Sharti walked busily around the village.

Unlike the first day, no one stopped her. Rather than watching gazes, the people of Ashu’s village followed behind Sharti, discreetly helping with what she was trying to do.

It was all thanks to Ashu’s father, the village chief, who had formally announced that he would respect Sharti as a doctor.

[We’re counting on you.] [I’m sorry. And thank you.]

The sudden reappearance of the village officials startled her for a moment, but then the chief suddenly changed his attitude.

The chief explained the situation to the frozen Sharti.

‘To think it was a test.’

In fact, at the place where Sharti was called alone, the village officials were eavesdropping on all conversations with just a wall between them.

Even Ashu’s grandfather’s talk of responsibility and demanding an equal secret in return was part of the test. It was to gain confidence in whether they could and should live while taking risks with outside help.

However, they couldn’t help but be stunned by the unexpected situation.

‘My identity comes in handy at times.’

Sharti had revealed a big secret, which was almost a weakness, to gain their trust. For the sake of proving her desire to help others she barely knew.

Seeing Sharti make such a foolishly reckless choice without wavering, they changed their minds.

With certainty instead of doubt, with hope instead of giving up, they took the risk and listened to Sharti’s proposal.

[…What? Mercenaries?] [Then, surely they won’t leave us alone.] [Hmm, no. The doctor has a point. If it comes to that, they won’t be able to touch our village carelessly.]

At first, Sharti thought it was a situation that could be resolved just by persuading the village at the foot of the mountain or communicating with the outside, but faced with the secret of ‘rebellion resources’, she drastically revised her plans and methods.

The best solution she came up with was clumsy yet plausible, reckless yet doable, seemingly fanciful but quite realistic.

‘Thankfully, I picked up bits and pieces from Grandma Bireta.’

She had talent as a doctor, but she wasn’t smart enough to devise complex schemes.

She just had the instincts, miscellaneous knowledge, and crisis management skills that came from desperately struggling to survive.

She wanted to at least prevent being unfairly killed by being used by others.

As if Sharti’s firm resolve was conveyed, the people of Ashu’s village didn’t show any resistance even after receiving information about the mana addiction, its solution, and future plans.

So Sharti was able to reassure Ren of her safety when he returned to the village intermittently.

‘When Ren returns, I should tell him it was all thanks to him, and thank him.’

It was all possible because of Ren’s influence that she had the courage to take off her hood, pretend to be calm when revealing the secret from 5 years ago, and be able to speak.

If Bireta found out, she would scold her for being too bold.

After overcoming the big problem, Sharti could focus on the patients with more leisure.

‘I should first solve the problem of the patients’ greatly decreased stamina.’

Sharti busily moved her hands, grinding herbs.

Before she knew it, people had gathered around Sharti, sitting together and grinding herbs.

They were particularly favorable, probably because they were family members of patients who had collapsed from mana addiction.

“Doctor, then what herbs are needed for people who haven’t shown spots yet?”

In fact, if symptoms hadn’t appeared yet, taking any prescription wasn’t very helpful.

‘Gradually increasing the time spent regularly away from the village is the best prevention method, but…’

Given the hidden nature of the village, it was difficult, and for Ashu’s village in particular, it was realistically challenging to suddenly increase the frequency of outings due to various secret interests intertwined.

Sharti recalled her conversation with the village chief.

[Our village doctor was actually staying in the village as a minion and liaison of ‘that’ nobleman.] [As soon as people started collapsing one after another, he left the village first, saying he would report it.]

The village doctor who didn’t appear even during the village’s commotion.

He was a watchman planted by the noble family with the scorpion emblem.

‘It seems they hurried urgently as there was a problem with the rebellion resources.’

However, even after receiving the report, ‘that’ marquis wouldn’t try to clean up or control the disease spread in the village.

‘He’ll only come after confirming that everyone here has died from mana addiction. Because he’ll have to set up a new hidden village.’

The people of Ashu’s village were merely tools for concealing the rebellion resources without being discovered.

Knowing this, the village chief and officials had already given up.

Don’t struggle. Let’s just quietly submit to death as it is. If we go against his will, we’ll die horribly.

“Doctor-.”

At that moment, the village chief came looking for her.

“We sent someone to the village you told us about, but I’m not sure if it will be alright.”

The village chief still looked worried, as if unsure whether the person who received the message would come in time.

The village chief nodded.

It was a difficult decision for him to send out the village’s secret that should be hidden like life itself.

Sharti was certain.

The village chief also tried to shake off his anxiety at Sharti’s firm belief.

At this point, the village chief couldn’t even imagine.

That two days later, he would tremble for a slightly different reason at the sight that unfolded.

Just as the sky began to gradually turn a deep color, Ren and Ashu returned to the village.

“Doctor!”

Ashu, revealing his overwhelming emotions, approached with big strides.

Sharti stumbled back, flustered by the suddenly shortened distance, as Ashu bowed deeply.

“Really, truly, how, so… thank you.”

He seemed to have a big emotional change, having persuaded the village elders he had been disappointed with until just that morning.

“I’m glad I met you then. I’m glad I had the courage to speak to you, both then and now.”

Beyond the smiling Ashu, a large figure was visible.

‘Ren?’

Ren, who she thought would come to her side before Ashu, had stopped a little distance away and was standing still. The expression visible through the naturally loosened bandages looked unusual.

As Sharti narrowed her eyes at the unfamiliar gaze, something suddenly appeared in her view.

“…!”

Sharti, who had been distracted by Ren, startled, and Ren, who had been watching her, also flinched.

“Would you like to receive this?”

Looking closely, Ashu was holding out a flower to her with trembling hands.

It was a flower with short pink petals dotted all over.

“It’s a flower I like, and it’s also used as an herb. I found it on the way to the village. I, I thought of you and brought it.”

Ashu, with reddened eyes, glanced at Sharti and extended his hand a little more.

As Sharti received the flower, Ashu’s face brightened.

“…”

No one saw Ren’s expression gradually sinking as he silently took in the scene.

“This flower has the flower language ‘My beloved one’, but when it blooms in winter and the petals shorten, the meaning changes.”

Ashu took courage and stepped closer. Then he made a shape in the air with his hands as if enveloping Sharti’s hand holding the flower.

He still lacked the courage to touch her.

Ashu whispered with his gaze lowered.

“‘I want to hold your hand.'”

“…!”

Ashu smiled shyly and quickly stepped back.

“It’s my favorite flower language.”

The end of his words trembled slightly. Ashu, avoiding Sharti’s gaze, awkwardly rubbed his cheek.

A slightly awkward air settled between the two.

Then Ashu, mustering his last bit of courage, squeezed his eyes shut.

“Um, Doctor! If it’s not too rude, your ideal…”

“Ashu! The elder is looking for you!”

Ashu turned his head with a dazed look.

Ashu, who had been moving his lips, swallowed a sigh and shouted.

“I’ll be right there!”

Ashu bowed to Sharti and left, trailing reluctance.

Sharti, who had been staring at the flower for a while, raised her gaze. And before Ashu’s figure disappeared from view, she took a big step forward.

Sharti, who was about to gesture to him, changed her mind and called out to him softly.

“…Ren!”

“…”

However, Ren still stood motionless.

Sharti approached him almost at a run.

“…Are you hurt somewhere?”

Ren looked depressed, with a face that seemed to have a lot to say.

Somehow his mood seemed low.

Sharti tilted her head. Hadn’t he shown various expressions as soon as he confirmed her safety during the day?

“If you’re tired, you can go in and rest.”

He must have been exhausted after carrying heavy food supplies up the mountain all afternoon. He must have been tired and had a hard time after visiting several villages.

Sharti looked at Ren with an apologetic and sympathetic expression.

‘It must have been stuffy with bandages covering even your face.’

As she raised her hand holding the flower to properly unwrap his bandages, Ren turned his head abruptly.

The bandages fell to the ground with a soft rustle.

“…”

Ren had avoided her touch.

Sharti was slightly shocked, feeling as if she had been rejected. At the sudden dull pain spreading in her chest, Sharti awkwardly withdrew her hand.

“- Wait!”

“…!”

Her empty hand was caught in a large one.

When Sharti reflexively looked up, she saw the blue-green eyes that had been avoiding her.

“Sha, I, I’m sorry. Just now, I was wrong!”

Ren immediately admitted his mistake with an anxious face. His frowning expression and irritated breath seemed regretful.

Only then did familiar emotions surface.

Feeling a strange relief, Sharti relaxed her body. Then, suddenly feeling hurt welling up in her chest, Sharti lowered her head and bit her lip firmly.

“What did you do wrong?”

Sharti muttered as if snapping, not even looking at Ren.

It was a trivial matter that could be overlooked as if nothing had happened.

Ren also seemed at a loss for words.

“If you’re tired, rest early today.”

As Sharti tried to turn away abruptly, she couldn’t move because Ren was still holding her hand firmly.

As she whined and shook her hand, Ren opened his mouth with a gloomy face.

“Didn’t we agree that you would speak casually to me?”

“…What?”

“Is it that difficult for you to speak casually to me? …Do you dislike it?”

“No, what…”

At the sudden topic, Sharti looked up at Ren in confusion.

From his eyes, a strong sense of hurt emanated.

At the sincere hurt, Sharti blinked her eyes quickly.

‘Ah… Did I let my guard down because the watchful gazes disappeared?’

It was inevitable that the formal speech she had been using was more comfortable than the briefly practiced casual speech.

Sharti quickly reflected.

“But you don’t use formal speech either!”

However, contrary to her thoughts, her mouth spouted out grievances as if comparing their faults.

Ren, who had the same reason as Sharti, was again at a loss for words and rolled his eyes around.

“…As I said before, speaking casually makes us feel much more comfortable by narrowing the distance between us. So, um…”

Sharti’s eyes gradually narrowed as she watched Ren rambling.

Finally, Ren let out a deep sigh.

The more he tried to excuse himself, the more pathetic he looked.

Ren looked at Sharti with eyes full of complexity, or perhaps self-loathing.

“I’m sorry, Sha.”

“So what…”

“I crossed the line without knowing the extent. 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 acted childishly towards you because of mere jealousy.”

Sharti’s mouth opened slightly.