CHAPTER~42
“Madam, I’ve done everything just as you instructed.”
The door opened along with those words, and Loren’s bright voice rang out.
“Really? Thank you, I should go check.”
“I’ll go with you too!”
I gathered only a few items and hurried toward the kitchen.
I had originally planned to move the location to the shop and proceed there, but I hadn’t been given much time.
‘If you’re truly a capable apothecary, Count, can you make a cure and bring it to me within a week? Then I’ll trust your words. Promise me.’
One week.
Within that time, it was my job to create the cure and deliver it to Aunt Artemene.
Although I wasn’t a capable apothecary as she claimed, since I had already started, I felt I should do it properly.
So, with no other choice, I asked the head chef to lend me the kitchen briefly during the day, and he gladly agreed.
Of course, it became awkward when he even bowed deeply, saying there was no reason to refuse.
In any case, to prevent word from getting out that I was making medicine, I vaguely told the head chef and maids that I was practicing cooking.
‘Madam… to think you’d make it yourself instead of ordering us. How could your heart be this kind? The Duke will surely be delighted. After all, it’s food made with love.’
The servants, including the head chef, seemed to have misunderstood something quite seriously, but correcting them felt like too much trouble, so I didn’t bother.
“I did everything as you asked for now, Madam, but I’m not sure if I did it right. I’m really terrible at this sort of thing…”
“Don’t worry, Loren. If it’s you, I’m sure you did well. You’re a smart child.”
At that, Loren, who had been constantly watching my reaction and lacking confidence, broke into a wide grin as if deeply moved.
“Ugh, I’m so touched, Madam…!”
“Just don’t hug me.”
“Tch. That’s so cruel.”
Loren pouted and stepped back.
I patted Loren’s head and immediately checked the Andra fruits inside the wooden barrel.
“Ugh, the smell.”
As soon as I opened the barrel, the bitter, herbal scent mixed with a faint sweetness rushed up.
Fortunately, according to the method written in the old book, extracting the poison didn’t take very long.
……
The process itself was unexpectedly simple.
After completely removing the seeds from the poisonous Andra fruit, I added medicinal herbs, frost flower petals, and dried blackroot, then let it mature for about a day to remove the toxicity.
I had planned to do it myself, but since my schedule was so tight, I had no choice but to leave it to Loren, and it turned out far cleaner than expected.
As expected, Loren was meticulous.
Loren came closer to my side and chattered away.
“The Andra fruit looks incredibly delicious, so I was really shocked when I found out it was poisonous. I also learned from you, Madam, that it’s not edible.”
“Yes. That’s why it was difficult to handle even in the North. Still, it’s possible to remove the toxicity to some extent. The method is just a bit tricky.”
Loren nodded vigorously, eyes sparkling.
After soaking it thoroughly for about a day, the poisonous component had probably dissipated by half.
I took out the soaked fruit and placed it onto a round skillet.
Chiiii.
A sound rose from the pan heated over a gentle flame.
I stirred it continuously with a wooden rod for several minutes so the remaining toxicity would fully dissipate.
As it sizzled, dark reddish foam bubbled up.
I skimmed off the foam and continued reducing it.
A faint smile slowly bloomed on my lips, thinking it might actually succeed.
* * *
“Ugh, after stirring for hours, my shoulders feel like they’re going to fall off.”
Before I knew it, after being completely absorbed in making the medicine, it had already become midday.
Still, after dedicating several hours, I was finally able to complete the medicinal solution for the cure.
All that remained was to pour it into a storage container and keep it well in the shade, and the first-stage cure would be complete.
I hope it works…
Since I followed everything written in the old book without missing a step, as long as no variables arose, the medicine should be completed without issue.
However, because it took so long, doing everything alone was clearly too much.
Well, it’ll work out somehow.
With lightened expressions, the two of us left the kitchen.
As soon as we stepped outside, a chilling wind scattered my hair as if a window had been opened, but today, I didn’t really mind.
Loren looked at the cake box in my hand and spoke.
“Still, it feels like we had more time than expected today, Madam. You even made honey pie like this. You’re going to give it to the Duke, right?”
“Ah, yes. I’m thinking of stopping by the training grounds. There are things I want to check, and some things to talk about as well.”
To be honest, I hadn’t planned on making honey pie from the start.
But since I borrowed the kitchen under the excuse of cooking practice, I felt I should at least make it look convincing.
So I made honey pie, which also happened to be the dish I was best at.
Of course, it absolutely wasn’t because it was Frezen Decart’s favorite dessert.
“Hehe, the Duke is going to love it so much. It’s a one-and-only gift made by you, Madam, after all.”
Loren’s reaction, however, felt strangely odd.
It was as if she were trying to suppress her laughter.
Especially the way she emphasized ‘one-and-only’ made it clear she was misunderstanding something.
“What’s with that expression? Loren, you look like you’re having way too much fun.”
“Oh ho ho. Why? Everything I do with you is fun, Madam. And I like it even more because I feel like we’ve grown much closer since coming here!”
“Even if I didn’t pay you?”
“That’s a different matter, Madam.”
“……I see.”
* * *
The path leading to the training grounds was, as expected, cold.
At first, the snowy scenery had been breathtakingly beautiful, but perhaps because I had grown used to it, it was starting to feel a bit tiresome.
Today as well, the sunlight was hidden behind snow clouds and barely visible.
Still, chatting idly with Loren made the trip pass quickly.
“It sounds like they’re right in the middle of training. The shouts are really loud, Madam.”
As Loren said, the closer we got, the clearer the resounding shouts became.
“You’re right. I wonder if I’ll be interrupting them. Should we just go back?”
“Oh no! Not at all. We came all this way, we can’t just turn back. It’s cold, so let’s hurry inside, Madam.”
“Why are you so strong, anyway?”
Unable to resist her force, I was practically dragged inside the training grounds.
I had expected it to be cold inside, but surprisingly, it was warm.
The roof was shaped like a domed greenhouse, which must have helped block out the cold.
It seemed the outdoor training grounds weren’t operating due to bad weather.
Come to think of it, this was my first time at the training grounds.
Had I come here five years ago?
I couldn’t remember at all, which meant it was probably my first time.
After all, five years ago, I rarely enjoyed such leisurely afternoons.
I was practically confined to the annex, constantly watching the elders’ moods.
Ugh.
Thinking about the past made irritation rise again.
I hurriedly shook off those thoughts and looked at the knights in the middle of their training.
Once I sat down in the seats arranged like an arena, I could see them more clearly.
“Ha!”
The knights were so focused on their strike training that they didn’t even notice the presence of visitors.
Then, one by one, the knights began stripping off their upper garments.
“So those are the knights who led the battle to victory. They all look around my age, but suddenly taking off their clothes… Oh my!”
Loren gasped and hurriedly covered her face with her hands.
“I know you’re peeking through your fingers, so stop fooling around.”
“Is it that obvious? Hehe.”
Hehe, my foot.
I shook my head and looked forward again.
Loren, meanwhile, was squealing beside me, saying she was embarrassed.
…Has she lost her mind?
“Ha!”
“Agh!”
The knights paired up and began their sparring drills.
However, no matter where I looked, I couldn’t see Frezen Decart.
I was sure he was supposed to be at the training grounds, so where had he gone?
There was no way he’d already left.
Just as I wondered whether I should go look for him, crack—! A sharp snapping sound rang out as someone’s wooden sword broke.
‘Who is that? He looks strangely familiar. And not in a good way.’
At the same time, a loud, cheerful burst of laughter echoed in my ears.
Despite his slender build, he seemed quite skilled, as several people were already sprawled around him.
Caught by an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, I stared at the man intently.
Just as I stood up from my seat as if possessed, trying to approach him—
“Huh? Why can’t I see all of a sudden—?!”
My vision suddenly went dark, blocked by something.
Flustered, I pulled the cloth covering my eyes away from my face.
“My lady, what are you doing here?”
Frezen Decart stood there, smiling, as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
