Chapter 38

As soon as she saw the word “Elaine”, Edelis couldn’t help but grimace. Elaine Ryned—this was the name of the Saintess who had just departed from the estate. She had never introduced herself by name, but Edelis had recognized it from the character introductions in the book. It was natural for the female lead’s name to appear frequently, yet it still left a sour taste.

“She’s coming, she’s coming.”

A light burst from the book, signaling the start of another projection. Unlike usual, Edelis sat quietly and waited for the scene to begin.

***

『The Empire is indebted to you, Saintess.』  

『Not at all—it’s my duty to help those in need.』

In the emperor’s reception room, Lehan and the Saintess sat across from each other, deep in conversation. Lehan looked noticeably gaunt and weary, as if something serious had occurred.

『You’re being modest. Without the Holy Empire’s help, this wouldn’t have ended as it did.』

From their conversation, it became clear that something significant had happened within the Empire, and that it had been resolved with the aid of the Holy Empire. Their interaction didn’t seem particularly warm yet—this was likely early in the story.

‘It must be sometime after the wedding I saw before, but before I died…’ 

Edelis furrowed her brows as she recalled the summary from the book, which hinted at the female lead’s romantic involvement. The love story between these two was about to unfold.

‘Lehan falling in love with the Saintess? I really don’t want to see that.’  

She resolved that if such scenes came up, she’d close the book and leave immediately.

『The incident may be over, but what comes next is more important.』  

『Yes… after all, a third of the Empire’s population perished…』

Lehan’s expression darkened as he trailed off.

『Don’t worry too much—I’ll help you.』  

『I’d like to say the help you’ve already given is enough… but since it’s related to a disease like a plague, would you be able to help just a bit more?』  

『Of course! Absolutely.』

As the Saintess answered with a bright smile, Lehan, who had looked tense, finally relaxed.

『I won’t keep you too long.』  

『If we’re doing this, we should do it properly!』

Then, with a slight hesitation, the Saintess voiced a concern.

『But I think the temple priests would be uncomfortable if I continued living there…』  

『I’ll have a place prepared for you within the Imperial Palace.』  

『Thank you so much!』  

『Don’t mention it. If there’s anything else you need, just let me know.』

Though the Saintess beamed, Edelis gave a bitter smile. When Lehan summoned a servant to arrange the Saintess’s quarters, her expression brightened even more.

『Your Majesty, I said I’d help, so let’s get started right away!』  

『I heard you were treating patients until this morning.』  

『To prevent more from falling ill, I need to act now.』

When the Saintess declared this with conviction, the Emperor smiled at her gently—just as Lehan often did toward Edelis.

『Thank you.』  

『No need for thanks—I’m just doing my duty.』

As the Saintess spoke with a smile, the warmth between her and the Emperor was almost palpable. It was clear to anyone that Lehan had grown fond of the Saintess.

They moved to Lehan’s office, where he sorted some documents and consulted her on various matters. Edelis listened attentively, frantically dipping her pen in ink and scribbling notes onto nearby memo paper.

‘A third of the population dying… Of course that’s a big deal. We need to prevent it.’  

Plague, hygiene, manpower shortages, medicine development… A long list of challenges following the epidemic emerged. It was a treasure trove of valuable information. Though many terms were unfamiliar, she decided to look them up later.

‘So this book actually helped me for once!’

As Edelis hurriedly took notes, the door suddenly opened.

『Your Majesty!』  

『What brings the Empress here?』

It was her—Edelis, within the book. She looked unwell, perhaps from recent distress. Glancing briefly at the Saintess, she forced a calm tone.

『I heard the Saintess was alone with Your Majesty.』  

『She’s assisting with my work. It’s none of your concern.』  

『B-but surely one of the ministers could…』

Before she could finish, the Emperor scoffed.

『Do you mean Marquis Torren, who died from the plague?』  

『I-I didn’t know…』  

『Of course you didn’t. After all, when Count Brill showed symptoms, you took half the palace physicians with you to his estate.』

His biting criticism left the Empress speechless. Even to Edelis outside the book, it was clearly the Empress’s grave misstep. Moments ago, they had discussed a shortage of medical personnel. Yet the Empress had taken a significant number of the best physicians to her family estate. It was an unforgivable act in such a crisis.

『I… I didn’t think it would turn out this way…』  

『At least it worked out. Thanks to the deaths of millions, your father was saved.』

『……』

On the verge of tears, the Empress repeatedly shook her head, unable to justify herself. Perhaps she hadn’t foreseen the consequences, but the cost was catastrophic. In the end, unable to bear the reproach, she fled the room without even a bow.

As her figure disappeared, the video gradually faded into nothingness.

***

“……Wow.”

Edelis was speechless. She now understood why the Emperor held such disdain for the Empress. Even without him saying much, Edelis herself couldn’t help but compare the Empress to the Saintess. While the Saintess had helped in a time of national crisis and was working to rebuild the nation, the Empress had only worsened the situation. And to top it off, she had barged in just because the Saintess and the Emperor were alone.

‘No wonder his feelings faded.’  

At the wedding, their relationship hadn’t seemed that strained. It looked like a typical arranged marriage. But now, she could see why the Emperor had distanced himself and why he was warming up to the Saintess.

“There’s no time to waste…”

Edelis reviewed her notes again. A plague that kills a third of the Empire—the implications were massive. No one knew when the outbreak would begin, and there was no time to lose. She couldn’t stand by while lives were at risk.

‘I’ve been near death—I know how much it means when someone helps.’

Tucking her memo into the book, she left her study. The story was still in its early stages, which meant there wasn’t much time before disaster struck. She had to act quickly.

When she went to Lehan’s office, she learned he was still in a council meeting. It was a matter urgent enough to barge into the meeting, but she lacked the supporting evidence. The relevant ministers were also in the council chamber, so she headed to the library first.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

The royal librarians were stunned by the Empress’s unexpected visit. Until now, she had rarely left Ruby Palace, where the concubines stayed. Despite being the favored consort of the Emperor, she had kept a low profile—so much so that the social circles often gossiped about her absence.

“I’m here to find some books.”

“What kind of books are you looking for, Your Majesty?”

One of the senior librarians addressed her while the other hurried off to inform the head librarian.

“Books about… diseases. Could you recommend any?”

“There are many kinds, Your Majesty. Are you looking for congenital conditions or something acquired later? Are you interested in severity or contagion?”

“Something contagious—something people catch after birth.”

The librarian found her request unusual for a royal, but he quickly dismissed his thoughts. Commenting on a superior’s choices would lead nowhere good.

“In that case, please follow me.”

He gathered a few titles and laid them out.

“If you’re not looking for an in-depth study, I’d suggest starting with <Learning About Infections Through Pictures>. For more academic material, there’s <Understanding Infectious Diseases> by an academy professor.”

Edelis took all the books he offered and locked herself in her study. She had to learn the basics to even hold a conversation about this with others. If she suddenly claimed they needed more medical staff or supplies without understanding the issues, no one would take her seriously.

While <Learning About Infections Through Pictures> was easy and engaging, the next books quickly ramped up in difficulty. Even <Infections for Beginners> was hard to grasp.<The History of Epidemics> was filled with so many technical terms she could hardly understand a thing.

“Who even reads this stuff?!”

Even with good intentions, she found the work difficult. Surely no one else had read these. But when she checked the borrower list at the back of <The History of Epidemics>, something odd caught her eye.

“Eliana Frache…? That Frache?”

She’d never heard that name in high society. If she were from the Frache duchy, someone would’ve mentioned it. And yet, Eliana’s name appeared in <The History of Epidemics> and in <Understanding Infectious Diseases>.

“……Did she really understand this? Even if not, she’s definitely interested.”

This was about saving a third of the Empire’s citizens. It was too much to handle alone. Edelis immediately sent for a member of the royal knights. It wouldn’t be appropriate to contact the Frache family directly—Eliana might be shocked by a sudden letter from the Empress, especially since they had never met.

It would be easier to approach through Sir Frache first.

But not long after, when Sir Frache arrived… Lehan came with him.

“Lehan?”