In preparation for this day, Rosa had only one trunk of luggage delivered ahead of her in advance.
So, there was nothing more to move.
With the help of the driver, she quickly moved her one piece of luggage.
"Then I'll go unload your Majesty's luggage."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work."
Leaving them behind, the knight walked away in a hurry, guided by the servant.
Theodore's room was located in a completely different place from where Rosa was staying.
There was no other option.
There were only two rooms that were ready for guests. Of course, there were not enough vacancies to accommodate the knights.
Therefore, the knights would have to find an inn to stay in once they had finished moving Theodore's luggage.
Of course, the commander of the Knights and some regular knights were going to stay there.
"I need to clean up quickly and rest."
Rosa pulled her belongings out of her luggage and placed them on the table one by one.
It wasn't even a big trunk, but when she started taking things out, she realized that quite a lot of things were inside.
She admired the cosmetics, accessories, and dresses that kept coming out.
“……It's like magic."
She was definitely alone in the room.
But she heard Yura's answer from behind her, to be precise, from the door.
"Yes, it's a magical coincidence."
She looked back in surprise.
There was nothing wrong with her ears; Yura really was standing by the door.
"I've seen a lot about you in the newspaper, the Woman in Purple. You do so much service...… You were one step faster than me in helping Deutschen."
Rosa felt like there was emphasis behind the words "one step faster."
Rosa was sure she wasn’t mistaken after hearing the rest of her comments.
"You move so fast. You look more like a saint than I do."
It was a sarcastic remark.
It sounded connected to her previous “magical coincidence” remark.
It sounded like she meant, “I'm suspicious of how you moved faster than me. Even if you do, you're still not a saint.
Of course, Rosa’s interpretation could be wrong, but she was sure that’s what it meant.
She opened her mouth for the first time.
"When did you come in?"
Rosa didn't feel the need to respond to her comments.
Therefore, after pointing out the flaws in this situation with an indifferent tone, Rosa simply stood there.
Yura's sigh soon flowed out.
"Oh...….”
After staring at Rosa, who didn't respond much, Yura scratched her cheek with an awkward expression.
Then she exclaimed, as if he had made a mistake.
"Oh! I didn't knock."
She knocked on the door belatedly, playing innocent.
Knock, knock.
If someone else saw it, they would have thought it was a cute mistake.
Rosa wasn’t sure if it was because she already knew Yura, but it didn't come across as cute to her.
So, she responded firmly.
"If you’re going to knock after coming in, what's the point?"
Rosa simply didn’t care whether Yura’s expression cracked or not.
In fact, Yura's laughter was gradually disappearing.
And yet Rosa didn't relent.
"So would please knock again properly?"
“……What?"
"I asked you to knock again."
At times like this, a veil was very convenient.
Rosa opened her mouth again, twisting the corners of her mouth and speaking with a mocking tone.
Mimicking the tone Yura used when “realizing” her mistake.
"Oh! Of course, I'm asking you to do so after you go out and close the door behind you."
As soon as Rosa finished speaking, Yura's expression went crimson.
But Rosa simply turned around as if she hadn't seen it. She pretended to return her concentration to organizing the things she’d just unpacked.
“……Ha."
She heard a hollow laugh.
Soon after, she heard Yura leaving the room with the sound of her footsteps stomping on the floor.
Stomp! Stomp!
At last, the door closed.
After stopping what she was doing, Rosa leaned against the pillar of the bed.
There was no immediate knock.
That didn't mean that Yura had left the door. She hadn’t heard the sound of her footsteps going back.
‘Maybe she's fuming like a rhino?’
So, she waited a few minutes.
Knock, knock.
"Hey, can I come in?"
She’d tried hard to kill the trembling of her voice, but the first syllable was trembled like a goat's bleat.
It must have been humiliating to ask, but it showed great courage.
"No. I'm sorry, but I'm in the process of organizing my luggage. I'd appreciate it if you could come next time."
Rosa very kindly and courteously refused Yura's visit.
***
There was no time to rest.
They unpacked their bags and headed straight for Nequitia.
It would be better to go and check on Nequitia's condition as soon as possible.
They didn’t know when the people of the Holy Land had arrived, but they had probable already grasped the situation.
They should not be given the opportunity to increase their reputation within the empire.
"This is...….”
As soon as Theodore saw the river, he couldn't continue his words due to his shock.
After a long pause, he opened his mouth again.
"Is this the normal color of the river?"
It was a literal question. The water was not the usual green or blue found in rivers.
In simple terms, it was polluted with a brown color, almost black, like sewage.
It even smelled disgusting, like rotten eggs.
Naturally, the corpses of fish floated on the river. It was so terrible that Rosa didn’t want to look.
But she didn't turn away.
Because there was a huge crowd near the river watching them.
They were villagers.
It was hard to differentiate man from women, or even different ages. Everyone seemed to be in terrible shape with their bones clearly visible.
They needed to know more about their current status. The more information they knew, the more helpful it would be.
And it seemed that Theodore thought the same thing.
"Ellian, send some knights to collect river water samples and bring back information on the flora and fauna, including the villagers."
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
The commander of the Knights saluted Theodore in a determined manner.
‘I guess there’s no need to step up.’
However, not long after thinking that, Rosa saw the faces of unwelcome people.
"Your Majesty!"
Yura ran toward Theodore as if she were glad to see him.
"Ugh! It stinks!"
She immediately covered her nose and turned her head with a face that looked like she was going to vomit.
She quickly stepped back.
Yura wasn't the only one. None of the priests who’d come with her looked like they wanted to approach.
Then, after a brief conversation with Yura, a priest approached them with a pained look on his face.
To be exact, he approached Rosa.
I will convey the words of the Holy Lady...…. Ugh! I will convey them."
He seemed as though he was on the verge of vomiting.
“Rejoice! The saint will miraculously heal this river...…. Gag! You're...….”
They couldn't understand what he was saying. It was frustrating.
In the end, Rosa walked past the priest.
She felt Theodore's presence following her.
So, they approached where Yura stood, a little distance from the river.
"Your Majesty! I really need you...….”
"What did you tell that gentleman to say?"
Theodore was ruthless.
Therefore, Yura quickly realized that he wasn’t interested in wasting time talking to her.
She lowered her eyes, and then she raised her head and glared at Rosa, so that only Rosa could notice.
"I...… I'll be honest with you, Your Majesty, for the Empire."
For some reason, Yura's voice was confident.
She seemed triumphant, as if she were the only one who knew the solution.
"This is on a whole other level than volunteering in the back alleys. I don't know why Your Majesty brought her here, but this is not something an ordinary volunteer can do."
‘Ha, look at her!’
***
Rosa was wondering if this would be okay.
Yura suddenly jumped forward. To be precise, she endured the foul smell and headed toward the river.
It was a sudden burst of enthusiasm from someone who had been holding their nose until just a moment ago.
Maybe it was because of Theodore.
"An ordinary volunteer...…. We'll see," said Theodore, who ruthlessly trampled on Yura's suggestion.
And with a very cold expression.
For a while, Yura stood with her teeth clenched staring at Theodore.
Then, she led the priests away and it seemed as though they were about to leave.
“……Let's go."
But that was not the case.
Rather, Yura moved to the opposite side of the river, leading the priests.
She crossed the stone bridge over the river, clenching her fist with an expression that seemed to be holding back her nausea.
She stood across the river and looked at them.
‘You don't have to go that far...….’
"Oh, is that it?"
Rosa seemed to figure out why they were facing them like this, as though they were rivals trying to gain the upper hand before a match.
To see who could get rid of this disaster.
Perhaps they wanted to enjoy Theodore’s embarrassment, who had rejected their offer and chosen someone else.
‘Does that mean she’s confident?’
Even so, Rosa had no intention of simply giving up and going back.
It had been a complicated process to get here.
And if you consider the fact that this was a plan to reduce the dependence and faith of the imperial people on the Holy Land...….
"I can't give up."
She went straight to him.
Theodore was looking at the other side with an apathetic expression.
"Your Majesty."
At her call, Theodore turned his head in a slow, graceful curve.
His body seemed to tremble very slightly, almost imperceptibly.
She asked, pretending she hadn’t noticed,
"Is it okay to leave the saint like this? If she shows a miracle...….”
She hadn’t even finished talking.
Nevertheless, Theodore shook his head from side to side like a man full of conviction.
It was an ambiguous response.
It appeared as though he believed a miracle would not happen.
Indeed, Theodore began to speak to her as if it could never happen.
"I asked the local lord, and he said they arrived yesterday. On top of that, they even visited this place in advance."
"That means...….”
Rosa’s eyes grew bigger.
She was also surprised that he’d gotten such information from the lord.
As Theodore said, the actions of the delegation from the Holy Land, who had not taken any action so far, were mysterious.
As if they didn’t know what to do.
"They may be playing tricks, but they are probably a similar situation to ours."
As he said so, Theodore jutted his chin in the direction across the river.
Naturally, Rosa’s eyes turned to the direction his had jaw moved.
And she saw it.
The sight of the priests standing by Yura's side restlessly.
"It would be more beneficial to make the river clean and evangelize the villagers as soon as possible."
It was definitely strange.
The priests were now making gestures as if to stop Yura.
Rather, it would be better to help her and perform a miracle while everyone is gathered like this.
"Oh...….”
Rosa noticed something strange while looking at the priests.
Perhaps he heard her light gasp, Theodore looked at her as if to ask if something was strange.
But she shook her head.
"Nothing. I think it's just as His Majesty says...….”
She looked forward again.
She immediately felt Theodore's gaze towards her.
She gently stepped aside and widened the gap with Theodore.
And, once again, she looked ahead.
"How come you...….”
The other person didn't seem to notice her at all, but she certainly remembered the other person’s face.
There was no way she could forget it.
One of her father's loyal subjects and Enoch’s teacher.
"Hiorin."
She entered among the villagers as if she were possessed by something.
No matter how much he blended in among other people, it could not hide Hiorin's brown skin.
The closer she got, the clearer she could see Hiorin's face. In addition, his actions were very visible.
Hiorin was squatting by the river looking at someone.
"Why the saint…….”
Yura was still looking at Theodore, but Hiorin was looking at her.
Like he was looking for timing.
But timing for what? Did Hiorin and Yura have a point of contact?
For a moment, she tried to call Hiorin. She’d know more after she called him.
First of all, she should ask how he survived the carriage accident and why he has not appeared at the duchy again.
So, she slowly opened her mouth, organizing her complicated thoughts one by one.
"Hio...….”
"Rosa?"
She felt a thick hand clasping her wrist.
Then it turned her body.
"Your Majesty?"
“Where are you going?"
"Oh, that's...….”
I couldn't tell Theodore about Hiorin. She couldn’t confess that she was the Duke of Estella.
So, she hesitated.
She looked back, wondering what she should say.
"Oh...….”
"Rosa?"
But there was no Hiorin.
As if he had never been there in the first place, he disappeared without a trace.
It was then.
The people who surrounded them erupted in unison, exclaiming.
She could have stumbled amongst the people, but luckily that didn't happen.
Because Theodore embraced her and supported her.
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, yes. Thank you."
It was a strange feeling being protected in this way by her friend.
She pushed Theodore's chest.
And she stared at the direction in which the people were pouring out.
On the other side, Yura had finally begun to put her hands in the river.
While looking at her and Theodore.