Baby Pharmacist Princess

The current Health Department is made up entirely of doctors and officials, which means there’s a bit of a lack of flexibility and creativity. Like any group, over time things can get stagnant. Bringing in someone unconventional like this could really shake things up!

Thinking that, I smiled to myself.

“Naiola, where did you get this?”

“There’s no official seller. You have to know the right people to buy it!”

“And how does that work?”

“The shop that carries the cards changes every month. For example, if a lady who bought a card before happens to be at a café, a server will come by, give her the name of next month’s shop along with a password, and then disappear!”

“Quite the clever operation.”

I was increasingly intrigued by whoever was selling these cards under the radar.

“This month, it’s a famous waffle shop in the capital called Honeycomb Waffles. When you order, you have to say the password!”

Naiola grinned mischievously before turning to Eponine, Lucia, Rosemary, and Olivia, then suddenly shouted, “One, two, three!”

“Cherry waffles, please!”

Cherry waffles?

“And then the owner will say, ‘That’s not on the menu, but if you’d like, I can make it for you! For syrup, we have cherry, and for cream, we have sweet potato, chocolate, custard, and cookies and cream.’”

Blair, being of higher status, was utterly perplexed by this conversation, which led me to realize this must be something circulating more among the noble daughters of lower-ranking families.

I rubbed my chin and tossed out a guess.

“Let me guess. Chocolate must be Gergys?”

“Wow, how did you know?!”

“And custard… that’s Idsys, isn’t it?”

“Th-that’s right!”

“Then cookies and cream must be Sihat.”

Cookies and cream? Seriously?

‘That sounds oddly delicious.’

Which leaves one last flavor.

“And sweet potato is…?”

“Princess Alexandra, of course! Her hair is the same color as perfectly roasted sweet potato mousse.”

Right, her golden-brown hair.

But if Alexandra ever found out about this, she’d throw a fit!

Soon enough, we all left the room and headed to the top deck together.

“It’s like a fairy tale!”

“I wish my Dad would do something like this for me.”

“I’m so jealous, Princess!”

The top deck was truly a sight to behold, unlike anything you’d typically see.

‘Cherry trees everywhere…’

They weren’t kidding when they said it was set up like a forest. Cherry trees stretched out all around, and you could easily pluck a cherry off the branches whenever you wanted. But what made it truly magical was that the leaves were golden, and the branches and trunks were a brilliant white. It really did feel like stepping into a storybook world.

As we walked further down the path, the trees opened up to a wide, clear space, and I finally understood why they said we’d be rowing boats on an artificial lake rather than swimming in a pool.

“Swan boats!”

“Wowww!”

Floating on the lake were swan-shaped boats, each crowned with a little tiara. They were made for two people—perfect for a quiet ride.

The adults who had been invited to my birthday party were already seated around the lake, enjoying their tea and snacks.

‘The sunlight sparkling on the water is just beautiful.’

The rainbow-like glimmers dancing across the surface of the lake made me want to hop into one of those boats right away.

“Shuya.”

“Cookies and cream!”

Sihat!

“Huh?”

“Oh, never mind.”

I had mixed up my thoughts and words. As soon as Sihat approached, I blurted out something I shouldn’t have, but it was probably because I had Sihat’s portrait card in my pocket. Naiola had given me one, saying she had an extra.

“Shall we ride a boat?”

“Yes, let’s!”

I smiled brightly and started folding up my parasol, but just then, an obstacle appeared.

“Hold on. Why is the Pope so boldly stepping in?”

A huge mountain of a person blocked the way between Sihat and me—none other than Gergys.

“If you’re the Pope, you should be off praying. Cherishe will be riding with me.”

Sigh.

I let out a deep sigh. Sihat, noticing my frustration, gave me an apologetic look and retreated without complaint.

“I suppose I’ll try again later.”

Humph.

What Gergys doesn’t realize, though, is how persistent Sihat can be…

‘If they keep getting in our way like this, we’ll just have to meet at Dragon Merchant’s Alley.’

Sihat was backing off for now because he didn’t want to ruin my party. If Gergys caused a scene, things would get messy. But we both knew we’d meet later tonight at Dragon Merchant’s Alley.

“You’re so childish, brother.”

“Childish? How can I trust what that sneaky Pope is thinking?”

Gergys, gripping the oars, jumped in frustration when I snapped at him.

Shaking my head, I pulled out the mini portrait card I had received earlier.

“Look at this.”

“What is it?”

After confirming that the card indeed had my likeness on it and not Sihat’s, I handed it over.

“Hmm. It’s you, alright. But why did they make you look so plain? My sister is a thousand times more beautiful than this.”

“Well, someone’s selling these.”

“What?!”

Sploosh!

The moment I said that, the calm surface of the artificial lake suddenly surged upward, water splashing into the air. I was already prepared, so I calmly opened my parasol to block the spray.

“Who dares to profit from my sister’s image?”

“I know, right? But you can’t kill them. I plan to hire them into the Imperial Health Department and work them to the bone.”

I grinned wickedly, not even bothering to hide my intent.

I wouldn’t pay them based on profit, but based on total sales.

Talk about a cheap price for their life, right?

“Oh, how adorable.”

“Isn’t she just precious? I wish I had a daughter like the Princess instead of only sons.”

I could hear murmurs of admiration from the other side of the lake.

Relaxing on the swan boat, I enjoyed watching Gergys fume.

“From what I can tell, these cards have probably been sold for quite some time. Maybe since I was five.”

“The audacity! Whoever made these should have shown them to Father first!”

…Wait, that’s where his anger is focused?

After getting off the boat, I tried to find Sihat, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Left with no other option, I settled down in front of a mountain of macarons, spending time with the Undines.

And then, out of nowhere, a boy approached me.

“Um, Princess! Ha-happy birthday!”

“Hello.”

He looked like a little bunny—white and cute.

“Well, you said hello, so off you go now.”

Before the boy could say anything more, Gergys stepped in, casually throwing an arm over the kid’s shoulder and dragging him away, trembling all the while.

‘He got rid of him in an instant.’

The little bunny boy disappeared as fast as a gust of wind, leaving me and the other girls wide-eyed, barely registering what had just happened.

“The prince must really care for you, Princess.”

“Yes, indeed.”

Blair’s comment seemed to break the awkward tension, and it felt like things were settling down again.

“Princess, I wrote a song for you. May I sing it?”

“And your name is?”

This time, a tall boy, who looked like a giraffe, spoke up. In the distance, I could see a man with a protruding belly—likely his father—clenching his fists and cheering him on.

I thought maybe this time I’d get to at least hear the boy’s name.

“I am—”

But before he could finish, Gergys swooped in again.

“Alright, you’ve sung a verse. Now, off you go too.”

Oh dear.

Gergys had gotten rid of him before he even had the chance to sing a single note!

‘They’re all trying so hard to get my attention.’

I guess it makes sense, given how much Dad dotes on me. They must think that if they forge a connection with me now, it’ll pay off big time if we end up getting married someday.

Not that they’re interested in me for who I am, of course.

“Is that pumpkin really a Princess?”

“Shh, you should say Princess, not pumpkin!”

“But seriously, doesn’t her hair look like a pumpkin to you?”

This time, off to the right, I heard two boys bickering, trying to provoke me into reacting so they could get closer.

Were they hoping I’d get angry and play along?

But I wasn’t about to fall for it.

“Who are you calling a pumpkin?”

“Eek!”

Crack.

Gergys cracked his knuckles, and the boys turned pale, fleeing instantly.

‘He’s been busy today, hasn’t he?’

Now I was curious about what Idsys was up to.

“Kyaa!”

“I want to talk to him!”

…Of course. Idsys was lounging by the lakeside, flipping through a book, while a whole flock of young ladies followed him around. It’s just part of his everyday life now, I suppose.

I could probably get used to it too, though Gergys will likely handle most of the troublemakers before I ever have to.

Turning away from the commotion, I decided to focus on chatting with the Undines instead.

“I’m so envious. This party feels like a dream come true.”

“Yes, thank you so much for choosing me to be an Undine, Princess.”

That was Lucia and Eponine speaking.

I glanced around to make sure Dad wasn’t nearby, confirmed that Gergys was busy scolding a group of boys in the distance, then leaned in close and whispered just loud enough for the girls to hear.

“By the way, do any of you like someone?”

“L-l-like?!”

Pop!

Rosemary’s face turned bright red. So cute.

“Kya! It’s a secret, but Rosemary is in love with Sir Welang, the trainee knight!”

Wait, isn’t that supposed to be a secret, Naiola…?

Now Rosemary’s face had gone as red as her hair.

I leaned closer to the table, covered my mouth, and whispered.

“Who is Sir Welang?”

“That boy over there!”

“He looks familiar…”

Squinting, I peered over at the boy Naiola was pointing at.

With his upright posture, he certainly looked like a trainee knight, but there was something about his awkward, occasional stumbles that made me think of someone else.

After watching him a little longer, I realized who he reminded me of.

“Sir Vincent?”

Kya!

“Yes, Sir Welang is Sir Vincent’s younger brother.”

Just as I thought.

It seems Rosemary already has someone she likes.

Then, as if on cue, Sir Welang glanced in this direction before quickly looking away, his ears turning a deep red.

“Looks like you two might have a chance.”

“Th-there’s no way! If my parents find out I have any interest in boys, I’ll be in so much trouble.”

“Really? So when’s the usual age to start dating?”

At my question, two more girls’ faces flushed bright red.

Olivia and, surprisingly, Shainen.

I was certain—they already had boyfriends.

“Once you’re over ten, it’s probably fine to start dating…”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Wow, that’s pretty early.

I guess I thought I’d be the only one starting late.

‘Maybe I’m just a little old-fashioned?’