there was light, without going anywhere dangerous.

Low-ranking soldiers stood guard here and there, and I nodded slightly to greet them. Hearing the water made it somehow feel like people lived here.

“Hah.”

A stifled breath burst out. I dipped my hand in the stream and splashed water on my face.

‘This is crazy.’

It was a cold that seemed to freeze my brain.

A funeral-like atmosphere hung due to the plague, but the night was good and the full moon was very bright. It felt indifferent and incongruous. I found myself staring blankly at that sight.

“I never thought I’d be jealous of the moon in my life.”

“…?”

It was a voice that should never have been heard here.

“It’s late—what are you doing here? It’s dangerous.”

No way….

I slowly turned around. Lean and tall, with limbs long and slender, violet-gray hair that evoked a silver wolf, and indescribably captivating red eyes—there was a man leaning against a tree.

“Ren…”

My eyes grew so wide they couldn’t get any wider. Seeing my expression, he snorted and smiled.

“How on earth did you get all the way out here?”

He walked slowly up and stood in front of me. Then he took off his jacket and carefully draped it over my shoulders.

“Because I wanted to see you.”

Is this a dream?