Dead-End Villainess Who Makes Medicine

 

 

 

“Your Majesty, the Crown Princess is here.”

 

The newly appointed head maid announced my presence with a slight bow.

 

After a brief silence, permission from the Empress came.

 

As the door opened, I could see the dimly lit room beyond.

 

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”

 

“Please come in.”

 

The Empress was sitting on a sofa, sipping tea.

 

Her eyes, though still red and filled with signs of fatigue, looked much more human compared to a few days ago.

 

“How are you feeling, Your Majesty?”

 

“I can endure it now. Surprisingly, after the scented candles were cleared, the pain gradually subsided.”

 

She was talking about the scented candles that Blanche had prepared.

 

Their fragrance affected me as well, worsening my condition and leading to my collapse.

 

“I apologize for not noticing it earlier.”

 

“No, it’s not your fault. Sit down.”

 

Following the Empress’s suggestion, I took a seat on the sofa opposite her. A maid also handed me a cup of tea.

 

“So, are you feeling better?”

 

“Yes, I have recovered somewhat thanks to Your Majesty’s concern.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that. I was truly surprised to hear that you had collapsed.”

 

“I apologize. It was my inadequacy…”

 

“Isn’t it because of me that you push yourself too hard?”

 

Fortunately, it seemed that Julion hadn’t told the Empress the details.

 

Her gaze towards me was no longer sharp.

 

“No, I did what needed to be done, and I was negligent in taking care of myself. I will be more careful from now on.”

 

“I don’t blame you. In fact, I want to express my gratitude. Thanks to you, I’m getting better.”

 

The Empress said with a gentle smile. However, there was a slight tremor in her hand as she raised her teacup.

 

‘I see the pain is not completely gone yet.’ 

 

After all, she had neglected her condition for a long time and had been using the ineffectual medicine prescribed by the chief physician. It wouldn’t be easy for everything to be okay so quickly.

 

“It’s good that the medicine is having an effect. Considering the suffering Your Majesty endured due to Blanche’s scheme, I can’t help but…”

 

“I don’t want to think about the sinner anymore.”

 

As if the laughter from a moment ago had been a lie, the Empress’s voice turned cold. The golden aura around her dimmed slightly.

 

“Daring to play such a dangerous game and then trying to cut ties with her.”

 

She was talking about Count Camer, who had tried to get away with it by disowning Blanche.

 

The Empress, being no fool, could easily anticipate the connection between Camer and the current situation.

 

“I was also surprised to hear about it. This is going to be a bit of a hassle.”

 

“Marquis Bianthe is not to be underestimated either.”

 

Bianthe, being the Empress’s own family, had taken a step back from politics, but they were a noble family with a rich history and tradition, comparable to Camer.

 

While they had a good relationship with the Count of Camer originally, it was clear that this incident would create a significant rift between them.

 

‘I sense that there will be significant changes in the relationships among the nobles soon.’

 

I couldn’t help but wonder what schemes Cassian might be brewing in the midst of this turmoil.

 

“Are you still not feeling completely well?”

 

The Empress looked at me with concern, as if my thoughts were reflected on my face.

 

I remember our first meeting, the suspicious gaze, the initial hostility, and the cold indifference.

 

It hadn’t been long, but I couldn’t adjust to her much softer attitude.

 

“I’m fine. But are you experiencing any other symptoms?”

 

Getting back to the original purpose of my visit, I began pouring tea and picked up a cup. The scent of fresh apple mint wafted around me.

 

“Other symptoms? Yes, there is one. I feel a foreign sensation, and… “

 

The Empress hesitated before continuing, furrowing her brow.

 

“Your Majesty?”

 

“It seems that my eyesight has deteriorated significantly. Even though there’s clearly light, I feel as if it’s dark.”

 

As expected.

 

Latvian disease itself doesn’t cause blurred vision.

 

The issue lies with the medicine from the chief physician.

 

‘Worst-case scenario, it could even lead to blindness.’

 

If that happened, all the effort and hard work we were putting into this would be in vain.

 

I concealed my anxiety and took out a pen and paper, jotting down a few numbers. I then handed the paper to the nearby servant.

 

“Could you hold this paper over there and take a few steps back?”

 

I asked, gesturing to a spot a few paces away then addressed the Empress.

 

“Could you try reading the numbers written there?”

 

“Is that a piece of paper in that child’s hand?”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty. Can you see it?”

 

“I can see it, but…….”

 

The Empress squinted her eyes, struggling to read the numbers written on the paper.

 

However, she couldn’t provide an answer easily.

 

 

“I can clearly see that there’s something black, but I can’t make it out.”

 

“……Did you always have clear eyesight?”

 

“Yes. It was one of the things I took pride in.”

 

The Empress’ response was filled with distress.

 

I gestured for the servant to come closer.

 

“What do you see now?”

 

“Seven……, and three. I can’t see anything else.”

 

Even recognizing me might become difficult at this rate.

 

Her condition was not good.

 

‘But I can’t give up now.’ 

 

I would have to create a different eye drop.

 

Perhaps the initial irritation caused by the previous treatment was causing her eyes to react adversely.

 

“Your Majesty, I will prepare eye drops for you. Except when applying the drops, it would be best if you kept your eyes closed with bandages.”

 

“What do you mean? Didn’t you previously instruct me to look at the light?”

 

“Yes, but at that time, I should have examined your condition more closely. I was inadequate, and it seems that your eyes have been subjected to more irritation than they can handle.”

 

If it had been a typical case of Latvian disease, simple adjustments, like living in well-lit areas, might have sufficed.

 

Because of the medicine that was prescribed by the chief physician the Empress’ eyes are not in a normal state.

 

If I hadn’t been unconscious for two days, I would have realized the Empress’ condition earlier and adjusted the amount of light she was exposed to.

 

“So you’re saying I went too far?”

 

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I should have explained things more thoroughly.”

 

“Then, can my eyes really recover if we do this?”

 

The Empress’s golden eyes, now clouded with despair, looked at me.

 

I replied as optimistically as I could.

 

“Yes. It’s a slow process, but it’s getting there, and the pain is almost gone now.”

 

The Empress sighed and nodded.

 

I then placed a green medicine bottle on the table.

 

“What is this?”

 

“This is the second dose of your medicine, Your Majesty. Your condition is complex, so we need to use various medications.”

 

The Empress’ eyes lingered on the mysterious color of the medicine bottle, appearing yellow or deep green depending on the light.

 

“I have never heard or seen such a medicine. It’s amazing how medicine can be so beautiful.”

 

“There are quite a few medicines of this kind. Please make sure to take one bottle after your meals. Also…”

 

I gestured to Zenid, who handed me my medical bag.

 

From the second stage onwards, injections were necessary.

 

I opened the bag and took out a syringe and needle. The Empress, her eyes wide with curiosity, asked,

 

“W-what is that?”

 

It seems she has never received an injection before.

 

I calmly filled the syringe with medication and explained.

 

“You might have seen this before. It’s a syringe that my mother often used for treatments. We’ll use this to inject the medicine directly into Your Majesty’s body.”

 

I intentionally mentioned my mother.

 

It was true, but I mentioned it to make it seem more trustworthy, as it appeared the Empress had some faith in my mother’s medical abilities.

 

‘Of course, I think she’s starting to have faith in me, too.’

 

Still, mentioning my mother’s name would likely make her more receptive.

 

Indeed, the Empress seemed somewhat bewildered but eventually acquiesced.

 

“I vaguely remember seeing something like this in my younger days.”

 

“It’s a really excellent medical device, but unfortunately, it’s not widely used among the Empire’s physicians.”

 

“Why not, if it’s so good?”

 

“It’s because it originated from the Yalon Kingdom. They reject any medicine from a fallen nation, so it’s not used.”

 

“Hmm, I never paid much attention to that side.”

 

The Empress’ golden eyes stared at the needle, trembling slightly.

 

It was quite cute to see her handling the pain as if extracting her eye ball so well but then getting flustered over a small needle.

 

“Alright, I’ll inject it now. I’ll place it on your arm, so please relax, Your Majesty.”

 

With a tap, I checked the syringe a few times to make sure it was ready, then slowly poked it into the Empress’ arm.

 

The Empress turned her head away as if she couldn’t bear to see the needle entering her body.

 

“We’re almost done, Your Majesty. Your arm might feel sore, but please bear with it.”

 

I slowly pushed the plunger to administer the medicine

 

The Empress kept her eyes tightly shut.

 

“That’s all for now. You need to have this injection once a day, so I’ll come back tomorrow. Remember to take the medicine after eating.”

 

I finished explaining while packing the syringe into my bag.

 

The prospect of having another injection tomorrow seemed to displease the Empress, but she reluctantly agreed.

 

“Alright.”

 

Even for the Empress, the so-called Iron Lady, this was a new experience for her.

 

But she would probably get used to it with time.

 

I smiled lightly and stood up.

 

“Rest well. If you need anything, feel free to let me know. I’ll have the eye drops prepared and sent through one of the servants.”

 

“Very well. You should take good care of yourself too. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

 

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”

 

I bowed my head in gratitude and turned to leave.

 

As I approached the door, I made eye contact with the maid, who appeared to be quite shocked, as if she had seen something very unsettling.

 

It seemed that the Empire’s people were not familiar with such medical practices.

 

When I mentioned the syringe at the Imperial Palace, the reaction had not been positive.

 

The Yalon Kingdom had fallen more than twenty years ago, and it was clear that the Empire’s medical community had rejected and tried to erase the Yalon Kingdom’s medical practices. It made me wonder why they had been so determined to eliminate valuable knowledge and techniques.

 

‘Why is Imperial Medicine so strange? Why don’t they prioritize saving people?’

 

It was hard to believe that the prominent figures in the Empire’s medical field were simply ignorant of the value of the Yalon Kingdom’s medical knowledge. There must have been deeper reasons behind their efforts to suppress it.

 

“I greet your Highness.”

 

The maid realized her mistake and bowed hastily.

 

When I walked out of the Tishrit Palace, I found an unexpected figure waiting for me.