'It's imperative that Vivi bears the Crown Prince. If that happens, I can persuade the Emperor to make Vivi's child the Crown Prince!'
Emperor Kendrick Evaristo was 52 years old and had no significant illnesses. Barring assassination, he could serve as Viviana's shield for at least another 10 years.
'In the meantime, he'll depose the Empress and send both Crown Princes away. Vivi's son will ascend to the throne at a young age, and then I…'
He could become the Emperor's father-in-law, and the stepfather of the next Emperor.
If, by some chance, the Emperor were to die early and he were to live long, the situation would become even more exhilarating.
Who would the young Emperor rely on when making political decisions?
'Me, I could be the regent!'
Baron Payton's heart raced so fast for a moment that he had to stop walking and catch his breath.
The fact that his daughter was sleeping with a man older than her father every night didn't matter at all.
No, no, it did matter now. As the frequency of their bed-sharing increased, it would become harder to conceive.
He hurriedly resumed walking.
'I must procure more fertility potions to ensure she conceives. I also need to schedule an appointment with the ritualist for the investiture ceremony. We must succeed next month!'
The person who once claimed his daughter's health was the most important thing was nowhere to be found.
***
"Oh, it's the Lord!"
"Hello, Lord!"
The people waiting for their turn to be treated got up awkwardly and greeted Asha as she headed towards the infirmary.
"Stay seated. Don't get up when you're sick."
Asha waved her hand and quickly walked past them.
A long line of wounded and sick people stretched outside the building of Pervaz Castle, which had been used as an infirmary since the war.
The people had put up a sunshade and placed logs on one side to make a bench, which made it look much better than its previous dingy appearance.
Asha was proud to see the infirmary, which had become so much more neat in just a week since Carlyle had delivered the supplies.
"The weather is getting hotter. Are there any herbs that have been damaged and can't be used?"
Asha entered the infirmary and checked with the head nurse who oversaw the infirmary.
The man, who was one of the few people in Pervaz with medical knowledge, reported quickly even in the midst of his busy work.
"We have kept the temperature-sensitive herbs separate. We must not let those precious things be damaged."
"Do you have enough bandages?"
"Compared to before, we have more than enough! We also wash and reuse the ones that are in good condition."
"Be careful about hygiene so that no diseases are spread."
"Of course!"
"Okay, then… ."
"Ah, tha… ."
He spoke in a small voice as if to hold back Asha, who was about to leave after greeting him.
"Thank you, Lord."
"Huh? What for?"
"Just… everything."
He was a male nurse in his 30s who had lost his parents and some of his siblings during the war, and he himself had almost lost sight in one eye due to the hard work.
Even though he had lost so much, he was extremely grateful to the lord who had ended the terrible war and even brought in an enormous amount of supplies after becoming the concubine of the crown prince.
"If it weren't for you, we would be living a life worse than death as slaves of the Lure tribe. Or we would be dead."
"What did I… ."
"And thanks to you bringing so many relief supplies, many people who were on the verge of death have survived. Thank you so much."
He couldn't have known how much he had been burning inside, watching people who could have been saved with just simple herbs.
Every night since Asha had left for the capital, he had gone to sleep praying, "Please let our Lord get the compensation and come back."
But instead, she returned a little late, but with more than she could have ever imagined.
"I feel the joy of life every day as I treat patients who show signs of improvement."
Asha smiled awkwardly at the sight of the nurse, who was much older than her, showing genuine respect for the young lord.
"You should thank His Highness Carlyle for all this, not me."
"Of course I do, but…"
"Well… then, thank you for your hard work."
"Please examine them throughly!"
Asha raised her hand awkwardly in greeting and came out of the infirmary, rubbing her flushed cheek with the back of her hand.
"The sunlight is getting warmer…"
She thought the reason her cheek was hot was because of the early summer sun.
Her next destination was the food distribution center. It was also the place where the people would go right after visiting the infirmary.
"Is the distribution going smoothly?"
"Ah, Asha!"
Decker was in charge of the distribution center.
"This is pretty good. There are no complaints, and everyone is satisfied with their share."
"That's because you're so meticulous about your standards."
"Did I do that alone?"
The biggest problem with distribution was setting the criteria for how much food to give to whom.
Asha and Decker had worked tirelessly for several days to establish the criteria while setting up the distribution center.
Thanks to them, it seemed that there were no fights at the distribution center over who got more or less.
"What are we giving out today…? Flour?"
"Yeah. Flour, salt, and yeast. We gave out corn and potatoes for the first distribution a few days ago, so I think we've solved the immediate hunger problem. Now it's time to give them bread."
"The whole territory will be filled with the smell of bread baking tonight."
Asha couldn't hold back her laughter.
Pervaz filled with the smell of bread! She couldn't believe she would get to see such a sight before she died!
She imagined the people waiting their turn, holding one sack each in their hands, their faces full of anticipation, and she felt like she was going to cry at the same time as she laughed.
"Have you repaired all the public ovens?"
"Of course. We'll probably have to keep the fires going for a while."
It was common for each territory to have a large public oven in front of the lord's castle that could be used by everyone.
Originally, a fee had to be paid to the lord each time it was used, but Asha planned to operate the public oven without charge for this year.
There were also many people who didn't have an oven, and even those who did would probably find it difficult to get firewood right away.
Moreover, the ovens, which had been largely unused due to the long period of poverty, would have been damaged here and there over the years. It was clear that they would not have the capacity to repair broken cauldrons or clogged chimneys right away.
But once the supplies are distributed, in about half a year, we will be able to see the sight of smoke rising from the territory every night as people cook food.
"Is there anything that might be missing during the distribution?"
"I've planned it with a little bit of thought, so there shouldn't be a problem. Tomorrow, we will be accepting applications for seed distribution."
"Ah, finally…!"
Distributing seeds was something that Asha had dreamed of. Finally, food would be produced in the fields of Pervaz.
"I've been explaining the seed distribution process since the first day of distribution, but I guess everyone's heads are hurting."
"What do you mean, their heads are hurting?"
"They're having a hard time coming up with a planting plan for the first time in a long time. Haha!"
Only then did Asha let out a sigh of relief and smile.
"What kind of seeds are prepared?"
"Corn, potatoes, wheat, oats, pumpkins, turnips, and sweet potatoes. The amount of each type is fixed, so we will first accept applications and then prioritize them based on the location of the field, the quality of the soil, and individual circumstances."
Just hearing the names of the crops made my mouth water.
Asha's heart was filled with emotion as she thought about how crops that she hadn't seen in a long time would be produced on the land of Pervaz and come to her table.
Decker, who had been watching Asha with a happy expression, cleared his throat and said in a low voice.
"Surprisingly, His Highness Carlyle has prepared a lot."
That was really unexpected.
All along, they had been suspicious of Carlyle, who had treated them like they were lowly when they were in Zyro.
They wondered if this man, who didn't even seem to treat them like human beings, would really keep his promise to help rebuild Pervaz.
However, when they opened the lid, they found that their anxiety was ridiculous, as a large amount of money and supplies were distributed.
"Is this what it means to be a royal?"
"Yes. To be honest, I didn't think he would do this much."
"If I had known this, I would have acted more respectfully in front of him when we were in Zyro."
Thanks to Carlyle, who had distributed more than the emperor, Decker's dissatisfaction with him had been greatly reduced.
If he had known that he would give out this much food, he would have smiled at him even though he treated him like a beggar.
Asha, who was amused by his words, patted Decker on the shoulder and prepared to go elsewhere.
"Anyway, I'll leave this to you."
"What about you?"
"I got a call that the lumber is coming in today, so I need to go over there. I also need to talk to Hector and Luka about the barracks construction plan."
"Our Asha, your wish is coming true."
"It would be better if we could build a stone wall, but for now, we have to be satisfied with a wooden barracks."
Asha smiled brightly and turned towards the barracks construction site.
Even though she walked all over the Pervaz Castle, she didn't feel tired at all. On the contrary, her heart was racing ahead, and her legs were so slow that it was frustrating.
'Father! Brothers! Look! Pervaz is alive!'
The flock of crows that covered the field was terrifying because they looked like messengers of death that had overtaken Pervaz. The smell of death hung over every house, every alley, and every village.
But on the day that potatoes and corn were distributed, the territory was filled with a savory smell and something called 'life'.
The energy of life, the strength to live, the will to live.
'Pervaz can be restored. I'm going to make it happen.'