Chapter 117: The Cat Doll  

I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘Because you’re too handsome.’ That would’ve been too cringeworthy.  

“Yes. You’re so ugly that I couldn’t capture it all. Kiki is a hundred times better.”  

“Ugly? That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that. And to think you used to follow me around saying you liked me.”  

“Why are you bringing up ancient history? That was when I was young and immature. Now, I…”  

“Now what?”  

Xavier’s eyes sparkled with interest.  

“What about now?”  

“If you don’t like it, I’ll just take it back and give it to Dr. Daniel instead.”  

“That won’t do.”  

No matter how hard I tried to pull the sheet of patches, my hands only trembled. It wouldn’t budge. Xavier had pressed his palm down on the sheet, refusing to let go.  

“Master.”  

Out of nowhere, Albert appeared in the tent.  

As I loosened my grip, Xavier quickly stuffed the patch sheet into his pants pocket.  

“At least use it properly since I drew it for you.”  

His alluring red lips curved into a mischievous smile. But as soon as he noticed Albert and the man standing at a distance behind him, his expression turned cold.  

“As you instructed, I’ve brought Dr. Origin.”  

“I never told you to bring him here.”  

“This is the only available spot.”  

“……”  

“Xavier, leaving someone standing in the blazing sun for too long is rude.”  

Xavier hesitated as he glanced at me, then replied,  

“Fine.”  

This is why I told him to prepare a seat in advance! Grumbling, Xavier sat back down next to me, pulling his chair even closer than before.  

“Bring him in.”  

“Yes, Your Grace.”  

A moment later, Dr. Daniel entered the tent.  

“Ah, g-greetings, Your Grace, my lady.”  

He was still wearing his white lab coat, as if he’d come straight from his research. In his hands, he held the cat doll he had given me last time.  

“The cat doll!”  

“Y-yes. You left it behind last time, so I-I brought it to return it.”  

Daniel shuffled over to me and handed me the cat doll.  

“Thank you, Doctor.”  

While I was delighted, Xavier’s thick eyebrows arched sharply.  

“Of all the animals, why a cat?”  

“I-I heard that the Duchess’s favorite animal is a cat.”  

Xavier’s expression turned strange.  

He seemed torn between whether he should like this or not.  

“Who told you that?”  

“L-Lord Rexton did.”  

“Rexton?”  

“He said, ‘The Duchess loves cats more than anything in the world, so give up,’ or something like that.”  

Daniel answered smoothly, without stuttering on that part, as if it were a skill.  

Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a deep sigh.  

“Even Rexton, that guy…”  

“It’s a t-thermometer, so it should be useful. T-the brown hair and light green eyes are the key features of this doll.”  

At his words, Xavier’s eyes narrowed into a sharp glare.  

“Where did you come up with a cat with such a lineage? A proper cat should have sleek gray fur and teal eyes—elegant, like mine… no, like a real cat. Redo it.”  

“No.”  

“What?”  

“The cat must have brown hair and light green eyes. That’s non-negotiable.”  

“Hah. Is that something you should be saying to me, Daniel Origin?”  

“The one who hired me is the Duchess, not Your Grace.”  

“……”  

“I’m free to work for whomever I want and invent whatever I please.”  

Wow, he didn’t even stutter.  

Daniel, you’re quite the smooth talker.  

Xavier’s already pale face turned even whiter. Not out of fear or shock, but…  

‘He’s angry.’  

“How dare you.”  

With a screech of his chair, Xavier stood up. Daniel, not backing down, tilted his chin up defiantly.  

Daniel’s usually gentle eyes sharpened. But no matter how fierce he tried to look, in front of Xavier, he was like a newborn puppy. To me, he seemed more like a frail younger brother who might snap in half if pushed too hard. Unlike Lucas, who had some resilience and strength, Daniel’s oversized lab coat flapped around every time he moved.  

‘At this rate, someone’s going to get hurt.’  

“Both of you, calm down.”  

I stood up and approached them. Both men simultaneously raised a hand toward me.  

“Wait a moment.”  

“J-just a second.”  

After briefly glancing at me, they turned back to glaring at each other as if they were about to devour one another.  

Xavier spoke first, his usual arrogance dripping from his tone.  

“This estate is my home as well.”  

“Your Grace, what are you implying?”  

“The holy power storage device is complete. Isn’t it time for him to leave? Right, Yuria?”  

Suddenly, Xavier looked directly into my eyes, seeking my agreement.  

I hesitated for a moment, noticing Daniel’s wavering gaze.  

Dr. Daniel was an invaluable asset to me. Xavier knew this too, which is why he hadn’t outright expelled him and had respected my wishes.  

‘Honestly, I’d like to keep him here, but since Xavier dislikes it, I can always contact Daniel later for help if needed.’  

The storage devices were complete, and he had taught us how to mass-produce it independently.  

I faced Daniel and spoke sincerely.  

“You’ve worked hard, Doctor. We’ll make sure to compensate you properly for the use of the storage devices.”  

Daniel’s lips quirked downward, and he lowered his head. His face was so bowed that I couldn’t see his expression.  

“Doctor?”  

“I-I’m willing to work without pay. Please, let me stay.”  

His voice was so faint it was barely audible. Even Xavier furrowed his brows and leaned in to listen.  

“What is he saying?”  

Then, droplets of water fell from his chin.  

Huh?  

“A-are you crying?”  

At my question, Daniel abruptly lifted his head. He pushed his glasses up his red-tipped nose and smiled brightly.  

“N-no, I-it’s just that my eyes hurt from all the long hours of research.”  

“Really?”  

I tilted my head, puzzled, as Daniel hastily wiped his eyes with his sleeve.  

‘Strange. It looked like tears.’  

“I-I’ll leave once the lab is cleaned up. I-I wanted to keep handling the blood sampling needles myself, but it can’t be helped.”  

Just as the awkward atmosphere was about to stretch on—  

“My lady, Your Grace! We’ve brought the meat!”  

Wilhelm and Ethan burst into the tent, each holding a tray in both hands. Thanks to their sudden appearance, Xavier and Daniel stopped glaring at each other and returned to their seats.  

Bravo, meat lovers!  

Wilhelm’s sweat-drenched face looked genuinely happy, even though it was as red as if he’d been burned.  

Wilhelm plopped down on the chair next to Daniel after setting the trays on the table.  

I couldn’t help but ask out of concern,  

“Wilhelm, are you really okay?”  

“I’m fine, my lady. Our hometown got colder earlier than usual, so we rushed over. But it’s so hot here. Phew, it’s sweltering.”  

“Is that so?”  

“Didn’t I cook the meat perfectly?”  

“You did.”  

“Hehehe. Please enjoy.”  

The tense atmosphere eased thanks to Wilhelm’s cheerful demeanor.  

“But colder earlier than usual?”  

Ethan answered my question.  

“Our village is always cold, but this year it’s been strange. It’s not even winter yet, and we’re already seeing cases of people freezing to death.”  

“Already?”  

“Ah, my lady, this is your first autumn since the wedding, so you might not know.”  

As he placed meat on my plate, Xavier explained,  

“The villages near the Everlasting Snow Mountains are known for their harsh winters. Every year, there are many who freeze to death. So, when early winter comes, we bring the villagers here to spend the season, then send them back in spring.”  

“Xavier, you arranged that?”  

“You know how unnecessarily large the ducal estate is, with plenty of unused small houses. It’s no big deal. It’s just happening a bit earlier this year.”  

Xavier replied nonchalantly as he carefully set cutlery in front of me. His hands were meticulous as he placed the knife and fork.  

‘It might not be a big deal to him.’  

But just from a glance, there were at least thirty people.  

He was essentially taking care of them every winter, feeding them like this.  

Xavier, who had thoughtfully arranged only my utensils, glanced at Wilhelm, who mouthed, “What about me?”  

“You can handle yourself.”  

“Yes, Your Grace.”  

“Has the village chief arrived?”  

“Yes, Your Grace. She should be here shortly.”  

As soon as Wilhelm finished speaking, an elderly woman leaning on a cane approached the tent. She looked very old at first glance.  

Xavier stood to greet her personally.  

“Chief, you’ve arrived?”  

“Oh, Duke.”  

The woman, referred to as the village chief, waved her hand with a broad smile, welcoming Xavier.  

“Thank you every year.”  

“It’s nothing.”  

“This year, the weather seems crazy. The sudden cold forced us to seek refuge earlier than expected.”  

“It’s strange that it’s colder there while it’s so hot here.”  

At Xavier’s reply, the chief’s previously bright expression darkened.  

“Indeed. The weather is strange, isn’t it? It feels like winter in autumn, and like summer in autumn.”  

“?”  

‘The weather is strange, isn’t it? It feels like winter in autumn, and like summer in autumn.’  

A chill ran down my spine as I stared at the chief.  

This déjà vu.  

I’d felt something similar when Daniel had said something like this back at the lab.  

So it was this person who said those words in the original story!  

A line from a nameless character.  

‘The chief is an extra like me. Maybe that’s why the original didn’t bother explaining who said those words.’  

Sweat formed on the hand holding my cutlery.  

‘Even so, how could there be no divine revelation at a time like this?’  

While I was lost in thought, the chief, supported by Ethan and Wilhelm, sat next to Daniel.  

As soon as she sat down, the chief trembled and reached out her hands toward me.  

“Oh, Saintess!”  

“Yes, I’m Yuria Auguste.”  

The old woman’s enthusiastic greeting made me quickly take her hands.  

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Goddess Maha has answered this old one’s prayers!”

“I am also glad to meet you, Village Chief.”

“It’s such a relief that the Saintess is also the Duchess! If you were in the Imperial Palace, I might not have been able to show you this. Please, save this country.”  

The chief gripped my hands tightly, her expression desperate. From her apron, she pulled out something carefully wrapped in a handkerchief and slowly unfolded it on the table.  

“I risked my life to bring this, hoping you’d take a look.”  

A single flower with golden and silver petals intertwined like stamens and pistils in perfect harmony.  

“What is this?”  

“I’ve named it the Gold-Silver Flower. Around the time the bitter cold began, these flowers started blooming wildly across the mountains and fields.”  

“Ah.”  

The moment I saw the wrinkled face of the old chief, a passage from the original story I’d skimmed over came to mind.  

「A certain old woman went to the Imperial Palace to meet Saintess Rosetta, carrying something wrapped in a handkerchief. She claimed that this was causing people to turn black and die, begging for help at the palace gates. However, Rosetta refused to let her in.  

Later, a sudden plague swept through the Empire, but the Saintess managed to save the Empire’s key figures.」

The author had written it so briefly and dismissively.  

‘I didn’t think much of it at the time…’  

So this chief was that old woman? And since I’m the saintess now, I’m meeting her here?  

This means the plague from the original story is really about to spread!