◇◇◇◇
When Luria and Sara had retired to their rooms for the night,
a figure loomed in the forest near the annex—Kuro, the Spirit King.
『Why have you all come here?』
“Meh?” “Bubo?” “Moo?”
Before Kuro stood a goat, a boar, and a cow, each having traveled from the forest near the main estate.
Even the smallest of the three, the cow, was twice the size of a horse, while the boar resembled a small hill. The leader, a golden goat, was even larger than the cow and boar combined.
『Still, how…how did no one notice you?』
“Mehmeh~ (We have concealment magic. Such matters are trivial.)”
With smug expressions, the animals boasted about their advanced magical abilities.
They habitually used concealment magic, living their lives hidden from view.
This was why, despite their enormous size, no one had ever discovered them.
For these creatures, sneaking to the annex was a simple task.
『I understand your wish to see Lady Luria, but…』
“Boobo (We came because we sensed a bad omen.)”
『Boar, what kind of bad omen?』
“Moo~ (There’s an ominous aura in this forest, akin to a curse.)”
『I don’t feel anything. Are you making this up, Cow?』
“Mehmeee? (Perish the thought. I wouldn’t dare lie.)”
The goat tilted its head cutely, attempting to deflect suspicion.
『I know it’s hard to resist the urge to stay near Lady Luria, but…』
“Meh~” “Bubo” “Moo”
『Well, I suppose this forest is larger than the one near the main estate, so you’re less likely to be found.』
“Mehmeh!”
The goat’s confident “Leave it to me” left Kuro with an uneasy feeling.
◇◇◇◇
Several hours earlier, as the setting sun painted the western sky red,
Baron Didier, Sara’s father, writhed in agony alone in his room on the second floor.
Though a curse, his symptoms mirrored those of the deadly redpox.
High fever, swelling across his body, and painful sores in his throat and mouth made breathing difficult and eating excruciating.
As no servant came to refill the lamp, the room grew darker with the setting sun.
“Is…is anyone there? Someone, come…please…”
From the dim room, the baron called out for his servants.
But no one came.
No one dared, fearing the highly contagious redpox.
As with Marion before him, the servants merely left food outside the door without opening it.
This enraged the baron. Still possessing some strength, he ignored the pain in his throat and shouted.
“Someone come! I am calling you—come immediately!”
His voice carried to the servants’ quarters, but all the staff ignored him, unwilling to risk infection.
The baron had replaced the old loyal servants five years ago, after Marion, Sara’s nursemaid, had become less present at the estate.
This ensured that no one stopped him from indulging his vices—infidelity, abuse of Sara, or bringing mistresses into the manor.
Naturally, the servants had little loyalty to the Didier family.
“Why…why does no one come…?”
Not even his beloved mistress came to his side.
Of course, she was avoiding him to protect the child in her womb.
But Didier, consumed by anger, forgot even that.
“How dare you all! I am Baron Didier, master of this estate!”
Exhausted from yelling, the baron dragged himself off the bed, his body aching as if his bones were broken.
He crawled to the door, opening it to find a bowl of porridge and a glass of water placed on the floor of the hallway.
A sturdy wooden barricade had been erected across the corridor to keep him from leaving.
This makeshift cage had been installed by his retainers to confine the baron, now seen as an infected redpox patient.
Glaring resentfully at the barrier, Didier took the porridge and water back into his room.
“…Ugh.”
Even drinking water caused sharp pain, his mouth filled with dozens of sores.
“But if I don’t eat…I’ll die.”
Weeping, the baron forced himself to eat the porridge. It was flavorless, its only sensations being pain and discomfort.
Though it was soft and cool, he could barely manage to eat half of it.
“Why…why did I have to contract redpox…?”
Forgetting the curse he had cast, the baron groaned in misery.
His suffering mirrored that which Marion had endured.
◇◇◇◇
Meanwhile, in Marion’s quarters:
“Lady Marion, are you alright? Can you eat?”
“Thank you. I’ve felt much better since speaking with my daughter.”
Attended by a healer specializing in redpox, Marion was also eating porridge.
The painful sores that had plagued her hours ago were completely gone.
“To eat without pain…it makes everything taste so much better.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Even as Marion ate, the healer continued her examination.
The healer was a young woman who had nearly died of redpox as a child.
Isolated and untreated during her illness, she had vowed to become a healer specializing in the disease.
“Does swallowing cause any discomfort now?”
“No.”
“The swelling on your face has subsided, and your fever is gone. To me, you appear fully recovered.”
“Truly? Then I can see my daughter…!”
Overjoyed, Marion’s expression lit up, but the healer gently reminded her:
“Of course, you’ll be able to see her soon. But we must observe a quarantine period.”
Even after symptoms disappear, patients must remain isolated for two or three days to monitor for relapses.
“Just a few days—three or four at most—and you’ll be reunited with your daughter.”
“Thank you so much.”
Marion wept tears of joy.
“But please don’t let your guard down. Eat well and rest as much as you can without overexerting yourself.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The healer had been summoned by a high-ranking royal duke through the archbishop.
The duke had personally requested, “Please do your utmost for this gravely ill person.”
When the healer arrived, bracing herself for a dire case, she found Marion already recovering.
“It seems I’ll have good news for His Grace.”
The healer smiled in relief.