The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 66

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“Here is the medicine you mentioned.”

Choeun’s palace.

I eagerly accepted the small bottle she handed me. Obtaining this medicine was the goal of today’s outing.

Half-listening to Choeun’s words that the medicine was quite expensive and difficult to obtain, I poured a small amount from the bottle onto a plate.

I had thought it would be a white powder, but the powder that came out was brown. I quietly looked down at it and tilted my head.

‘Is this the right one?’

In my previous life, I never committed any crimes and always lived righteously. I’m actually seeing this for the first time.

“What is the method of administration?”

“They said to burn the powder and inhale it.”

In the media, I saw it being boiled and injected, but do they also inhale the medicine?

Actually, I wasn’t entirely sure. However, it seemed too much of a coincidence for the interaction with the envoys from the Western Continent and the effects of the medicine to overlap. It seemed to be correct.

“What are you doing?”

Choeun asked me as I was lost in thought with my mouth shut.

“This is probably… something called opium.”

Opium. In other words, drugs.

It seems that what happened in Earth’s history will similarly occur here.

“It leads the user into ecstasy and makes them forget pain, but it is highly addictive. If they continue to use it, they will quickly become idiots.”

At my explanation, Choeun froze on the spot.

“Then isn’t it poison?”

“It’s called a narcotic drug.”

Even on Earth, opium came from the West to the East. Since they said they met with envoys from the Western Continent, I thought they might have obtained opium through them.

But why, though?

In Earth’s history, opium was used to subdue the opponent. With the emergence of opium, those living in the central plains had to spend a lot of their wealth on purchasing opium, and they were ruined by being addicted to the drug.

This was a question for me. Giyun is from Seora, and the Yeoran family is ultimately under Seora as well. If the country collapses, no matter how great the power of that family is, there’s no way they will be unscathed.

If Giyun knew this fact, he would not readily think of distributing the drug to commoners either.

They said the price of the drug was very high under the guise of being a panacea.

Seora did not trade much with other countries, but the domestic market was active enough to offset that. Thanks to that, nobles also did not look down on business, and rather, most families operated large merchant groups. In other words, there weren’t many wealthy commoners.

‘It’s targeting the nobles.’

He’s trying to get the nobles addicted to opium so they have a weakness against him. Drugs have a strong dependence, and once addicted, one cannot endure without the drug.

When I explained what I thought to Choeun, her facial expression gradually became strange.

“However, even if the addiction of commoners is prevented, isn’t it a big problem?”

That’s true.

It was correct that it would be troublesome if all the nobles who lead the politics of this country become drug addicts. As I nodded in agreement, deep wrinkles formed on Choeun’s forehead.

“I find it hard to believe that he committed an act that would shake the country to that extent.”

Is that so? I didn’t really think about his psychology to that extent.

I was trying to brush it off, but Choeun’s next words caught my ankle.

“Isn’t Her Majesty’s ability the Peach Blossom?”

Huh? I raised my head at those words.

‘Peach Blossom?’

Ah, could it be the Peach Blossom Ability?

‘Is it the same thing I know?’

I was even more flustered because she said it so nonchalantly. Wasn’t it The Empress’s secret that no one knew? As I frowned and pondered, Choeun asked me with a strange look.

“You didn’t know?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Trailing off, I eventually asked her.

“How did you know about that, my lady?”

At my question, Choeun tilted her head as if it was strange again.

“The anecdote that successive emperors were loved by all people is famous. That it is an ability is something only Her Majesty’s closest aides know, but I thought you would naturally know, my lady.”

Ah, she left out the latter part.

It seemed that quite a few people knew about ‘being loved by all people’, while ‘unable to love anyone’ was not known.

Realizing it wasn’t strange, I was momentarily relieved and marveled at the name.

‘They express it like this.’

It was much simpler than calling it as I always did, ‘loved by everyone and oneself…’, going on and on.

‘How was it described in the original work?’

“Come to think of it, I can’t remember.”

After pondering for a moment, I shook my head. It’s not a big deal if I can’t remember a single term.

“Anyway, that’s strange too.”

“Indeed, it is.”

Even if he doesn’t love The Empress with all his heart like the consorts, Giyun ultimately can’t harm Yehwa.

The main purchasers of the panacea are elderly and wealthy nobles. And most of them sit at the pinnacle of power.

Even if there are successors to the family and people who want to become officials, the positions will quickly be filled, but they won’t be able to wield as much power as those who originally held those positions.

So maybe he’s planning something that requires opposing the officials who hold power…

It seems like there’s nothing like that besides rebellion.

‘Is it an excessive assumption?’

“My argument could be wrong too. I’m not certain either.”

I said with a shrug.

“It’s only if it’s opium. It could be true, or it could not be.”

It could really be just a good medicine that is exaggerated to cure all diseases and sold at a high price. Wasn’t tiger balm popular for a while in modern times too?

If nobles purchase it a lot, it would be a bit of a headache as the Yeoran family’s wealth increases, but it’s better than it being opium.

“Isn’t the damage you mentioned too great to cling to such a possibility?”

Hmm, that’s right. It’s a fair point. I quietly agreed with Choeun’s words.

But still, what can we do? There’s no immediate solution.

“Don’t you have any good ideas?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not that clever.”

I asked with a smile, trying to be pretty, but Choeun countered with an attitude that wouldn’t even pierce a boiled pumpkin.

If you’re not clever, why am I even having this conversation? Should I just leave? As I muttered, Choeun spoke as if sighing.

“It seems you are human after all, my lady.”

“What do you mean?”

“To be honest, I thought you were a dragon.”

What kind of nonsense is that? Even at my blatant gaze, Choeun was nonchalant.

“It’s a reasonable suspicion. You were docile but nothing special otherwise, and suddenly your personality changed. Wouldn’t I be suspicious?”

Well, that’s true. I agreed again. Then Choeun opened her mouth excitedly.

“It’s also strange that you know so much about the drugs from the Western Continent. You said it was a guess, but didn’t you seem confident? Where did you hear about it?”

It really does seem to be like a dragon… Choeun’s suspicious gaze turned towards me, and I just smiled with the corners of my mouth stretched long.

“Would I be doing this if that were the case?”

“That’s true too.”

Choeun, who readily agreed, asked me.

“So, what do you really plan to do?”

I pondered for a moment at that question and answered.

“I’ll have to verify it, right?”

I said something like ‘the sun rises in the east’ and leisurely picked up the tea cup. Choeun looked at me dumbfounded, but I pretended not to notice. After taking a sip of tea, I hesitated for a moment and asked.

“Come to think of it, you seem to only serve hydrangea tea.”

At those words, Choeun, who was elegantly lifting the teacup, paused.

“…Ahem. Yes. It’s my favorite tea.”

“Is that so?”

Does she like sweet things?

But she never even touches the sweets she brings out every time.

‘I guess she just likes hydrangea tea.’

I casually dismissed it and looked down at the teacup for a moment. The clear tea swayed slightly. It wasn’t that I was dissatisfied with that choice.

Perhaps because I was still not used to strong flavors as a young child, I found green tea or white tea varieties to be just bitter.

This is really delicious. It’s amazing how it’s sweet without adding sugar. As I quietly looked down at the tea, I raised my head and asked.

“If you have some hydrangea tea, could you share it with me?”

“Yes, of course.”

Oh, how neat.

I know hydrangea tea is quite expensive as it is difficult to grow and produce, but she easily says she’ll give it to me. I’m a bit touched. Smiling with satisfaction, I momentarily stopped Choeun who was about to call the palace maid.

“What are you doing?”

“It must be hydrangea tea.”

“…? Yes. I understand, but…”

“Hydrangea tea, I mean hydrangea tea.”

As I kept emphasizing, Choeun made a strange face.

“Share the tea made by picking and drying hydrangea flowers. Do you understand?”

At that face, I strongly drove in the point.