Moira stood in front of the closed door, her shoulders trembling slightly under Agnes' ornate cloak, her uneasy gaze quickly passing over Aaron Mansini who was standing behind her with a smile and respect.

The Mancini was always smiling, and looked kind, easy-going, even a little cute, but Moira still preferred to be standing here at the moment with the tired-looking, unsmiling, but thoughtful Mistress Ayir she had brought here. The adult could make her heartbeat slower a bit...... Aaron's smile didn't give her any comfort.

She stared at the iron ornament on the door—she had been stopped at such a door not so long ago, and if she hadn't flinched then, would it have been different?

Every moment of waiting is so long. She didn't know how long she had waited, and she didn't know how long she would have to wait. Aaron had implicitly told her that His Majesty did not like to be disturbed...... He also doesn't like to leave his room.

It didn't look like her king...... But does she really know her king?

She plucked up her courage and raised her hand again, but the door suddenly opened.

Turbid, hot and humid air poured out of the door, and a strange aroma mixed in with it, not unpleasant, but a little dizzy.

The man behind the door was pale and emaciated, with chestnut curls hanging down his forehead, red eyes slightly swollen, and a square chin that became more and more severe.

"Moira?" Ante called out her name, her expression unspeakable, but her tone was not soft, "why are you here?"

"One...... A priest teleported us to Visa. Moira stammered in reply, unable to take her eyes off the face she barely recognized.

"I'm asking why you're here. Instead of asking how you got here!" Ante growled impatiently, reaching out and dragging her into the room, slamming the door shut.

"I know what your father said. Ante let go. Annoyedly, he walked around the dimly lit room with the curtains closed, "What, are you here to reprimand me on his behalf?!"

“...... No, it's not. The unspeakable disappointment choked in her throat, and it took a while for Moira to speak, "I'm here...... It's because Stonebugch was hit by the plague...... Your Majesty. You have to go back!".

The City of Ten Thousand Springs was not without warning. News from Damaran was delivered by the priest of the god of caravans, and soon reached the garrison of Stunbuch City, but it did not receive the attention it deserved. Patrols were placed on two docks in the city. The order was extremely vague: "Watch out for ships coming from the south." ”

That was basically just an excuse for some of the guards to extort more money from the owners of the ships coming from the south. When an unmanned ship slowly sailed into the Westport one night, the other ships, which had already been vigilant, avoided it, but the two half-drunk guards staggered on...... Then I was scared out of a boatload of corpses.

They fled from the ship and rushed into the crowds at the beginning of nightfall. Bustling Dock Street. From there, the plague that had destroyed almost the entire city of Damaran spread rapidly.

By the time Moira got the news, it was already the next day—but not from any of the ministers, but from her terrified maids.

She was in a daze for a moment. There is no prime minister, Ante is not there, and it is naturally Tabor Wendell who is in charge of the overall situation. The able Chinese scholar Ling Cheng had shut himself up at home for a long time, and although he no longer closed himself to anyone, he had good reason not to go out, and replied to Moira's call with a simple letter, respectfully telling her, "You need not worry about anything. Everything is under control. ”......

But how could she not be worried when she stood in front of the window of her room and could see the billowing smoke rising from the city of Dumbbutch?

Her loyal guards wouldn't let her leave Lockburg at all. She could only ask the city's garrison to come and at least tell her what had happened, but the middle-aged knight, Rosen Skud, who had already been exhausted, had not been able to see him until the early morning of the third day.

Agnes barged in just as she was about to freshen up and go to meet Scud, dragging her three sleepy-eyed children with her.

"You need to get out of here, the sooner the better!" she told Moira, thrusting her little daughter, who was only three years old, into her arms, and with great vigour, repulsed the guards who tried to stop them, and without saying a word, led them out of Simon. The two Vulcan priests had already drawn a teleportation array there, and despite Moira's objections, they were immediately teleported to the mansion of Quirin Ayil in Visa.

Everything happened so fast that Moira couldn't react, and the lord of Visa City was obviously taken aback. His brief inquiries were answered by Agnes, and the Countess Maurice seemed to know everything about the city of Stonebuge.

No one could tell if the priests were powerless or too late to treat, the plague quickly knocked down nearly half of the city, and part of the upper city was barely safe under the protection of barricades and guards, but the rest of the city, people had already begun to die, and the whole city was in chaos.

Ayr quickly arranged for a carriage to take the queen, her sister and her children to Mansini's house, where the king was, and on the way Moira had the opportunity to ask Agnes, "How do you know this?"

"Oh, I have a lot of not-so-noble friends in town, and I have to keep an eye on them from time to time. Agnes replied nonchalantly, playing with her hair.

“...... Then why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

She approached Agnes and knew that her sister was much better informed than she was, but Agnes claimed that she didn't know anything either.

"How did I know those priests would be so useless?" Agnes opened her eyes innocently, "I thought the plague would soon be over, so why worry you?...... You can't do anything anyway. ”

The last sentence left Moira speechless - was she really that useless?

In the silence, she had to think of another possibility...... If the quarrel between Ante and the Temple of Water hadn't reached such an unmanageable point, the priests of the Water God might not have made the situation so bad.

They were always so loyal and reliable in her memory.

How the hell did it get to the way it was? She couldn't figure it out.

"You must go back, Your Majesty. Moira repeated, "Tonbuch needs its king." ”

Ante looked at her with a strange look, and after a while he whispered as if to himself, "I am not just the king of Stonebuch. ”

Moira looked at the sour king in bewilderment, and her husband was at a loss as to what to answer—she certainly didn't mean that, and that wasn't the point. She wasn't even sure how much Ante understood what she had said.

"Your people are dying, Your Majesty. Her voice was soft as pleading, "They need you." ”

"What do you need me to do?" asked Ante coldly, "will I die with them?—they won't do the same for me. ”

Moira's eyes widened in surprise, speechless.

She didn't know what Ante was going to do to solve all the crises...... But at least she knew one thing that a true king should not say such things. He probably didn't have to go back to Stonebutch, but he should at least be in a hurry to find a way to save his people, his city, instead of sitting here and seemingly indifferent to everything.

She looked at the man who was both familiar and strange, trying to find in him the warmth, gentleness, sincerity, and forgiveness that had once touched her heart...... But they don't know what is real and what is phantom. Did the young, high-spirited king she remembered really exist, and what had stolen him in exchange for the pale ghost in front of her...... A man like the walking dead?

In the long silence, Ante seemed to sense the disappointment she was gradually unable to hide, which unnerved him...... and angry.

"You don't have to worry about that at all. His voice was stern but hollow, "Take care of the children...... When I solve the problem here, I'll naturally go back to Ston Butch. ”

“...... How long will that take, Your Majesty?" asked Moira softly, "I've heard that the plague spreads very quickly, and the Stonebugs may not be able to wait long. ”

"Of course they can wait. Ante's answer was unreasonable, almost brutal...... It's as if he's the god who can decide everything.

Moira licked her lips, not knowing what else to say.

“...... Now, go back to the kids, they'll need you. Ante's tone softened, and he hesitantly reached out and gently brushed her long hair as he used to do, "Don't worry, it'll be fine." ”

Tears suddenly welled up, a vague glimmer of hope welled up, and tender love rose from the bottom of Moira's heart.

"Don't you want to meet them?" she asked softly.

“...... No, not now. Ante quickly retracted his hand, his expression quickly cold, "Now, leave me, I need to rest for a while." ”

――Rest?

“...... Are you not going to do anything?Maybe you can at least gather the lords who are still here, or send a message for more priests to go to Stunbuch to help and your army to maintain order?

Ante jumped up, his face pale.

"I don't need you to tell me what to do!" he growled, the muscles of his face contorting slightly, "Now, get out!"

Moira closed her eyes, took a deep breath, straightened her back, and turned to leave the tomb-like room.

(To be continued......)