Chapter 24

“So you can’t tell anyone about your eyes as well as His Majesty the Emperor, okay?”

“Yes, I will never tell anyone.”

The appearance of seriously nodding was pretty cute.

Astelle laughed and put her mouth on Theor’s cheek.

The soft milky cheeks were colored red with the heat of the hot water.

‘If you grow up more, I’ll have to tell you the details someday.’

But it is still too early.

I can tell you when you are big enought to understand all the circumstances.

When that time comes, I will sit down and explain everything so that you can understand everything calmly.

“When you meet my grandfather, you can go home together with him. When you go home, you don’t have to hide anything and don’t even play.”

This was the same thing as a commitment to herself.

So she just had to endure a little.

If she endures a little, will everything be alright?

Theor replied with excitement.

“Yes. I want to go quickly. Can I sleep with Blin in my bed when I go home?”

Astelle replied with a smile to Theor’s innocent question.

“Okay. Instead, you have to bathe cleanly.”

“Yes!”

Theor regained his energy and played in the bathtub again.

There was a slight heat in the white and soft skin of Theor.

His hair was soaked in the steam rising like mist.

Astelle brought the lavender-scented soap and called Theor.

“Now, I’ll wash your hair now. Come out.”

“Okay.”

Theor, playing with the water, reached out his hand to Astelle.

Astelle reached out her hand to get Theor out of the bathtub safely.

At that moment, as the sleeves were pulled, a reddish trace on the inside of the wrist caught her eye.

“Ah…”

There was a strange red spot on the wrist covered by a bathrobe.

Astelle hurriedly rolled the sleeves of her gown.

‘This…’

On the inside of Astelle’s wrist, on the clean skin, ominous red spots were growing.

Astelle looked closely at the spot on her wrist.

Three or four spots the size of a fingernail were smeared on the inside of her right arm.

At first glance, it was invisible because it was pale red.

‘I just didn’t have it before.’

It certainly wasn’t there when she changed clothes.

It looks like it was created while entering a warm bath.

Probably because of the heat in the bath.

Eastern fever was originally like this.

As the heater heats up the body, the spots appear faster.

The symptoms of fever were obvious from the shape of the spot.

Fortunately, it was a common fever.

It wasn’t a fatal Innes fever.

Innes fever has black red spots from the beginning.

The spot on Astelle’s arm was pale red.

‘I’m glad it wasn’t a serious illness.’

Somehow, from yesterday she had been feeling heavy and her head is sore.

‘Is it because of the rain…’

Two days ago, she ran to the hunting lodge in the rain that was pouring like a storm.

Even though she was tired from the escape life, she was affirmed for a few days. It was even hit by the rain, so she was sick.

She touched her forehead with her hand, but fortunately, there was no fever.

There is no heat sensation even on the spots on the wrist.

There were only light scarlet spots smeared on her slender wrist.

It’s okay if there is no heat.

It’s not contagious until the fever starts.

When fever symptoms appear, these spots spread to the body, but when the symptoms get more severe, the patient may have a high fever.

It was from then on that it was also contagious to other people.

‘It is important to make medicine and eat it quickly.’

She had to make some medicines to cure the fever.

The ingredients weren’t very special either.

Some of the ingredients were also in Astelle’s medicine box.

What is lacking will be available in the forest.

‘Some of the herbs I need could be obtained from the pharmacist.’

“Mom?”

Astelle, who looked at the spots with anxious eyes, turned to Theor’s surprised voice.

Theor held the rim of the bathtub and looked up at Astelle.

Theor looked closely at the spot on Astelle’s wrist, and he looked up at Astelle and asked.

“Is Mom hurt or sick?”

“What?”

Seeing Astelle surprised, a small face filled with worries.

Tears formed in Theor’s clear eyes.

“Mom, don’t get sick…”

‘Oh my god.’

Seeing the spot, he thought it was a serious illness. Astelle quickly erased her serious expression.

“You do not have to worry. It is not a serious illness. I found it quickly, so if I take medicine and cure it, I’ll get better soon.”

“Ugh… Really?”

“Yes. I’m okay.”

Astelle lightly stroked Theor’s white, soft cheeks and wiped the tears from his eyes with her fingers.

It won’t be contagious yet, so it’s okay to touch him.

“Does Theor feel sick or is it uncomfortable somewhere?”

“No. I don’t hurt.”

There was no sign of pain on his small face looking up with anxious eyes.

‘I’m glad.’

Perhaps because he resembles Kaizen, he is born with strong immunity.

Still, it would be better to stay a little apart for a while.

If she starts to had a fever, she can spread the disease to Theor.

She put in the eye drops a little while ago, so she doesn’t have to put the medicine until dawn tomorrow.

Astelle reassured Theor.

“It will be okay because it is not too bad. I just have to take medicine and not go outside and take a good rest. In the meantime, Theor has to listen carefully to the adults and play quietly with Blin. Can you do it?”

“Yes!”

Theor nodded quite seriously and asked.

“Are you sick because it rained before?”

Theor knew that Astelle was riding a horse in the rain because of him.

Astelle didn’t want to tell him, but when she had dinner at the hunting lodge, Vellian spoke about it.

‘Why are you talking useless to a child.’

Astelle quickly soothed Theor that might feel guilty for nothing.

“It may be, but it wasn’t Theor’s fault because I was weakened and I got sick.”

It was said that it was rained while Theor playing with a dog at the hunting lodge that day.

When Astelle arrived there, Theor wore his wet clothes and fell asleep in front of the fireplace.

If he had no clothes to change, it would have been nice if he had changed adult shirts or pajamas and let him dry.

It is a hunting lodge where only the emperors and knights stayed for generations, so it seems that there was no attendant who knew how to take care of children.

It would have been different if the emperor had ordered the child to be washed and taken care of, but Kaizen couldn’t have such a meticulous aspect.

Fortunately, Theor is healthy.

“Would Blin be okay? He played in the rain with me.”

Theor worried about his dog with a worried face.

Astelle held back her laughter.

“Because it is not a disease for dogs. It will be fine.”

Astelle washed Theor and left the bathroom.

“I have to call a doctor first.”

Although not a pharmacist, one of the emperor’s doctors accompanied the emperor’s party.

Anyway, it is a contagious disease, so first of all she had to show it to that person.

She will have to report to the emperor too.

Astelle’s eyebrows got wrinkled.

‘I didn’t want to meet him until I arrived at Denz…’

* * *

“Is it an epidemic?”

Kaizen, receiving a report from the castle’s office, frowns his eyebrows.

“That’s right.”

Lyndon replied with an anxious expression, pointing to a map unfolding on his desk.

“I’ve seen an epidemic circulating in this town, the next destination. I guess it’s impossible to go this way.”

The party was going to spend the night here and then go on the road again.

The next destination was a castle that goes straight west.

There was a castle-like this place and there was a village around it.

By the way, when Lyndon checked in advance, there was an epidemic in the village.

“It is called Innes fever. It is a disease that can be dangerous if not treated quickly because it is highly contagious…”

“Yes, I know. It is an epidemic in the East.”

Fever was common in the east.

Innes fever is the most dangerous epidemic among them and is endemic to the eastern part of the capital and other regions.

It is not a fatal infectious disease, but t the mortality rate is high if the medicine is not taken early.

Anyway, a person could have died.

Inevitably, he had to find another route.

“Which way is the other way?”

Asked Kaizen looking at the map on his desk.

“It’s a way to go south. It will take three more days.”

Even if it was late for about three days, he couldn’t help it.

He can’t take his party to a place where people are sick.

“I have to go there. Find out where to choose the accommodation.”

When Kaizen glanced, Vellian went out to contact the manager there and find out the situation.

Kaizen looked back at Lyndon.

“Are patients with infectious diseases being properly treated?”

“Because there is not much medicine… it seems that it has not been treated yet. The town is said to have been temporarily closed.”

It meant that the village was locked up without treatment.

It was a cruel thing, but it made sense.

There aren’t many places selling remedies in such a country, but it would be a big deal if the epidemic spreads to other villages before being cleared up.