Chapter 64
The dural bread was crispy on the outside yet chewy and soft inside. On top of that, the filling made from dural was savory and salty without being overwhelming—something you could eat endlessly without getting tired of it.
It was an outcome beyond expectations.
“Share the method of making this dural bread with the women in the village, and think of a way to mass-produce it. Chief, select a site for a communal workshop where the bread will be made and inform the builder. How many women in the village are able to work?”
Donghee planned to entrust the bread-making entirely to the women. They, too, needed a stable source of income—especially in Morta Village, where there were so many widows.
“A little over a hundred, my lord.”
“I heard Morta has about eight hundred people in total, but only a hundred women can work?”
That number was far smaller than Donghee had expected. She had thought there would be at least two hundred.
Reading the puzzled expression on the lord’s face, the chief respectfully folded his hands and continued.
“Most are elderly, and among the younger women, many are sick. Only about a hundred are healthy enough to work.”
Hope hunched his shoulders as if he himself were to blame for the villagers’ illness.
Donghee felt a pang in her heart.
“I’ll arrange for a physician to come soon to care for the sick. Butler?”
“Yes, my lord! Shall I check if there’s a physician we can bring from a neighboring territory?”
Handsome, quick as ever, caught her meaning instantly. Donghee grinned in satisfaction and gave him a big thumbs-up.
“As expected! Handsome butler is the best. You always know what I’m about to say!”
Receiving praise in front of everyone, Handsome grinned from ear to ear, then quickly composed his expression.
“Baeki?”
“Yes, my lord!”
Baeki, still in a daze from having her bread chosen as the best, looked as though she were walking on clouds.
“You’ll receive a reward through the butler. It’s not a huge sum, but I hope it helps. And make sure to give a prize to the other finalists as well. They worked so hard.”
“Th-thank you!”
Baeki had already heard from the chief that the lord would give a reward to the winner, but hearing it directly made her feel as though she could fly. Cheers even rose from those who had been disappointed outside. Even if their prize wasn’t as large as the winner’s, it would still be a great help for their households.
Hearing that the others would also receive something brightened Baeki’s face even more.
“Where’s Kevin’s father?”
On such a joyful day, with the whole village celebrating, his absence was strange. Wondering if he had been sent off with the logging team, Donghee asked, but Baeki’s expression turned somber.
“He passed away last winter after falling ill.”
Ah. Donghee suddenly recalled when the chiefs of Morta and Enol had come to Grace Castle and boasted about the many widows in their villages.
“I’m sorry.”
The lord’s sudden apology left Baeki speechless. She wanted to say it was fine, but the truth was, the neglect of the territory wasn’t entirely unrelated to her husband’s death. Yet she couldn’t voice such thoughts to her lord.
As Baeki fumbled for words, Donghee continued speaking.
“Baeki, you’ll become the manager of the new dural bread factory.”
“A… factory?”
Factory? Manager? Baeki couldn’t make sense of the words.
“I’ll explain the details later. Next time the chief comes to Grace Castle, bring someone trustworthy with you. And of course, you can bring Kevin too.”
“Gr-Grace Castle?”
Baeki stammered in shock, glancing between the chief and the lord. The chief looked a little surprised too, but then smiled warmly and nodded.
“There’s going to be a lot to do. You might just become the most important person in saving this village.”
Donghee beamed at Baeki.
After finishing her business in Morta, Donghee headed back to the castle. Along the way, a heavy headache forced her to close her eyes and lean against the carriage wall. Soon, heat began to rise in her body, and every part of her ached.
It seemed she had come down with a severe cold.
Apparently, letting her guard down after finally getting used to everything had taken its toll.
“My lord, are you feeling unwell?”
Despite returning from a visit full of good news, the lord’s face wasn’t bright at all. Handsome studied her complexion with a worried look. Her cheeks seemed a little flushed.
“I think I’m just tired. I need a little sleep. Wake me when we arrive.”
“Yes, my lord. Please rest well.”
As soon as Handsome spoke, Donghee leaned against the carriage wall and drifted off. Handsome hurriedly pulled out a blanket from the carriage and tucked it around her, placing a soft cushion under her head.
Since the road wasn’t paved, the carriage jolted and bumped, making her head thump against the wall now and then. Yet she didn’t stir, keeping her eyes tightly shut as she slept soundly.
“She must be really exhausted.”
Sleeping peacefully, she looked no different from a little sister waiting for her brother to come home.
Pity welled up in Handsome’s eyes as he gazed at his lord. After a moment’s hesitation, he fetched another blanket and covered her knees.
Handsome dozed off briefly but woke with a strange sense of unease. The lord was still asleep, but something felt different.
“My lord?”
He cautiously called to Chloe, but she didn’t move an inch.
A chill ran down his spine. Handsome shot up and placed his palm on her forehead.
“Hot!”
Her skin was burning. Handsome quickly opened the carriage window and scanned the surroundings. Thankfully, Grace Castle wasn’t far.
He shouted urgently to Red Bear, who was riding alongside the carriage. The butler’s voice was trembling with panic.
“What is it?”
“The lord has collapsed! Hurry to the castle and give word! Send knights to fetch physicians at once!”
Handsome’s voice shook violently as he cried out.
Startled, Red Bear bent down to peer inside through the open window. When he saw the unconscious lord, his face twisted in alarm. He spurred his horse toward the rear immediately.
Sensing something serious, the knights, already tense, scattered in all directions the moment the order left his lips.
Red Bear watched as they sped off along five different routes before galloping back to the front.
Moments later, the carriage picked up speed.
“Hyah!”
The driver urged the horses on.
Handsome closed the window to keep the cold wind out and cradled the lord in his arms like a child. Her entire body radiated heat.
“My lord… oh no…”
Tears welled up in Handsome’s eyes. He had been by her side this whole time, yet he hadn’t noticed how unwell she was. The guilt choked him. Even if he were dismissed on the spot, he would have no excuse.
Delma, who had eagerly gone to greet the lord, knew something was wrong the moment she saw Red Bear leading the way instead. A dreadful chill spread to her fingertips.
Behind him, the knights were walking quickly, surrounding someone at the center.
When Red Bear came close, Delma saw Handsome in the middle, holding Chloe limp in his arms.
No…
Delma’s breath caught, and darkness closed in on her vision.
“My lord!”
Wrapped tightly in blankets like a child, Chloe looked so small and frail in Handsome’s embrace. It felt like the world was collapsing.
The lord was immediately carried to her chamber. Scrooge, who rushed over upon hearing the news, turned pale at the sight of her unconscious.
“Dear lord… She must have overworked herself.”
Delma wept openly as she looked at Chloe’s flushed, feverish face.
“Honestly, with everything she’s accomplished lately, it’s a wonder this didn’t happen sooner.”
Even Scrooge’s eyes were filled with pity as he gazed down at her.
“She’s truly done too much.”
Delma knew well—her lord had never been someone with exceptional stamina. In the past, she could barely manage her own health. The thought of her tirelessly touring the land and working for the people was unimaginable before.
Her strength hadn’t changed, yet her workload had multiplied many times over. It was inevitable that her body would break down.
“When will the physicians arrive? Her fever isn’t coming down.”
Delma paced anxiously, glancing toward the window. They had wiped her body repeatedly and laid cool cloths on her forehead, but without a doctor’s care, the fever refused to subside.
The physician didn’t arrive until late that night. One had even been snatched straight from his dinner table by a knight in such a rush that he hadn’t finished his meal. They had dispatched knights in all directions to every known physician, and by the next morning, five doctors in total had gathered at Grace Castle.
The news that the lord had collapsed spread like wildfire among the castle staff.
“Do you think she’ll be okay?”
“She’s not… caught the same illness that took the lady, has she?”
“Don’t say that!”
“I’m just worried.”
“Well, don’t say things like that. It’s scary.”
Two maids who had been cleaning the corridor near the lord’s chamber stopped to whisper, eyes brimming with tears. They lingered in front of the door for a long time before leaving with red noses.
