Chapter 50
“Siena.”
“Hm?”
“I don’t know why, but you’re doing well.”
Noah tapped my shoulder. I just blinked blankly.
“…You’re not telling me to stop?”
“Stop? No. Keep bothering him. As much as you want.”
It was really rare for Noah to say something like that.
“So, you were tormented a lot too?”
“If you hear ‘marriage’ a hundred times, you’d understand my feelings too.”
A hundred times? I looked at Noah, who was washing his face dry, with pity.
“I’ll do my best to drive him away.”
Having been granted legal harassment by Noah, I nodded toward Van.
But Frank was more persistent than I had expected.
Even as he grew paler by the day, drained by Van’s presence, he had no intention of leaving.
‘It’s annoying how he comes by every hour with that dying face.’
So this time, I left the house.
“I’m leaving so Van can have nightmares all day. He probably won’t get up today.”
“Yeah, I get why. But why is it in my office?”
Oel, stirring the pot vigorously, sighed and glared at me.
“Did it have to be Valhalla?”
“Yes, I have nowhere else to go.”
And I was curious how much of the remedy had been completed.
“Doesn’t the princess have friends?”
“How did you know?”
I nodded at Oel’s answer, and silence fell.
Heraice hugged me and scolded Oel.
“Why are you trying to bring our Siena down?”
“Uh, sorry, Princess.”
“No, my spirits aren’t down.”
Oel, mistakenly thinking I was hurt, cleared his throat and changed the topic.
“If you’re that bored, go watch the auction. I can’t concentrate with the princess staring at me like that.”
“Auction?”
“It’s an underground auction, and you can hide your face, so your identity won’t be exposed. Interested? If you are, I’ll give you a ticket.”
“I am curious.”
An auction—an event I had never attended.
But an underground auction? My curiosity sparked.
“When is it?”
“This afternoon.”
“Today? Then I’ll go.”
I had been thinking of leaving since Oel seemed busy making the remedy, so this worked out perfectly.
“Really? Then I’ll give you the ticket for free, but do me one favor.”
“What favor? If it’s hard, I won’t do it.”
Then I heard a tired voice from the side.
“Siena, are you really saying that after seeing our faces?”
Ethan, with a hollow look, kept rolling something in his hands, letting out a weak laugh.
“…Ethan, aren’t you going home?”
I had been worrying about him since entering the office.
Why was Ethan holed up there acting like a soulless person?
“Do you think I’m doing this because I don’t want to go home? Just to make you a remedy…”
Ethan, who had been nearly lifeless, started boiling with anger, slowly regaining his energy.
“Ethan, there’s no time to talk. You’d better knead and roll harder. If you rest even briefly, the princess’ remedy will fail.”
Oel’s scolding immediately drained him again.
Watching this, I felt sorry for Ethan for the first time.
“Um, Ethan.”
I called him gently, but he was focused on kneading the medicine.
“One Siena, two Sienas, three Sienas…”
He separated three round lumps and named them, then began smashing them with his fists.
Thud, thud, thud.
I asked Oel, who was watching with a pleased expression,
“Is it supposed to be hit that hard? It seems like there’s emotion in it.”
“There may be emotion, but that’s how it’s supposed to be done.”
First, the centennial herb is dried in the sun. Then the dried herb is ground finely and put into a large pot, pouring in the Tears of the Stars.
Then the pot is slowly heated, stirred over a weak fire until the medicine thickens.
“At my pace, it takes about a day and a half.”
“That long?”
“Do you think I said it takes a week for no reason?”
Oel’s role ended when the medicine was boiled in the pot.
Up to this point, it was fairly ordinary.
The important part was what came next.
“See this? This dough-like substance comes out of the pot fully formed.”
The thickened medicine turns like flour dough, and Ethan’s divine power must be poured in while continuously pounding it.
“The harder you hit, the more divine power it absorbs.”
“Really…?”
“Yeah. When the soft part fills with divine power and hardens, it’s complete.”
After Oel’s explanation, I looked at Ethan anew.
So all that punching was for me?
“Press it properly. Otherwise, I won’t survive.”
I actively pointed out where to hit.
“Sisi, look here. It’s sticking out.”
“Couldn’t you hit it properly?”
When Heraice pointed out the area, veins popped on Ethan’s forehead.
“They say a mother-in-law who hits is less annoying than a sister-in-law who interferes…”
Ethan glared at Heraice, who was grinning annoyingly.
Thud! Thud! Thud! The sounds were serious.
“Princess, Heraice, stop bothering Ethan and take this.”
Oel, worried a fight might break out, handed me a box.
Opening it, three white pills were neatly stacked on wax paper.
“What is this…?”
“It’s exactly what the princess needs.”
“Could it be?”
“The completed medicine.”
Unlike ordinary pills I had taken, these were quite large—about two finger-lengths each, three in total.
“I was going to make seven, but looking at your complexion, it can’t wait any longer.”
“Is it that bad?”
I ran my hand over my cheek. Seeing my puzzled look, Ethan clicked his tongue.
“Look in the mirror. It’s amazing you can even walk around.”
To me, it didn’t look that bad, but to Ethan and Oel, the difference was obvious.
“Take one each day. Don’t skip a day. Missing even one complicates things. I’ll bring the rest according to the schedule.”
Oel kept reminding me.
“And stop all other medicines. Mixing other ingredients could be poisonous.”
“Yes, yes. I will.”
I promised to treasure it more than life itself and was about to close the lid when Ethan stopped me.
“No. Take it now, in front of us.”
“Yeah, princess. Take it now.”
“Sisi, take it.”
Amidst their enthusiastic urging, I picked up a pill.
It was large, but easily slid down my throat.
I swallowed it and exclaimed,
“Wow…”
“How is it?”
Ethan asked.
“I don’t taste anything.”
“Then why are you amazed?”
“It’s amazing because it’s not bitter at all. That’s all.”
Not dogs or cats, but Ethan and I were bickering over trivial things.
“Half your heart is dead. If it got better immediately, we wouldn’t have had to work this hard. That’s why it’s spread over seven doses. Don’t worry.”
Oel comforted me, thinking I was disappointed.
‘Disappointed? No, this is amazing.’
I had lived twenty years thinking I would die before meeting Heraice.
But the long-awaited remedy finally appeared before me.
And I just took it.
Such an achievement—how could I be disappointed?
My nose tingled and my eyes felt hot.
I carefully composed myself, closed the lid, and held the remaining pills close.
Then I spread my arms toward Oel.
“Thank you so much, Oel…”
“Don’t mention it. This is just the beginning.”
Patting his back in gratitude, I walked toward Ethan.
No matter our rivalry, I couldn’t leave him out.
Noticing my intent, Ethan cautiously stepped back.
“Don’t.”
“The more you tell me not to, the more I want to!”
I ran and hugged Ethan’s shoulders tightly.
“Ah!”
“Am I killing you? Huh? Killing?”
I hugged him tighter, teasing him, feeling him stiffen, unsure what to do.
“Ethan, thank you so much. I’ll repay you once I’m fully healed.”
“…Fine, just stop bothering me and leave.”
“Too shy, are we?”
As I chuckled and got up, a strong arm wrapped around my waist.
Huh? Before I knew it, I was pulled backward, feeling a firm chest behind me.
“You flirt. Did you just hug another man while leaving me?”
