Ziggkart tilted his head in curiosity.
Etern didn’t understand what that gesture meant—at least not at first.
“You can still send letters even if you go back home, right? Or do you think just exchanging letters doesn’t count as being friends?”
What a funny kid, Etern thought. She then realized that her eyes were still damp and quickly wiped them with her sleeve.
“If you keep crying like that, your eyes will swell up, and you’ll end up looking like a toad.”
Etern bristled at Ziggkart’s words, clenching her fists and stomping her foot.
“I wasn’t crying that much!”
“If you keep rubbing them, they’ll swell. Trust me. Anyway, are we going to be friends or not?”
“Do you think friendship works just because someone says, ‘Let’s be friends’?”
“You’re talking a lot, which means you actually do want to be my friend.”
What kind of logic is that?!
Before Etern could respond, Ziggkart spun around as if the conversation was over. His movements, balancing lightly on his toes like a dancer, reminded her that he really was just a child.
Watching him, Etern felt a strange sense of unease. It was as if she were witnessing the childhood that the Ziggkart of her past life had never experienced. The thought stung, leaving an aching feeling in her chest.
“Aren’t you coming?”
Ziggkart extended his hand behind him.
Etern instinctively looked down at it. His hand was small—just like hers. A child’s hand.
When she hesitated before grasping it, she felt Ziggkart’s fingers twitch slightly. He had offered his hand, but he clearly hadn’t expected her to take it.
“Why are you flinching?”
This time, Etern teased him.
Ziggkart glanced at their joined hands awkwardly before snapping his head away.
“I didn’t flinch! You just grabbed my hand in a ticklish way. Girls are always like that—ow!”
Ziggkart’s eyes widened in shock as he rubbed the spot where Etern had smacked him.
“Did you just hit me?”
“You said something worth getting smacked for. ‘Girls are always like that’? What kind of kid says things like an old man?”
“What? Old man?”
“Yeah, an old man. Or would you prefer I call you an ancestor instead?”
Ziggkart let out a dry laugh, prompting Etern to speak up.
“If you say something like that again, I won’t just smack you this time.”
“Oh? Then what will you do? Hang me upside down from a tree?”
Etern’s jaw dropped in shock.
“What kind of barbaric idea is that? I was just going to poke your side, at most!”
“With a pen tip?”
“Are you even sane?”
She wanted to say something much harsher but held herself back.
‘Seriously, what has this eight-year-old been eating to make him think such violent thoughts? I thought he became a tyrant because my father tormented him, but maybe he was just born that way!’
This was bad.
Etern shook her head internally. She couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
Emperor Wintier may have had a fearsome face, but Ziggkart—with his seemingly harmless expression—harbored the potential of a true tyrant. And between the two, it was the latter who was far more terrifying.
‘The principality will continue to be an important ally in the future. If no one realizes what kind of person he is before he becomes the Grand Duke…!’
Then history would remember him, but not in a good way.
‘At the very least, I need to instill some emotional refinement in him while he’s here. If I can lay a proper foundation, maybe I can prevent the worst-case scenario.’
Unaware of the weight of Etern’s determination to educate him, Ziggkart merely smiled, his expression unreadable.
The two children made their way through the long corridors, passing through several halls before finally arriving at the archives.
There had been a faster route, but Etern, feeling a deep sense of responsibility for Ziggkart’s emotional development, deliberately chose a scenic detour through the beautifully maintained gardens. It had taken them longer, but she considered it a necessary sacrifice.
“We didn’t have to take such a long way around.”
Ziggkart remarked, glancing back at the path they had taken.
“Have you ever heard of efficiency?”
Etern narrowed her eyes.
“You wanted to tour the palace, remember? I took you through different spots on the way, and now you’re complaining?”
She clenched her small fist and waved it threateningly, causing Ziggkart to playfully shrink his neck in mock fear.
“Oh, I see. I was mistaken. My deepest apologies, Your Highness.”
“Good. Now let’s go in.”
Raising her tiny nose proudly, Etern let out a small giggle as she played along with Ziggkart’s teasing.
As soon as the two children entered the apothecary, the attendants—ranging from apprentices to those in high-ranking positions—were visibly startled and flustered.
However, since the emperor had already issued orders regarding the young lord of Randster, no one dared to stop the unfamiliar boy from accompanying the imperial princess into the apothecary.
“Your Highness, Princess. And Young Lord of Randster, what brings you to this place?”
An elderly physician, one of the more senior members responsible for the royal family’s health, stepped forward and greeted them as their representative.
Etern nodded slightly in return and smiled.
“The Young Lord wished to see the medicinal herbs stored here. Would that be alright? We won’t be a bother, will we?”
A warm smile spread across the elderly physician’s face. He had a grandson slightly older than Etern. And what kind of grandfather could refuse a request from a child of that age?
“A bother? Not at all. In fact, it is an honor that Your Highness has graced us with a visit. Young Lord, please, come this way. I will guide you.”
Without a word, Ziggkart followed the physician into the apothecary.
Etern wanted to follow as well, but the full skirt of her dress and the many ornaments she wore seemed impractical in such a place. Deciding they would only get in the way, she remained near the entrance.
Hmm… This is my first time visiting the apothecary, but it seems to be quite well-organized.
With this second life, she had gained an incredible wealth of knowledge—knowledge that was now proving itself useful in an unexpected way.
Even Etern herself was surprised. She could read not only the empire’s language but also foreign scripts and even ancient texts whose origins were unknown to her.
Many medicinal herbs had names rich with hidden meanings, yet deciphering them came effortlessly. She even had an instinctive sense of which herbs were of good quality and which ones were lacking.
‘Wouldn’t studying this be useful? Maybe I should focus on medicine rather than magic…?’
No, why not both? She had the time now. Much more time than in her previous life.
She caught a glimpse of Ziggkart moving deeper into the apothecary, with the physician beside him looking astonished and speaking enthusiastically.
‘Did he know this much about medicine?’
She tried to recall any such memory from her past life, but it was pointless.
The only image she could remember was Ziggkart’s maniacal laughter as he shattered the palace vases in a fit of rage. The memory sent a shiver down her spine.
But then—another memory surfaced.
This time, it wasn’t the mad emperor she remembered, but a younger Ziggkart. He had been older than he was now—thirteen, maybe fourteen?
‘That’s right. Back then…’
Etern became lost in thought, completely unaware of the palace physicians bustling around her.
‘Ziggkart had been terribly ill…’
~~~
I’m currently providing additional chapters of the novel here; If you like you can support me or can get an advanced chapters of this novel here~ ଘ(੭*ˊᴗˋ)੭
The link will remain available until the next update. Thank you!
And this will be the last time I post chapters of this novel here. For future updates, I’ll be posting them on [THIS SITE]. It’s an ad-free platform with both free and advanced chapters available. Thank you for your support—see you there next month!
