Exchanging Vows: The Swapped Wife Is a Top Shaman

Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Ivy’s Point of View

The moment I mentioned Professor Aldwin’s illness, the room erupted.

"Young Madam, absolutely not!"

"You can’t go near him!"

"It’s too dangerous!"

Ash stepped forward, his face tight with concern. "The professor has the Withering Plague. It’s highly contagious. Anyone who gets too close risks infection."

"I’ve heard the stories," Stone added grimly. "Three physicians have already caught the disease trying to treat him. Two of them died within weeks."

"The king sent him away from the capital because people were afraid to be near him," Blade said. "If you go there and get infected..."

"I won’t get infected."

They fell silent.

"I told you. I’m a shaman." I kept my voice calm. Steady. "The Withering Plague isn’t what regular physicians think it is. It’s not a disease of the body. It’s a disease of the spirit. The contagion spreads through spiritual contact, not physical."

Nell looked confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means I know how to protect myself." I walked to my desk and pulled out a piece of paper. "There are wards. Spiritual barriers that can block the transmission. I’ve read about them in the ancient texts. I know how to create them."

"Reading about something and actually doing it are different things," Ash said carefully.

"I’ve done it before." I met his eyes. "When my father was dying, I used similar techniques to prevent his condition from spreading to me. It worked then. It will work now."

They still looked uncertain.

"I understand your concern." I softened my tone. "Truly, I do. But this is our only chance. Professor Aldwin is dying. Every day we wait is a day closer to losing him forever. And with him, we lose our best opportunity to help my father."

Silence.

"Besides," I added, "if I can cure a disease that no one else can cure, imagine what that will do for our miracle doctor’s reputation."

That got their attention.

Ash exchanged glances with the other guards. Some unspoken communication passed between them.

Finally, he sighed. "What do you need us to do?"

Relief flooded through me. "First, we need supplies. Plain clothes for all of us. Nothing that identifies us as Silvermoon Pack. We need to look like traveling healers, not nobles."

"I’ll handle it," Stone said.

"Second, I need medical equipment. A proper physician’s bag. Herbs. Instruments. Nothing too expensive, but nothing too cheap either. We need to look legitimate."

"I know a merchant in town," Blade offered. "He sells to healers. I can get everything we need."

"Good. Third, and most importantly, I need a disguise for myself." I paused. "I can’t go as Ivy Calloway. Too many people might recognize me. I need to become someone else entirely."

Nell’s eyes lit up. "I have an idea, Young Madam."

An hour later, I stood before the mirror again.

But the reflection that stared back wasn’t Ivy Calloway.

It was a young man.

Nell had worked miracles. My hair was pulled back and hidden beneath a dark cap. My chest was bound flat beneath loose robes. A half-mask covered the lower portion of my face, obscuring my features while adding an air of mystery.

The clothes were simple but well-made. Dark blue fabric. Silver trim. The kind of outfit a wealthy merchant’s son might wear. Or a traveling scholar.

I turned this way and that, examining every angle.

"Incredible," I murmured.

"You look so handsome, Young Madam!" Nell clapped her hands together. "Like a prince from a storybook!"

The guards gathered around, nodding their approval.

"No one would ever guess," Ash said. "You could walk right past Luna Helena and she wouldn’t recognize you."

"That’s the idea."

We set out within the hour.

Professor Aldwin had been sent to the Thornwood Pack to recuperate. It was a small territory bordering the Silvermoon Pack, known for its healing springs and clean mountain air. The king had hoped the peaceful environment might aid in the professor’s recovery.

It hadn’t.

The journey took nearly two hours by carriage. We traveled through dense forests and winding mountain roads. By the time we arrived, the afternoon sun was beginning its descent.

The professor’s residence was a modest estate on the outskirts of the pack’s main village. A stone wall surrounded the property. Guards stood at the gate.

And we weren’t the only visitors.

A fancy carriage was parked outside. A man in expensive robes stood near the entrance, speaking with someone I couldn’t see. He carried a leather bag embossed with the royal seal.

"That’s Physician Harlow," Ash said quietly. "He’s famous throughout the kingdom. Treats nobles and royalty."

"Another physician here to try his luck," I observed.

"If he can’t cure the professor, our job becomes even more impressive."

We approached the gate on foot, leaving our carriage at a distance. I walked with confidence, my guards flanking me. Nell stayed close behind, playing the role of a humble assistant.

The butler noticed us immediately.

He was a thin man with a pinched face and suspicious eyes. He looked us up and down, taking in our unfamiliar faces, our plain clothes, our lack of noble insignia.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "State your business."

Ash stepped forward. "We are traveling healers. We’ve heard of Professor Aldwin’s condition and have come to offer our services."

"Traveling healers?" The butler’s lip curled with disdain. "We have no need of wandering charlatans. The professor is being treated by the finest physicians in the kingdom."

"With respect," I said, disguising my voice to sound deeper, more masculine, "the finest physicians haven’t been able to help him. Perhaps fresh perspectives are needed."

The butler’s eyes narrowed. "And who are you to offer such perspectives? I don’t recognize any of you. Where do you come from? Which pack claims you?"

"We belong to no pack. We travel where we’re needed."

"Convenient." The butler snorted. "More likely you’re frauds looking to take advantage of a dying man’s family. I’ve seen your type before."

"We seek no payment," I said calmly. "Only the opportunity to help."

"Help? You want to help?" The butler laughed. It was not a pleasant sound. "Every week, strangers show up at this gate claiming they can cure the professor. Fortune seekers. Attention mongers. Scam artists. And every week, I turn them away."

"We’re different."

"That’s what they all say." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. "Guards!"

Two burly men appeared from behind the wall. They were armed. They did not look friendly.

"Remove these people from the premises," the butler ordered. "And make sure they don’t come back."

The guards advanced toward us.

Ash and Stone stepped forward, hands moving to their weapons.

"Wait." I held up my hand. "There’s no need for violence."

"Young Ma—" Ash caught himself just in time. "Young Master, we can handle this."

"I said wait."

The tension was thick enough to cut. The butler’s guards squared off against my guards. Neither side was willing to back down.

"You have ten seconds to leave," the butler said coldly. "After that, I cannot guarantee your safety."

I stood my ground. Thinking. Calculating.

There had to be another way in.

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