Sharti was bustling around the village.
Unlike the first day, no one blocked her path. Rather, the people of Ashu’s village followed behind her, discreetly helping her with whatever she intended to do, replacing their earlier suspicious glances with assistance.
It was all thanks to Ashu’s father, the village chief, who had formally announced he would respect Sharti as a doctor.
[I trust you’ll do well.]
[I’m sorry. And thank you.]
After being startled by the sudden reappearance of the village officials, the chief had abruptly changed his attitude.
He explained the situation to the frozen Sharti.
‘I didn’t realize it was a test.’
In fact, when Sharti had been called alone to that place, the village officials had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation from behind a wall.
Ashu’s grandfather’s talk about responsibility and demanding an equal secret in return was also part of the test. They wanted to be certain whether it was worth living—whether they could live—by accepting help from an outsider and taking such risks.
However, they couldn’t help but be astonished by the unexpected situation.
‘My identity turns out to be helpful in all sorts of ways.’
Sharti had revealed her great secret, virtually a weakness, to gain their trust. All to prove her simple desire to help people she barely knew.
Seeing Sharti make such a foolishly innocent choice yet remain unwavering, they changed their minds.
With certainty instead of doubt, with hope instead of resignation, they took the risk and listened to Sharti’s proposal.
[…What? Mercenaries?]
[But, surely they wouldn’t leave us alone if we did that.]
[Hmm, no. The doctor has a point. If we do that, they won’t be able to touch our village carelessly.]
At first, Sharti thought the situation could be resolved just by convincing them to interact with the village at the foot of the mountain or with the outside world, but upon learning the secret of the “rebellion resources,” she drastically revised her plans and methods.
The best solution she came up with was both rough and plausible, reckless yet feasible, seemingly fantastical yet quite realistic.
‘I’m fortunate to have picked up bits and pieces from Grandmother Vireta.’
Though she had talent as a doctor, she wasn’t clever enough to devise complex schemes.
She merely had the intuition, miscellaneous knowledge, and crisis management skills acquired from desperately struggling to survive all these years.
She wanted, above all, to prevent being unjustly killed after being used by others.
As if her firm resolve had been conveyed, the people of Ashu’s village offered no resistance even after learning the facts about the mana poisoning, its solution, and the plans going forward.
<Ren! Everything’s been resolved well! Although I had to change some of the plans and methods, still!>
So Sharti was able to reassure Ren every time he returned to the village, confirming her safety.
‘When Ren returns, I should tell him it was all thanks to him, and thank him.’
Having the courage to remove her hood, being able to calmly reveal her five-year-old secret, being able to use her voice—all of it was possible because of Ren’s influence.
If Vireta found out, she would scold her for being too bold.
Having overcome the major problem, Sharti could now focus on the patients with some peace of mind.
‘I need to first address the issue of the patients’ severely depleted strength.’
Sharti busily worked her hands, grinding medicinal herbs.
Before she knew it, people had gathered around her, sitting together and helping grind the herbs.
They were particularly friendly, likely because they were the families of those who had collapsed from mana poisoning.
“Doctor, what herbs would be needed for those who haven’t yet developed spots?”
<Brewing this would be good. It helps with vitality.>
In truth, prescribing something to take before symptoms appeared wasn’t particularly helpful.
‘The best preventive measure would be to regularly spend increasing amounts of time away from the village, but…’
Given the hidden nature of the village, this was difficult, and particularly for Ashu’s village, with its many secret entanglements, suddenly increasing the frequency of outings was realistically challenging.
Sharti recalled her conversation with the village chief.
[Our village doctor was actually stationed in the village as that nobleman’s agent and contact person.]
[He was the first to leave the village as soon as people started collapsing one after another, saying he would report it.]
The doctor of this village, who didn’t appear despite the commotion.
He was a watchman planted by the noble house with the scorpion emblem.
‘It seems they hurried upon receiving reports that something was wrong with their rebellion resources.’
However, that Marquis, upon receiving the report, wouldn’t particularly try to resolve or control the disease spreading in the village.
‘He’ll only come after confirming that everyone here has collapsed and died from mana poisoning. Then he’ll have to set up a new hidden village.’
The people of Ashu’s village were merely tools for concealing the rebellion resources.
Knowing this, the village chief and officials had given up early on.
Don’t struggle. Just quietly submit to death. If you upset them, you’ll die horribly.
“Doctor—”
Just then, the village chief came looking for her.
“We sent someone to the village you mentioned, but I’m not sure if it will work out.”
The chief was still filled with worry, seemingly uncertain whether the person who received the message would arrive in time.
<You sent my note along with that gold medallion, right?>
The chief nodded.
For him, it had been a difficult decision to send the village’s secret, which should be hidden like life itself, to the outside.
<Then they’ll come quickly.>
Sharti was confident.
The chief, too, tried to shake off his anxiety in the face of Sharti’s firm belief.
At that time, the chief couldn’t have imagined.
That two days later, he would tremble for a somewhat different reason at the sight that would unfold.
As the sky gradually began to darken, Ren and Ashu returned to the village.
“Doctor!”
Ashu, revealing his overwhelming emotions, strode toward her.
As Sharti stepped back in surprise at the suddenly reduced distance, Ashu bowed deeply.
“Really, truly, how, so much… thank you.”
Having been disappointed by the village elders just that morning, his emotional change seemed significant.
“I’m so glad I met you then. I’m glad I had the courage to speak to you both then and now.”
Behind Ashu’s smiling face, Sharti saw a large silhouette.
‘Ren?’
Ren, whom she had expected to come to her side before Ashu, stood frozen a little distance away. The expression visible between his naturally loosened bandages looked unusual.
As Sharti narrowed her eyes at this unfamiliar gaze, something suddenly appeared in her field of vision.
“…!”
Sharti was startled, having been mentally focused on Ren, and he too flinched in response as he had been watching her.
“Would you accept this?”
Looking closer, Ashu was holding out a flower to her with trembling hands.
It was a flower with short pink petals clustered densely.
“It’s a flower I like, and it’s also used as a medicinal herb. I found it on the way to the village. I thought of you, so I brought it.”
Ashu, with reddened eyes, glanced at Sharti and extended his hand a little more.
When Sharti accepted the flower, Ashu’s face brightened.
“……”
No one noticed Ren’s expression gradually sinking as he silently observed the scene.
“This flower has the meaning ‘I adore you,’ but when it blooms in winter and the petals shorten, the meaning changes.”
Ashu took courage and stepped closer. Then he formed a shape in the air around Sharti’s hand holding the flower, as if enclosing it.
He still lacked the courage to actually touch her.
Ashu whispered, looking down.
“‘I want to hold your hand.'”
“…!”
Ashu smiled shyly and quickly stepped back again.
“That’s the flower meaning I like.”
His voice trembled slightly at the end. Avoiding Sharti’s gaze, Ashu awkwardly rubbed his cheek.
A somewhat awkward air settled between the two.
Then Ashu, gathering his final courage, tightly closed his eyes.
“I, I! Doctor. If it’s not too presumptuous, your ideal—”
“Ashu! The elder is looking for you!”
Ashu turned his head with a bewildered look.
After moving his lips slightly, Ashu swallowed a sigh and shouted:
“I’ll be right there!”
Ashu bowed to Sharti and left, clearly reluctant.
After staring at the flower for a while, Sharti looked up. And even before Ashu had disappeared from her sight, she strode forward.
Sharti, who had been about to acknowledge him with a gesture, changed her mind and called out to him softly.
“…Ren!”
“……”
But Ren still stood motionless, not moving at all.
Sharti rushed over to him.
“…Are you in pain?”
Ren looked gloomy, as if he had much to say.
Somehow, his mood seemed low.
Sharti tilted her head. Hadn’t he shown various expressions earlier in the day, as soon as he confirmed she was safe?
“If you’re tired, you can go in and rest.”
He must have been exhausted after carrying heavy provisions up the mountain for half a day. Having visited several villages, he must have accumulated fatigue and gone through hardships.
Sharti looked at Ren with apologetic and sympathetic expressions.
‘With bandages covering even his face, he must have felt uncomfortable.’
As she raised her hand holding the flower to properly loosen his bandage, Ren turned his head away sharply.
This caused the bandage to slip to the ground.
“……”
Ren had avoided her touch.
Feeling as if she had been rejected, Sharti experienced a small shock. The momentary pain spreading in her chest made Sharti awkwardly withdraw her hand.
“—Wait!”
“…!”
Her empty hand was caught by a large one.
When Sharti reflexively looked up, she saw the teal eyes that had been avoiding her.
“Sha, I, I’m sorry. Just now, that was my fault!”
Ren immediately admitted his mistake with an anxious face. Frowning and inhaling with a mix of irritation, he appeared regretful.
Only then did the familiar emotions surface.
Feeling a strange relief, Sharti relaxed her body. But suddenly, feeling resentment welling up in her chest, Sharti lowered her head and bit her lip firmly.
“What did you do wrong?”
Sharti muttered accusingly without looking at Ren.
Such a trivial matter that could be brushed aside as nothing.
Ren, too, seemed at a loss for words.
“If you’re tired, rest early today.”
As Sharti tried to turn around abruptly, she couldn’t move because Ren was still firmly holding her hand.
As she struggled to free her hand, Ren opened his mouth with a gloomy face.
“Didn’t we agree that you would speak informally to me?”
“…What?”
“Is it so difficult for you to speak informally to me? …Do you dislike it?”
“No, what…”
Confused by the sudden topic, Sharti looked up at Ren.
His eyes were full of genuine hurt feelings.
Faced with sincere disappointment, Sharti blinked rapidly.
‘Ah… With the watchful eyes gone, did I let my guard down?’
It was inevitable that the formal speech she had been using would be more comfortable than the briefly practiced informal speech.
Sharti quickly reflected on this.
“But you also don’t use formal speech!”
However, contrary to her thoughts, her mouth expressed indignation, as if arguing about who was at fault.
Ren, who had the same reason as Sharti, again found himself at a loss for words and rolled his eyes around.
“…As I said before, speaking informally brings people closer and makes both parties feel much more comfortable. So, uh…”
Sharti’s eyes narrowed as she watched Ren rambling.
Eventually, Ren let out a deep sigh.
The more he tried to excuse himself, the worse it seemed.
Ren looked at Sharti with complicated eyes, perhaps filled with self-reproach.
“I’m sorry, Sha.”
“So what exactly…”
“I crossed the line without knowing the limits. So, um…”
Ren looked down at the flower Sharti was holding.
Then he raised his gaze and gave her a bitter smile.
“It’s jealousy.”
“…?”
“I shamefully threw a tantrum at you just because of mere jealousy.”
Sharti’s lips parted slightly.
