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n‘Well, it’s not poisonous anyway.’

nThe old pharmacist disguised as a maid thought so simply.

n“There are no poisonous or dangerous kinds of medicinal herbs that hurt people either.”

nSuddenly she was ordered to look at the medicines that belonged to someone in the emperor’s party, so she was nervous about what a huge conspiracy was hiding.

nShe wondered if there was even a traitor who was trying to poison the emperor, but the opponent was a calm-looking young lady caring for a child.

nShe was calm, graceful, and seemed to have a very noble status.

nShe looked kind and friendly, even caring for a child.

nNo matter how much she looked at, she didn’t seem to be able to hide the suspicious drugs.

n“I’ve done my job, so I’ll stop and go back.”

nThe old pharmacist finished reporting and went down the stairs.

n* * *

nWhite steam rose from the inside of the wooden bathtub.

nThe bathroom filled with moisture was warm.

nA bath made of grayish-white stone was prepared with hot water where warm steam rises.

nIn the warm water, there was a faint scent of medicinal herbs.

nIt was hot water with herbal decoction to relax the mind.

nAs soon as Theor unwrapped the towel and poured water on it, he went into the bathtub and played with water.

n“Do you like taking a bath?”

n“Yes. It’s warm.”

nAstelle approached Theor, who was playing in the bathtub.

n“So it’s time to put the medicine, let’s take the medicine and take a bath.”

nAstelle lifted her hand and put her finger behind the hairpin.

nA smooth glass bottle was caught in the hair that had been firmly fixed with a butterfly hairpin.

nAs she slowly grabbed it out, a small glass bottle of blue potion appeared between the pale platinum-colored hair.

nAstelle touched the glass bottle in her hand.

n‘If I didn’t notice it quickly, I might have been caught.’

nWhen the maid was handed the teacup, Astelle was fortunate to be able to see the maid’s fingertips.

nIt was a fleeting moment, but Astelle clearly saw the maid’s wrinkled fingers.

nThere was a speck of dark blue dirt on the tip of her fingernail.

nAstelle had seen something like that several times.

nGretel, a pharmacist who helped Astelle, always had glue on the tip of her nails.

n‘Since I dig and trim medicinal herbs every day, the juice of medicinal herbs seeps into my nails and does not get erased well.’

nAn old servant who worked in the castle could not touch the dangerous grass and applied glue to protect her fingers.

nEven though the villagers were hired on a temporary basis due to a lack of labor, it was impossible for a farmer who worked and touched vegetables to be brought to the castle where the emperor was as a maid.

n‘There is another hint.’

nThe silver plum blossoms.

nWhen she looked at the silver plum blossoms in the dried-up garden, it was clear that fever was growing around this area.

nNevertheless, there are no fever patients in this village yet.

nThere is only one reason if the patient does not appear in such an underdeveloped rural village during the period of illness.

n‘It means there is a pharmacist in this town.’

nMaybe that woman was a pharmacist in this town.

nShe came in disguised as a maid, and she would be ordered to look at Astelle’s luggage bag and her medicine box.

nFor the same reason, she was given a bedroom with a separate bathroom and was sent only by one old maid.

nIf it is a private bathroom, she can ask the maid to take a bath at any time or wash the child first and Astelle herself can bathe later.

nEven in the castle where she stayed before, she always washed Theor first and then bathed.

nHowever, if the maid said it was difficult to prepare water because it was a public bath, she would have no choice but to bathe together with Theor.

nShe couldn’t ask the old maid to prepare the bath water twice.

nAstelle kicked her tongue.

n‘She did her best.’

nIt would be easier to check her luggage if the two of them went to the bathroom together.

nBecause she had to take off all her clothes to get into the bathroom.

nWhile taking a bath, the maid can check both her luggage and their clothes in detail.

n‘In that part, it’s finer than a young lady before. Much more unpleasant in some ways, but…’

nHer eyebrows were spontaneously wrinkled.

nShe didn’t even have to worry about who it was.

nMarianne, who had searched Astelle’s medicine box before, was still imprisoned in the Maern Castle’s prison.

nNow, the only person in the emperor’s party to order this kind of thing was Vellian, the emperor’s secretary.

n‘Doing something obvious like this…’

nWell, that person has been like that since the first time she met him.

nHe tried to trick Astelle with an obvious lie saying that there could be a revolt in the South.

nHow simple.

n‘Anyway, I don’t like him.’

nIt’s understandable why he did this kind of thing.

nHe must have noticed something suspicious when he saw Astelle rushing to the hunting lodge on a rainy day.

nThat’s why Astelle feels uncomfortable with people who are quick to notice and have lots of doubts.

nAstelle noticed the identity of the maid before and deliberately made her come out with a teddy bear.

nIt’s easy to hide things inside the fluffy cotton doll.

nIt was because she thought that if the maid took the doll, her eyes would be drawn to that direction.

nAs expected, the old maid was interested in the teddy bear, so she did not pay attention to Astelle’s hair.

n‘I need to be more careful in the future.’

nAstelle grabbed the vial in her hand.

nIn the cool glass bottle, the blue medicine shakes slowly like waves.

n‘If the pharmacist caught this medicine…’

nShe may not be able to figure out what exactly it is, but an experienced pharmacist may notice that it contains color-changing ingredients.

nIt makes a headache just thinking about it.

n‘I was lucky this time.’

nBut there is no law that you will be so lucky next time.

nAstelle got all of her minds.

n‘There are only a few days left now. I have to keep my mind upright and spend the rest of the time well.’

nAfter making that pledge, she called Theor.

n“Theor, let’s take the medicine first and take a bath.”

nTheor approached Astelle quietly.

nAstelle put medicine in Theor’s eyes.

nAfter putting the eye medicine, the glass bottle was put on the shelf so as not to be broken.

nTheor, who was raising his head quietly asked, looking closely at the medicine bottle Astelle was carrying.

n“Will my eyes turn red if I don’t put in medicine?”

n“Yes, but you can’t tell anyone, you know?”

nTheor, who only listened quietly, asked suddenly.

n“Why can’t I tell anyone? Is it bad if it is red?”

n“…What?”

nAstelle looked at Theor with amazement.

nTheor was hanging from the rim of the bathtub and looked up at Astelle quietly.

nBlue eyes like jewels were innocently twinkling.

nWith that innocent look, Astelle missed the moment to answer.

nTheor asked again in an innocent voice toward Astelle, who stood silently.

n“His Majesty’s eyes are red too. Why can’t I have red eyes?”

n“……”

nAstelle was speechless.

nIt felt like her heart froze in an instant

nTheor didn’t know the details, but he understood that he had to change the color of his eyes in front of others.

nHe always did that, so he thought it was natural, and he followed it.

nIt was the first time he asked the reason.

n‘He’s grown.’

nAs the child grows up, he naturally feels doubts about his surroundings.

nAstelle thought that he wouldn’t listen quietly forever.

nAstelle was expecting that the day would come someday when Theor was older and asked why he had to hide his eyes.

n‘I knew that someday like this would come.’

nIn preparation for such a situation, she practiced what she would say to the child many times in her mind, but nevertheless, when it came to reality, she couldn’t hide her bitter and cluttered mood.

nThis is because she cannot answer honestly yet.

nWhen Astelle just looked at him without an answer, Theor dropped his head and stirred the water in the bathtub.

n“Am I not supposed to know?”

nIt was even more heartbreaking to see him say that.

n“Theor.”

nAstelle concealed her cluttered mood and smiled friendly.

nTheor looked up at Astelle with flawless blue eyes.

nAstelle tenderly wrapped Theor’s soft cheeks with her hands.

n“Have you ever read fairy tales with magic beads? The farmer got the bead, but it was so precious that he made it a secret. Do you remember?”

nIt was an old fairy tale stuck in the corner of her grandfather’s villa.

nIt was an ordinary fairy tale book featuring a prince, a princess, and a witch.

nIt was a story about a farmer getting magic beads and an adventure unfolding following the secret entangled in the beads.

nTheor liked the book.

nAs expected, as the story of the fairy tale came out, Theor came with joy.

n“Yes, it disappeared when other people knew it.”

n“Okay. It was very special and precious, so you have to hide it secretly. Your red eyes like that.”

nThere was pure curiosity in the blue eyes looking up at her.

nAstelle stared at Theor’s cute face tenderly and gave an explanation.

n“Red eyes are also very special. So you can’t show or tell other people.”

n“Then, is His Majesty will be okay?”

n“Yes, it’s okay because His Majesty is the emperor, but we must keep it a secret.”

nTheor seemed to some extent convinced when she gave an example with a fairy tale.

nTeor re-energized and nodded his head.

n“That’s why it’s a secret.”

nAstelle used this opportunity.

nThe same thing could happen again like in the hunting lodge.

nIt seemed like it would be better to tell him clearly at this point.

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