Chapter 69
“Your Highness!”
The one who appeared was Tian, dressed in an elegant white training uniform.
“Did you just come out after dinner?”
Tian glanced at my noticeably full belly and asked.
Startled, I hurriedly covered my stomach and looked at him.
“Ah—yes. But why are you here, Your Highness…?”
Then I remembered.
‘Once a week from now on. We agreed to hold swordsmanship lessons at the Abner estate’s training grounds.’
“Gasp! It’s sword training day!”
“That’s right. Today’s the first lesson.”
Tian flicked a glance toward Logrio.
“But what were you doing?”
“I was too full, so I was out for a walk! But since you have a lesson, Your Highness, you should hurry and go train! Lia can go back to her room on her own!”
For some reason, Logrio and Tian’s gazes met.
“…Training.”
Tian, who had been silent for a moment, spoke.
“I was going to, but I don’t think I can today.”
“Huh? Why? Today’s the first lesson—”
“Well, actually.”
For some reason, Tian rolled his eyes.
“I think my back hurts a bit. The kind of pain where you can tell it’ll get worse if you train.”
“What?”
Tian raised an eyebrow at Logrio.
“They say on days like this, it’s better to walk lightly rather than train. Right, Logrio?”
Logrio immediately bowed.
“Yes, Your Highness. On days like today, a walk would be advisable, not strenuous training.”
Tian naturally stepped closer and stood beside me.
“See? Since it worked out, walking with you would be perfect.”
“But you came all the way here from the imperial palace…”
Flustered, my voice trailed off.
Sharon Abner, and now Tian too.
Why was everyone acting so strangely today?
Tian shrugged.
“Since I started helping with state affairs, my personal funds have grown quite a bit. I use teleportation gates every time I come to the Abner duchy, so don’t worry.”
Using those expensive teleportation gates every time?
When I stared at him in shock, Tian casually asked,
“What is it, Lia? Do you want the Crown Prince to collapse from back pain?”
What kind of blatant treasonous statement was that?!
Startled, I frantically waved my hands.
“No!”
“Then let’s just take a walk. There’s something I need to tell you anyway.”
At the words something to tell you, my gaze naturally turned to Tian.
He was already wearing a faint smile.
“It’s about your medicine. Rubawen and Rubarina.”
I stopped walking.
“It passed. It’s been officially registered as medicine with the Imperial Pharmaceutical Institute.”
“R-Really?!”
“Yeah. The developer’s name is Anelia, right?”
Overjoyed, I rose onto my tiptoes—then froze.
“…What? The developer name is Anelia?”
“Yeah. Isn’t it?”
I looked at him, bewildered.
“W-Well, it wouldn’t be just me, though? I submitted it as joint development with my mentor…”
“Count Dennis is listed as an assistant, not a co-developer.”
My mouth slowly fell open.
Owen must have switched the documents when handing them to Tian.
That stubborn mentor of mine—honestly!!
But I didn’t even have time to panic.
“Anyway, that’s not the issue. The stock you gave us has already sold out.”
“…What?”
“Looks like high-ranking nobles in the capital bought everything. Everyone’s asking when the next batch will be produced.”
Tian smiled sweetly.
“Everyone’s curious about you. Even the head of the Pharmaceutical Institute said he wants to meet you.”
* * *
“If I get mistaken for a dark mage! And then die because of it! Will you come to your senses then?!”
I pounded Owen’s leg repeatedly, my face twisted in rage.
Owen looked down at me, exhausted.
“That’s why I put my name on it too. As the assistant.”
“You should’ve listed me as the assistant! Does it make sense for a five-year-old to make the medicine while the mentor’s the assistant?!”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
Owen suddenly lifted me up and set me on top of the desk.
“Hiyana and thirty-seven others. That’s how you barely got your name listed in your previous life, right?”
“….”
“In reality, you made everything yourself.”
I had nothing to say and shut my mouth.
Owen stared straight at me.
“Let’s be honest. What did I really do in making that medicine?”
“You did plenty! When we improved the Rubarin herb—!”
“You told me the blending ratio for the enhancer.”
“B-But afterward, extracting the components and mixing them with other ingredients—you did that!”
“Mixing ratios, ingredients, reagent preparation—everything. I did it, yes. Exactly the way you told me to.”
I clenched my lips in frustration.
“Disciple. What exactly are you so afraid of?”
Owen asked calmly.
He truly looked curious.
“So what if you seem a little unusual? What’s so frightening about being exceptionally gifted, even bizarrely so?”
“You don’t know anything!”
Emotion surged, and I glared at him.
“I can’t let my guard down! The moment I do, I die!”
My heart pounded violently in my chest.
“Why can’t I stand out? Why can’t I be strange? Because it draws attention!”
“……”
“And if I get caught by the wrong people, what happens besides being exploited and killed?!”
My throat ached painfully.
My voice trembled as I continued.
“I can’t trust anyone. Do you know how I died in my previous life…?”
Why can I only live like this?
Why am I only capable of this much?
The answer came from the moment I drank poison and my heart stopped.
“It was because I was weak. I didn’t have the power to protect my own abilities, so they were taken from me…”
That was the real reason I stepped into the Abner estate in the first place.
I had no power yet, so I wanted to buy time somewhere safe.
I don’t want to be robbed anymore. I don’t want to lose anything ever again.
But to do that, I had to hide myself first.
Being somewhat outstanding was fine—but not too outstanding.
It was a ridiculous dilemma.
I opened my eyes wide and glared at Owen.
“And yet you talk so easily.”
Of course, logically I knew.
Owen just wanted to make sure I got what I deserved.
I shouldn’t have snapped like this.
But my lips moved on their own.
“What do you know? You haven’t lived as me! Being betrayed, losing everything, being murdered—you know nothing!”
“……”
“What if someone sees that medicine and suspects me of dark magic? What if they poison me? What if I die again, alone and in pain—what then…?”
A horrifying silence fell over the laboratory.
My throat hurt from shouting.
Harsh breaths leaked from my mouth.
Then—
“Well, I’d testify first, obviously.”
Half frozen, I looked at Owen.
“I’d testify that you’re not a dark mage. I wouldn’t be the only one, either. You’re not alone in solitary confinement right now.”
“…What did you say?”
“And if someone still keeps suspecting you and goes crazy enough to try poisoning you—”
Owen picked up a stack of papers lying on the desk and placed them in my hands.
“Then your official guardian would step in. Either assign even more guards, or go find those people and cut off their breathing first.”
The papers were a summary report of our research.
At the bottom, the name Anelia Abner was clearly written.
“You say you can’t trust anyone?”
Owen’s voice was low and slow.
“Yeah. Maybe that was true in your previous life.”
My lips parted slightly.
“But not now. Tell me—how is this anything like that horrific past life of yours?”
My heart dropped heavily.
My pupils trembled.
“And Sharon Abner came by and gave me a warning.”
Owen added.
“About listing you as the sole developer.”
My eyes widened.
Sharon Abner came to see Owen?
And told him to list me as the sole developer?
Owen’s face turned grave, as if recalling the moment.
“She said if you were treated unfairly, she wouldn’t let it slide.”
“……”
“She said the moment even one thing you did during the research was left out, my head would be separated from my body. Do you know how scared I was?”
Owen shook his head.
“After hearing that, how could I possibly list myself as a co-developer? When all I really did was act as an assistant.”
