Eschica relaxed her tensed expression in surprise.

Was it because the itch was agonizing?

She herself felt increasingly irritable day by day.

However, her anger surged up shortly after.

“These quacks! Taking so much money yet unable to cure, and light-tongued as feathers.”

Heat rose to the top of her head, but Eschica endured.

Because she had realized from experience that the itch worsened as her body temperature rose.

She took deep breaths, trying to suppress the risen anger.

“Princess?”

A maid standing beyond the door opened her mouth, watching Eschica.

“What is it?”

“Well, a letter has arrived from Solty.”

“Really? Give it to me quickly.”

Eschica tore open the sealing wax that bore the emblem of the Solty royal family.

She felt the maid’s gaze on her and said,

“Leave for now.”

“Yes, Princess.”

As the maid bowed and left the bedroom, Eschica quickly checked the contents.

“……!”

Her face turned to shock as she skimmed through the letter.

The heirloom of the Solty royal family that Princess Adria had was not a ring, but an earring.

“……What should I do?”

Eschica finally realized she had fallen for Luneb’s leading questions.

And she had seized the ring without knowing…

Eschica licked her dry lips, her brow furrowed at a sudden thought.

‘Hold on? But how does Luneb know about the heirloom of the Solty royal family?’

It was definitely strange.

It was then that Eschica was thinking to that extent.

“Princess. I have brought the ice.”

The flow of her thoughts was abruptly cut off by the maid’s entrance.

Since alleviating the itch was urgent, Eschica ceased thinking and rubbed her sore parts with the ice.

When the sensation of her skin went numb, she felt somewhat alive.

A gloved hand of a maid entered Eschica’s view as she was rolling ice over her body.

In an instant, Eschica’s discomfort soared.

“You don’t actually think I’m contagious and are wearing those gloves, do you?”

“No, not at all, Princess! That’s not it……”

The maid shook her head vehemently in denial.

Eschica spoke coldly.

“Then take them off.”

The maid hesitated and moistened her lips.

“If you won’t remove them, I will.”

“Pr-, Princess!”

Eschica forcibly removed the maid’s gloves.

The maid’s hand was discolored.

“Your hand, why is it like this?”

Upon Eschica’s sharp query, the terrified maid backed away.

“Well, that’s……”

Frustration rose from the maid’s non-answer.

However, Eschica suppressed her rising anger and gently asked,

“No need to be scared. Since when has this been?”

Finally, the maid answered with a sob.

“I think it’s been since the evening of the day you visited Count Zalts.”

“……I see? Roll up your sleeve.”

As the maid slowly rolled her sleeve, her arm revealed red rashes.

“Princess, do you think I’ve caught the contagious disease too?”

Eschica shook her head immediately.

“That can’t be. Isn’t it strange for only you and me to get sick while living together?”

If the symptoms showing in both were contagious, another maid living with them should have caught it too.

But the other maid’s skin was perfectly fine when she assisted with Eschica’s bath that morning.

‘Among three people, two have rashes while one, living in the same space, is fine. What’s the reason?’

Eschica pondered about that reason all day long.

While engrossed in deep thought, she could momentarily forget about the itch.

And she found a clue for the question that seemed unresolvable, in an unexpected place.

“Princess, a gift has arrived for you.”

A maid came pushing a trolley into the living room. Eschica, who was quietly observing her, knitted her brows.
The number of gifts coming in from the nobles had noticeably decreased.

‘Acting as if they’d take the skin off my back at any moment.’

The nobles’ attitude, which changed as quickly as flipping the palm of a hand the moment rumors about an epidemic spread, was disdainful.

Tsk, Eshika, approaching the trolley, suddenly opened her eyes wide at a sudden thought.

“……!”

“Princess, what’s wrong?”

“Is there any rumor floating around regarding the health of the Paradigm guests?”

“Huh? I haven’t heard anything… Why, Princess?”

At the maid’s response, a hollow laugh burst forth from Eshika’s lips.

“Ha……”

Soon, seeing Eshika who only laughed pointlessly, the maid cautiously backed away.

“……Um, Princess?”

“I’m not crazy.”

Eshika, who glanced sideways at the maid, erased her smile and said,

“Organize the list of gifts that have been sent to me.”

At Eshika’s suddenly serious expression, the maid seemed relieved and asked,

“All the gifts received so far?”

Eshika was about to nod, but soon changed her mind.

“No. Only those around the time Count Zaltz visited me.”

“Ye-yes……?”

The maid asked again, tilting her head, but Eshika didn’t even glance at her and shouted,

“Now, immediately!”

“Yes, yes! Princess.”

The afternoon sun pouring through the large windows brightly lit up the reception room.

Reneb was sitting alone, playing chess in front of it.