Chapter 47
Closing the Well to Prevent Further Infections
If we close the well, there will be no more infections.
The incubation period for cholera is at most five days.
When I shared this with the knights, they were skeptical.
“So you think it’ll be resolved that quickly?”
“It would be a relief if that’s the case, but…”
“So, will Lady Ruweiz be returning now?”
The knights had come this far because Asher had instructed them to escort me.
If I leave, their mission will end.
I could see their subtle hopes that they might be able to return to the palace.
Of course, they could finish this and rest somewhere more comfortable…
‘But if they wanted that, they wouldn’t have come here in the first place.’
What we had done until now was already enough for me to give general orders to the subordinates.
“No.”
Asher didn’t send me here because he couldn’t break my will.
He wanted to show them that the empire hadn’t abandoned this place, to let them know they weren’t forsaken.
That was why I was here.
“I’m staying.”
“Eh? But still…”
“No objections.”
I am not a saint.
I never planned to be one.
So, I won’t sing songs of hope.
Instead, I will show the evil that rises in despair.
I will endure on the cliff’s edge, showing them what a true villainess is.
After all,
If I’m going to be a villainess, I have to do at least that much.
People Couldn’t Believe It Was Laura Who Came Here
People couldn’t believe that out of all the many individuals, it was Laura who arrived here.
“Maybe there’s been some misunderstanding? Perhaps another noblewoman with the same name was supposed to come.”
Laura was a well-known villainess, her name famous even to those who were unfamiliar with noble affairs.
And because of that, people were puzzled.
If she were truly that cruel, they thought she would push someone else into the abyss, not come herself.
But when Laura showed up, she acted more actively than they expected. She even confidently declared that she would solve the problem within fifteen days…
“The more sweetly it sounds, the more I can’t trust her.”
‘Did she cause some kind of trouble and get exiled here?’
‘Maybe the royal family wants her and us to die together?’
‘She’s full of spirit, but how does she think she’ll solve this in just fifteen days?’
However, Laura’s actions soon showed a drastic change.
She took off her dress and changed into commoners’ clothes. Without bringing a maid, she wore a headscarf and apron, prepared and ready.
She removed all the accessories from her body and handed them to a merchant in exchange for firewood and food.
Tying her hair tightly, she took a shovel with a stern expression and began digging.
She used planks to create a makeshift toilet and stacked firewood to boil water.
“I-I’ll help.”
“Of course, you should. Did you think I was going to do this alone?”
“No way!”
The royal knights followed her lead. They had received word from Asher that she had temporarily been granted command here.
Meanwhile, others stood with their arms crossed, watching Laura and the knights.
“What is she doing?”
“I bet she’ll just tire herself out.”
They thought she’d give up after a few days, whether from exhaustion or illness.
But Laura didn’t stop.
Once the environment around her was somewhat under control, she began tending to the abandoned patients.
She cleaned their bodies and disposed of waste. Laura had become like the others—sweaty, with dirty water splattered on her apron.
And yet, Laura was a noblewoman. Normally, it would be impossible to even catch a glimpse of her face.
Because of this, those she tended to felt a mix of gratitude, awe, and awkwardness, not knowing how to react to her kindness.
“I’m not sure if I deserve this care.”
“You don’t need to feel burdened. You can pay me back double later.”
“Huh?”
The patient who had been casually expressing thanks froze, and the man who was bringing clean bedding spoke carefully.
“Milady… This person has no family and only has a blanket to his name.”
“Why does he only have a blanket? If he recovers, he’ll have a healthy body to walk around with.”
Laura’s tone was rough, but she was certain the patient would recover.
“Once you’re better, I’ll make sure everyone knows who helped you. I’ll turn it into a song and have it spread everywhere.”
“Milady, really…”
Everyone burst out laughing.
Laura pretended not to understand, shrugging her shoulders, making the atmosphere lighter.
Even more impressively, Laura never tried to shirk from the hard work.
“It seems like quite a tough job for you, Milady…”
“Of course! How easy is it to clean someone else’s waste? Right now, I’m terrified it’s going to spill all over my shoes.”
What was interesting was that, in the midst of all this, Laura still managed to take credit.
“Actually, we’re kind of scared too.”
But it was this very attitude that won the people’s hearts. Her genuine expression of discomfort felt more real than any fake show of strength.
With the gloom lifting, a lively energy began to spread.
No one spoke of death or remained downcast anymore.
Instead, they began to talk about the future and make plans.
It was a change that took only five days.
“So, there are no more new infections?”
This was because Laura’s efforts were starting to show progress.
The environment had improved, and nutritious meals had been provided, so the death rate had dropped significantly.
Most importantly, Laura was still moving around even at this moment.
“It feels like we should do something too.”
Those watching her began to act as well.
“She’s saying some impossible things, but after hearing her, it feels like she’s trying to lighten our burden.”
As Laura’s reputation grew, her supporters rallied.
“You know, now that I think about it, she’s way better than the other nobles, right?”
“Of course! How many of them would work like this? Most of them stay locked up in their castles and don’t even show their faces!”
Then, someone raised a question.
“But why is someone like her called a villainess?”
“That’s true…”
The reason they couldn’t point to a specific wicked deed was that most of Laura’s “evil” actions had been in social circles.
“This doesn’t seem right.”
Then they realized that Laura had come here because of the rumours.
“No one from the Ruweiz estate got infected? Well, of course, they must have boiled their water! She’s been managing the water supply since the first day she arrived here. Don’t you think she would know?”
“This is slander! Those damn nobles!”
“I heard a lot of nobles are out to bring her down. After all, she’s going to be the empress. Can you imagine how many people are trying to stop her?”
As they rallied together, determined to protect Laura…
In the distance, a cart appeared.
It seemed to be coming towards this direction.
It wasn’t just one cart, either.
“Food? It’s food!”
“Looks like it!”
Nothing beats food.
The people cheered and reacted immediately.
But then, suddenly…
“Everyone, don’t touch anything! Do you see the insignia? That’s Lady Ruweiz’s cart!”
“What? It’s hers?”
“Move aside! Everyone, step back!”
Thanks to Laura, hope had turned into order.
And soon…
“Is it already here?”
Hearing that the ordered goods had arrived, Laura went out to meet them.
She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and checked the supplies.
Those helping to unload the cart paused when they saw the contents.
Among the food and medical supplies, there was a large amount of salt and sugar.
‘Isn’t that the kind of sugar that only nobles use?’
“Isn’t something wrong with this?”
“Yes, this should’ve gone to the palace, not here…”
They couldn’t accuse Laura directly, so they blamed the cart drivers.
The cart drivers, too, looked frustrated as they glared back at them.
Before the situation escalated, Laura stepped in to mediate.
“No, it’s fine. It’s come to the right place.”
“Huh?”
“I plan to make medicine with this.”
The astonishment grew.
Instead of responding, Laura rubbed her stiff shoulders.
‘It’s about time to say goodbye to this place anyway.’
