Louis always arrived about 5 minutes later than the promised time. But he never was later than that. It was a behavior that reminded him of his late mother. It was in his blood to adopt habits he’d never been taught.

“Big brother.”

Judging by the more resolute tone of the voice calling him today, it wasn’t a casual visit. Saying something after merely having the pre-dinner snack indicated an urgent reason.

“Yes, Louis.”

Carson looked at his younger brother, who had grown considerably in two years, with a gentle gaze. Now eleven, Louis had developed a youthful look.

“I’m very sick.”

Still, his younger brother had a talent for leaving him speechless. Louis had gone from being a tearful child to a reticent one and now had grown into a girl whose inner world was inscrutable.

She was much like a cat that was always hovering around yet never really sticking close. A small, cute cat with shiny black fur and golden eyes.

“Can you tell me how and where you are sick?”

There were continuous reports about Louis. He hadn’t heard that the child was sick lately.

“It’s my heart.”

“Heart?”

“Yes, my heart or my mind is very sick. I often feel depressed and sad.”

Up until now, the Caines Empire had a lack of awareness about mental illness. When people saw someone who was not sane, they often said that an evil demon was controlling them or that a soul burdened with sins had possessed them.

Naturally, the reality was that people did not understand unexplained depression. But recently, the medical community had begun to view depression and sadness as diseases of the mind, often rooted in past experiences or wounds.

“I see. That could happen.”

Louis’s heartache became the foot of guilt for Carson. The child calmly piled on layers of guilt in Carson’s heart.

“It’s a lot harder than you think. I’m having trouble sleeping at night.”

“I see.”

“From what I’ve heard…”

Louis was carefully choosing her words internally. Carson waited silently for her to speak.

“Children with mental illnesses often develop physical illnesses later on.”

“Who told you that?”

“Doctor Hudson.”

Hudson was the physician for the lord’s family and naturally the most capable doctor in this territory. But right at this moment, Carson began to seriously contemplate what to do with this capable doctor.

“Of course that’s possible, but there are many cases where it’s not. So don’t worry too much.”

“But we can’t just leave it be.”

Upon hearing the word ‘leave it,’ Carson decided to expel Hudson from the estate. Louis didn’t have the vocabulary to use that word appropriately. Clearly, she must have heard it from him.

“Right, I won’t neglect you like that.”

Louis let out a small sigh as if she were frustrated. Then she cast a firm gaze.

“For children who are suffering from physical or mental illnesses, I heard that the temple sends priests and maids. Because both prayer and treatment are necessary.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected statement, Carson was at a loss for words.

“But that’s only possible if you donate a lot of money, I heard.”

“Where did you hear that?”

Fidgeting with the water glass in front of her for no reason, Louis answered in a small voice.

“From Emma.”

“Emma?”

As he turned sharply, Emma, holding an empty pitcher as if remembering an urgent matter, hastily moved.

“So I asked Doctor Hudson. Whether feeling depressed and sad could also be considered a mental illness.”

Only then did he realize that all this talk had originated not from Hudson, but from Emma.

“The doctor said that the priests and maids from the Edmont temple are the most capable.”

Carson covered his mouth with his large hand. Even he had difficulty judging what expression he was making.
Hudson, who had almost lost his job moments ago, was certain that he had secured his livelihood. He was also about to find out that his research funds had doubled without his knowledge.

“Do you, by any chance, wish to make a generous donation to the Goddess Heklecia? If not, are you willing to do so now?”

Carson chuckled briefly. There were indeed many in Landhill’s castle who wished for Ines to return.

“Louis, I have already made significant donations to the Goddess Heklecia, through the Edmont temple.”

Upon hearing this, the child’s face lit up instantly.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, our Louis is hurting, it would be comforting to have someone reliable around.”

“Of course.”

“I will soon send a letter to the temple.”

Louis turned his head and looked towards the door. Emma was still standing there holding an empty teapot. The two exchanged a knowing smile, hardly the smile of a hurting child.

Three days after Carson summoned a priest and a maid from Edmont, a letter arrived from the empress in the capital. The letter expressed her wish to meet him as soon as possible.

Carson examined the envelope from the royal family. Official letters from the empress should bear two seals: one of the royal emblem and one of her own. However, this letter came through an unofficial route, bearing only the empress’s seal.