Chapter 06
Five years ago, after that incident, Prince Claude left the imperial palace and stayed in a castle within the Erhardt territory.
Murderer, demon, ghost, lunatic.
There were all sorts of terrible rumors about him, and no one had seen him since.
Thinking about Prince Claude covered in blood, I felt chills run down my arms and rubbed them to shake off the feeling.
I wondered if I should just go through with the wedding to Alex and divorce him later, but the thought made me shudder.
Even if I filed for divorce, I would have to stay married for at least a year.
Sharing a bed with Alex every night? Just imagining it was unbearable.
As I held my head in frustration, I clenched my fists in determination.
If it meant getting rid of that damn ex-husband, I might even be willing to charge into battle.
I glared at the towering castle outside the window.
Around this time in my past life, the Emperor had issued an official decree searching for a bride for Prince Claude.
Several noble ladies had married him, but none lasted more than a month before running away.
Later, rumors spread that Prince Claude had never even touched his wives. Some said he was too weak, others claimed he was incapable.
“Oh my, the stunningly handsome Prince Claude… is impotent?!”
I could almost hear the devastated sighs of the noblewomen who admired him.
Yes, it would be hard to find a better candidate for a contract marriage than him.
Smirking, I tapped my fingers on the table.
Should I try meeting Prince Claude? He wouldn’t kill a duke’s daughter… would he?
I shook my head.
How could I even meet someone who never left his castle and was rumored to be a ghost?
Besides, Erhardt was a mysterious and isolated land, surrounded by dense forests like a fortress. Entry was restricted.
Even if I somehow managed to reach the castle, there was no guarantee that Prince Claude would agree to meet me.
I needed a reason to see him.
I thought hard, but nothing came to mind.
I knew very little about Prince Claude except from a few rumors and my encounter with him in a previous life.
And… that he was unbelievably, ridiculously, breathtakingly handsome.
If only I had money, I could buy information from various sources.
But even after gathering all my resources, I only had 100 trang left.
A duke’s daughter in name only—practically a beggar.
I sighed deeply.
At this rate, I’d end up in the south, living in a shack that could be blown away by a strong breeze.
I should start saving for my future immediately.
Resolving myself, I called my butler.
“Dwayne, can you sell these jewels for me?”
“Are you truly planning to sell all of these, my lady?” Dwayne, with his neatly combed white hair, widened his eyes.
“Yes, I need money. Do you think I could get around 500 trang for them?”
“More like 5000 trang, my lady.”
“Great! Find a place that offers a good price.”
“There is a shop the late duchess used to visit. I will check if they buy jewelry.”
“That sounds good. Oh, by the way, Dwayne, have you ever seen the First Prince in person?”
Dwayne thought for a moment before answering.
“Many years ago, I was running an errand at the palace and saw him. He was about ten years old at the time and suddenly collapsed in the hallway. It was quite a shock.”
“Prince Claude collapsed?”
“Yes, I rushed over and felt his forehead—it was burning hot. His heart was beating so fast I feared it might stop. Fortunately, the royal physician arrived in time to treat him, but I heard the late Empress was deeply worried.”
“Why did he collapse? Was he sick?”
“Not exactly… Ever since birth, he suffered from unexplained high fevers and had to drink an herbal medicine called Cytirien regularly.”
“Cytirien? He’s been taking it since he was a baby?”
“Yes, and he still does. My cousin, who works in trade, recently delivered a shipment of Cytirien to his castle.”
“That makes sense—Cytirien doesn’t grow in the empire. Did the Emperor arrange for the medicine?”
“No, it was Marquis Spiegel, the Second Prince’s uncle, who specially imported it from another continent.”
“…Marquis Spiegel?”
I stared at Dwayne in surprise.
Cytirien contained a high amount of mana and was never given to children under ten.
If Prince Claude had been consuming it since infancy, his body must have suffered damage.
And the fact that the medicine was introduced by Marquis Spiegel, a close ally of the Second Prince, felt suspicious.
“Thanks for telling me. Let me know if you remember anything else about Prince Claude.”
“Of course, my lady.”
Dwayne respectfully bowed before leaving with the velvet pouch of jewels.
The sun was beginning to set outside the window.
I pulled out a book on medicinal plants from my bookshelf and settled into a plush sofa.
The sound of pages turning filled the dimly lit room.
[Mom, what’s this potion? It looks like gold!]
[This is a special medicine made from a rare herb, my dear. You must stay healthy, so drink up. Now, open wide.]
My mother’s gentle voice soothed me as I opened my mouth like a baby bird.
The sweet potion coated my tongue like chocolate, and I eagerly grabbed the bottle, sucking every last drop.
Slurp, slurp.
When I opened my eyes, morning had arrived.
Stretching with a yawn, I changed into a simple dress and stepped out into the hallway.
At the end of the corridor, I unlocked a door and was immediately greeted by the fresh scent of herbs.
My old research lab.
Dried herbs were hung by the window, and a long table in the center held pots, mortars, a stove, droppers, and transparent beakers.
I used to mix medicines here, adjusting formulas to treat different illnesses before sending them to Pierre’s factory for mass production.
Seeing this place again filled me with nostalgia.
I remembered grinding herbs at my wooden desk, and the time I accidentally burned an entire batch of medicine while dozing off.
So many memories.
Turning to the opposite wall, I spotted a tall bookshelf.
It was filled with medical texts, herbal medicine guides, and…
Running my fingers over the spines, I pulled out ten volumes of plant encyclopedias and stacked them on the table.
The well-worn covers and ink-filled pages held years of knowledge, but I tossed them into the fireplace without hesitation.
The flames engulfed the books, turning them into blackened ashes.
Since I had put a lot of effort into my research, it felt a little wasteful to destroy it. But if I wanted to stop Pierre from controlling me, this was the best option.
All the knowledge about herbal medicine and potion-making was already in my head, so I didn’t need those books anymore.
“Time to put my skills to use after a long time!”
I tied a white apron around my waist and stretched my arms above my head.
If Prince Claude had been taking Cythrien herbs for a long time, he must have developed mana poisoning.
A racing heart, burning fever—these were all symptoms of mana poisoning.
This illness causes excessive mana to build up in the heart, putting extreme strain on it. In the end, it leads to death—like having a ticking time bomb in your chest, never knowing when it might explode.
The only way to prevent this would be to take Lazeren, a herb that helps expel mana from the body.
Lazeren is a type of mana herb, just like Cythrien, but they have opposite properties.
While Cythrien is filled with fire-like mana, Lazeren has water-like energy that cools and removes excess mana.
Since Prince Claude had been taking Cythrien for so long, his heart was likely under immense strain, and he was suffering from unbearable pain.
I recalled my past life, when I had treated mana poisoning patients.
The ingredients were simple: Lazeren, Teylan flower petals, and Veineth stems.
However, the potion required precise handling. Everything—from how the herbs were prepared to the temperature at which they were boiled—had to be carefully controlled.
Moreover, current medical and alchemical knowledge wasn’t advanced enough to cure mana poisoning.
That meant I was the only person in the empire capable of treating it.
Wouldn’t that be an offer Prince Claude couldn’t refuse?
A smile formed on my lips as I took out a white cloth from the drawer and spread it open.
