Baby Pharmacist Princess

“You like jelly, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Why not make medicine taste like jelly and just as easy to eat?”

“Wait, what… Oh my gosh.”

Why didn’t I think of this earlier?!

“Brother, you’re a genius!”

“Took you long enough to realize that.”

“Jelly! Jelly vitamins…!”

Suddenly, my mind overflowed with ideas for delicious vitamin brands for kids. Everyone’s had those at least once as a child, right?

The kind where mom only gave you one, and you wished you could have more…!

“Yes!”

I jumped up, clenching my fist with determination.

That’s it! Changing the perception is the key!

“You finally look less upset.”

“Was I really that upset?”

“Yeah. It was unbearable. Now enjoy the picnic and stop thinking about getting back to work at the palace.”

Guilty as charged.

I nodded meekly and pretended to admire the flowers while my mind raced with ideas.

‘Yes, I’ll host a jelly vitamin tasting event.’

I’ll gather the daughters of the Wynn faction, have them taste it, and ask how they feel about the flavor, texture, and scent!

I’ll check if it’s something they’d want to eat or if they’d crave more.

I don’t know many of them well yet, and I haven’t met that many people, but my 11th birthday is right around the corner.

It’ll be perfect to hold the tasting at my birthday party.

Then I’ll distribute it!

If it’s jelly, even children might come running to eat it.

Jelly tastes good, so the chances of it being wasted are low. And for the poor, it could even serve as a snack substitute.

“Hehehehe.”

“Wipe your mouth, little sister.”

Gergys handed me a handkerchief with a dignified air.

We both fell silent, admiring the flowers for about 30 minutes.

Then I glanced at Gergys, who had grown into a full-fledged adult, and picked up a fallen plum blossom from the ground, placing it behind his ear.

“What’s this?”

“Be honored. I only give this to handsome people.”

“Why the sudden flattery?”

Though he said that, Gergys chuckled, clearly not displeased.

As he grew older, his hair darkened, and his shoulders broadened. Most notably, he’d become quite muscular.

Now, young ladies would deliberately “get lost” and sneak into White Night Palace just to catch a glimpse of him.

Of course, Gergys thought they were genuinely lost.

‘I miss his cute little snaggletooth from when we were kids.’

It’s barely noticeable now.

Unlike Idsys, who’s always indoors, Gergys spent so much time in the training grounds that his skin had tanned. The twins now looked like completely different people.

“This brother of yours, do you find him that handsome?”

Gergys, still playing with the plum blossom, grinned as he balanced it on his nose.

I shook my head and laughed.

“By the way, about the Pope.”

“Sihat?”

“…Yeah, that guy.”

Grrr.

Gergys ground his teeth when I mentioned Sihat’s name.

“He hasn’t said anything strange to you, has he?”

“What do you mean by strange?”

“Like, any nonsense about marriage proposals.”

???

Excuse me? I’m still really young…?

I was taken aback, but I calmly asked a question first.

“How can a Pope even get married?”

“He hasn’t mentioned anything?”

“Of course not! How could the Pope marry?”

That couldn’t happen… right?

‘Wait a minute.’

Could it?

But no, Sihat has never said anything remotely like that.

And why would he propose to me in the first place?

“Ah, I see. Good. As long as you haven’t heard any nonsense like that.”

“Come on, what’s this all about?”

“Nothing, nothing. Forget it.”

Sihat, now 14, had grown into a boy who still held onto his childhood features, making him wildly popular among the noble girls these days.

It must be because of his unusually pretty appearance.

Even I can’t help but think of Snow White when I see his jet-black hair, pale skin, and slightly reddish lips.

Though since Sihat is a boy, I guess he’s more of a Snow Prince.

‘It’s true though. Sihat has the kind of beauty that’s hard to forget once you’ve seen it.’

He’s so striking, you can’t get him out of your mind.

He usually has a calm, expressionless face, but when he does smile, it’s so captivating.

“This is suspicious.”

I poked Gergys while tilting my head.

Honestly, I’ve run into Sihat a few times at the dragon market, and lately, his voice has gotten husky, probably because of puberty. It’s strange hearing his deeper tone, and I feel a little left behind as if he’s growing up without me.

But marriage? A proposal?

Now that it’s been mentioned, I can’t help but feel a little flustered.

“Anyway! Is there anything you want for your birthday this year?”

Gergys, trying to dodge my poking, loudly changed the subject. I pouted and shook my head.

“Not really. I already have everything I need.”

“That’s true. You got two airships as presents last year.”

“Uh-huh.”

One from Dad and one from Grandpa.

They gave them to me for my tenth birthday.

I can’t even imagine what they’ll gift me this year when I turn eleven.

“Airships are convenient, though…”

“Want to borrow one?”

“Ugh, no thanks. The trip was exhausting enough as it is.”

For reference, both airships had been customized into my private floating hotels. The interior is all white with pink accents.

This place, where my plum orchard is located, is called Ballinlina. It’s near the border with the southern Castalia Empire, far from the northern imperial palace.

Traveling by magic had gotten tedious, so this year, I took my personal airship from the capital to Ballinlina.

Gergys had hated the pink floral-patterned bed onboard, but I made him use it anyway!

Hah!

“Oh, by the way, Helga is returning to the palace soon.”

“Helga from House Castalia?”

“Yeah, you’ve never met her, right? Nothing to worry about.”

Helga of House Castalia.

She’s 21 years old and the eldest among the royal heirs. I’ve never met her since becoming Cherishe.

‘In the game, she was a charismatic and hearty character.’

I wonder if she’ll be like that here too.

“Helga doesn’t like being at the palace, but Father requested her to return.”

“Why?”

“Because Alexandra is scared of her. After your birthday, Alexandra will likely start causing trouble, but it’ll be easier to manage with Helga around.”

That’s new information.

I mentally added Helga to my list of allies.

I’ll make sure to get on her good side when she returns.

They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

“Do you know when she’s coming back?”

“Probably before your birthday. She’s in the south right now, fighting pirates.”

“Pirates?!”

How exciting!

The northern Castalia Empire is landlocked, surrounded by other nations.

But the southern Castalia Empire has vast seas.

“You know where Linford is, right?”

“Yep! Just below the Duchy of Yultesia.”

“Exactly. Draw a line straight from Linford, and you’ll hit the Kingdom of Zlatan.”