Chapter 77

The situation is somewhat better than Randes’s expected and somewhat worse
than Randes’s expected.

The order was issued by Sharman. His health had just improved a bit when he
learned that his brother was appearing in the poor district where the epidemic
had broken out. He kindly sent a sheriff to block off the area.

His reasons were quite valid. “Why would Randes go to such a place? An
epidemic is no joke. We can’t harm other people in the capital just for him,
can we, Chief of Guards?”

Although Brune had limited respect for Sharman, Sharman was still the crown
prince after all. He reluctantly agreed and went to the king to try to
negotiate. Yarlin was really sick, and he began to feel troubled after hearing
about the epidemic. As the king, he might have many shortcomings, but he still
had a sense of responsibility. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have put aside his
prejudices and summoned his most terrifying son back to the capital.

Has this decision again incurred God’s displeasure, resulting in the
appearance of the epidemic in the capital? Yarlin might not be very clever even
when he was healthy, but he became even more confused when he was seriously
ill. Plus, Sherman dragged his sick body to see him, and Yarlin could no longer
promise Brune’s request.

“Just do as Sharman says,” Arrin said wearily. “I believe
Randes will understand.”

Randes indeed understood very well. After listening to Brune’s subtle
explanation, he sneered. The contempt and disdain in his tone were undisguised.

Brune struggled to say, “Randes, listen to me…”

“Uncle, no need to say more,” Randes said coldly. “You still
have my respect now, but if you continue to defend those people, it’s hard to
say.”

Brune had nothing more to say. Arrin was quite confused. If Sharman hadn’t
had an accident, he would have handed Lethie over to such an incompetent son.
It was just because Randes was born so undignified and had various bad habits,
although Brune didn’t think those were really evil deeds.

“I will help you here,” Brune said. “I’ll do everything I
can.”

Over the fence, the guards brought in many herbs that might be effective
against the epidemic, and two unlucky doctors also came in. They didn’t look
willing; their faces were very gray, probably afraid of death. Brune was also
worried, but Bill held onto the fence confidently and said, “Your
Highness, don’t worry. The priest and God are with you. God will bless
you.”

Randes said, “Shut up.”

The doctors entered the quarantine area and, after examining the patients,
could only resort to some old methods to deal with the epidemic, burning herbs
and using bay leaf water to wipe the patients.

The smell of bay leaves permeated the square. The prince walked past and
flicked the priest’s robe with his shoe tip. “I’ll tell you some good
news; we’re going to stay here.”

The priest said, “That’s good. We should stay here together with the
people during difficult times.”

The priest was adept at saying such grandiose words, and while the prince
sighed at his hypocrisy, he couldn’t help but wonder whether it was his nature
or whether he had become like this after long exposure to the monastery.

The environment does affect people, but if one’s nature isn’t like that,
they won’t necessarily learn and master those things so quickly, indicating
that the priest wasn’t such a good seed to begin with.

Randes called the doctor and asked, “Do you think soaking bay leaf
water helps prevent this disease?”

The doctor replied, “I think it should.”

Randes called those capable young men again and asked them to distribute
herbs to various families in the neighborhood. He was so organized and decisive
that the young men were very impressed. They no longer cared about the prince’s
strange face but were sincerely impressed by his demeanor.

The two royal doctors had to admit that Prince Oss had a natural leadership
ability. After a while of busyness, they didn’t feel so miserable anymore.

The priest sat quietly all along. The prince had someone boil bay leaf
water, not fearing the disease himself, but feeling that the priest seemed not
strong enough. The figure under the white robe flickered in the firelight,
looking somewhat frail, especially since he was in such close contact with the
patients.

The prince wanted to ask the priest to take a bath in the bay leaf water but
couldn’t express his goodwill smoothly. That’s how he was; when asked to mock
or ridicule others, he could speak for a whole day without hesitation, but when
asked to express any friendly intentions, he found it difficult.

“I’m not trying to be nice to him; I’m just doing the right thing and saying
the right words.”

“His hypocrisy and ambition are despicable, but that suits me just fine. It
saves me from having to deal with him indirectly.”

“There aren’t many clergy as straightforward as he is, which might be one of
his virtues.”

As Randes thought about this, he started walking.

“Father.”

A young man, sweating from his work, politely suggested, “Let me take you
for a bath. The water has bay leaves in it, which is very good for preventing
disease.”

“Alright, thank you.”

The priest agreed happily, and the young man eagerly helped him up. The
priest turned to the prince and said, “Your Highness, perhaps you should also
take a bay leaf bath?”

“No need.”

The prince’s voice was cold. “I am not a weakling.”

The priest didn’t insist further.

After all, he’s the protagonist; he’ll be fine.

Randes felt genuinely angry. He glared at the priest being helped by the
young man. Was he so weak that he needed help? Wait—would the priest need
someone to help him undress and bathe as well?

There were many empty houses in the neighborhood. The blind priest didn’t
need lights in the house and declined the young man’s offer to assist him. “I
have lived in darkness for eighteen years; it’s no problem for me.”

“Then I’ll wait outside. Call me when you’re done, and I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, but there are many other things to do. Don’t waste time on me. I
can take care of myself. Go tend to the patients.”

The young man was moved. “Father, you are truly selfless.”

The priest made the sign of the cross on his chest. “May God bless us.”

Randes stopped abruptly when he met the young man on his way. He awkwardly
steadied his cane on the ground. The young man greeted him proactively, “Your
Highness.”

The prince cleared his throat. “Where is the priest?”

“The priest is bathing in the house behind.”

The prince wanted to ask why he wasn’t in there helping, but he swallowed
the foolish words in time. He swung his cane backward, signaling the young man
to leave.

In the shabby wooden shed, no light could penetrate. The prince remembered
that the priest was blind and didn’t need lights.

A thought crossed Randes’s mind: “Since he can’t see anything, even if I
went into that house now, he would still know nothing.”

His pupils constricted suddenly, and Randes shivered involuntarily.

Sure, he never considered himself a highly noble or righteous person, but he
wasn’t so low as to spy on a priest bathing!

Goodness, it’s just a priest, not even a nun!

Randes leaned on his cane and walked back to the square faster than he had
come. He was in such a hurry that he broke out in a sweat, his heart pounding,
his eardrums throbbing as if his heart had moved to his ears.

Randes sat in the square, staring blankly at the flickering flames, his mind
lingering on that strange thought.

As he stared longer, an illusion seemed to form in the firelight.

A robe, splattered with mud, fell, revealing a smooth, white body. That body
must be incredibly beautiful, the skin gleaming in the flames, the rounded
hips, the straight, slender legs…

Randes shivered again and stood up with his cane.

When the priest returned to the square, Randes was nowhere to be seen.

Mo Yin didn’t bother to pay extra attention. He focused more on his own
matters, confident that everything was under control. The prince would be
captivated by him. He had shown many of his true thoughts to the prince openly.
Given the prince’s arrogant and wild nature, he couldn’t help but be attracted
to such ambition.

Strangely, the prince’s congenital limp reminded him of his injured leg in
his first world, and the scars on the prince’s face reminded him of the marks
left by exile in his second world. These shouldn’t be connected, but his keen
sense couldn’t ignore them. If the forces in these worlds indeed originated
from the same source, as he suspected, then this phenomenon was even more
intriguing…

Dawn broke, and there were no new deaths in the neighborhood.

The priest had stayed up all night by the patients’ sides. Little Jean had
almost fully recovered. He drank water, ate food, and now bounced energetically
among the patients, his lively demeanor uplifting everyone.

However, the epidemic’s power remained strong. People who had been healthy
yesterday were now showing symptoms, causing renewed panic. But under the
prince’s stern commands, panic was not allowed. The prince managed the people
like a herd of sheep, ordering them to follow his lead and not to give in to
wild thoughts, thus maintaining order in the neighborhood.

The priest’s comforting presence also played a significant role. Against the
prince’s harshness, the priest’s gentle words were like those of an angel. His
blindness made his unwavering courage even more respectable.

Bill kept a close eye on the situation, moved to tears by how well the
prince and the priest cooperated to keep the neighborhood under control. He
silently prayed for both of them.

Typically, as long as an epidemic survives for a week, the situation
improves significantly. If the prince could survive this epidemic, who would
dare call him unlucky? A prince who emerged from such adversity surely deserved
to rule the entire nation.

Bill knelt in devout prayer, while Brune was secretly astonished. Randes was
indeed capable, but Brune worried that his pride might be too much for most
people to bear. He had no doubt Randes could become a great king but feared he
might turn into a tyrant. However, the beautiful blind priest by his side
seemed heaven-sent, creating a harmonious balance with Randes.

Randes ignored the priest, focusing solely on his tasks. He avoided looking
at or speaking to the priest, and even during breaks, he kept his distance.

The priest remained unperturbed by the prince’s unusual behavior. He
genuinely only did his duties, unlike the prince, who would occasionally glance
at the priest out of the corner of his eye.

The priest was meticulous about cleanliness, bathing every night with bay
leaf water. The church staff had brought him a clean monk’s robe the previous
day, which he now wore neatly.

The black monk’s robe had no aesthetic appeal, covering him completely like
a straight tube. Bunier, feeling much better, also changed into a clean monk’s
robe and joined the priest in comforting and praying for the patients. The same
robe on different people gave entirely different impressions.

The priest moved among the patients, bending, stooping, and squatting as
needed. Every movement caught by Randes’s peripheral vision seemed to have a
deeper meaning.

Of course, that was impossible. It was all just his imagination.

Randes was twenty-six years old. Even his younger brothers were married to
wives, while he, this lonely and unattractive oddball, was detached from any
romantic notions.

He firmly believed in his extraordinary talents and strategic mind, capable
of unifying the fragmented continent. But he also doubted he would ever receive
romantic love from anyone.

Sure, if he wanted a wife, the title of princess consort would attract many.
But stripped of that title, who would love a scarred, lame man?

The prince was immensely proud of his abilities but equally loathed his
appearance.

Both stemmed from an objective self-assessment, so he didn’t consider it
self-loathing. He didn’t care about his looks and had no intention of pleasing
anyone.

Unconsciously, Randes raised a hand to touch his face. The rough texture
made him shudder and drop his hand. He recalled doing the same when he first
met the priest…

What could make the prince, who never cared about his appearance, suddenly
want to hide it?

It felt like hundreds of trains were rumbling through Randes mind.

God, could he have fallen in love with the priest at first sight?!