Baby Pharmacist Princess

I hadn’t forgotten that con artist rabbit who forced me into a ten billion debt.

A red-furred rabbit with a heart drawn on one eye, holding a clock ticking away. That rabbit was the cause of all this trouble!

But it only appeared on the first day of my possession and never showed up again.

“Is the cat’s name Myul?”

“Yes. Myul was born at the same time I was.”

Meow.

The black heart cat rubbed its head against The Prince’s cheek.

I was so charmed by the scene that I pointed to the aides.

“Misters, can’t you really see?”

“Not many can see familiars. Only those at least at the half-dragon level can summon and see familiars.”

H-half-dragon?

I couldn’t even imagine how strong a human had to be to reach that level.

‘But I’m the weakest. Why can I see it?’

Could it be because of my possession?

‘Is this the legendary possession buff?’

The cat had wise, intelligent blue eyes.

It seemed to allow me, so I cautiously reached out and petted its head.

The cat purred politely and gracefully.

“It seems Myul likes you.”

“Wow.”

“But for you to see Myul…”

The Prince tapped the mole near his eye.

As I was feeling Myul’s warmth, Solip bent down slightly and whispered.

“I’m envious, Princess. To see The Prince’s familiar anytime.”

“Can’t you see, Solip?”

“No. Only those of noble blood among the royal family, and even then, only special individuals can see them. Of course, The Prince can show them if he wishes…”

“But?”

“He’s very possessive. He doesn’t show it easily.”

Solip pretended to wipe his eyes with a handkerchief from who knows where.

“Be quiet, Solip.”

“But the last time you showed it was five years ago!”

“If you’re upset, why don’t you become royalty too?”

The Prince tilted his head and smirked, his expression genuinely infuriating.

“Ugh, that’s too much! Princess, do you have a familiar?”

“Me? I don’t have one…”

At my answer, The Prince and Solip exchanged glances.

It felt like I should have one but didn’t.

“If I can see them, does that mean I should have a familiar?”

“Usually, yes… Even Idsys and Gergys had their familiars from the moment they were born.”

Solip adjusted his glasses with a cough.

I looked between The Prince, Myul, and Solip before carefully voicing my suspicion.

“When I was born… maybe I had one…”

“Yes, Princess?”

“…Could it be I lost it because I’m dumb?”

What would I do then?

Maybe I had one at birth. But if I was too dumb to recognize it, it might have left.

As soon as I finished speaking, The Prince’s expression turned seriously grim.

“Who called you dumb?”

“N-no one. Just…”

“Don’t use such words about yourself.”

“O-okay.”

His gentle reprimand and stern yet kind eyes made it impossible not to nod.

“In any case, if you can see familiars, you should have one. We’ll have to ask His Majesty soon.”

“Does His Majesty have a familiar?”

“Well, I’ve never seen it myself.”

“Can he summon and dismiss it at will?”

“By default, a familiar stays close to its master. It is born with a fragment of the master’s soul. The pattern in its eye is proof of that connection.”

“Ah.”

“But yes, it can be made invisible to others intentionally.”

Emperor Raerhod can do anything.

He’s a person who can achieve what’s deemed impossible without any trouble.

‘The rabbit, could it possibly be Emperor’s familiar?’

Its fierce appearance is very suspicious.

But at the same time, it was hard to believe.

A rabbit? A raaabbit?

‘No way.’

The soul fragment of the cold and terrifying Emperor is a rabbit? A passing rabbit would laugh at that.

‘But if it’s really the Emperor, then what?’

Of course, being possessed in a game is strange too.

It’s an unrealistic situation, to begin with.

But now I am Cherishe, and I don’t find myself strange or awkward.

So naturally… I had this thought.

‘Is this really inside a game?’

What if that rabbit wasn’t just a game illustration, but someone, some character, sent it with a purpose?

‘Could it be that someone planned for me to become Cherishe?’

At that moment.

“Ah!”

Crash!

Shami let out a short scream as the teapot fell to the floor and shattered.

Startled, my heart raced, and I quickly stood up and ran to Shami.

“Shami! Are you okay?”

“I-I’m sorry! I made a mistake. I didn’t mean to interrupt your deep conversation. My apologies.”

Shami bowed her head and hurriedly tried to clean up the broken pieces. She looked pale with shock.

Well, breaking a teapot in the Prince’s office would surely get her in big trouble.

Sophia… well, she’s very strict.

“It’s dangerous, Princess. Please step back, and the maid will clean it up.”

Solip approached me and politely asked me to move back.

But I couldn’t take my eyes off the spilled tea and Shami’s trembling hands.

“Shami, wait.”

“Yes?”

“Your hand. What’s wrong?”

Shami’s palm looked strange.

If I wasn’t mistaken, it was black.

“Princess, that’s…”

Shami tried to hide her hand in embarrassment, but I stepped forward to grab it.

Just as my shoe was about to step on a broken piece.

“You’ll get hurt.”

The Prince, who had approached unnoticed, lifted me up. Then he looked at Shami and nodded.

“Explain.”

“Ah, y-yes! Actually… it’s a metal allergy! Yesterday, the maids and I were polishing candlesticks. I think that’s why.”

Metal allergy?

Specifically, it’s a nickel allergy.

It causes skin rashes when touching metals containing nickel, making it itchy and hard to bear.

Shami had already scratched it so much that her skin was torn and slightly bleeding.

In severe cases, the skin can turn black, and Shami’s condition looked just like that.

‘It seems her palm hurt, but she made the tea pretending to be fine.’

But it’s better to say it hurts when it does.

An antihistamine would help, but of course, there’s no such thing in this world.

So I tugged on the Prince’s jacket.

“Dad, medicine! Doctor too!”

“I’m fine, Princess! I have ointment, and it’ll heal quickly!”

Shami waved her hand and shook her head. Her short bob swayed as she tried to show she was really fine.

But I wasn’t listening anymore.

“If no medicine, then use mine. Shami, no hurt.”

The one Sophia applied when I hurt my hand before.

It has gold dust and the blessing of a high priest.

It’s said to be very effective.

Even if it’s not an antihistamine, it would help reduce the itchiness and heal the skin rash.

“Oh, our Princess is so thoughtful and kind.”

Shami looked genuinely touched. But she still refused my offer.

“Really, Princess, I’m fine. Look, I have ointment too.”

“You have?”

“Yes, I can’t dare use something specially made for you, Princess. Here, look. I’ll use this.”

Shami’s eyes were teary, but she still declined my offer.

Instead, she took out a round, flat wooden container from her apron.

“This will ease the pain. It has poppy extract in it.”

“Poppy…?”

Who in their right mind makes ointment with poppy?

I was dumbfounded.

You can make a perfectly safe ointment with calendula flowers, so why?

Calendula is effective for treating inflammation and, of course, has no addictive properties.

‘No, actually, calendula is better for wound ointments. Poppy flowers do have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties, but… using them for wounds is questionable.’

Applying it to a wound might reduce pain, but it’s not a proper treatment.

It’s like putting a band-aid on the problem.

‘If it’s for medicinal use, there are other plants that can substitute. So why use poppy?’

Isn’t this something a scammer would sell?

I looked at the ointment with suspicion.

‘It might just be masking the pain, making people think it’s healed so they come back for more.’

I took a deep breath and asked calmly.

“Shami.”

“Yes, my kind Princess.”

“When did you buy that?”

I stared intently at the ointment container. It looked a bit old.

The contents might still be okay.

“Well… um, hmm. Let’s see….”

Shami hesitated, frowning slightly and tilting her head, struggling to remember.

‘Just as I thought.’

I would bet all my gems that this is not a new ointment. It’s probably over five years old.

Its effectiveness has likely diminished.

“Ah, I think I bought it when I got hired by the Everbil family!”

Finally, Shami remembered and answered cheerfully.

“So, you bought it ten years ago!”

“Wh-what?”

Excuse me.

Doesn’t medicine have an expiration date?!