…


  The thing I’ve been worrying about still happened in the end.

  In the guest room, Roel listened to Charlotte’s story with a heavy heart.

  He had thought of many possibilities as to what could have happened to Charlotte. He did suspect that it might have something to do with Bruce’s mysterious affliction, but the situation was worse than he had expected. The one who was ailing wasn’t Bruce but Charlotte.

  His mind went completely blank the moment he heard about it from Roel. His ears started buzzing as if they couldn’t accept what they had just heard. This was a huge shock to him, for he knew that the affliction was currently incurable.

  The Rosa Merchant Confederacy had paid astronomical sums to engage the services of the church’s bishops and renowned scholars, but none of them was able to make sense of Bruce’s affliction. All the wealth and connections but Bruce was still helpless before the affliction.

  That was how terrifying the affliction was.

  Charlotte’s situation was only going to be worse, for the Soulcalming Lamp that had run out of oil wouldn’t be potent enough to simultaneously suppress both of their afflictions.

  The cruel reality of things left Roel feeling despaired, but he shook his head and pulled himself back to the present. He could see a dilemma in Charlotte’s eyes. On one hand, she didn’t want to part with him, but she was also hoping that he would leave so that she wouldn’t infect him.

  Seeing that, he rose to his feet and began walking up to her.

  “D-darling? What are you going to do? Wait, no, you can’t…”


  In spite of Charlotte’s flustered refusal, Roel determinedly approached her and sealed her lips. She initially tried to push him back, but she soon succumbed to the emotions she had suppressed for the longest of time.

  Her body gradually slackened as their kiss deepened, leaving little room but intermittent gasps of air between them. It felt like a long time before the two of them parted lips with heavy breaths.

  “Darling, y-you can’t. If you catch the affliction as well…”


  “You would have caught it long ago if the affliction is truly contagious. Look at those around Uncle Bruce. Aren’t they all fine?”


  Roel calmly assured the woman in his hands, but that wasn’t enough to quell Charlotte’s unease.

  “But the affliction stems from a curse. If the curse spreads…”


  “… It’ll be my fate if that really happens,” Roel replied.

  Roel gently placed his hand on Charlotte’s cheeks and gazed into her emerald eyes. He felt a sharp pain in his heart just thinking about the emotional turmoil she had been put through.

  Several years ago, when the two of them fell into the Witness State, Charlotte chose to entrust her hopes to Roel at the critical moment and stand alone against the despairing ashes and embers of Sire Darkness.

  It felt like a replay of the same situation.

  Despite knowing that Roel was the one who had provided the Sorofyas with the Sarchorme’s Soulcalming Lamp, she still didn’t want to risk spreading the affliction to him. Even the most heartless of people would be touched by her self-sacrificial spirit to love, let alone Roel.

  Roel felt yet another explosive growth of affection toward Charlotte, and it made his face redden a little. He understood Charlotte’s worries, but he had no intention of backing down here.

  “I don’t know how this matter came about, but Charlotte, just like how it was a few years ago, I will never leave you to the lurch.”


  “Darling…”


  “Really, I don’t know what to say about you. The Witness State is one thing, but you shan’t escape this time. I can’t allow you to face this all alone. This matter—No, it should be all difficulties we’ll face in the future—I hope that we can face them together.”


  “!”


  All difficulties we’ll face in the future?

  Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat when she heard those words. The promise to face all difficulties together wasn’t like any other promise. It was part of a wedding vow in the Sia Continent, such that the significance of those words was practically a proposal.

  Those were words that she had been dreaming of for the longest time, but hearing them on this unexpected occasion left her feeling conflicted. Tears glistened in her eyes as she rested her head on Roel’s chest.

  “… Why are you saying such words now?”


  “It’s because it’s now that I’m saying such words.”


  “… You dumbo.”


  “You’re the one who is a dumbo. Even after so many years, you’re still thinking of running away from me to confront your problems alone…”


  Roel gently brushed Charlotte’s smooth auburn hair before affectionately pulling her in tighter. No words were exchanged between the two of them; they soaked their senses in each other’s existence and vented out a year’s worth of yearning.

  A gentle atmosphere drifted into the quiet guest room. A blissful smile slowly emerged on Charlotte’s tearstained face.

  After a long embrace, the two of them finally parted a little.

  “Putting aside your physical condition for the moment, are you feeling any better?”


  “Mmhm. I feel euphoric. I can’t help but wonder if it’s all a dream.”


  “It’s not a dream. I won’t allow it to become one.”


  Roel gently wiped away the tears on Charlotte’s face as the latter nodded in agreement. It was then that she was suddenly reminded of something.

  “Right. I have to release Grace.”


  “You… imprisoned Grace?”


  “She was going to snitch to you, so…”


  Charlotte’s face reddened. Roel revealed a helpless smile.

  Under Charlotte’s order, it didn’t take long for the black-haired maid to return to the guest room.

  “Lord Roel, I think you have probably heard the story by now, but I’d still like to verify if you’re aware of our young miss’…” Grace asked anxiously.

  “Yes, Charlotte has told me,” Roel replied calmly.

  “… I’m sorry, Grace. I was too obstinate,” Charlotte earnestly apologized to the loyal subordinate who had accompanied her all her life.

  From the moment she entered the room, Grace could already tell from the harmonious atmosphere between the couple that her young miss’ plan had fallen through. She heaved a sigh of relief, gladdened that her young miss wouldn’t have to face it all alone.

  “Lord Roel, our young miss only hid this matter from you because she was afraid that the affliction would spread to you. I ask for your understanding on this matter,” Grace courteously apologized on behalf of her young miss with a graceful curtsey.

  Roel shook his head, expressing that he wouldn’t hold it to heart. He proceeded on to tell Grace what had happened after the two of them reunited, but to his surprise, Grace revealed a contemplative look upon hearing his story.

  A glint flashed across Grace’s eyes as she gazed at the couple seated together. It dawned on her that this was an ideal opportunity.

  The two lovebirds had hardly any time to meet over the past year due to heavy responsibilities they shouldered. The ‘Roel X Charlotte Ship’ was simply too overloaded that there was not much she, as the captain, could do to help the ship set sail. But now…


  After a quick moment of thought, Grace decisively interrupted her own flow of mana, causing her face to pale within the span of a few seconds. Then, she crumbled weakly to the ground.

  …


  Grace had fallen ill.

  What illness is it, you’re asking? Don’t stick your head where it doesn’t belong. The important thing is that she’s ill.

  The convoy doctor took a look at her and diagnosed it to be a case of exhaustion. Charlotte immediately ordered Grace to take a rest.

  Another problem quickly surfaced: Now that Grace was ill, who was going to take care of the equally ill Charlotte?

  Grace had been with Charlotte from a very young age. The trust shared between the two of them was not something that anyone else could simply take over. It usually wouldn’t be a big deal for her to take a brief rest from her responsibilities, but not when Charlotte was this ill.

  Charlotte most definitely couldn’t be left alone given her current condition.

  By a huuuge stroke of coincidence, there happened to be another person in the convoy who was able to take care of Charlotte, and that man unhesitatingly volunteered himself upon learning of the problem.

  “I understand. Don’t worry, you may leave Charlotte to me. What do I have to do?”


  In Grace’s resting room, Roel enquired about what he had to take note of while attending to Charlotte’s needs. The maid revealed a warm smile in response.

  “Lord Roel, all you have to do is to accompany her in bed.”