ILSCA 23

A cold, damp mist gusted out from within.

In the chill that made my skin crawl, there lingered the faint scent of medicinal herbs—and the deep, aged aroma of old books.

As time passed, the enormous secret warehouse began to reveal itself slowly. I stared into the dim interior, eyes wide.

From the high ceiling, lanterns hung by single cords, casting a faint orange glow across the vast space.

The warehouse was divided into multiple sections, each filled to the brim with herbs and potions.

Inside, rows of mushrooms and herbs were carefully cultivated. Their numbers weren’t great, yet the sight spoke volumes of her dedication.

“So? What do you think of my secret warehouse?”

“It’s incredible. Did you really make all of this by yourself?”

“Of course! You have no idea how hard it was to hide all this from Father and that nosy maid. It took me five years! No one knows I study herbs, you see.”

“Then… are you sure it’s okay to show me such a secret place?”

“Of course. You remind me of a silver lily, after all.”

“……”

For a brief moment, I wasn’t sure whether I should be flattered or offended.
After all… a flower isn’t exactly a person.

Then, as if spitting out a bad taste, she muttered,

“Though it’s a pity you’re that bastard’s— no, His Highness the Prince’s maid.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind. I’ll go find the mushrooms. You can look around—just don’t make a mess.”

“Yes, thank you.”

While she disappeared into the maze of shelves, I began inspecting the nearest section.

Long wooden shelves lined the walls, each stacked with glass jars and bundles of dried herbs.

‘Quite the variety,’ I thought, letting out a low whistle.

Some of these herbs could only be bought for a small fortune. To gather this much in secret, over five years, without anyone in the household knowing… just how much effort had she poured into it?

Though, to be honest…

She said not to make a mess, but—this place was already a disaster.

Of course, being a mere maid of the Prince’s household, I couldn’t exactly say, “My lady, your warehouse is filthy.”

So, I pretended to admire the place instead.

Moments later, thud thud, footsteps approached. Bluebell returned, looking triumphant.

“Here. Found it! I grew these myself.”

She placed a plump mushroom in my hands—larger and darker than ordinary ones.

“What do you think? Amazing, right?”

“Wow, how did you grow something like this?”

“Well, if you look through my cultivation notebook, you’d understand.”

She began rummaging through the clutter again—but only a few spiders and cockroaches popped out.

Eventually, she straightened with an embarrassed smile.

“As you can see, it’s a bit… complicated in here. Cleaning’s not easy when it’s just me. I’ll show you the notebook next time, along with the herb records.”

“I’ll look forward to it. This alone could make soup for three people! Thank you so much.”

I bowed politely. Bluebell lifted her chin proudly.

“It’s nothing. But tell me—are you interested in herbs? I could teach you a bit.”

“Yes, please.”

At that, she brightened and began pulling herbs off the shelves like an excited child.

Each time she lifted a dried bundle, dust puffed up and brittle leaves fluttered down, but she didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Here, look. This one boosts stamina when chewed. And this one—temporarily enhances hearing.”

“That’s fascinating!”

“Careful, though. The leaves look similar—both have serrated edges—but the stamina herb’s serrations turn clockwise, while the hearing herb’s go counterclockwise.”

“Really?”

“Even experts mix them up sometimes. You can brag about knowing that.”

I clapped my hands in mock amazement.
(Truth be told, I’d learned all this in the secret research institute—but for the sake of the mushroom, I played along.)

Bluebell grinned.

“Then let’s make it interesting. A quiz. What do you think this herb is?”

She held out a small, leafy sprig covered in tiny buds.

I tilted my head, pretending to think.

“Hmm… I’m not sure. What could it be?”

“Don’t just give up—guess! What does it look like to you?”

“Well…”

I stared at the herb, feigning uncertainty.

But there was a problem—
I knew what it was.

It was the same herb she’d said I resembled earlier. The Silver lily.

Still, I couldn’t act like I recognized it so easily. So I blurted the first thing that came to mind.

“Judging by its shape… maybe it’s a herb that neutralizes nerve poison?”

“…What?”

Bluebell froze.

Unaware, I continued,

“Its name might be Silver lily—a perennial bulbous herb of the lily family, about fifty to eighty centimeters tall, root forming a segmented rhizome… thrives best in partial shade with cool, slightly moist air.”

“……”

“That’s my guess.”

Thunk.
The Silver lily slipped from her fingers.

She stared at me, dumbfounded.

And that’s when I realized—
I’d gone way too far for a “normal maid.”

‘Damn it. I forgot what “average” even looks like.’

Back in the research institute, we were forced to taste poisonous herbs for study. Many died for it.
We even had to recreate the entire herbal compendium by memory—blindfolded.

So now, pretending to be ordinary… was the hardest task of all.

‘Should I try to make an excuse?’

Maybe something like, “I just read that on page 333 of an herbal textbook the other day”—
or maybe I could just giggle and say, “Oh! Did I get it right by accident?”

While I debated my options, Bluebell blinked and finally spoke.

“You… know quite a lot about herbs, don’t you?”

“……”

“Be honest with me. If you lie, I might not let you return to Eclipse.”

Ah. So that’s the angle—threaten with authority.

‘Can’t afford to lose my job.’

I sighed inwardly and admitted,

“Yes, I do know.”

“Really?”

Her eyes sparkled—too brightly. She snatched another bundle of herbs from the pile and held it right under my nose.

“Then tell me—what’s this one called, and what does it do?”

“Shadowmist. It blurs the body’s outline, granting short-term invisibility for about thirty minutes.”

“And this one?”

“Sunbroom. It boosts immunity and promotes blood circulation. Quite expensive—usually used by nobles.”

“Unbelievable… you know all of that?”

Wide-eyed, she turned to a crate in the corner, rummaged through it, and produced a vine-like herb covered in tiny bead-like seeds.

“Then, last one. What’s this?”

“Oh, that’s a rare one.”

I couldn’t help the note of admiration in my voice.

“It’s called Frostweed. It’s used for treating burns and reducing fever.”

“Huh…”

Her jaw went slack as she stared at me.

“You’re really a maid of the Eclipse household?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve never formally studied herbal medicine?”

“Not really. I just… read some books.”

“Books.”

“Yes.”

“You mean to say, you only read books—and you know this much?”

I nodded uncertainly.

She studied me for a long moment, then, in a voice quieter than before, asked—

“Why are you serving him—why are you in Eclipse at all?”