Chapter 7
“How is she?”
Lartel, the duke’s personal physician, adjusted her round spectacles and answered Silas.
“Just mild anemia. Nothing to worry about.”
As Lartel said, Iris’s symptoms were simply anemia.
Iris, sensing the truth in those words, cautiously spoke to me.
“My lord… I’m fine now. I felt dizzy earlier, but now I’m not.”
Her pronunciation still slipped in places, but the meaning was clear.
“…That’s a relief.”
Silas let out a sigh of relief as he looked at Iris.
He didn’t fully understand why he sighed.
Yet deep inside, the fact that Iris was unwell struck him sharply.
It was the kind of thing he couldn’t ignore, even if he tried.
Every time Iris’s voice reached his ears, it sent a jolt through him.
“My lord…?”
Even now.
Like the whisper of a demon.
It tried to melt his cold heart like warm soup.
“That’s enough. If there’s nothing serious, I’ll be going now.”
Bang!
Startled, Iris widened her rabbit-like eyes as Silas quickly left the room.
“Phew…”
Outside, the cold corridor’s air brushed against his lungs differently than the infirmary’s.
Usually, a few deep breaths would calm him in confusing situations.
After all, how often would the Duke of the North actually be unsettled?
Probably only a handful of times in his life.
But he was human, and such days did exist.
Exactly twice.
When Lagrasha was born, and when she suddenly disappeared.
The day Lagrasha was born, his heart never settled.
Meeting Selena probably never made it pound like that.
Silas blinked slowly, recalling that day.
A faint smile seemed to cross his face.
But it soon hardened.
When Lagrasha vanished, he had rampaged like a wild, fire-lit colt.
Even then, his anger didn’t subside—it fell upon every criminal organization in the North.
He broke and destroyed.
Yet his fury would not relent.
“…….”
Six years had passed.
He still hadn’t found Lagrasha.
If only he had discovered her body,
So she could have passed away in his arms.
Then it wouldn’t have been this painful.
So he vowed he would never stop until he found Lagrasha.
Even if he had to turn against everyone in the world.
But first, he needed to investigate the ring properly.
“Contact the Mage Tower immediately. I need to meet the head mage.”
“…….”
Left alone suddenly after the duke left, Lartel and I just stared blankly at the door.
But it didn’t open again.
‘Well, he was warm for a duke.’
When he picked me up as I felt dizzy, I almost screamed.
It was uncharacteristically gentle of him.
That contrast was frightening.
More importantly, though, was the state of my illness.
In the story, Iris dies.
Probably, even this anemia is a sign that something bad will happen to my head.
‘Maybe a brain tumor.’
Iris had been a servant by the side of the saint all her life.
When she died, the saint cried bitterly, the story said.
Taking in a child called a demon, and then crying for her—truly a righteous nature.
But no matter her personality, it wouldn’t save me.
What I needed was the potion called the Tears of the Goddess.
A legendary potion said to heal diseases even elixirs could not.
Since the saint’s healing surpassed elixirs slightly, this potion was even more incredible.
‘Come to think of it, why couldn’t the saint heal Iris’s illness?’
If she cherished Iris that much, she would have healed her no matter what.
It must be an extraordinary illness.
Fortunately, I knew where the Tears of the Goddess were.
‘So I need to escape quickly.’
I nodded firmly, burning with determination.
This wasn’t greed—it was survival.
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
Lartel, who had been sitting behind me, asked.
Her green hair had streaks of white, suggesting she was older.
Her soft voice had a comforting effect.
“Ah, nothing at all.”
I quickly turned my head and replied.
A small smile appeared on Lartel’s face.
“Nothing at all? How cute.”
She patted my head like a grandmother would a granddaughter.
‘It’s embarrassing…’
In my entire past life, only the staff of a duke’s house had patted my head like this.
At first, I doubted them, but now I knew that except for the duke, everyone here was kind.
If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.
There’s a saying like that.
“By the way, Iris. From now on, you’ll probably get more meat and fruit. You can eat that, right?”
Meat and fruit—essential for someone with anemia.
“Yes… I can eat it well.”
Until I find the Tears of the Goddess, it will help with my anemia.
Naturally, I nodded. Lartel muttered something while searching for something.
“You’re a good girl. Good girls… deserve a present.”
Why does the word “present” tempt me?
I glanced at Lartel while checking the medical supplies I had observed earlier.
“Here, candy.”
After rummaging for a while, she handed me a small sugar candy.
“Wow… thank you.”
There was no reason to refuse.
I popped the candy into my mouth and got up.
It was a nuisance to stay longer anyway, and the evening was approaching.
“Oh my, are you leaving?”
“Yes. I have homework.”
Actually, the homework was an excuse—I was going to eat the food Lisa brought.
The duke’s household meals were extremely delicious.
“Alright. Be careful.”
“Yes. Goodbye.”
I bowed and left the infirmary.
Lartel looked like she wanted to escort me to my room, but I left quickly before she could say anything.
‘I had some thinking to do.’
Walking down the corridor alone, I recalled the medical supplies I had noticed earlier.
As expected in a magical world, there were potions everywhere, and they seemed aware of anemia.
It was different from ordinary medieval medicine.
Probably thanks to magic.
Blindly believing in magic while advancing medicine was ideal.
Still, compared to modern medicine, it was lacking.
Other than potion-like bottles, there were no other medicines.
‘If my medical knowledge spreads…’
It would be incredibly helpful.
High-level potions were expensive.
But that was only possible if I survived to the future.
Everything starts after I acquire the Tears of the Goddess.
The Tears of the Goddess were somewhere in the northern mountains.
I didn’t yet have a detailed map of the North.
So the minimum preparation I could do now was gather money.
I collected several weekly gems and piled them under my bed.
Gems were extremely valuable.
“Hello, young lady.”
“Hello.”
Passing maids greeted me with smiles.
That was one of the changes over the past week.
Receiving greetings from several maids, I eventually arrived at my room.
‘Smells delicious.’
The aroma made my mouth water.
“Lisa, I’m back.”
I knocked on the door and called Lisa inside.
It was too heavy for me to open alone.
It wasn’t weakness—it was just a heavy door.
“Delicious.”
I patted my full stomach.
As Lartel said, there was plenty of beef today.
I thought it might be hard to eat with weak teeth, but it was so tender it melted on my tongue.
The duke being absent would make this place perfect.
Unfortunately, that was impossible.
‘I wish I were Lagrasha instead…’
I gazed blankly out the window.
Compared to the spiderweb-covered windows of the dirty orphanage I once saw, this was like the difference between theater and a phone screen.
The sky looked beautiful here, thanks to the surrounding luxurious decorations.
I might regret leaving this place later.
Who else gets to live this extravagantly?
Every day was life-threatening, so escape required intelligence.
And I was smart.
I’d escape first.
No one could stop me.
Gems are godlike, and I am invincible.
“Alright. Let’s do this.”
I stared at the red ruby embedded in the angel statue.
The gem’s sparkle captured my attention.
Even though it was an outside decoration, it didn’t seem to matter.
No need to hesitate.
I rushed and grabbed the angel’s ring.
The angel’s gaze seemed sulky, but it was inevitable.
Still, looking at it so intently softened my heart a little.
“For a statue…”
I tried to steel my resolve and turn away when suddenly—
Something extremely fast whizzed past.
“Huh…?”
Did I imagine it?
I turned again, trying to track it.
I looked everywhere, but it was gone.
Had I hallucinated it?
“I definitely saw something…”
Just as I tilted my head and tried to return to my room—
Ssshhh…
In the forested garden as darkness fell,
Four black shadows glided silently across the ground like spilled ink.
“……!”
I stifled a scream in shock.
Of course.
This was the story world.
Today was the day Selena would be killed by assassins.
I may have forgotten that this was a story.
Although I had complained about the duke’s mansion, it had been the most comfortable place for me, in both my past and current life.
That made me act like a child.
But now, it was time to face reality.
This was the story world, and I was just a six-year-old girl.
‘There’s nothing I can do…’
I couldn’t handle the assassins on my own.
“It… can’t be helped…”
