Until the Substitute Saintess is Loved: The Sister Sent to the Convent as the Villainess Heals Everyone's Hearts with Her Healing Powers - Chapter 16

(What in the world is this situation…?)

The moment I entered the clinic, a foul odor assaulted my nostrils, making me grimace.

Voices crying out in pain echoed from all directions—it was like a battlefield.

“What’s going on here?”

Until just a few days ago, it hadn’t been this bad. I’d arranged for healing magic stones to be delivered and isolated the patients complaining of sore throats.

“Lord Landrick. Thank you for taking the trouble to come. However, I must ask that you refrain from entering the clinic any further.”

“No, Head Doctor. That’s impossible. I’m not here expecting hospitality. My visit includes monitoring whether operations are running normally, and particularly whether that noble-born nun is committing any atrocities. You know that, don’t you? So, tell me—what’s happening right now?”

My purpose was to monitor Lupina.

So, if she showed her true colors and started tormenting the other nuns, I had to stop her. But I was vaguely beginning to realize that wasn’t the case anymore.

(It’s because she was casting healing magic until she lost consciousness…)

I couldn’t get the image out of my head—her gentle smiling lips and her figure desperately administering treatment.

Even though I’d seen Lupina bullying her subordinates daily, I shouldn’t be swayed by a mere momentary smile and devoted appearance. If I could just see her treating patients callously, I’d think “See? I knew it!” and return to my old self.

Ignoring the head doctor’s attempts to stop me, I headed toward the isolated annex. The foul odor grew even stronger, but I endured it and pressed forward. Every nun I passed showed signs of exhaustion. Even though their faces were hidden by veils, their movements were utterly fatigued.

I spotted a familiar figure—a nun with straight black hair reaching to her chest.

“You’re Mona, right? Until recently, things weren’t this bad. What exactly happened?”

“Ah, Lord Landrick! Thank you for your continued support. And thank you for the precious healing magic stones the other day.”

“Ah, skip the pleasantries. Haven’t you been using those magic stones?”

“No, we have been using them. But we simply can’t keep up with the patients’ sudden deteriorations.”

“I believe you were also using medicinal tea to suppress throat swelling?”

“…There have been some changes in the situation. We’re primarily using standard medicinal tea, and only using that special tea for patients with worsening symptoms.”

Why did she hesitate?

I felt uneasy at her hesitation, palpable even through the veil.

I’d heard some from the head doctor. That they were using the throat-effective medicinal tea. That the Kuzen disease, which should have been subsiding, was raging this fiercely.

“Why didn’t you contact the royal family—no, contact me—before it came to this?”

“I believe we sent letters, but…”

Had the situation deteriorated while I was unable to come here? Had the letters been intercepted before reaching me?

I could roughly guess who was blocking the information.

Lupina had many enemies.

She’d made fools of more than one or two nobles. Only her title of Saintess prevented open condemnation.

I too had opposed having her serve at the royal capital’s convent.

I’d argued she should be sent to a harsher, remote convent. Several nobles shared this view. But Lupina’s exceptional healing abilities—once recognized enough to be declared a Saintess—were deemed too valuable, so she ended up here.

If it became known that Lupina’s healing magic wasn’t as effective as thought, and if someone believed they could expel her from the capital as originally planned and force her into harsh labor, they wouldn’t care if commoners fell ill. That must be their thinking.

“There seems to have been a mishap. I’ll arrange for additional healing magic stones. I’d like to increase staff too, but that will take time.”

No one wants to go to a clinic where disease is spreading. Even the guard knights with me, while maintaining extreme composure, radiated disgust for this place.

If this were a battlefield, the smell of rust mixed with putrid odors would be commonplace.

“Thank you very much.”

“I’m sorry for detaining you.”

When I indicated the conversation was over, Mona bowed deeply and hurried away.

(Maybe I should have asked where Lupina is.)

Why did Mona hesitate? Was Lupina involved?

As I proceeded down the foul-smelling corridor, intermittent arguing voices echoed.

—Hurry—treatment———

—Please, this child———!

(Lupina?)

Mixed with hysterical screams, I heard Lupina’s voice and ran.

“What’s going on?!”

The moment I burst into the problematic room, Lupina was shoved toward me.

I instinctively caught her as she was sent flying.

“Are you all right?!”

“I-I’m sorry.”

She tried to stand immediately but staggered, so I kept supporting her.

“Hurry, hurry and save this child! Anyone, please!”

The woman who’d shoved Lupina kept crying and screaming without apologizing. Beside her, a child lay limp on the bed. The child’s body showed the distinctive red sores of Kuzen disease. Their labored breathing seemed on the verge of stopping.

“Why was this left until now?! These aren’t yesterday’s or today’s symptoms!”

“I wanted to bring them right away too! But I was busy with work!”

“Please, calm down. I will definitely save them.”

“Hey, Lupina, what are you planning to do?”

I grabbed Lupina’s arm to stop her as she tried to stagger toward the child. What would happen if she tried healing in this condition?

“If I don’t do it, they can’t be saved. So…”

She gently freed her arm from my grasp.

“No, wait. Don’t try to heal like that. Use my magical power.”

“Lord Landrick’s…? Ah—”

Without giving her a chance to refuse, I grabbed her hand again and channeled magical power into her. I might not be able to heal, but I have abundant magical power. I’m not royalty for nothing.

“Thank you. This will help the treatment progress.”

With steadier footsteps than before, she approached the child, placed a hand on their throat, gently stroking while encouraging them that everything would be all right.

“Big… sis… I…”

“You mustn’t speak yet. Stay still a little longer.”

The child’s nearly-stopped breathing stabilized, and the red sores changed from oozing and painful to dry scabs.

With one hand still on the throat and the other stroking the young child’s head, her appearance was filled with compassion.

“Ah, ahhh, thank you, thank you…!”

The mother hugged the child, who had calm breathing and was sleeping peacefully, while crying.

They weren’t completely cured yet, so isolation was still necessary, but their life was probably no longer in immediate danger.

“Take these two to another room.”

I ordered one of the guard knights to move the woman and child to a different room. Here, both the stench and the illness were too severe. Symptoms that had just stabilized could easily worsen again.

“I’m fully aware this isn’t your job, but we’re short-handed right now. I need you to normalize the air with wind magic and assist with moving those who can’t move themselves.”

With brief acknowledgments, the guard knights sprang into action.

It helped that none of them offered to stay as my personal guard. I can protect myself, but as royalty, it’s frowned upon to go out alone.

“Thank you for everything.”

My chest ached seeing Lupina bow deeply.

Even though I know she’s a wicked woman, I find myself wanting to treat her normally. If I keep doing that, only ruin awaits.

“…I didn’t do it for you.”

“I understand. It was for the patients, right? The precious people of this country. Even so, you helped me. So please let me thank you.”

“Wait, what are you planning to do?”

I stopped Lupina as she bowed and tried to go to the next patient.

“I still have some of the magical power you gave me. That child was the only one who had a sudden turn, but there are still many patients with worsening throat swelling.”

“I heard about that. But you’re already running low on magical power, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that’s why I need to treat people while I can still move… Ah, what are you doing?”

(Ah, damn it!)

I took Lupina’s hand as she protested and forcibly dragged her from the room.

“Show me the way.”

“Um…”

“I’m saying I’ll keep sharing my magical power with you. If you collapse, it’ll burden the other nuns, won’t it? When we’re already short-handed, must we take care of you too? Think of the trouble you’d cause.”

“You’re right… I’m sorry. Let me guide you to the next patient.”

Guilt swelled seeing her bowed figure.

Looking at the hand I still held, her fingertips seemed slightly less rough than before. The ointment I donated to the clinic must have reached Lupina too.

My abundant magical power, while not limitless, seemed sufficient to treat the critically ill patients.

The healing magic activated through Lupina cured patient after patient.

“If you can heal this easily, why didn’t you heal us sooner…?”

I glared at the patient who muttered this.

(What has this guy been seeing about Lupina? She’s probably treating patients without even taking time to sleep.)

Though her face was hidden by the veil, I knew without seeing. Those abnormally perfect eyes must now have dark circles under them.

(No, why am I thinking things that sound like I’m protecting this woman?)

I’ve watched Lupina—this wicked woman whose bad character is inversely proportional to her beautiful appearance—up close for years.

Thinking of those she’s oppressed, I should be cursing her, telling her to be grateful she’s allowed to stay in this lukewarm convent near the royal capital.

But I simply couldn’t bring myself to blame this woman who, without getting angry at patients’ abusive language, merely apologized and continued treating them solemnly.

In the end, just restoring the severely injured to a movable state took up most of the day.

“Thank you so much for today. Thanks to Lord Landrick coming, everyone has improved.”

“…I’ll come again tomorrow, though it’ll probably be afternoon. You should rest now too.”

I told the deeply bowing Lupina, then boarded my carriage while contemplating tomorrow’s arrangements.

If I didn’t think about anything other than Lupina, I didn’t think I could maintain my composure at all.