Episode 22: A Desirable Maid
“I heard rumors that His Highness the Prince is quite timid. Train him just enough to scare him a little. And if that doesn’t work, as a true last resort, suggest sparring with His Highness and let him get a small injury. Then he won’t be able to attend swordsmanship lessons anyway, right?”
Inflicting wounds on a member of the imperial family was a grave crime, but if the prince were injured during a sparring session with the duke—who had personally been invited by the Empress as the prince’s sword instructor—it could be excused.
“I see. So it would become an unavoidable situation.”
As the duke’s meaningful smile deepened, Ella, feeling uneasy, hurried to continue.
“The best outcome is that you scare him enough that he refuses the lessons before sparring even begins. Understood?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Only after receiving the duke’s clear answer did Ella breathe a sigh of relief.
“But, Duke… may I ask Baron Simon for something other than medicinal supplies?”
Ella had been troubled over ways to continuously help the citizens while resolving the plague in Herka Village alongside the duke. When Simon Trading Company—one of the three largest merchant groups in the empire—offered direct help, Ella felt this was the perfect chance to put her idea into action and carefully brought it up to the duke.
“Something else? Isn’t medicine the most urgent matter now?”
“Yes, that’s true. We’re severely lacking medicine to treat the sick. But is there any guarantee that the same plague won’t break out again next year or the year after? A different disease could spread in the central region just like this one.”
“Is there a way to prevent that?”
“Please establish a hospital.”
“A hospital? There should already be plenty of those.”
Ella shook her head. In the empire, there were countless hospitals for the wealthy, but none that the poor could afford. The impoverished had no choice but to rely on folk remedies—smearing mud on wounds or eating unknown herbs they picked, sometimes ending up with stomachaches.
“Please establish a **public hospital**, a place that treats people for free.”
Only then did the duke understand what Ella meant. But if treatment were free, both rich and poor might flood to the hospital. As a result, the people who truly needed help might be unable to receive care.
“A public hospital… The idea is good. But how will we tell if someone is truly poor? And the existing physicians won’t accept this easily.”
“There is a way. You don’t receive money—take something else instead.”
“What do you mean?”
The duke raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Ella’s idea of charging something other than money.
“Receive labor as payment. The wealthy wouldn’t bother coming if they have to work in exchange, and since it’s not completely free, private doctors won’t be able to oppose it.”
“But what work would they do?”
“Herb fields. Donations for the hospital would be great, but unlikely. So we treat the patients, and once they recover, they can work in the herb fields. Or we could teach them common medicinal herbs and have them gather herbs from nearby. That way, even with few donations, the hospital can sustain itself.”
The duke nodded. Building a hospital for the poor could save countless lives—not only from plagues but from other illnesses and injuries.
“But Ella, a good idea though it is, the credit will go to the princess. Are you okay with that?”
The duke disliked the thought of the princess receiving the glory. If Ella objected, he planned to delay the idea.
“No matter who gets the credit, as long as the hospital is built, it’s fine with me.”
“…Very well. If that’s what you want, then so be it. Call in Baron Simon.”
The duke summoned the baron, who had been waiting outside.
“Baron, I accept your proposal. In the formal report to His Majesty, the princess’s name will appear.”
“Haha, wonderful. Then how much funding do you require? Or shall I procure the medicine instead?”
In high spirits from a successful negotiation, Baron Simon asked what was needed. The duke handed him a list of requirements for establishing the hospital.
“What is this? A public hospital?”
The baron was bewildered. He expected a request for money or medicine, not for a hospital to be built.
“Yes. I’ve heard of the wealth of the Simon Trading Company. You can manage this, can’t you?”
Constructing a building and hiring many physicians would require considerable funds, but for one of the three great trading companies, it was just pocket change.
“This is not difficult, but quite an ingenious idea. Was it yours, Duke?”
Baron Simon carefully read the document, impressed by the creative concept.
“No, it was Ella’s.”
Hearing this, the baron’s gaze shifted to the quiet maid standing behind the duke. He had heard rumors of a maid favored by the princess and kept close by the duke, but he didn’t expect her to be this perceptive. His eyes sparkled with interest.
If not for the princess’s request, he would have snatched Ella into his company on the spot.
“That will be all. Begin construction of the hospital as soon as possible.”
The duke noticed the baron staring intently at Ella and, displeased, dismissed him.
“Haha, yes, Duke. I’ll contact you soon.”
Sensing the duke’s discomfort, Baron Simon quickly excused himself.
Once outside, his aide rushed over nervously.
“How did it go? Did the duke accept?”
“He did.”
The aide sighed in relief.
“And how much money does he need?”
“Well… he wants us to build this.”
The baron handed him the document. The aide read it and gasped.
“Wow… I thought the duke was only skilled in swordsmanship and strategy, but to think he’d come up with such an idea… If a public hospital like this is built, the number of people dying without treatment will drastically drop.”
“It wasn’t the duke. It was his maid’s idea.”
The aide froze in surprise.
“A maid? How could a maid come up with this?”
“You know how Her Highness said the duke has a maid acting as his temporary aide? It was her idea.”
“If that’s true, she’s a talent worth stealing for our company.”
The baron shook his head immediately. He himself wanted Ella, but his merchant instincts warned him not to approach her. Besides, the look in the duke’s eyes earlier was not one directed at *just* a maid.
“Avoid approaching that maid, unless necessary. Especially in front of the duke.”
“…A shame, but understood.”
The aide followed behind, disappointed they could do nothing about such a valuable talent.
—
Baron Simon’s financial power and efficiency were greater than expected, and construction proceeded quickly. Under the elderly doctor who first discovered the plague’s cause, more physicians were hired, and several company-owned buildings were selected as potential sites, all reported back to the duke.
“Duke, Baron Simon has submitted the proposed locations for the hospital.”
Ella briefed the duke.
“There are three candidates: Kaleo, Algesco, and Tellum. Baron Simon recommends the Tellum building—it’s the largest and most accessible. I agree. Tellum suffered nearly as badly as Herka Village, and it’s easy to reach from other regions.”
The duke checked the map and nodded.
“Very well. Tell him to proceed with Tellum.”
“Yes.”
He signed the final report and stretched his stiff shoulders, approaching the window.
Since arriving at Herka Village, they had worked tirelessly. The smoke from burning plague victims had long disappeared. Other central regions affected by the disease were gradually stabilizing under imperial auditors and the duke’s knights.
“It’s fortunate things were resolved sooner than expected.”
Ella spoke while the duke looked outside. What should have taken months was handled quickly, minimizing damage.
There were still a few territories needing inspection, but with imperial officials dispatched, the duke now had to prepare to return to the capital.
“When will you depart?”
“Tomorrow at dawn.”
He could have rested for a few days, but the duke, being strict by nature, chose to leave immediately.
“Yes. I’ll prepare.”
The next morning at dawn, the duke and his knights packed and prepared to depart. Ella wrapped herself in a thick robe against the cold and followed.
Just as they began to quietly leave, the morning fog parted, revealing silhouettes. Word had spread, and the villagers had come to see them off—women with children on their backs, farmers covered in soil, elders leaning on canes. Nearly the whole village stood at the entrance.
“Looks like they’ve come to bid you farewell,” Ella smiled.
But without returning a greeting, the duke spurred his horse forward and left quickly. Ella assumed he was embarrassed, so she waved and thanked the villagers on his behalf as she followed with the knights.
Despite his cold demeanor, the people bowed deeply, honoring the man who had saved their lives, and remained there until his figure vanished.
