Dead-End Villainess Who Makes Medicine

 

 

‘There’s no need to go through this much trouble.’

 

Julion was so serious about fulfilling our agreement that I wondered if he was secretly enjoying himself.

 

With a complicated feeling, I allowed Julion to lead me to the table and took a seat.

 

“Freck, bring out what you have prepared.”

 

Julion’s servant came with a large basket and began to set the table with sandwiches and various teas.

 

After the servants retreated into the distance, I picked up one of the sandwiches and whispered.

 

“You don’t have to do this, Julion.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“No, I mean that if we’re both busy with our own lives, we might not see each other for days, and that’s just the way married couples are.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“I mean, well, I’m grateful. But you don’t have to trouble yourself. I feel bad.”

 

Julion tilted his head slightly to the side, looking serious.

 

It was clear that he didn’t understand what I was saying.

 

Normally, he seemed to understand even without me saying much, so why was he being so dense this time?

 

I was about to add more, but Julion spoke first.

 

“I’m the one who should feel sorry and grateful to you, considering my mother’s situation.”

 

“It’s okay. If there’s a patient I can help, I should do my best.”

 

“A patient… My mother is not an empress to you, but a patient, I see.”

 

As I watched Julion mull over my words, I immediately wondered if I said something wrong.

 

Had I dared to call her a patient in front of the empress? As I pondered this, I glanced at Julion, and thankfully, he was smiling faintly.

 

“Then let me express my gratitude as the patient’s family. Thank you very much, Rohiriel.”

 

“No, what……. I’m just happy to be able to treat the Empress.”

 

“But you still need to take care of your own health while you’re at it.”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

Just as I thought the conversation was coming to a close, Julion asked as if he had just remembered something.

 

“So, did you dine in the palace infirmary yesterday evening?”

 

“Yesterday evening……?”

 

Where did I eat it?

 

I searched my memory, but I didn’t remember eating dinner anywhere.

 

I had been busy and not particularly hungry, so I must have skipped it.

 

When I couldn’t answer, Julion’s expression hardened.

 

“You didn’t eat.”

 

“No, it’s…… I think I drank tea.”

 

“Tea?”

 

Julion’s gaze traveled to the teacup on the table.

 

His expression turned from surprise to bewilderment, and I tried to avoid eye contact as I took a bite of the sandwich.

 

“Mmm, it’s delicious. Is the chef at the Prince’s Palace a sandwich expert?”

 

“So what did you have for breakfast this morning?”

 

“Fruit and toast…”

 

“What about lunch?”

 

“Some soup.”

 

Julion’s expression went from stiff to stern.

 

I didn’t understand why he was interrogating me about past meals in such detail.

 

“I can’t help it. I was busy, and I had no appetite.”

 

“Even more reasons to take care of yourself.”

 

In reality, when your health is poor, your digestive system becomes significantly weaker, making it difficult to eat high-calorie foods.

 

My stomach was very weak after a few days of hard marching, so I couldn’t eat properly even if I wanted to.

 

But I couldn’t explain these details, so I just gave a vague response.

 

“I’ll eat well from now on.”

 

And with that, I shoved a mouthful of sandwich into my mouth.

 

I wasn’t in the mood to answer more questions, but I realized I did have something to discuss with Julion.

 

I drank my tea and quickly finished my sandwich.

 

“Take your time eating. There’s plenty.”

 

“Ah, yes. More than that, Julion, do you happen to know if there are any selphinia trees in Tishrit Palace?”

 

“Selphinia tree?”

 

Julion tilted his head and blinked.

 

Then he answered in a slow voice.

 

“I don’t think so. My mother doesn’t have much interest in landscaping… I don’t believe she would have planted any troublesome trees.”

 

“Then is there a place where there are a lot of bushes or an unmaintained lawn?”

 

“You mean at the Tishrit Palace?”

 

Julion smirked, as if he’d been asked a funny question.

 

It was a bit funny even to me.

 

It’s the palace where the Empress resides.

 

There would be no unmaintained lawns or overgrown bushes.

 

“That was a pretty obvious question, wasn’t it?”

 

I shrugged and withdrew the question.

 

“Actually, in Her Majesty’s bedroom earlier. I think I saw some powdered selphinia in head maid Blanche’s hair, and a green stain on the hem of her dress. It’s disturbing in more ways than one.”

 

“……That’s strange.”

 

Julion put down her sandwich and thought about it.

 

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who found it odd.

 

“There is a selphinia tree in the palace, and coincidentally, it’s in the middle of a bushy lawn.”

 

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

 

Blanche must have come out of Tishrit Palace some time before I went to visit the Empress.

 

I checked one more thing just in case.

 

“Where is that?”

 

“It’s probably near the castle walls, where few people go.”

 

“It’s a deserted place.”

 

“There’s no reason for the Empress’ personal maid to go there when her mistress is unwell.”

 

Having said that much, we both stood up without saying who would go first.

 

Blanche made a stealthy move.

 

At this time of all things,

 

Perhaps the chief physician’s life was truly in danger.

 

Anxiety was evident in Julion’s gaze.

 

“Can I come with you?”

 

“Of course.”

 

No one mentioned where, but we headed straight for the prison where the chief physician was being held.

 

The smell of blood and other musty odors wafted from the entrance.

 

As we made our way deeper into the cell, we saw the chief physician sitting quietly behind the bars.

 

“Chief physician.”

 

I stepped closer and called out the chief physician, but he remained motionless.

 

He remained seated, facing the window, as still as if he had been frozen in place.

 

“……chief physician?”

 

“Chief physician, what are you doing?”

 

Even Julion’s cold voice demanded an answer, but there was silence in return.

 

I looked at Julion with an ominous sense of foreboding.

 

He must have had the same idea, because his face went rigid as he hurriedly pushed open the gate.

 

“Chief physician!”

 

Julion ran right inside, grabbed the chief physician by the shoulders, and shook him.

 

The next instant, the chief physician’s body tilted helplessly to the side.

 

His face, which was revealed, was unnaturally pale, devoid of any color, and his two brown eyes were listless, lacking focus.

 

I quickly checked his pulse and breathing, but as I feared, I could detect no signs of life.

 

“Oh, no. We’re late.”

 

Julion’s voice was filled with regret.

 

When did this happen, and how did it come to this?

 

“Looks like my hunch was right, now what do I do…….”

 

I was about to continue when I noticed a peculiar smell coming from the chief physician.

 

I leaned closer to his face again and sniffed.

 

“What’s the matter, Rohiriel?” 

 

I checked his neck, then his wrists and ankles.

 

“Rohiriel?”

 

Ignoring Julion’s questioning look, I checked the chief physician’s chest.

 

I could sense that Julion looked embarrassed, but my heart began to race.

 

“Herbs. I need herbs. Horonchi, Lafar, Thanetdu, Yavilleim, Todd Nut…….”

 

“Wait a minute, Rohiriel. What are you talking about?”

 

“I mean, we can save the chief physician!”

 

“What’s the…… wasn’t he already dead?”

 

“It hasn’t been long since he was poisoned. The poison initially stops her breathing and heart, then spreads throughout her body, eventually leading to his real death. It’s still in the early stages, but I’ll explain…… more later. For now, I need my herbs and my tools, Zenid!”

 

Zenid, who had been waiting in the distance, heard my voice and rushed over.

 

“Your Highness, I’m here.”

 

I took the medical bag from the quick-witted Zenid and started to scribble down the ingredients I needed on a piece of paper, but stopped.

 

“We’re running out of time. The chief physician’s body won’t survive until we get the medicines.”

 

“The Palace Infirmary is close to here. I’ll find a way to get there quickly, your highness.”

 

Zenid said, but I shook my head.

 

No matter how fast she ran, it was impossible.

 

Judging by the chief physician’s condition, it had been less than a minute since he’d been poisoned.

 

Probably just before we came in, they took the job and ran away.

 

If so, he had less than five minutes to live.

 

Any more than that, and even if he did start breathing again, it was unlikely he would wake up, and even if he did, we couldn’t be sure she would be in a stable condition.

 

“I also need time to make the medicine, so you need to be back with the ingredients in two minutes, which is impossible…….”

 

“I think I can do that.”

 

Julion interrupted.

 

He snatched the paper out of my hand and ran toward the open window.

 

“Julion?”

 

“You seem to have forgotten that although I am the crown prince, I am also a knight.”

 

With a smug grin on his face, Julion leapt out the window.

 

I gulped as I listened to the fading sound of his footsteps as he moved farther away.

 

“I momentarily forgot about that.”

 

He is the youngest person to defeat the captain of the Imperial Palace at the age of 13.

 

He’s so confident in his abilities that he doesn’t even have a bodyguard in the crown prince’s palace.

 

Thanks to that, I was able to sneak into the crown prince’s palace and meet and trade with Julion. I forgot about it for a while.

 

He would certainly be faster than Zenid. 

 

‘Will he make it in time?’

 

Everything was so urgent.

 

But I couldn’t give up without trying if there was a glimmer of hope.

 

If the Chief physician dies, there would be no way to capture head maid Blanche.

 

I had to save him somehow.

 

“Your Highness, give me instructions.”

 

Zenid sat back in his seat.

 

I exposed the chief physician completely, and I held a long, thin, tubular needle.