The maids of Valier had, naturally, all been quarantined.

Faced with no other choice, since leaving her alone was unthinkable even in confinement, Henri decided to recruit maids for Valier’s service.

He extended an invitation to anyone who wished to live in the palace, regardless of their background, but no one applied.

The same was true for the maids.

Naturally, no one wanted to serve Valier, who might have been infected with the plague.

Henri reluctantly selected a few maids working in the palace and assigned them to Valier’s quarters, but they all resigned.

Thus, Valier was left unattended for two days, and only food and water were left at her door by the reluctant guards.

In the meantime, Bellest visited Ermedillin with his sister Biella.

“Her Majesty the Empress is not currently in her quarters.”

At the guard’s statement, Bellest suspiciously peered at the door.

“I have something to discuss, so let me see her…”

“She really is not here.”

“Then where is she? Inside the palace?”

The guard grimaced as if the question was truly uncomfortable.

“Why? Is she somewhere you find hard to disclose?”

“She has gone to the quarters of Duke Bellian.”

“Wha? Why?”

“I do not know her purpose for visiting.”

Bellest, pondering the guard’s answer for a moment, decided to go see Valier’s quarters with Biella.

“I’m not going. Why should I go there? I didn’t even want to come here.”

Bellest was already tired from dragging his sulking sister along.

By the time the two siblings reached Valier’s quarters after climbing stairs and turning several corners, they found the back of a strange woman.

The dress the woman wore was not flashy but elegant.

However, she had tied the dress at the knee, rolled up her sleeves, and was climbing the stairs carrying a heavy bucket of water, her hair tightly bound.

If she were carrying a bucket, she must be a maid, but her attire was anything but that of a maid.

Bellest, after watching her back with a puzzled expression, recognized the woman as Ermedillin and immediately ran toward her.

“Your Majesty! What are you doing?”

“Hm? Long time no see?”

Ermedillin, with her messy hair, gave Bellest a bright smile.

“What is… what’s going on?”

“I’m on my way to Duke Bellian. I thought he might need some water for bathing.”

“What? There are no maids in the palace? Why would Your Majesty do such… such work?”

At the absurd situation, Bellest turned to Luni, who was also carrying a bucket, and Luni grimaced.

“She’s been doing this for three days now.”

“What? What if you get infected… No, why would Her Majesty do such a dangerous task herself…”

In response to Bellest’s question, Ermedillin started walking again, giving only a bitter smile and no answer.

“I heard the maids had run away, but… How could no one help when Her Majesty is doing such work?”

Bellest looked at Biella as if to ask if she knew anything.

“How many people do you think are on the Empress’s side in the palace? She recently became a little close to her own dedicated maids, but before that, even the maids avoided eye contact with her.”

“Alright, but even if the maids are scared, the Emperor is just watching this absurd spectacle?”

In a society with a rigid class system, the idea of the Empress doing manual labor was not just surprising to Bellest; it seemed like the world had turned upside down.

“Of course, no one would help her since the Emperor must have given some command.”
But Biella merely watched Ermedillin’s retreating figure, who was ambling along, as if she still harbored a lot of negative feelings.

Ermedillin, almost reaching Vallery’s quarters, donned a mask and gloves and knocked on Vallery’s bedroom door.

Then quickly moved away before the door opened.

Slowly, the door opened and Vallery, wearing a luxurious mask, extended both hands to carefully pull in the bucket.

Bellest waited at a distance, thinking that it must be done by now, but Ermedillin stood in front of the door, waiting for something.

Soon, the door opened again and the bucket was taken out.

Apparently, they had disposed of the used water.

“Could it be… that too…”

Regardless of Bellest’s nauseating feelings, Ermedillin adjusted her mask and pulled up her gloves and carefully lifted the bucket with both hands.

“Your Highness! Please let me carry it! I will carry it!”

Loony, who was restless beside her, tried to take the bucket, but Ermedillin threatened to spill the water.

“I said I’ll do it. The used water is dangerous!”

Even though Vallery had not yet shown symptoms, the water he had used was dangerous due to a disease that spreads through bodily fluids.

Ermedillin didn’t want to involve Loony or Mago unnecessarily in what she had volunteered to do.

Though officially the emperor’s wife, Vallery was immature, having just graduated high school; a fact known only to her.

Though he had promised her the empress’ position, his irritating behavior was puzzling.

On closer thought, the reaction was not completely inexplicable.