After entrusting Calyx to the orphanage, Rayna spent each day full of anxiety. There was so much to worry about. She had to deal with Jonathan, who bombarded her with questions after returning alone, and then–when she thought she finally had time to breathe after her brother left–she had to deal with the count and countess.

Rayna’s decision to stay at the orphanage and oversee its operations puzzled the count and countess. Rayna had to come up with excuses to alleviate the lingering awkwardness that followed after Jonathan left. Only then could she go to see Calyx.

Maya opposed leaving immediately because of the rainy weather, but Rayna was adamant.

‘I already received a report from Olivia about how Calyx is doing.’ Rayna was concerned about his health, especially since Calyx had fallen seriously ill shortly after meeting the female lead in the original.

Hurrying to the orphanage, Rayna ended up soaked, as Maya feared.

“Miss Rayna, I’ll prepare warm water for you first,” Olivia said, taking Rayna’s wet coat and leaving the room for a moment. In the meantime, Rayna saw a child coming down the stairs, wrapped in a blanket.

‘What are they doing?’

When the child, whose gait seemed unstable, eventually curled forward, Rayna moved her body reflexively.

‘It’s dangerous!’ After barely catching the child, Rayna realized that it was Calyx.

“N-no…!” Calyx struggled, muttering incomprehensible words, but suddenly stopped moving.

“Calyx?”

Rayna’s expression became serious as she shook his shoulders. Calyx’ body was abnormally hot as if he had turned into a fireball.

Flustered, Rayna embraced the burning Calyx.

“Miss Rayna?”

Olivia, who had returned, looked surprised.

“What is going on? Why is Calyx…”

Olivia unintentionally started to make a fuss, but quickly closed her mouth. The two of them quietly headed toward Calyx’ room.

“Bill?” Olivia opened the door to Calyx’ room, and her eyes widened.

Bill had tried to hide under the bed, but he was a step too late.

“Why are you here?” Olivia asked as she pulled Bill to his feet.

“Well…” Bill slurred his words but closed his mouth when he saw Rayna.

‘The witch!’ Bill internally panicked.

The children at the orphanage often called Rayna a witch when she visited. She was a fearsome woman who glared fiercely whenever the children got too close.

“Olivia.”

Just as Bill thought, her voice when she spoke was cold and witch-like.

“Bring cold water and a towel.”

“Yes, understood. Bill! Come with me.”

As Olivia left with Bill, Rayna finally released the air she had been holding. Why was that child in Calyx’ room?

‘Did he see Calyx?’ Rayna began to feel impatient, but at the moment, Calyx was the priority.

After laying him on the bed, she checked if he had completely lost consciousness. Soon, he curled up on the bed, embracing himself with both arms. Each time he exhaled, his frail body trembled.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Rayna placed her hand on his forehead once again just to be sure. His forehead was burning like fire.

‘I should ask for some herbs to reduce the fever.’ Just as she removed her hand from his forehead and stood up,

“Do…”

Calyx struggled to open his mouth.

“Don’t go, please.”

“. . .”

Maybe because of the fever, the child’s eyes seemed unfocused as he gazed at Rayna. Calyx’ pupils seemed even more red.

“I’ll get better after some rest.”

“. . .”

“It’s true. I’m not lying. So…”

Calyx’ voice was earnest as he was desperately clinging to Rayna. After a moment of hesitation, Rayna sat down beside him.

“I won’t leave.”

“. . .”

“I won’t go anywhere.”

Calyx let out a small sigh of relief. His eyelids blinked heavily, and soon his eyes closed.

Rayna cautiously reached out and brushed Calyx’ cheek. She wiped his sweat-drenched hair, and she cooled the heat of his cheeks with the back of her hand.

Whether it was due to her chilled hands soaked in rain or just her presence, Calyx’ expression relaxed.

His rough breathing turned into steady, rhythmic breaths.

‘Calyx… must have endured this alone for a long time.’

Rayna looked at Calyx, who clung to himself as if he were the only person he could rely on.

‘Let’s change your position to make you more comfortable.’

Rayna gently moved Calyx’ position and covered him with the blanket just enough so that he wouldn’t feel stifled. Then, she reached under the blanket and took his hand.

Calyx’ fingers twitched slightly before slowly intertwining with hers. It seemed like an unconscious action, but his grip was strong—an instinctive seeking of something to rely on.

‘How nice it would be if I had healing powers.’ Healing powers were abilities possessed by priests in the temple and used to cure people. However, the power of the priests had weakened over time, and no one was born with divine powers.

Rayna let out a small sigh but then furrowed her brows as she noticed something strange.

Calyx’ once clean collar now appeared dirty, as if he had rolled in the mud. Perplexed, she lifted the blanket.

His top and bottom were covered in black dirt. The black mud seemed to have seeped into his belly and chest, spreading gradually as if it were crawling.

Rayna examined the blanket, finding it clean both inside and out.

‘Where did this come from?’ she wondered as she cautiously reached out to Calyx’ clothes. As her fingertips brushed away the mud, something peculiar happened.

The black particles that seemed like mud vanished into thin air when her hand touched them.

‘I don’t know what this is, but I need to get rid of it quickly.’

Feeling a chill, Rayna began to brush off Calyx’ clothes with her hands. She didn’t need to exert much force; a simple wave of her hand caused the mud to dissipate like smoke.

Throughout Rayna’s efforts, Calyx remained undisturbed in his sleep.

Finally, as the unpleasant stains disappeared and Calyx’ clothes became clean, Rayna sighed in relief.

‘What on earth was that?’

As she pondered, she heard.

“Miss Rayna, the things you asked for–”

Olivia couldn’t finish her sentence. She hastily placed the tray with the items on the floor, as she started coughing suddenly.

“Cough! Cough!”

“Olivia, are you okay?”

“Don’t say anything!”

Olivia urgently covered her nose and mouth with her forearm, heading toward the window. Swiftly opening it, she desperately took in the cold air and raindrops entering the room.

“Miss Rayna, are you–cough, cough–okay?” After managing to stifle her cough, Olivia looked at Rayna.

“The air is so stuffy and humid. It’s not suitable for anyone, especially for someone with weak lungs.”

Rayna wore a puzzled expression.

‘The air is stuffy?’

If there were issues in the room bad enough to cause such intense coughing, Rayna should have been affected as well.

However, she felt perfectly fine. Olivia, perplexed, looked around the room.

“This is strange. I’m sure…” Muttering to herself, Olivia surveyed the room with a frown.

The murky air that had filled the room until a moment ago seemed to have vanished completely, perhaps due to the opening of the window.

Feeling a sense of relief, Olivia picked up the tray she had left aside.

While Olivia dampened a towel with cold water, Rayna placed her hand on Calyx’ forehead.

“Is Calyx in a bad condition?”

Olivia asked as she squeezed water out of the towel, but Rayna didn’t respond.

“Miss Rayna?”

Rayna slowly opened her mouth, her gaze fixed on Calyx.

“His fever has gone down.”

“What?”

“It was unbelievably high, but…”

Muttering, Rayna placed her hand on Calyx’ cheek and neck. His once fiery-hot body was now lukewarm.

Rayna withdrew her hand from Calyx and looked at her own hand, lost in thought.

* * *

On the next day, the skies cleared. Maya arrived at the orphanage with Rayna’s luggage.

Maya quietly observed the orphanage where Rayna was staying. Compared to the Krollot Mansion, it looked modest.

‘But she always seems to struggle at the mansion.’

While serving as Rayna’s personal maid, Maya had realized that Rayna was an outsider in the Krollot family, someone who could never fit in with them.

Regardless of what others said, in Maya’s eyes, Rayna was simply a kind and gentle young lady. She worried that others would take advantage of her lady’s kindness and cause her pain.

‘However, I never expected her to be in such a hurry because of that boy.’ Maya recalled Rayna leaving without hesitation, without a thought for the heavy rain.

Even today, Rayna had an appointment in the capital.

‘It would have been more convenient to finish the business in the capital and then go to the orphanage.’

Although Rayna knew this, she couldn’t delay her visit, and went to see the boy.

‘Why does the young lady want to help a boy she just met, and so secretly?’

Maya was concerned about all of this, but as if she were a knight, she knew she had to follow her master’s orders silently. Despite becoming a maid due to the fall of her family, she hadn’t lost the values and soul of a knight.

After settling her mind, Maya, along with Olivia, headed to Calyx’ room.

Rayna sat beside the bed, watching Calyx, who had fallen asleep again.

“Is the kid sick?”

Maya asked, and Olivia waved her hands in response.

“Ugh, don’t even ask. He had a high fever last night. Fortunately, Miss Rayna was on time to catch him as Calyx tumbled down the stairs.”

Maya’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘Fortunate, indeed. It’s as if she knew the child would get sick in advance.’

“His fever seems to have subsided now,” Rayna said, standing up.

“Olivia, I’ll leave Calyx in your care. Let him sleep soundly; don’t wake him forcibly. And…”

“If it’s about Bill, don’t worry. I’ll keep a close eye on him and make sure he keeps his mouth shut.”

Rayna nodded and looked at Maya.

“Let’s go now.”

Maya followed Rayna out, casting a glance at Calyx and Olivia as she left.

Her sharp instincts warned her:

Something unusual was happening because of that boy.