Chapter 07
I rubbed my hands together and looked down at the neatly arranged herbs.
On the white cloth, there were several purple petals, plant stems, and a few thick roots.
Now that all the ingredients were ready, I just needed to find Lazeren.
But according to imperial law, mana herbs could only be consumed by royalty. That made them rare and difficult to find in the market.
So the only option was to gather them myself.
I pulled out a herbal map of the continent from my bookshelf and spread it open.
My finger slowly moved across the map until it stopped at the Chaos Forest, located in the northwest of the empire.
It was close to Erhardt’s territory but outside the border, meaning anyone could enter freely.
Most importantly, it was close enough to walk.
“Alright, let’s get started!”
Humming a tune, I walked over to the window.
I picked up some dried dahlia roots and almond leaves and carefully selected the best parts.
After grinding them into fine pieces, I added a bit of water and placed the mixture over the fire to boil.
As steam rose, the refreshing scent of dahlia flowers and the nutty aroma of almonds filled the lab.
Once the mixture had thickened, I set it by the window to cool.
Soon, the surface hardened like ice.
I stirred the hardened top with a wooden stick, peeling it away to reveal the fragrant tonic beneath.
“Done.”
I gulped down the potion in one go.
It contained four special herbs that boosted energy and stamina.
In my past life, I had spent all my time caring for others and completely neglected myself.
How foolish I had been.
They had used me like a disposable tool and then abandoned me.
Could I ever trust or rely on someone again?
Maybe never.
With that thought, I finished the remaining tonic.
Then, I strained the leftover thick herbal mixture, extracting only the concentrated liquid.
I let it dry in the cool breeze by the window and shaped it into small pill-sized herbal balls.
Lining them up on the white cloth, they looked surprisingly cute.
I carefully wrapped each one in paper and put them in my pocket.
This way, I could take one whenever I needed extra strength.
Finally, I packed dried meat and water into my travel bag and checked everything one last time.
“Perfect!”
The potion was starting to take effect—I could feel energy flowing through my body.
Satisfied, I slung my bag over my shoulder and left the lab.
This should be the place…
I had been searching the forest for herbs for three hours.
Lying flat on the ground, I sniffed through the grass, parting the leaves with my hands.
Lazeren had a strong, sweet scent, which intensified when touched.
After a long search, I collapsed onto the ground in frustration.
My nose stung from rubbing against rough grass, and my nostrils ached from sniffing too much.
To make things worse, the sun was setting, and darkness was creeping in.
I was about to give up when I suddenly realized something.
Mana herbs glow in the dark.
That meant they would actually be easier to find at night!
A grin spread across my face as I got up and dusted off my dirt-streaked clothes.
Looking around, I noticed a path leading deeper into the forest.
It looked eerie, as if something might jump out at any moment.
But mana herbs thrived in places like that.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the deeper woods.
After walking for a while, I spotted a rare mushroom with orange spots.
“Wow! What a lucky find—a Madman’s Mushroom!”
Grinning widely, I eagerly stuffed my bag with the precious mushrooms.
This place was a goldmine of mushrooms. I should’ve brought an extra bag.
But despite my excitement, there was still no sign of Lazeren.
As my energy wore off, my shoulders and back started aching.
But I wasn’t one to give up easily.
I popped one of my herbal pills into my mouth and chewed it.
Just then, my eyes widened.
Ahead, at the edge of a cliff, I saw a faint shimmering light.
I rushed forward and carefully peered over the edge.
There, growing between the cracks of the rocky slope, was Lazeren—glowing in a brilliant blue light.
It looked even more beautiful than the illustrations in my books.
I immediately reached down.
Just a little closer…
Every time I stretched my arm out, the delicate stems swayed just out of reach.
Gritting my teeth, I stretched my arm as far as possible.
Just as my fingertips brushed against Lazeren—
Rustle.
A sound came from behind me.
It was the sound of footsteps—large, heavy ones—getting closer.
A cold chill ran down my spine, and I froze in place.
The Chaos Forest was known to be relatively safe—there were no wild beasts or monsters.
But I couldn’t be careless.
If it was a deer or rabbit, I had nothing to worry about.
But if it was a boar…
It could gore me to death with its teeth.
I held my breath and stayed completely still, waiting for the creature to leave.
Then—
Awoooo!
A wolf’s howl echoed, alarmingly close.
My heart plummeted.
I shut my eyes tightly and frantically thought of a plan.
Running wouldn’t work—it would catch me in seconds.
Playing dead wouldn’t help either—if it was hungry, it would tear me apart anyway.
The wolf began circling me slowly, making my hair stand on end.
My hands trembled as an idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
The Madman’s Mushroom!
While the wolf wandered a little farther away, I quickly reached into my pocket and crushed the mushrooms.
Luckily, they had absorbed rain and were soft enough to break easily.
I smeared the mushroom dust over my neck and face, then pressed my body into the muddy ground.
Wolves never let intruders escape their territory.
By covering myself in familiar earth scents, I hoped it wouldn’t see me as a threat.
Soon, I heard the wolf return, sniffing around me.
Please… Let this work.
As I lay there, pretending to be dead, I suddenly felt a wet nose pressed against the back of my head, sniffing me.
The animal’s hot breath sent chills down my spine, and I could feel my hair stand on end.
I squeezed my eyes shut and held still.
“Is she dead?”
A low voice drifted through the wind.
The wolf, as if reporting to its master, nudged Aselin with its large paw.
When she didn’t move, it started licking the back of her head and neck.
The wet feeling made her shudder, but she gritted her teeth, pretending to be lifeless.
After a while, the wolf suddenly yelped and rolled over onto its back, spinning in circles as if chasing its own tail.
Aselin carefully opened her eyes and saw the wolf acting like it was trying to bite its own tail.
“Silver, sit.”
At the sound of a man’s command, the wolf groaned and started licking between its legs.
Then it approached Aselin, wagging its tail and licking her hand like a dog.
The man, watching this, furrowed his brow and approached Aselin.
He lowered himself onto one knee and, as he got closer, noticed her eyelashes trembling.
“She can handle a wolf. She’s no ordinary woman. But why is she pretending to be dead, her head in the mud? Is this some kind of dark magic?”
The man’s gaze grew colder as he studied Aselin.
His eyes were sharp, as if they could pierce through the back of her head.
Aselin, unable to move with the sudden appearance of the man, felt a deep sense of danger.
Sometimes, humans are more frightening than animals.
She decided to endure a little longer, hoping he would just pass by without getting involved.
As long as he wasn’t a pervert planning something with her corpse.
With all her might, Aselin continued her performance, pretending to be a lifeless body.
The man, observing her carefully, smirked.
“It’s been a while since Silver had a fresh corpse. He likes the taste of aged flesh.”
Shocked by his words, Aselin bit her lip.
Damn it, he really was a pervert.
She realized she had to change her plans and began waiting for the right moment to act.
She had to be careful—if she shouted, the wolf might attack.
She had to be natural, like water flowing.
“Umm… I’m not dead.”
Her soft voice barely made a sound, but the man tilted his head.
“What?”
“I’m alive. So, please don’t feed me to the wolf.”
Aselin raised both hands above her head and sat up.
To her surprise, the tall man was standing right in front of her, towering over her.
Even under his dark hood, his perfect features were clearly visible.
“Prince Claude? What is he doing here? I heard he’s been secluded in the castle for almost five years…”
As Aselin wondered, the man spoke in a low, eerie voice.
“Interesting.”
His voice was chilling, like something crawling out of a grave.
“There are pests crawling around my territory today.”
Claude grimaced and whistled through his fingers.
At the sound, wolves with glowing blue eyes howled loudly around them.
“Wait, this isn’t your territory! This is outside the border!”
Aselin’s words were ignored as Claude issued a command.
“Kill her.”
The chilling order rang through the air, freezing Aselin’s blood.
