Dead-End Villainess Who Makes Medicine

 

 

“You don’t look well, Headmaid.”

 

The chief physician looked at Blanche up and down, his eyes narrowing slightly. His voice was sarcastic, as if he’d forgotten he was in the same situation as her.

 

Blanche’s eyelids fluttered, as if she still couldn’t believe it.

 

“This can’t be happening. How could you…”

 

“You must be surprised that I’m still alive after you supposedly killed me.”

 

The chief physician continued to chuckle at the situation.

 

Julion watched the two in disbelief for a moment, then spoke.

 

“Caman Beldrick has already confessed to his crimes. He’s here as a witness. Caman Beldrick, testify.”

 

“Yes, your Highness.”

 

The chief physician nodded respectfully and began confessing in detail about the numerous dealings he had orchestrated with Blanche.

 

“I became chief physician of the Imperial palace on the recommendation of Count Camer, with the stipulation that I must fully assist headmaid Blanche. When the Empress developed an eye disease, headmaid Blanche asked me not to treat her, and although it was embarrassing as a physician, I had no choice but to comply, because I was being blackmailed. Also…….”

 

As his testimony continued, Blanche’s facade of composure began to crumble.

 

The chief physician didn’t seem to feel any guilt despite being coerced, but the key point was that Blanche was revealed as an accomplice in this case.

 

“Blanche Camer, we have our first witness. Are you still not willing to confess?”

 

“……I am innocent. The chief physician is framing me!”

 

“Framing you. I wonder how long you’ll keep telling the same old lies.”

 

Seeing that Blanche was not willing to give up just yet, Julion called the guards.

 

“Bring in the second witness.”

 

Blanche’s head snapped back at the mention of a second witness.

 

Guided by the guards, a man with various injuries covering his body was brought forward. This man had been captured by the shadow knights that had been following Julion secretly.

 

The man, covered in scars, knelt beside the chief physician.

 

For a moment, Blanche’s eyes flashed with despair as she looked at him.

 

But then she closes her eyes and turns her head away.

 

Julion unfolded some documents and began reading information about the man.

 

“Feliu Nathan, 35 years old. Like Caman Beldrick, he was hired as an imperial gardener on the recommendation of Count Camer, and last night he attempted to poison the chief physician in prison. Do you all admit it?”

 

Feliu coughed up blood before bowing his head as if he were about to die.

 

“I admit…….”

 

“Whose orders were you following?”

 

Feliu cleared his throat and cast his gaze in Blanche’s direction. But Blanche looked away as if she didn’t know him.

 

“Headmaid Blanche.”

 

“Did you know about the dealings between Camen Beldrick and Blanche Camer?”

 

“Yes, I was merely doing what I was told.”

 

Feliu’s head drooped.

 

At first, he had been quite rebellious, but in just a few hours, Julion had managed to change him into a compliant individual.

 

“That brings us to our second witness. Blanche Camer, are you still unwilling to confess?”

 

Blanche fixed his gaze on empty space, tightly sealing his lips. She hadn’t expected Feliu to be caught so easily, or even to confess. Still, Blanche remained stubborn, refusing to speak.

 

“I want a noble trial to be…… held.”

 

“You are persistent. If one more witness appears, you will lose the chance to confess. Are you sure about this?”

 

“I am innocent. I have nothing to confess, so what do you expect me to say?”

 

At this point, I was beginning to wonder if she really didn’t think she had done anything wrong.

 

Julion’s brow furrowed as if he was thinking the same thing.

 

“Call the third witness.”

 

Blanche clenched the dirt beneath her and she began to scrape the ground, tightly clenching her fist. Slowly, she moved her head to verify the arrival of the third witness.

 

“…How did you…”

 

Blanche started to say something, then stopped. Her eyes were filled with betrayal.

 

The third witness, crouching next to Feliu Nathan, could barely look in Blanche’s direction.

 

“Latri Dale, 27 years old. Maid at Tishrit Palace. You seem to know each other well.”

 

Julion said, looking back and forth between Blanche and Latri.

 

Blanche neither denied nor affirmed. Her eyes focused on Latri, burning with intense anger. Latri, on the other hand, was shaking with fear.

 

“La, Latri Dale, greets your highnesses.”

 

Her voice trembled so much that it reminded me of a bleating goat.

 

When Julion ordered her to testify, she coughed and cleared her throat, then slowly began.

 

“I, In the past, the head maid Blanche would often ask me to run errands and deliver various things to the chief physician.”

 

“Various things? What kind of things?”

 

“A box of gold coins…… or jewelry, for example. There were also many letters……..”

 

“Letters, like these?”

 

Julion pointed to the evidence in front of him.

 

“Yes, that’s right. She asked me to deliver things like that regularly.”

 

As Latri nodded vigorously, Blanche let out a sigh mixed with a groan. 

 

By now, Blanche’s mind is full of questions. 

 

She probably never imagined that even Latri Dale would be captured.

 

‘This was my big catch’.

 

A catch that started with convincing Blanche that the chief physician was dead. Having seen the chief physician’s death with her own eyes, she was probably relieved that there were no more witnesses.

 

Relief leads to carelessness.

 

And thanks to that carelessness, I was able to catch Blanche by the scruff of the neck.

 

“Anything else?”

 

“He instructed me to surreptitiously procure some scented candles.”

 

“When was that?”

 

“After the chief physician’s sins were revealed.”

 

“What were those scented candles made of? Tell me the names of the herbs.”

 

Unable to recall the name of the herbs easily under pressure, Latri rolled her eyes and stammered.

 

“Ta… Tartheno fruit, Karingos peel, saltpeter, and… and…”

 

I had heard it all before when I caught Latri Dale. But hearing it again made me angry.

 

That was a drug that shouldn’t be found in Tishrit Palace.

 

“Rohiriel, what do those herbs make when combined?”

 

Julion, though he already knew, asked me for the official record.

 

“It acts to prevent the medicine from taking effect. It’s usually used as first aid after ingesting poison, or by merchants who have to pass through poisonous areas. It prevents the body from absorbing whatever it is, whether it’s poison or medicine.”

 

“So, in other words, if you light that scented candle and keep it nearby, it won’t matter what medicine or poison you take; you can’t expect any effects.”

 

This was the reason why no matter how many strong painkillers I prescribed to the empress, the pain continued to persist. Blanche’s ploy was to make me lose faith in my medicines.

 

I gave the chief physician the same painkillers I had given the Empress, and his pain was now mild enough to allow him to testify in public.

 

The chief hadn’t really contracted the illness; I just induced a similar type of pain, which made him respond better to painkillers. However the Empress would have suffered much less if not for the scented candles Blanche had burned.

 

When Julion learned of this, he was furious.

 

“No wonder the Empress was in so much pain……!”

 

Suddenly, with a snap, the armrest Julion was holding onto broke.

 

Latri trembled and bowed her head, apologizing profusely.

 

“I’m sorry, I deserve to die!”

 

Blanche had committed many other atrocities. She used Latri to manipulate the books of Tishrit Palace, and even threatened to take Latri’s family hostage when she was caught talking to the chief physician.

 

“This is a frame-up, Your Highness, a frame-up! Please hold a noble trial!”

 

Blanche pleaded, but no one believed her.

 

Julion stopped his pen hovering over the papers, a sneer curling his lips.

 

“You have already exhausted your opportunity to speak, Blanche Camer. The evidence is in, and there are three witnesses, so I have deemed it appropriate under Imperial law to bring you to justice and sentence you to serve the rest of your life in the Western Quarry. The transfer will take place in a month.”

 

“Your Highness!”

 

“The Count of Camer will not escape responsibility either. It was Camers who brought Caman Beldrick and Feliu Nathan into the palace.”

 

At the mention of Count Camer, Blanche’s complexion changed. She had been crying foul play all along, but now she turned pale and seemed to be at a loss for words.

 

Then, unable to argue anymore, she shut up. I don’t know if he gave up or if there was another reason. Still, I’m glad we resolved the issue of Blanche without going to a noble trial.

 

I had spent sleepless nights, and during the interrogation I felt like I had stiffened up somewhere.

 

‘I wonder what my schedule is this afternoon.’

 

As I relaxed, other, unrelated thoughts popped into my head.

 

Julion was putting the final touches on the paper.

 

“I’ll send the paper to ……. The other sinners can ……, and you can send them to…….”

 

I listened, hoping it would be over, but something was off.

 

Julion’s words were sparse.

 

His mouth was obviously still moving, but his voice sounded disjointed, which was a strange phenomenon. I tapped my ears, trying to understand.

 

‘Why can’t I hear…?’

 

I couldn’t hear anything at all.

 

I panicked and tried to make a quiet “ahhh” sound, but it just fell on deaf ears.

 

Zenid looked at me as if asking what was wrong, but I hesitated to say anything.

 

I hesitated to tell her, not wanting to worry her unnecessarily, so I gave her a small smile.

 

‘This is bad. I must have pushed myself too hard.

 

I didn’t feel a single ache in my body.

 

Of course, I wouldn’t feel any pain; it was a disease that takes away my senses.

 

I had been warned that my senses would disappear, but could it be that this time it was my hearing?

 

I did not take Aperium, spent a sleepless night, and even… skipped breakfast.

 

I had taken the stimulant, but it seemed ineffective due to the overwhelming scent of Blanche’s candles in Tishrit Palace.

 

By the looks of it, Julion had finished speaking.

 

I tried to get up, desperate to make it to where Aperium was available as quickly as possible.

 

At that moment, my vision went black as I felt myself plummet to the floor.

 

My last thought was,

 

The timing sucks!