Chapter 04
“If you’re talking about the new medicine, you mean the Astina rash ointment, right? Just wait a little longer. There’s only one step left to complete it.”
“How much longer? I already promised to present it by the end of this week!”
“Well, that depends on you, brother.”
“What do you mean? You’re the one making the medicine. Why are you blaming me?”
I looked at Pierre, who was clearly confused, and calmly continued.
“Even if I finish making it, it’ll only benefit others. So why should I rush?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? It’s for our family’s benefit—”
“Selling the medicine won’t give me a single coin. So, wouldn’t that just be benefiting others?”
I smiled sweetly, and Pierre’s face stiffened.
“So, you’re trying to get money out of me now?”
“From now on, we’ll split the profit 9 to 1. If you agree, I’ll finish making the Astina ointment today.”
“9 to 1? So, you’re saying you get 1, and I get 9?”
Pierre scoffed as if he found it ridiculous.
I chuckled and shook my head.
“No, the other way around. Your only job is to take the formula I created and hand it over to the factory. If we’re being fair, I should get 9.”
“Wow, are you crazy? What does a woman who just sips tea all day know about business? Stop talking nonsense and go make the medicine already!”
Pierre looked down on me, sneering.
Of course, he wouldn’t accept my proposal. He was greedy but had no brains.
A pathetic man who looked down on others.
You just missed your last chance.
Let’s see who will be laughing in the end.
“What are you doing? Go and finish the medicine! There’s a meeting with investors tomorrow, so hurry up!”
Pierre shoved me roughly.
I didn’t move an inch, just looking at his swollen, red hand.
It had scabs, but he had been scratching it nonstop, and now his nails were stained with blood.
Pierre had suffered from an unknown skin disease in my past life.
In fact, I had developed the Astina ointment because of him.
It may be time to scare him a little.
I widened my eyes in fake shock and spoke.
“Brother… That rash… It doesn’t look normal.”
“What? You said it was just a rash before! What are you talking about now?”
“I thought so too, but looking at it closely, I think it’s scabies. A type of mite that lays eggs under the skin.”
“Mites? What kind of bug digs into human skin?”
“When the plague spread in Stana village, I saw it—it was scabies. Your symptoms look exactly the same. Judging by the swelling, it must’ve been about a week since the infection started. Your scalp and the soles of your feet are itching too, right? Soon, you’ll start getting pus-filled sores.”
As I listed the symptoms one by one, Pierre’s doubtful expression turned into horror.
Pierre was terrified of bugs.
And now, he thought there were bugs crawling under his skin.
I pretended to be deeply sympathetic.
“In a month, it’ll spread all over your body. If you don’t get treatment—”
“W-what happens if I don’t get treated?”
I dragged my thumb across my throat, giving him a sharp look.
Pierre’s eyes shook like an earthquake.
“Wait, are you saying I could die from this? Just because of a skin disease?”
I sighed and furrowed my brows in fake concern.
Time to hit him with the final blow.
“The problem is… I’m the only one who knows how to cure it.”
With that, I casually walked away.
Behind me, Pierre’s panicked voice rang out.
“HEY! Finish the Astina ointment and the scabies cure today! If you don’t, I swear—!”
Bark all you want.
I kept walking as if I hadn’t heard him.
Glancing back, I saw Pierre frantically scratching himself, on the verge of a breakdown.
A cornered rat only has one move left.
Smirking, I headed for the drawing room.
Inside, only a maid was cleaning—no one else was there.
“Where is Lord Alex?”
“Oh, the lord finished his tea and left about ten minutes ago.”
“Did he say where he was going?”
“I think he mentioned taking a walk with Lady Rachel, but I’m not sure.”
A walk, huh…
I remembered how, in my past life, Alex often used ‘taking a walk’ as an excuse to disappear.
It was strange.
He had pollen allergies—why would he willingly stroll through the garden?
But I had trusted him, so I never questioned it.
Thinking back now, there were too many odd things.
He’d return looking messy, with disheveled hair and wrinkled clothes.
And every time Alex disappeared, Rachel would also leave, claiming she was invited to a tea party.
A garden like this was the perfect place for a secret meeting.
I let out a small, bitter laugh and turned toward the garden.
Somewhere hidden from sight, in a secluded corner…
As I approached an old storage shed covered in dried leaves and dirt, I heard it.
“Oh, my lord, what if someone sees us?”
Rachel’s playful, flirty voice pierced the air.
“I can’t help it. You’re just too tempting. You make me lose control.”
“You’re such a smooth talker. My sister fell for you because of that charming gaze of yours.”
Rachel’s voice was sharp, but Alex’s tone was disgustingly sweet.
“Aselin can’t even compare to you. She’s too stiff and boring… But what’s this wound on your arm? Did Aselin do this again?”
“…My sister’s personality won’t let her leave someone prettier than her alone. What can I do?”
“Rachel, you’re too kind. If only Aselin was half as sweet as you.”
“…That may be true, but can someone’s nature really change? Don’t you think so, Lord Alex?”
“There’s no comparison between you two. Do you think Aselin could even try to copy your adorable charms? She’s just like her mother. I heard the late Duchess was just as cold and emotionless.”
Disgusting.
I bit my lip and clenched my dress tightly in my hands.
“My Lord, not there… Oh!”
Thud! Inside, something wooden rolled across the floor, mixed with heavy breathing.
Sigh…
My hands trembled as I gripped my dress.
I wanted to poison those two right here and now.
But then, I shook my head.
I suddenly remembered my mother’s words—she was the greatest apothecary in the Empire.
“Aselin, herbs should only be used to save lives. If you ever dirty your hands to harm someone, you’ll never become a great apothecary.”
I pushed my anger deep inside and started thinking rationally.
Everyone in high society knew that Alex, a successful businessman, had bought his title of Baron.
But if he wanted to climb higher, marriage was the only way.
Rachel, being an illegitimate child, could never officially be recognized as a noble of the Duke’s family. I was the perfect target for him.
And just as I thought, in my past life, as soon as we married, Alex was granted the title of Marquis.
The Emperor had rewarded him because my family, the Rondinella Dukes, had been a prestigious lineage of apothecaries for generations.
And Alex, with his sharp nose for money, had invested heavily in Pierre’s pharmaceutical business.
A man like him, who never made a losing deal, would never agree to break off our engagement.
But that didn’t mean I would give up.
No matter what, I would get out of this engagement.
I would make those two pay, and then I would leave for a peaceful village in the south.
I imagined myself tending to an herb garden, watching the stars at night and the warm sunlight during the day.
Just thinking about it lifted my mood.
I smirked slightly and stepped into the storage room.
“Lord Alex, here you are.”
Alex’s eyes widened in shock.
Panicked, he quickly pushed Rachel away from his arms.
“Ahhh!”
Rachel fell to the ground, looking up at him with resentment.
The man you’re clinging to will never leave me.
Because without me, he wouldn’t have the status or the money he desires.
I sneered inside but kept my expression innocent as I looked at them.
Alex, still flustered, hurriedly turned around to fix his clothes.
“…Aselin, when did you get here? Are you feeling better?”
“Just now. But why is Rachel on the floor?”
“…I tripped. Looks like I twisted my ankle.”
Rachel finished his sentence, glancing at Alex urgently.
Then, Alex reached out his hand to help her up, sneaking a glance at me.
As if asking for permission—It’s okay if I help my future sister-in-law, right?
