Chapter 18

In any city, as is often the case,


Larpentia also had inns where one could stay and eat.

Among them, the most famous was Brown Inn, run by a man named Camel Brown, a traditional innkeeper whose family had been in the business since his great-grandfather’s time.

In addition to the free mixed porridge available to all guests, the roasted thrush was particularly famous. Of course, the thrush wasn’t free.

Word spread, and it became a regular stop for merchants, coachmen, and travelers. Even the Princess set foot here.

“So, when I was in Fibron…”


“Hey, innkeeper. Bring us the usual for three.”


“That catfish by the hearth looks delicious. Let’s order one with cheese.”

Laughter, chatter, and joyful sounds filled the air.

As is common for those on long journeys, rugged men set up drinking tables, happily getting drunk and sharing stories. Naturally, they gathered around the hearth.

“What would you like?”

A bit away from the fire, where the crowd was thinner,


an employee approached the Princess, who had slumped down.

“Meals and lodging, please.”


“Well, you’ve come to the right place. No one in this town is more expert in that field than us.”

Camel Brown was a man of character. He often donated excess food to the Alms House, claiming he made too much. He was always kind to his staff and guests, never delaying salaries.

The pride of a mere employee in Brown Inn stemmed from receiving better pay and treatment than others in the industry.

The Princess placed a silver coin and said,


“The cheapest room. And the quickest meal, a stew.”

Even chewing a chunk of meat hungrily requires health and digestion.

Eating bread slowly is necessary to avoid burdening the body.


Ordering warm stew was, in a way, an inevitable choice.

“Yes, then…”

The employee took the order and reached for the coin, only then noticing the Princess’s mask.

No one wears a mask just because it’s cold, and even if they did, they’d remove it upon entering. Yet, she hadn’t.

The employee’s expression didn’t change, but the light in his eyes shifted.

“Forgive my rudeness, but could you remove your mask?”


“Do I have to? It’s not a face you’d want to see.”


“If a criminal hides their identity and enters, it could disgrace the inn. It’s your choice to refuse, but if so, you’ll have to leave.”

Some glances turned toward the Princess. She hid her tension and retorted,


“I’m not refusing to pay, and I’ve even offered advance payment. Yet you’re telling me to leave?”


“Just as guests are free to choose inns, we’re free to choose our guests.”

As the employee was about to speak, Camel Brown, who had been attending to porters, hurried over. He nodded to the employee and said,

“Our inn is called the best in town and has many regulars because, first, the facilities are good; second, the food quality is excellent; and third, there are no incidents. Because we expel anyone who might cause trouble, even at the cost of immediate profit.”

He wanted to maintain a trouble-free operation and didn’t want any potential issues in his inn.

“Just show your face once, and that’s it. If we’ve wrongfully suspected you, we’ll provide meals and lodging for free. The best room for one night. Will you cooperate?”

Camel Brown was wary of fugitives or criminals sneaking into his inn.


He was truly a model citizen. Of course, the Princess was neither a fugitive nor a criminal.

But her face was more horrifying than any criminal’s. Naturally, she couldn’t remove the mask.

As she hesitated, Camel’s eyes narrowed.


“Please leave.”

He issued the order to expel her without further ado.


“Or I’ll call the guards.”

“You don’t turn away tired and lonely guests, yet you’re refusing food to a weary traveler?”


“That may be true, but I must think of the many other guests.”

Camel firmly declared,


“We can’t accept someone as suspicious as you. Remove the mask or leave.”

The Princess trembled with humiliation. But Camel’s actions weren’t wrong.


As evidence, none of the glances toward her were sympathetic. Everyone agreed with the innkeeper’s judgment. If she were a political criminal, the fallout could affect everyone who ate and drank at the inn.

If soldiers detained and investigated her, even if she wasn’t punished, the time spent on the investigation would be wasted. No one, including Camel, wanted that.

If she wasn’t guilty, she could just remove the mask. Everyone thought so.


What could the Princess say?

‘I am Ardein von Illumina.’

She wanted to reveal her royal status, but it was meaningless. Leprosy was a divine curse, heaven’s wrath.

People called it a disease even Divine Power couldn’t cure. The rotting flesh truly seemed like a divine curse.

With this disease, even a Princess wouldn’t be treated as one.


Nobles would be isolated, living in towers for life.

The Three God Faith and other continental sects wouldn’t help. They believed lepers had incurred divine wrath through evil deeds.

If this were revealed, being expelled would be the least of her worries.

Ultimately, the Princess slowly rose and left the inn. Camel Brown clenched his jaw.


His expression was grave. He called the employee and handed him something.

“Go to the city hall. Tell Inspector Franpton of the Security Bureau that a suspicious person appeared. Use my name and request surveillance on that woman. She’s clearly an outsider, and if she causes trouble, it’ll be too late.”

He was truly a model citizen, reporting suspicious individuals immediately.


The inn’s patrons whispered. That woman was undeniably suspicious.

Rumors spread faster than a galloping horse. Camel, having lived in the town for long and with wide connections, was highly respected in the industry. News of him expelling a suspicious person spread everywhere before the Princess could find another inn.

“Welcome. What would you like… It’s you! The one expelled from Camel’s inn!”

Model citizen Camel had his employees spread the word about his experience.


He emphasized the need for a united response. Naturally, the next innkeeper recognized the masked woman. He also demanded she remove the mask, and the Princess had no choice but to leave quietly.

“Stop. There’s a checkpoint. Remove that mask, or we’ll detain you for investigation.”

The soldiers Inspector Franpton had tailing the Princess stopped her.


She was undeniably suspicious. Expelled from one inn, then another for the same reason. It was reasonable to assume she had a reason for not removing the mask.

“Detain me? What crime have I committed to hear such nonsense?”

Humiliation and anger overwhelmed the Princess, and she lost her composure.


She blurted out things she wouldn’t normally say.

“Do you even know who I am? How dare you…”


“Whoever you are doesn’t matter. Our duty is to protect our homeland.”

But the guard’s words instantly deflated her anger.

“We can’t let suspicious people like you roam freely. So, please remove the mask. We don’t want to detain and imprison you without cause.”


“Citizens are uneasy about suspicious outsiders. We’re not here without reason. If you don’t remove the mask, we’ll have to take you to headquarters for investigation.”

The Princess fell silent. She felt wronged, deeply wronged.


But there was no way out.

She realized venting her anger was meaningless.


She laughed like a madwoman. Laughed and laughed, lamenting.

“What’s going on?”


“It’s a suspicious person. The guards are checking.”


“They’re doing a great job.”

Many watched her, but none were on her side.

“Fine. We’ll handcuff you and take you to headquarters.”


“Arrest me… Huh!”

The guard trying to handcuff her stumbled back, his face filled with horror. He let go and backed away, startling his comrades.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”


“Th-this woman… Her arm is soft. Like rotten meat. What… what is this? Everyone, back off! She’s not human!”


“Damn it! Is she an undead?”

Another guard swung his spear, knocking off the Princess’s mask.


Gasps broke the silence. People pointed.

Some were too shocked to speak. The guard who had touched her arm washed his hands repeatedly, as if he’d touched filth.

“L-leper! A leper has appeared!”


“Hide the children! She’ll eat their livers!”


“Monster, get out of our city!”

Thud.


A stone hit her back. The Princess spat blood and fell.

As one threw a stone, others picked up rocks. The guards intervened.

“Calm down, everyone. If the leper dies here, we might be cursed. Go home, lock your doors, and don’t look outside. We’ll close headquarters for the day and rest. Whoever she is, if we don’t give her food or water, she’ll leave. Let’s just wait.”

To the people, lepers were cursed by the gods.


They believed the curse was in their blood. Legends said if a leper’s blood fell on a field, the harvest would be ruined.

Everyone quickly realized this and put down their stones.


The crowd dispersed like mist. The streets emptied instantly.

Only the Princess and the guards remained in the silent city. Only then did she realize how wrong she had been. She truly understood how the world saw lepers.

When she was in the Imperial Palace, she thought she had fallen,


but that was just ignorant rambling.


Below the bottom was hell.

“Wait. I have no strength and I’m hungry.”

It was fortunate her tears had dried. She didn’t have to show them.


Thinking this, the Princess pleaded with the guards.

“You can detain and investigate me, but please provide a place to sleep. Even a prison cell is fine.”


“We work at the police station, not a leper den.”

The guard coldly refused.

“Even if you commit a crime, you won’t go to prison. My comrades will bring a noose, hang you, and cremate your body. So, don’t commit any crimes.”

Truly alone, the Princess lay collapsed.


She couldn’t even feel her body growing cold. Her heart had already frozen.

It was truly fortunate her tears had dried. She thought so, but


a tear rolled down her cheek and froze into ice.

She didn’t even feel it, as sensation had already left her face.