Chapter 25
The Perfect Plan to Avoid a Dead-End
“Maniro…? That’s at the far edge of the Empire, isn’t it? You came from far away.”
“Yeah. I had some business there, and now I’m back in the capital. You must be here to see the festival, right?”
“Mm. Something like that. Actually, I’m looking for a pharmacist here.”
“Hm, well, yeah—once the festival starts, a lot of pharmacists gather.”
While chatting with El, we eventually reached our destination.
I placed the branch I’d been holding into the basket and waved.
“Take care on your way.”
“Yeah. Thanks for helping me. It was much easier thanks to you, noona.”
“Think nothing of it.”
I shrugged and waved a hand.
“I’ll repay you next time. Bye.”
With that, El disappeared into the crowd.
“What a polite little thing.”
“No, that kid’s kind of weird. His energy is a bit…”
Energy? He just seemed mature for his age.
“You’re one to talk—told you to find Heren, and all you found was some random snack. Huh?”
“That couldn’t be helped. I’ll find him for real this time.”
Not long after closing his eyes to focus, Ban suddenly snapped them open.
“Now!”
Now? What now?
Before I could even ask, a large hand grabbed my shoulder.
“Siena.”
“Heren? Where did you go! I’ve been looking for you forever.”
“I was looking for you too.”
And judging by the slightly damp hair at his forehead, that didn’t seem like a lie.
Fanning the collar of his shirt, Hereis asked,
“What are you doing here? Weren’t you at the central plaza earlier?”
“Oh, I was helping some kid and ended up here. What about you? Why are you here?”
“To buy this.”
He untied a neatly wrapped cloth to reveal cherry-sized berries.
“Huh? Aren’t those red plum tree berries?”
“You know them?”
“I ate them all the time when I was little.”
Having eaten every kind of medicinal plant imaginable, identifying them was child’s play for me. Especially red plum tree berries—I’d eaten enough to recognize them instantly.
“What do you need them for?”
“To make a potion. You’re still coughing, remember?”
“…You went out to get these because of me?”
“Touched?”
The lump of gratitude in my chest instantly cooled at his playful wink.
“If you hadn’t said that, I would’ve been touched.”
“Should’ve kept my mouth shut, then.”
“…Still, thanks. For thinking of me.”
“And I even got a thank-you from Sisi. Guess it was worth the trip.”
A quiet chuckle followed. His lazy tone made it impossible to tell whether he was teasing or being sincere, so I responded a bit primly.
“How much did you pay for them?”
“One gold.”
“What? You paid a gold?!”
I yelped, my voice rising.
I knew herb prices like the back of my hand—almost as well as jewelers or dressmakers—so I’d asked just to compare prices with the current market. But gold? A gold coin?!
“Why? I got them cheap.”
“…Cheap?”
He looked at me innocently, asking why.
The words “Hereis” and “innocent” rarely belonged in the same sentence, but this time… his expression really was pure.
So that’s what it looks like when someone’s untouched by the grime of the world…
But I, well-versed in said grime, clutched the back of my neck in frustration.
Before I knew it, I was grabbing his arms and shaking him hard.
“Idiot! You paid ten times the market price!”
“Ten times? No way. Siena, they told me berries this size usually cost at least five gold.”
That was five hundred years ago! How could he still be thinking in ancient prices?
My mistake—I should have told him the current rates beforehand. Or better yet, gone with him.
“Heren… listen carefully. These days, unlike back in your time, red plum berries are everywhere. You can get them dirt cheap now.”
I understood why he’d paid so much without question—back in the day, red plum berries were as rare as thousand-year cactus. But once people discovered an ideal habitat where the trees thrived, the price dropped like a rock. Now they were as common as, well… the cactus.
As I explained, his expression grew steadily darker.
“…So that half-grown brat scammed me?”
Crunch—berries burst in his hand, red juice dripping down to the floor.
Hereis’s blue eyes glinted ominously.
“Should I kill him?”
“Kill him?! No!”
I grabbed him as he started toward the shop.
“I’ll deal with him our way, so calm down, okay?”
“No, I can’t calm down. I need to—fine—‘discipline’ him myself.”
“Heren, no, calm—Ban?”
Just then, an odd sound caught my ear.
Slurp, slurp.
Cold sweat slid down my back. Turning my head stiffly, I found Ban devouring a skewer.
“Ban! What are you doing?!”
“Mmph! Nom nom!”
“Oh my god! What are you eating?! Wait—Hereis! Hold on!”
Using a command spell, I froze Hereis and snatched Ban up.
Please tell me no one saw…
Thankfully, the stall owner was nowhere to be seen, so no one had caught him in the act.
Still, my heart wouldn’t stop racing.
Why in the world are you eating the wooden stick too?!
As I pulled the stick from his mouth, the owner returned and stared in horror at the empty display.
“Th-theft! Some bastard’s stolen all my skewers! That’s it, I’m ruined for the day!”
I shoved my hand into my pocket without counting and thrust whatever coins I grabbed into his hand.
“I! I ate them all. Here’s the money!”
Then I dragged Ban and Hereis into an alley to hide.
“I could’ve eaten more…”
“We should just kill—”
My forehead throbbed as I listened to them talk over each other.
Exactly what I expected. This is why I wanted to come alone.
I wasn’t finding Margo at all—just cleaning up after their messes.
“Free time’s over. Follow me quietly.”
I hauled the troublemakers back to Lina.
Seeing my pale, ashen face, she covered her mouth in shock.
“…My lady, are you alright?”
“No. Not at all.”
I rubbed at my tired eyes and glared at Hereis and Ban.
“Thanks to someone, it wouldn’t be strange if I collapsed right now.”
Guilty, the two avoided my eyes.
I sighed.
“Lina, you brought potions, right?”
“Yes, here.”
She popped the cork and handed one over instantly.
I downed it in one gulp and tapped my aching chest.
Cough, cough.
“My lady!”
“Siena, are you okay?”
“Sisi!”
I shoved them all away and wiped my mouth as I stood.
“I think I’ll have to call it a day.”
I’d wanted to stay until the night festival, but my stamina wasn’t up to it.
“Yes, my lady. I’ll call for the carriage right away—”
“No. Wait.”
I stopped Lina before she could run off, smiling brightly.
“Before we go, we’re paying that scammer a visit.”
“…Scammer?”
Scamming my people? Taking advantage of someone’s concern for me?
My blood boiled.
I wasn’t letting this slide.
Absolutely not.
We arrived at the herb shop with Hereis in the lead, and I slammed the door open.
“Welcome!”
The shopkeeper’s face paled when he saw who followed me inside.
He looked exactly like someone with a guilty conscience.
“You remember him, right?”
“Well… there are just so many customers during the festival—”
As he scratched his cheek, pretending ignorance, Hereis nodded lightly with a soft smile.
“It’s fine. I understand.”
“Heren?”
Like hell he’d let it go that easily.
“Once I cut off a few fingers, I’m sure you’ll remember.”
Knew it. Hereis wouldn’t go down without a fight.
I pressed a hand to his chest, silently telling him to stay put. Let me handle this—this is my specialty.
Time to assert dominance.
“How dare you scam the House of Winter? Do you even know who I am?!”
I glared and barked sharply, making the shopkeeper blanch and wave his hands.
“O-of course I do! Yes! You’re Lady Siena Winter!”
Naturally—after all, I’d made enough of a scene around here for my reputation to stick.
“And yet you still dared to scam me?!”
“I’m not sure what you mean… you can’t just accuse someone like—”
“Accuse? You sold red plum berries for one gold and pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about?!”
“W-wait, my lady! This must be a misunderstanding!”
