#10. Black Death (5)
‘So this is the royal palace of the Kingdom of Ji.’
As the story progressed, many nations appeared, but the one most vividly described was the Kingdom of Ji.
It made sense.
After all, the main heroine, Liliana, was the first princess of Ji.
‘She should be about fifteen by now.’
In the original story, she was a very impactful character. I wondered how she might be as a snot-nosed kid.
Well, anyway—
“The King himself has granted you an audience. Consider it an honor.”
I had to treat the queen first.
To the royal knight who was acting all high and mighty, I merely responded with a smile.
It wasn’t a fake smile.
From the beginning, touring the villages in my saintess cosplay had all been to get a chance to meet the queen.
Now that my goal was just within reach, of course I was pleased.
“This way. Enter through here.”
I nodded and leaned on my cane.
Tap, tap.
After pretending to fumble a few times, I walked straight along the carpet—
“So you’re the blind girl?”
A serious-looking king came into view.
Blonde hair and red eyes.
They were the symbolic colors of the Ji royal family. Looking at the king—who seemed much younger than he appeared in the comic—I bowed my head.
“Yes, I am.”
Nobles from Ji lined both sides of the hall. They took one look at my eyes and shabby clothing and immediately murmured disapprovingly.
“Are we sure about this?”
“She’s blind. Do you think someone like that could’ve learned proper medicine?”
“Oh, come now. What do we have to lose? Even the royal doctors have all given up…”
Tsk. Seems like they didn’t have much faith in me.
‘Has the whole “saintess” rumor not spread yet?’
Granted, I’m not really a doctor either.
“All of you, be silent!”
A commanding voice rang through the royal court. The king looked down at me with a fierce gaze.
“As you’ve likely heard, the queen’s life is in critical condition. The royal medical team, as well as physicians summoned from neighboring countries, have all declared her case hopeless.”
He wore an expression of deep anguish.
‘As expected.’
In the original, the king of Ji was known to be incredibly devoted to his wife. So much so that after the queen died, he drowned himself in alcohol and neglected all affairs of state.
Thanks to that, the Kingdom of Ji fell apart from the inside. Slavery flourished in the shadows, tax evasion and bribery ran rampant.
Even worse, a servant of the Demon King disguised as a prime minister manipulated the crown prince, throwing the protagonist’s country into complete chaos by the time the main story began.
But now, that history would be erased.
Because I would change it.
“Do whatever it takes to heal the queen. If you can, I will grant you a reward of your choosing, no matter what it may be.”
Looking at the desperate king, I smiled softly.
“I don’t need any monetary reward.”
And before he could say anything else, I swiftly interrupted.
“Then, may I see Her Majesty now? The Black Death should be treated as quickly as possible.”
Honestly, I’d wondered what kind of madman would trust a blind commoner with something like this, but the moment I saw the queen’s condition, I understood.
‘It’s severe.’
Her skin was almost entirely blackened with necrosis.
Every time she coughed, blood poured from her mouth. Despite the maids likely changing her linens constantly, the bed was drenched in blood.
It sent a chill down my spine.
‘If I’d come just one day later… she really would’ve died.’
Even with my full healing powers, I couldn’t bring the dead back to life. The fact that I’d been summoned just in time wasn’t just lucky for me—but a blessing for the entire kingdom.
“Do you need any materials?”
The king came close to the unconscious queen, seemingly unafraid of contagion, and asked me gently.
His hand lovingly stroked the queen’s cheek. At his touch, her eyes fluttered open.
“…Your Majesty.”
“Louise!”
He gripped the queen’s hand tightly and spoke softly.
“I’ve brought a girl who claims she can cure the Black Death. Everything will be okay now.”
“A girl…?”
The queen turned her head toward me.
When she saw my face, her pupils trembled.
“She looks like a child… and her eyes…”
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. My name is Eustinas.”
As I greeted her politely, she asked in a somewhat conflicted tone,
“How old are you?”
“Twelve.”
“Oh my. You’re around the same age as our Liliana. It’s nice to meet you… cough!”
Even speaking that little seemed too much for her. Blood continued to speckle her lips with each cough.
At this rate, she really wouldn’t make it.
I didn’t hesitate any longer. I set down my cane and gently took her hand.
“May the blessing of the gods be upon you.”
A now-familiar white light began to flow from my chest.
The sacred breath of the goddess—at least, that’s what people liked to call it—spread from my hand and gently enveloped the queen.
“Th-This is absurd!”
“What kind of power is that…?”
Doctors, maids, and several nobles who had been holding their breath all gasped in disbelief.
I glanced over to find the king also staring at me wide-eyed, his jaw about ready to drop.
Gulp.
At the same time, blood surged up my throat. Ugh. Damn, that hurts.
“Oh my god…”
As the white light faded, the queen, who had been at death’s door just moments ago, now appeared healthy and radiant.
Compared to before, it was as if she’d been freed from a curse.
“A mirror. Please, bring me a mirror.”
At her request, the king quickly grabbed a hand mirror nearby and handed it to her.
The queen stared into the mirror in silence.
The blackened skin that had crept across her limbs and face was completely gone, as was the thick aura of illness.
“Physician!”
The king waved urgently at the doctor who had been standing by.
“How is the queen’s condition?”
“Well…”
He examined her several times, then looked up in disbelief.
“The Black Death has completely disappeared. In fact, she’s even healthier than she was before.”
Drip.
Tears began to fall from the queen’s eyes.
“Thank you… truly.”
The king, Edwin, was no different. With reddened eyes, he continued checking on his wife until, suddenly, he did something no one expected.
“Your Majesty!”
“You mustn’t lower your head…!”
He bowed deeply to me.
“I may not know how this miracle came to pass, but you’ve done what no physician could. You must truly be favored by the gods. As I promised, I shall grant you any wish.”
“I only did what I had to. I can’t even think of a wish right now…”
As I said that, my gaze shifted to the system window.
[Edwin Asher Terrario feels deep gratitude toward you.]
[Good Deed Points +500]
[Louise Reina Terrario regards you as her savior.]
[Good Deed Points +1,000]
[Richard Raymond is impressed by you.]
[Good Deed Points +10]
[Lucas Lennon is astonished by you.]
[Good Deed Points +15]
…
The messages continued to scroll for so long, I couldn’t even finish reading them.
Saving the queen of a country… that’s what this meant.
Even if every life is equal in value, the societal impact varies depending on who the person is.
[Good Deed Points: 152,431]
Looking at the massive pile of points, I felt my heart warm again.
This—this is why doing good feels so satisfying!
