“Ha.”

Dante ran his hand through his hair, then spoke in a more detached tone, likely due to the mask.

“It’s not like they’re thieves. I don’t know what’s going on. Or perhaps the errand boy I sent was incompetent?”

At his sharp words, the Countess stepped back with an awkward expression. She nudged me, clearly wanting me to handle it.

It seemed like the Countess and Illyae had intercepted the gift Dante sent for me.

It probably wasn’t intentional. If it were, they would have made sure to silence me.

They must have genuinely believed it was meant for Illyae. After all, Chloe had never received such things before.

“Dante, I’ll check properly when we return. Right now, that’s not important. People are suffering.”

Dante glanced behind him, gritting his teeth.

“With the Saintess alone, she cannot heal all these people. Those with severe injuries are being treated by the Saintess and then moved to the temple, while those with minor injuries are being taken to nearby hospitals.”

“We will help, Your Grace!”

The Countess quickly interjected, seizing the opportunity.

“I brought all the clean clothes from the mansion. Since Illyae is the Saintess, it’s natural. The Tyrannia family will give support.”

The Countess smiled slyly and nudged my side again.

“Is the Countess herself going to work in such attire?”

Dante clicked his tongue, looking at my elaborately dressed mother.

Mother widened her eyes and tilted her head.

“Oh, I’m too old for such work. These tasks are for the young ones. Chloe?”

I stumbled forward as she pushed me.

As always, the plan was for me to do the work while the Tyrannia family took all the credit.

Mother continued, “Chloe is very capable at such tasks. Chloe, if you need anything, feel free to contact me. Your Grace, I’ll take my leave now. I need to check if there are more supplies at the mansion. Oh dear, look at me, losing track of time! I mustn’t delay!” 

With that, Mother got back into the carriage and left, clearly wanting to be as far from Dante’s disapproval as possible. Naturally, she wouldn’t return, and there would be no more relief supplies from the Tyrannia family, as always.

Walking was difficult due to the uncomfortable shoes. Clicking my tongue, I asked Dante, “Where should I start?”

“Are you really going to help? Honestly, the Countess should be the one working.”

“I’m not that weak, Dante.” I smiled lightly and rolled up my sleeves.

“With arms that thin, what work can you do?”

Is that really the issue? I pulled my sleeves back down. Though it was my first time dealing with such a major incident, I had helped with similar tasks before. It wouldn’t be difficult to work.

As I moved past him, Dante grabbed my arm. “What…?”

I stumbled at the sudden pull, but Dante steadied me, holding my shoulder firmly. He sighed softly. “What can you do wearing shoes that don’t even fit?”

“Oh.”

Did he notice? I had squeezed my feet into Illyae’s shoes, which were uncomfortable. Still, I had gotten used to walking like this over time.

“I’m fine…”

“No, you’re not!”

Dante spoke as if frustrated, his eyes burning with intensity. It was the first time someone was angry on my behalf. He grit his teeth and said, “When you’re not fine, you should say so.”

“I really am fine. I’ll get used to it soon. Besides, there are people here who need my help more than anything else right now.”

I hadn’t expected the situation to be this severe. Time spent standing here felt wasted. I shook off Dante and ran toward the groaning people. At this moment, it didn’t matter if Illyae was the Saintess or not. If her power could help heal these people, that was what truly mattered.

“Chloe,” Dante’s voice grew distant.

<b>* * *</b>

Just as Dante was about to chase after Chloe, a carriage from Petros arrived. Upon witnessing the scene, they had requested relief supplies from Petros instead of the distant Imperial City.

“My goodness,” a soft sigh was heard.

“Grandmother.”

“What on earth is happening here? I brought everything I could, but I’m not sure it’s enough.”

“If it’s not, please find more supplies from nearby.”

“Yes, we’ll handle that. Chloe is here, too?”

Mrs. Lestro murmured disapprovingly, “What help can she offer in that state?”

“Please find shoes that Chloe can wear comfortably.”

Mrs. Lestro furrowed her brows, understanding the implication. She sighed, her expression showing she had much to say.

Now wasn’t the time to worry about such things. Werner, who had spotted Mrs. Lestro from across the way, gave a sly smile.

“That boy is getting more and more insolent. You shouldn’t get too involved with him,” Mrs. Lestro said, her gaze shifting from Werner to Illyae beside him. Illyae greeted Mrs. Lestro with a cheerful smile and a light bow.

Mrs. Lestro’s eyebrow twitched. She had encountered Illyae several times due to her active social life. Originally, she had no particular feelings about Illyae, but now something was different. She couldn’t shake the conviction that Illyae’s charm was built on Chloe’s sacrifices. Mrs. Lestro turned away coldly.

“I’ll send more servants soon.”

“Yes, Grandmother.”

Illyae’s smile faded as Mrs. Lestro ignored her.

<b>* * *</b>

Illyae pouted. While it was true that a major event had occurred, the outcome she desired wasn’t fully achieved. Dante ran to Chloe, and Mrs. Lestro ignoring her stung.

‘Is this still not enough?’ she thought, despite so many people suffering around her.

“Annoying,” Illyae muttered under her breath, turning away sharply.

“What’s annoying?” Werner asked, catching her off guard.

“Oh, me?” Illyae’s eyes widened in surprise at Werner’s question.

Illyae tilted her head as if she hadn’t said anything. “You must have misheard. It’s noisy here…”

Her lovely curls bounced with every movement. Still, there was one clear benefit: spending time with Werner.

“Let’s go over there. There’s a patient with severe burns. The doctor said their airway is blocked.”

“Oh! Let’s hurry!” Illyae intentionally rushed, making sure her movements were noticeable to Werner.

“Your Highness, which way?”

“To the right. Are you rushing without even knowing the way?”

“Ahaha, I made a mistake,” Illyae said, blushing.

Werner watched Illyae curiously. As he looked around, his eyes landed on someone else—Chloe Tyrannia, based on Dante’s earlier interaction. Unlike the spring-like Illyae, Chloe was more like a delicate winter flower. While everyone else focused on Illyae, Chloe worked quietly in the background, a figure of muted colors.

Sensing his attention, Chloe looked up slightly. No, it was Dante standing in front of her, holding something. Though the distance prevented him from hearing their conversation, it didn’t seem significant. Yet Chloe smiled brightly, as if she had received a precious treasure. At that moment, the muted woman bloomed vibrantly.

Werner looked back and forth between Illyae and Chloe. They were as different as night and day, standing at perfect opposites. But now, his attention was drawn to Chloe, not Illyae.

Werner chuckled to himself. He had thought Dante lived like a monk due to his lack of interest in women. But that wasn’t the case—Dante’s standards were just exceedingly high.