Baby Pharmacist Princess

“Excuse me? Did you say demons?”

“…Yes. But it’s unlikely.”

Demons were a race that disappeared after the Great Plains Battle 18 years ago.

To be precise, they returned to their world.

Rickraz, who became the South Emperor, fought alongside us and won the battle.

The reason I couldn’t spend much time with my youngest sister, Kienna, was mostly because of the demons.

‘It was definitely a characteristic of demons. Amethyst-like purple eyes.’

And the leader of the demon army that invaded the southern empire at that time looked exactly like that.

Long silver hair, purple eyes, and even white skin.

‘Is it his son?’

It’s possible.

But there were things that didn’t make sense.

Why would demons appear here again, and in the imperial palace no less?

“Solip. Thoroughly investigate that boy. Even if it means dropping several tasks, focus on this.”

“Understood. Is there something on your mind?”

At Solip’s question, Vikal immediately cast a spell to create a barrier.

This was a conversation only for him and Solip.

“Do you remember the Great Plains Battle 18 years ago?”

“Of course. How much you suffered then.”

“They said they did it for fun, out of boredom.”

Demons are a race that seeks amusement.

There was no reason for the demons to trample the southern empire.

They just revealed they crossed over because living in their world was boring.

Vikal still couldn’t forget the words of the demon count he clashed swords with, who laughed as he spoke.

But now, a demon appeared again.

This time, inside the imperial palace.

“If it turns out he is a demon, this is a serious matter.”

The imperial palace had multiple layers of barriers to prevent demons from entering. If one appeared, someone must have helped them in.

This couldn’t be ignored.

“With a new pope rising and a boy suspected to be a demon… the situation is getting strange. We must stay vigilant.”

A suspicious peace.

That was the state of Castalia right now.

It would be good if everything remained just a worry, but…

“Since I’m feeling uneasy, I’ll look at the winter coat catalog for Cherishe. Bring it to me.”

Solip quietly turned his head and chuckled at Vikal’s command.

For now, it was still peaceful.

* * *

Forty minutes before Cherishe got into the carriage.

“This is amazing! Different magic circles for different people!”

“That’s why studying magic circles is also called studying people. Since magic is borrowed from dragons, theoretically anyone can become a wizard.”

Idsys knew a lot about magic circles.

I received two or three sheets of paper with magic circles drawn on them from Idsys, and the structure was simple enough for me to follow.

“After drawing this, specifically imagine the magic you want.”

“Like, ‘Come out, wind’?”

“Yes, like that. But it must be specific. Is it a breeze, a strong wind, or a typhoon? You need to be clear about the scale you want.”

Idsys smiled faintly and patted my head.

“Now, try it. Magic is the art of imagination.”

“Magic, the art of imagination!”

“Don’t forget that.”

It’s amazing to think it works as I imagine.

‘It’d be great if I could use magic too.’

Since I’m already in this world, it’d be nice to do things like this as well.

Though I can’t use magic immediately without a magic circle like Dad or the twins, it’s still exciting.

I ran to Idsys with sparkling eyes and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you, Brother.”

“…Were you always like this?”

“Huh?”

“Hugging anyone without hesitation?”

What’s that supposed to mean?

When I hugged him, I got a confusing response, so I made an angry face.

“No, I wasn’t!”

“…Good, then.”

Did Idsys just sigh quietly?

‘Why is he like that?’

I turned my head and ran to Gergys, who was sleeping on the sofa.

Gergys had fallen asleep with a piece of paper with a magic circle drawn on it covering his eyes, but I didn’t want to wake him up…

‘He’s too handsome to wake up.’

He must be tired.

Even at his age, he’s already undergoing the same training as adult knights.

The twins take naps at the same time, but Gergys couldn’t sleep because of me.

‘What should I do then?’

I didn’t want to wake Gergys right away.

“Um… Brother Idsys, can I go out for a while?”

“As long as you don’t leave the palace, it’s fine.”

Ah, but I’m not confident I can go down the stairs alone.

I nodded to Idsys and ran out. But before I completely left the room, I stopped and turned around.

“Brother Idsys, Dad told me to give you this.”

“A ring? This is… huh.”

“Why?”

“No, you should keep it. It’s enchanted to respond only to you.”

“But Dad told me to give it to you.”

I was confused because Dad and Idsys’ words were different.

Seeing my confusion, Idsys spoke again.

“Dad probably gave it to protect you because you’re weak. Keep it with you from now on.”

“Okay.”

If smart Idsys said so, it must be true.

I quickly agreed and went out into the corridor.

The corridor, now deserted, felt chilly as everyone seemed to be in a meeting.

As I wandered around, I discovered a short path connecting the corridor to the courtyard.

‘Will going this way count as leaving the palace?’

After a moment of thought, I concluded.

‘I think it’s okay to go.’

The courtyard is part of the palace, after all! There’s no danger here.

Smiling, I walked leisurely, enjoying the warm sunlight.

‘Oh.’

That’s when I heard it.

“Ugh, ah…”

What’s that sound?

It sounded like someone groaning in pain, so I stopped in my tracks.

“Ugh, ugh…”

It sounded like someone was struggling to breathe. Where is it coming from? Are they collapsed somewhere?

Worried, I pushed through the shrubs with my short legs and ran.

‘I found it!’

There, in a corner of the courtyard, someone was lying down.

They were partially hidden by the bushes, making them hard to see.

The first thing I noticed was the silver hair, shining like threads of silver. Even from a distance, it stood out sharply.

Cold sweat glistened on the pale skin.

I then realized their blue lips and clutching chest indicated they were in distress.

They’re hyperventilating!

“Breathe through your nose!”

I hurried to the boy, waving my small hands to get his attention.

“Follow me. Slowly, take a deep breath and exhale.”

Inhaling deeply, I showed him how.

“Breathe in for four seconds, breathe out for eight. Try it, trust me.”

Demonstrating slowly, the boy’s purple eyes filled with distrust.

‘We need to calm his breathing. I don’t have a straw, but I do have a paper bag.’

I remembered that I had kept the paper bag after distributing the ointment.

I pulled out the crumpled paper bag and placed it near his mouth, speaking gently.

“Hold this to your nose and mouth… slowly, follow me.”

Hyperventilation can be caused by physical issues like asthma, but it can also be triggered by stress or anxiety.

Having seen it often, I handled it without panic.

The boy slowly began to regain his breath through the paper bag.

However, keeping the paper bag over the nose for too long can be dangerous.

After a short while.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah… yes. Miraculously, I’m better now.”

“Thank goodness.”

I sighed in relief and plopped down on the grass.

Even though I’d experienced this often, it was a bit scary for a four-year-old to handle alone.

Feeling relieved, I just wanted to lie down.

“But… you have red eyes. Are you a princess?”

“Yes, I’m Cherishe.”

“Thank you for helping me. Please call me Pabel, Princess.”

Pabel.

What a fitting name.

Silver hair and flawless white skin. Seeing his face up close, he seemed to glow.

His purple eyes shone with a dark, mysterious light.

‘He looks… like a white, fluffy…’

A polar fox.

“Is there magic in this paper bag? It’s rare to recover from an episode so quickly… amazing.”

“Oh, that…”

Wait, how do I explain about carbon dioxide?

Hyperventilation occurs when carbon dioxide levels drop in the arteries, so…

The paper bag helps by allowing you to breathe back the carbon dioxide you exhaled.

“Um… I just figured it out. Keep doing this and you’ll get better.”

I gave up on explaining and just said it was something I figured out.

Giving up makes it easier.

“But Pabel, you’re still young. Do you work here?”

He’s not royalty. His eye color is different.

And he speaks formally to me.

So, who is Pabel?

“Oh, no. I just had something to do here briefly. But then I had trouble breathing, so I rested here.”

“I see. I’ll keep it a secret.”

I raised my index finger to my lips and winked.

It meant he didn’t need to worry about me telling anyone he collapsed.

“…Hehe.”

But then, Pabel suddenly laughed.

Why?

As I stared at him, Pabel reached out and took something off my head.

“There was a cricket on your head.”

“…Cri, cricket?”

“You didn’t even notice it sat on you while you were taking care of me?”

…No!

If I had known a bug was on me, I would have removed it first!

Feeling teary, I patted my head with both hands.

“Are there any more? Are you sure?”

“Yes, no more. I’ll catch them if they come back.”

Pabel is such a kind person!

Thank you.

Just imagining the cricket made me shiver.

At that moment, a shadow fell over me and Pabel. Someone lifted me by the back of my neck, making me flail my legs.

“Hey, who are you to be with my little chick?”

The voice sounded very annoyed.

‘This is…’

Gergys had arrived.