Chapter 6
After leaving Calix at the orphanage, Reina spent each day in anxiety.
There was too much to worry about.
She had to deal with Jonathan, who kept questioning her after she returned alone. Then, once his vacation ended and he left, she had to deal with the Count and Countess.
They found it strange that Reina wanted to stay at the orphanage and manage it herself.
She had to make excuses, saying she wanted to ease the loneliness after Jonathan’s departure by focusing on work.
Only after that was she able to go see Calix.
Maya tried to stop her from leaving immediately, using the heavy rain as an excuse, but Reina was firm.
‘Olivia sent me reports about how Calix has been doing, but…’
Reina was worried about his health.
In the original novel, not long after meeting the female lead, Calix suffered from a severe fever.
Reina hurried to the orphanage and, just as Maya had feared, arrived completely soaked.
“Lady Reina, I’ll prepare some warm water first.”
Olivia took her wet coat and stepped away for a moment.
That was when Reina saw a child coming down the stairs, wrapped tightly in a blanket.
‘What is he doing?’
The child’s steps were unsteady. When he finally stumbled forward, Reina instinctively moved.
‘That’s dangerous!’
She barely caught him in time—and only then realized it was Calix.
“N-no…!”
He struggled weakly, muttering something unclear, then suddenly went limp.
“Calix?”
Reina’s expression turned serious as she shook his shoulders.
His body was burning.
Not just warm—burning like a fire.
Panicking, Reina lifted him up with the blanket still wrapped around him.
“Lady Reina?”
Olivia returned and looked shocked.
“What’s going on? Why is Cali—”
She quickly shut her mouth, realizing she had nearly spoken too loudly.
The two quietly headed to Calix’s room.
“…Bill?”
Olivia froze when she opened the door.
Bill had tried to hide under the bed, but he was too late.
“Why are you in here?”
Olivia pulled him up.
“I just…”
Bill trailed off when he saw Reina.
‘It’s the witch!’
The children sometimes called Reina a witch.
She rarely visited, and when they tried to approach her, she would glare sharply.
As expected, her voice was cold when she spoke.
“Olivia.”
“Y-yes?”
“Bring cold water and towels.”
“Right away. Bill, come with me.”
Once they left, Reina finally let out the breath she had been holding.
Why was that child in Calix’s room?
‘Did he see him?’
Reina felt uneasy, but Calix came first.
When she laid him on the bed, he wasn’t fully unconscious. His body trembled.
He curled onto his side and hugged himself tightly.
His thin body rose and fell with rough breaths.
Reina sat beside him and placed her hand on his forehead again.
Still burning hot.
‘I should ask for some fever-reducing herbs.’
Just as she stood—
“Don’t… go…”
Calix spoke weakly.
“Please don’t go.”
He looked at her with unfocused eyes, redder than usual.
“After I sleep… I’ll be fine.”
“…”
“I’m not lying. So…”
His voice was desperate.
Reina hesitated, then sat back down.
“I won’t go.”
“….”
“I won’t go anywhere.”
Calix let out a small sigh of relief.
His eyelids fluttered and slowly closed.
Reina gently brushed his cheek, pushed his damp hair away, and cooled his face with the back of her hand.
Perhaps her cold hands, chilled by the rain, helped. His expression gradually relaxed.
His breathing evened out.
‘He must have endured this alone every time.’
She looked at him, curled up as if he had no one else to rely on.
‘Let me at least make him more comfortable.’
She laid him flat and covered him lightly with the blanket.
Then she slipped her hand under it and held his.
His fingers twitched, then slowly grasped her hand.
It seemed unconscious—but the grip was strong.
A desperate instinct to cling to something.
‘If only divine power still existed.’
Divine power was the healing ability possessed by priests at the Grand Temple.
But it had been weakening for years, and now no one was born with it anymore.
Reina sighed softly—then frowned.
‘What is this?’
Calix’s clean collar suddenly looked dirty, as if he had rolled in soil.
Confused, she pulled back the blanket.
His clothes were covered in black dirt, especially around his chest and stomach.
But when she checked the blanket, it was clean.
‘Where did this come from?’
She brushed the black dust lightly—
And it vanished like smoke.
‘What…?’
Shivers ran down her spine.
She quickly brushed off the rest.
The black powder disappeared with the slightest touch.
Calix didn’t wake up.
Once his clothes were clean again, Reina finally felt at ease.
‘What was that?’
Just then, Olivia returned.
“Lady Reina—!”
She stopped mid-sentence, quickly setting the tray down and coughing violently.
“Cough! Cough!”
“Olivia, are you alright?”
“Don’t speak!”
She covered her nose and mouth and hurried to the window, throwing it open.
Cool air rushed in with the rain.
“Are you alright, Lady Reina?” Olivia asked weakly.
“The air was so thick and foul. And your lungs aren’t strong.”
Reina blinked in confusion.
‘Foul air?’
If it had been that bad, she would have coughed too.
But she felt fine.
Olivia looked around.
“The air was definitely thick just now…”
But after opening the window, everything seemed normal.
Uneasy, she resumed preparing the towels.
“Is Calix very sick?”
There was no answer.
“Lady Reina?”
Reina spoke slowly.
“His fever is gone.”
“What?”
“It was burning hot just a moment ago…”
She touched his cheek and neck.
His body had cooled.
Reina pulled her hand back.
And stared at it quietly.
***
The next day, after the rain cleared, Maya brought Reina’s belongings to the orphanage.
She looked around at the modest building.
Compared to the Crollot estate, it was humble.
‘Still, she always struggled there.’
Serving as Reina’s maid, Maya knew her mistress didn’t belong with the Crollot family.
To Maya, Reina was simply kind and soft-hearted.
Too kind.
‘But I didn’t expect her to rush like this for that boy.’
Even with heavy rain—and despite having an appointment in the capital—Reina had come here first.
‘She could have finished her business in the capital first.’
But she said she couldn’t delay.
Why was she helping a boy she had just met?
So secretly.
Maya was worried—but as a knight, she would follow her lord’s orders.
Though her family had fallen and she now served as a maid, she hadn’t lost her knight’s spirit.
Steeling herself, she entered Calix’s room with Olivia.
Reina sat by the bed, watching the sleeping boy.
“Is he ill?” Maya asked.
Olivia waved her hand.
“Oh, don’t even ask. He had such a high fever last night. Thankfully, Lady Reina arrived just in time to catch him when he fell down the stairs.”
Maya’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Just in time.
As if she had known.
“The fever seems gone now,” Reina said, standing.
“Olivia, I’ll leave Calix in your care. Don’t wake him. And…”
“If it’s about Bill, don’t worry. I’ll make sure he keeps quiet.”
Reina nodded and turned to Maya.
“Let’s go.”
As Maya followed her out, she glanced back at Calix and Olivia.
Her sharp instincts warned her—
Something unusual was happening because of that boy.
