A Genius Pharmacist Whom the Empress Is Obsessed With

Tasks to Do.

Kindness doesn’t always lead to good results.

Rudimine was painfully aware of that fact.

*

“We went to the presumed place where he fell and found traces of fire. The traces led to the river.”

Under the yellow light, the brows of the search team members were dripping with sweat. Count Fenyard, with his arms resting on the desk, looked at the map with the red markings.

“… It led to the river? Even if he was completely shattered, is it possible for him to crawl into the river?”

“It’s not certain, but it seems like he rolled down due to the impact of the fall.”

“Even if he fell and was swept away by the water, there’s almost no chance he’s still alive. Nevertheless, let’s continue the search up to this point.”

The Count’s finger traced the river on the map.

Amidst the gloomy conversation, all Rudimine could do was sit trembling in her chair. Seeing her trembling, Lady Royelle, the wife of Viscount Loyelle, approached and lightly covered her shoulders with a blanket.

“Calm down, Your Highness.”

It was truly a gentle comfort, but it didn’t resonate with the current Rüdime.

The benefactor who saved her life was drowning in the river, with his body all broken.

Because of Rüdime herself.

If she hadn’t gone to find Idun, by now Idun would be lying on the bed, fast asleep. Not lying in the cold river.

When she left the palace a long time ago, she vowed.

No matter what happens, she would definitely protect her people, and never again would she lose her precious ones in vain, she swore and swore.

But those tearful oaths were meaningless, as Rüdime killed the one who saved her life with her own hands.

But how could she possibly calm down. Her neck felt like it was entangled with numerous chains, and her heart and internal organs felt like they were shattered.

“…You didn’t listen to my warning.”

As she continued to shed tears endlessly, the cold words of Viscount Pheniard reached her.

“Didn’t I tell you? Idun, just leave him alone.”

In the room, there were Viscount Pheniard, Countess Royelle, and Rüdime, all that remained.

“Your Majesty, why did you do that?”

Yes. Why did I do that? The Viscount’s words hurt too much, and Rüdime couldn’t offer any excuses.

“Here, Viscount.”

As Rüdime was unable to say anything and just shed tears, Countess Royelle stepped forward.

“I know the situation is not good, but Your Majesty, aren’t you also worried?”

“….Countess.”

Viscount Pheniard ran a hand through his hair and let out a long, deep sigh.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I must have gotten a bit heated. I am not blaming you at all.”

“….”

“I just want to know if Your Majesty had a reason to ignore my advice and act.”

Viscount Pheniard approached Rüdime and kneeled on one knee, making eye contact.

“So that I can accommodate Your Majesty better and come up with a proper plan.”

“…Since that day, I’ve been seeing strange scenes continuously.”

Rüdime could barely open her mouth under the Viscount Pheniard’s firm gaze.

“Strange scenes?”

“Don’t think I’m crazy. I’ve had some trouble, but I’m not weak enough to collapse like that.”

Viscount Pheniard nodded slowly as if urging her to continue.

“At first, Idun was holding onto my hand.”

Rudimine finally opened up about the scenes she had witnessed so far.

“… So, it’s about Idun.”

Rudimine, who had been recounting the story in a subdued manner, occasionally had to pause.

She wanted to confidently explain to Viscount Pheniard, the Countess, why she had behaved that way. However, every time she mentioned the name Idun, tears burst out uncontrollably.

The tears that kept welling up felt as if they were not her own.

“The reason I went to Idun’s room is just that. I wanted to confirm if he really took away my curse, as I saw.”

After Rudimine finished her story, Viscount Pheniard rose from his seat and walked toward the window.

On his face, seen from the side, a deep contemplation settled in.

“… A curse, it’s a story with quite a possibility. Since Trollkan Grand Duke is a magician.”

Leaving the question behind, Viscount Pheniard continued speaking while looking out of the window.

“But tell me, why did you go alone?”

“…”

“If it’s something related to the curse, couldn’t it have been discussed with me or Lady Loyel Countess? There was no need to secretly visit during the night.”

“I wanted to persuade Idun, to convince him with my own power. He didn’t like me.”

So it comes to this. Rudimine felt a sense of embarrassment as if she had been exposed in front of others.

“Persuasion?”

“The reason he kept refusing the position of the court physician.”

“If what you say is true, it’s probably because of the curse.”

“There might be a curse, but more than anything, it was because Idun disliked me.”

“I didn’t get the feeling that Idun disliked you, though…”

“Well, maybe he didn’t hate me. But it was clear that he didn’t like me.”

There was a feeling that only a third party, someone who didn’t know, could understand.

“No matter how I think about it, the problem was probably when I confronted him during our first meeting. I wanted to apologize for that incident. It wasn’t because of your curse; it was because the foul smell emanating from the curse was so overpowering. It wasn’t because Idun disliked you.”

“…”

“I just wanted to release the pent-up emotions between us. I just wanted to apologize for everything.”

And then she had planned to give Idun a fair reward. She wanted to create a place for him by her side and cherish him for a lifetime.

But why did Idun have to die?

In the suffocating despair, Rudimine lowered her head.

“…So that’s how it was.”

Viscount Penniard forcefully suppressed a sigh that kept rising.

The young princess was flawless. It didn’t mean she was emotionless or cold, but rather that she knew how to control her weaknesses.

But perhaps it was because she had spent too much time in a sickbed. Or maybe it was because of the shock of being betrayed by her own father. The once shining radiance of Roudemine’s guns had become significantly dimmer.

It wasn’t a sin to have curiosity or the desire to accomplish something on her own. However, the inability to distinguish between actions that a noble should and shouldn’t take was an even greater problem.

“I understand, Your Highness. So please go back and rest now.”

“…I will go and find Edun. Isn’t it my fault that he went through such a dangerous ordeal?”

“With all due respect, Your Highness, finding him is something my subordinates and I should do. It is not your task. Your Highness should leave the Umstendel Castle tomorrow and head towards the palace. So you should prepare for that.”

“…Viscount, are you telling me to give up on Edun right now?”

Viscount Penniard’s eyes focused on the trembling shoulders of Roudemine.

Until just a while ago, she seemed deeply immersed in sorrow, but now, at this moment, it seemed like she was barely suppressing her anger.

“I never said to give up. I simply said that you should do what you have to do.”

“That’s what you said! How can you say such things to me? Didn’t you cherish Edun more than anyone else?”

“Princess, you should prioritize the tasks that you must do. Aren’t there people waiting for you in the palace?”

Viscount Penniard raised his voice as well, without yielding. It was a behavior that went against proper decorum, but the current princess needed to be spoken to directly and sharply.

To prevent such a painful incident from happening again.

“Just because of one pharmacist, you plan to abandon everyone who is waiting for you in the palace? Are you going to turn your back on countless people of the empire?”

“…How could you, how could you.”

As the Viscount spoke, Roudemine seemed shocked, staggering back with a pale face.

“Your Highness, I am not saying that I will give up on Edun. It means that I cannot prioritize him in the current situation, as you are well aware. If we miss this opportunity, we may never be able to break the Troll Khan’s alliance with the Grand Duke.”

Indeed, the Viscount’s words were sincere and just, but Roudemine stood there without any reaction.

With that brief understanding, Roudemine darted out of the room.

***

It had been a week since Edun had been separated from the Umstendel Castle, and on that day, Adrian was able to arrive at her lair.

Originally, it was a distance that could be reached in three days, but considering Edun’s condition, it took twice as long.

“…It’s been a while.”

Edun walked into the lair with steady steps.

“Adrian, even though I’m not around, you could have cleaned up a bit, couldn’t you?”

“What are you talking about? I cleaned as soon as I woke up.”

Edun pointed to the blackened campfire in response.

“It still smells like grilled fish, doesn’t it?”

“…That much, I can just let it slide!”

Idun chuckled as she walked into his room. With each step, the sound of her footsteps echoed pleasingly.

“Ah!”

After entering her room, Idun let out a short sigh.

In truth, when she first entered Rare, she had no thoughts whatsoever. However, the moment she saw the blue embroidered blanket on the bed, Idun finally realized that her first amusement had come to an end.

“Well, I guess I can take a break for about a year, right?”

During that time, she could break the curse, catch up on her neglected medical studies, and further refine her abilities.

With that thought in mind, Idun settled her body on the worn-out blanket.

Though her body had been completely regenerated, as soon as she lay down on the bed, a sticky and dark aura swiftly enveloped Idun.

Before falling into a deep sleep, she caught a fleeting glimpse of Princess Ludimine’s pathetic expression, the last thing she saw in her mind.