Dead-End Villainess Who Makes Medicine

 

 

Having dealt with urgent matters, I quickly came to the Golden Garden and became uneasy after seeing the state of Apherium.

 

“There are hardly any fully bloomed flowers, aren’t there?”

 

As it was a flower with robust vitality, it usually bloomed well without special care. The only issue was that the timing of blooming varied, causing some days without any fully bloomed flowers.

 

I wondered if it was because I ate them every day that they were gradually decreasing.

 

“This is troublesome.”

 

Relying on them as my daily medicine, it was concerning to see them already showing signs of weakness. Luckily, some of the flowers looked like they were about to bloom.

 

After much deliberation, I leaned my face close to one and whispered. “My beautiful apherium. Our rium is so lively! Grow up healthy and strong.”

 

It was my mother’s teaching that if you speak kind words to plants, they will grow well. This way, they would become more nutritious, and their medicinal effects would be better. As I was about to praise them again, I heard a voice from behind.

 

“…Rohiriel?”

 

Startled, I quickly stood up.

 

“Oh, Julion.” Julion was standing a few steps away, looking alternately at the apherium and me.

 

He saw it. Clearly, he saw me praising the apherium.

 

“What brings you here?”

 

‘Why is he coming at a time like this?’ I did not do anything wrong, but it was embarrassing, so I averted my gaze elsewhere.

 

However, Julion, seemingly having no intention to let it go, still asked me about my actions with a surprised look.

 

“Did you just talk to the flowers?”

 

“Haha… just, you know, just telling them to grow well.”

 

“Telling them to grow well?”

 

“Of course!” Alright, since it turned out like this, I had to confidently lead it in that direction, making it a matter of course.

 

I shrugged my shoulders confidently as if to say, ‘Don’t you even know this basic stuff?’ 

 

“They say that when people hear good things, they feel better. Flowers are the same. If you say good things and praise them, they will grow up well.”

 

Julion, as if he had never heard such a thing before, blinked and then chuckled.

 

“I see. I didn’t know.” He definitely doesn’t believe me. I felt a sense of injustice and was about to say more, but Julion stepped closer, lowered his head, and said, “Hmm… You’re pretty.”

 

At the somewhat hesitant words he uttered, I almost burst out laughing.

 

A man in a neat shirt, wearing the crown prince’s cape, was whispering to a small flower that it was pretty with an indifferent expression.

 

As I whimpered, trying to hold back laughter, Julion looked up again with a question mark in his eyes.

 

“Why do you look like that?”

 

“Huh, what do you mean?”

 

“You just laughed, didn’t you?”

 

“No, I wasn’t.”

 

Julion’s awkward “You’re pretty” echoed in my head.

 

‘At least he believed me right away.’

 

He could have laughed it off as a joke and moved on. The more I looked at him, the more serious he seemed. At this point, I decided to tell him about the other plants as well.

 

“Surely you laughed.”

 

“No, I didn’t. Besides, I didn’t know you were interested in plant growth.”

 

“Well…….”

 

Fortunately, I succeeded in changing the subject, and Julion’s gaze shifted from me back to Apherium. He looked at it and replied nonchalantly.

 

“It’s your favorite flower. It would be nice if it grew well, wouldn’t it?”

 

He must have been looking at the flower and thinking of my mother. I drew Julion’s gaze to the other flowers and said, “In fact, my heart gets heavy every time I come here. Look, there’s not a single one properly blooming.”

 

I exaggerated a bit, but it was true that the garden was generally desolate. Julion scanned the surroundings and slowly nodded in agreement with my words.

 

“Originally, the Emperor managed it personally. But now…”

 

I had heard about it. The Emperor, who was so fond of the garden, couldn’t leave it in the hands of others, so he only brought in a few selected gardeners to manage it.

 

The gardeners were only allowed to enter the garden when the emperor was present, and no one else was allowed in.

 

‘No wonder nobody managed it when he collapsed.’

 

The Empress was probably too busy caring for the Emperor to take care of it, and Julion was probably busy too with other things. But I couldn’t let these precious varieties be left unattended forever. Feeling that now was the time to speak, I cautiously brought up the idea.

 

“So, Julion, what if I take care of it?”

 

His eyes, which had been scrutinizing every corner of the garden, turned back to me.

 

“You mean you want to take care of the garden?”

 

“Yes. I’ll mobilize some gardeners, just like the Emperor did.”

 

Although the Golden Garden was a place accessible to anyone in the imperial family, managing it was a completely different matter.

 

Partly because everything belonged to the emperor, and partly because the emperor was particularly fond of it. That’s why I didn’t try to change it right away.

 

But now, things seem a bit different.

 

‘Julion seems to trust me, and even the Empress is starting to view me favorably.’

 

She could trust me even if I did things that were a bit out of the ordinary. I thought Julion would readily accept, but unexpectedly, his expression hardened.

 

“I heard that, in addition to the responsibilities of being the Crown Princess, you’re also busy with the affairs at the Palace infirmary. Moreover, you’ve been tasked with treating both the Empress and now the Emperor. It seems like you wouldn’t have much free time.”

 

Julion poured out his words sharply. It seemed like he was concerned that if I focused on tending to the Golden Garden, I might neglect the Emperor’s treatment.

 

“But, Julion, we must make time, even if we don’t have it. These plants here are essential.”

 

“Beauty has no meaning if there’s no one to appreciate it. If you exhaust yourself, you won’t be able to come here. Then, even if we put in the effort to cultivate it again, there won’t be anyone to see it.”

 

I had a feeling something wasn’t quite right.

 

Looking at Julion’s serious face, I explained again.

 

“It’s not just about growing it for ornamental purposes; it’s for its medicinal properties.”

 

“What……?”

 

“The Golden Garden is filled with rare plants from all over the continent. Each plant has its own unique properties, and by researching and processing them, we can undoubtedly create remarkable medicines.”

 

“…….”

 

“Not only more effective medicines, but we could also develop cures for rare diseases. Perhaps even a cure for His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

The Emperor had collected so many precious varieties of plants. Dozens of herbalists risked their lives to find them. I couldn’t stand by and watch them all languish and wither before my eyes.

 

“I can manage it well. It’s necessary, especially for the Emperor’s treatment, Julion.”

 

It seemed like the Emperor’s story was making an impact, as Julion let out a long sigh when I mentioned it again.

 

“In the end, it’s about medicine again.” Then he muttered something incomprehensible. As I was about to ask what he meant, Julion spoke with resignation.

 

“All right. If the Empress approves, I’ll support it.”

 

It was almost like permission. There was no way the Empress would object to the idea of cultivating plants that might cure the Emperor.

 

Overjoyed, I grabbed Julion’s hand.

 

“Thank you, Julion!”

 

For a moment, I thought his hand twitched, but that wasn’t the point.

 

‘Finally, I can legally do some research about Apherium!’ 

 

For the purpose of researching a cure for the Emperor, the Aperium can now be taken out of the Golden Garden and openly studied.

 

Julion, appearing displeased, turned away from me and gazed into the distance.

 

Until we’re out of the golden garden

 

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

 

Alone with his paperwork, Pailson slammed his pen down in frustration. A dull thud, followed by a sigh, echoed through the office.

 

“Were you playing around all this time?”

 

The door to the office swung open, and Julion burst in. Judging by his slightly furrowed, straight eyebrows, he seemed in a sour mood.

 

“I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my head from all the work I’ve been doing, and now, just now, I put my pen down!”

 

“Your excuses are always the same.”

 

“It’s true!”

 

Julion glanced at the documents and sat down on the couch. Pailson thumped his chest in frustration, but Julion didn’t seem to be listening. Eventually, he gave up and talked about work.

 

“Ha, really. So what did the crown princess say?”

 

“What about the crown princess?”

 

“…… Are you making fun of me now?”

 

Pailson was serious. So was Julion.

 

When Julion’s eyes gazed at him blankly, Pailson pounded his chest again.

 

“Why are you like this, seriously? Weren’t you here to talk about the temporary residence issue for the medical staff?”

 

At that moment, a strange change occurred in Julion’s expression.

 

His mouth parted slightly, and his eyes took on an ‘ah-ha’ look, as if he had realized something.

 

Pailson asked, lowering his voice, sensing an ominous feeling.

 

“No way… you didn’t ask?”

 

Julion didn’t answer and stood up.

 

“I have some business to attend to; continue with the paperwork.”

 

Then he disappeared out of the office without looking back.

 

Left behind, Pailson gritted his teeth. experiencing what true frustration was.

 

“Who’s the one playing here……?” he snapped.

 

He shouldn’t have applied for this job, lured by the high salary. Once this matter is resolved, he’ll quit. Pailson vowed for the thousandth time.

 

 

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊