The Villainess Next Life (COMPLETED)

Chapter 23

It was fortunate that the sky was clear. She was riding her horse as if her life depend on it.

Why? Why?! Why?! After all I did to stop the epidemic! Why is it spreading once more!

She remembers that in the novel the epidemic killed hundreds of thousands of people. That's why years ago she did her best to locate the person in the south who will be infected first

The first victim was once again in the south, within the territory of Viscount Billen. He was a hedonistic man.  He indulges himself in alcohol and women and usually neglects his duty as a noble. That's the main reason why the disease spread so fast. He didn't address the problem.

Years ago, she tried to dethrone him and put his competent son in the viscount position after healing the first victim of the epidemic but his son suddenly disappear.

Everyone knows that the Viscount has a hand in this but no concrete evidence was found. Thus he was able to keep his position.

As a counter measure she convince Nicholas to put an eye on the Viscount's territory but they lost connection a month ago. That was when they sent a messenger in the south territory and after a month the news of the epidemic spreading sprout.

For some reason, the magic communication device used by the messengers were destroyed and their messenger birds died. The weather in the region was stormy for the past days. That's the reason why despite the short distance of the territory the message arrived so late that the epidemic was now in a red alert.

"Your Majesty please calm down! You can't go there!" The knights that was following her yelled

"Tell His Majesty to put the whole place in quarantine. Tell Caleb to give the doctors all my invested medical equipments. Also, tell the other knights to immediately get the supplies and foods that can be used by the people affected. I'll go first to heal the people who needed immediate attention." She said not minding the knights

"But your Majesty. We need permission-"

"We don't have time! People are dying!" She said.

"But your health is more important. They are just commoners. They can just be healed when the doctors arrived ."

These kinds of words made her feel like an outsider. These are the times that she feels that this is really different from her world before. Although there were also people who thinks that way, peoples who believed that all lives are equal are dominant.

I know people's lives aren't equal in this society. But I want to be someone who at least made them feel valued. I want to help them.

That was not something that she can do on her previous life. After all, wealth in her past life is a luxury. Yes, she lived a pretty comfortable life but everytime she saw beggars on the street, or people with disability asking for small amount of coins breaks her heart. She wanted to help them but she can only give them coins.

"I will still go." She said with determination

It took her three days to arrived at the south. It was really fortunate that the stormy weather ended.

One of their official welcomed her.

"Greetings you Majesty."

"Tell me the situation."

"There were currently approximately 3000 people who were confirmed infected by the disease. Purple rashes are all over their body. 8000 people are under observation as they have close contact with the victims and there were additional 1000 confirmed death."

"What about the children?"

"There were also a lot of them that were infected. Their immune system is much weaker so most of the infected people are under 10 years old."

"Where's Viscount Billen?"

"He's hiding in his castle. He doesn't let people use his mansion as a refuge. He also didn't give any rations to the refuge camp. Despite me urging the Viscount he didn't open his mansion's door. Some of our knights that were stationed here were also infected. I apologize empress for not being able to report the situation, right away. There was someone who broke our messaging devices and killed our messenger birds. Even some knights that we sent to deliver the message were killed along the way. It was just 5 days ago that we successfully sent a knight despite the stormy weather to report the situation." He said

He was the eye that were sent years ago by the emperor. Baron Vinrose. A loyal subject of the Emperor.

"Some spy must've been planted on your knights."

"I believe so. And, I also think someone must've intentionally spread the disease." He said

"What makes you think that?"

"All the problems that arose when we were about to report to you the situation were too much of a coincidence. They know that the disease can be cured by your power and they are not contagious within a week. They will only be contagious after the rashes breaks out. That's why they prevented us from contacting the capital right away. To let the disease spread for some weeks and cause serious damage." He said

"Did you find someone who can do that?"

"We're suspecting the Viscount."

"But he doesn't have any reason to do so."

"He doesn't, but Your Majesty. The day before the disease were reported, he closed his mansion's gate and never opened it again. He's suspicious. It's like he knows that the disease will appear. He may not be the one to spread it but he may have lend a hand."

"Let's talk about this later. Report everything back in the castle, too. Get me to the most infected patients I'll heal them." She said

"As you wish Your Majesty." The baron said

--

Nicholas almost lost his mind.

She's doing it again. Messing with my emotions. Purposely stirring me up.

He thought.

He ordered to ready his horse so he can join the Empress Regnant but he was stopped by Caleb and Pierre. That's when he discovered that the Empress has prepared for this moment.

All the supplies and equipment and the doctors boarded the carriage. He received a report from the magic communication tool about the situation in there.

Alarice also told him to not go after her.

"You are where we needed to be Your Majesty. You have to assess the situation here. What I'm doing is just an immediate short-term action. You have to find a way to capture the one who spread the disease and punished him."

That's what she said while treating the patients.

"But what about you? You cannot heal yourself. You are too exposed to the disease. Can you promise to come back to me alive and well?" He murmured in thin air.

---

Hi! I'm back! So finally nakapag sulat na rin akoo. So yeah, I really just needed a short break.

However, from now on. I can no longer update daily 'coz I'm really super busy.

Please give me two days in between updates. I really can't update daily now. I'll try updating this story every 10 pm at most.

Thank you and I hope you understand!!

By the way, Ngayon ko lang napansin mga wrong grammars and spelling ko hahaha. I hope you don't hold it against me. Tao lang poo. I don't usually proofread Kasi so I can update faster. So if parang may off sa sentence and you cannot really understand it, you can address it to me so I can revise it. Thank you again!!

-- love author ❣️