TDSWM Chapter 26

Chapter  26

“Isn’t this… a plant from the Demon Realm?”

“Ah…”

So that’s why they weren’t using these herbs in cooking.

But still, we couldn’t keep eating food that reeked like that.

“If I eat this, will I be punished?”

“No, not at all.”

“Is it poisonous?”

“They’re not particularly poisonous plants.”

“I see.”

The corners of my lips naturally lifted.

Good, good. I’ve found ingredients that can make food delicious.

It’s such a loss to avoid using ingredients just because of prejudice, when they can enhance the flavor.

“Oh, and about Theo. The reason the palace manages his food separately—was it because there was an assassination attempt using poison in the past?”

I asked casually, hiding my face behind my teacup as I observed the two.

On my thigh, Schumann’s fingers tapped lightly on my trousers like he was playing a rhythm, while Court Lady Ellie straightened her back with a troubled expression.

That reaction meant the truth was hard to say out loud.

But their expressions and gestures told me everything—there had been an assassination attempt. Typical of those cruel imperial faction dogs.

Well, I wasn’t trying to bring up the past poisoning anyway.

I set my teacup down on the table and spoke offhandedly.

“I don’t believe in the idea that taking poison builds resistance.”

“…?”

“Once poison enters the body, our organs inevitably take damage.”

“….”

A strange light flickered in Schumann’s eyes. Ellie leaned forward, waiting for me to continue.

“I suspect Theo’s liver or kidney function may have declined. Usually, when someone suffers from poisoning, it’s the liver and kidneys—the organs that detoxify—that fail first. Maybe that’s why he’s become such a picky eater.”

“That’s certainly a valid point.”

“According to the laundry maid’s record, he often wets himself in his sleep.”

This time, Healer Schumann replied.

“Yes, his kidneys are a little weak.”

“That’s why I want to adjust his diet to support those areas. Also, I was curious why, with your skills, you haven’t been able to restore him.”

“Ah… Forgive me, Your Grace. I hadn’t thought as deeply as you have.”

“Your work is healing, not perfect restoration, isn’t it?”

At that, Schumann bit his lower lip, pride slightly wounded.

“Oh, now, I didn’t mean to insult you. I just want to discuss Theo’s health issues together.”

“No, not at all. I’ll work harder. Honestly, I should’ve paid more attention to such details. Thank you for giving me a new challenge.”

Why’s he taking it so seriously?

Could it be that Theodore had indeed been poisoned before… and maybe even lost some sense of taste?

So many questions sprang to mind.

No, first things first—I should make him some delicious food.

Children always eat well when it tastes good.

It was finally time to put to use the basics of food and nutrition I’d studied as my minor—after nearly ten years since graduation.

Of course, during my university days, I juggled cramming for the national teacher certification exam with pursuing culinary certifications in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Western cuisine. I barely slept, often surviving on triangle kimbap and instant noodles just to save meal time.

Even so, I barely scraped through with certifications in Korean and Western cuisine. As for Japanese, I only got as far as ramen and sushi preparation. Chinese? Just enough to throw together jjajangmyeon, sweet-and-sour pork, and chili shrimp.

But now—it was time for those half-forgotten certificates to shine.

Because this child would save the Empire, Alfred, and myself!

I didn’t know if it would work out…

There would surely be trial and error,

But it was time to get moving.

* * *

Inside the side-residence kitchen of Sios.

Bubble, bubble.

That was the sound of distilled water being made.

I’d instructed them to fill a 20-liter pot halfway with limewater.

There were no steamers here yet, so I placed a heat-resistant stone bowl—crafted with magic—upside down at the bottom of the pot, and set a round glass bowl on top of it.

“Here is the ice-magic stone, as you ordered.”

At my side, palace engineer Arden carefully placed a magic stone atop the pot lid. He was brought in by Sophia.

I’d explained that to make distilled water, you need hot and cold air to meet, causing condensation—like the droplets that form on a cold glass.

Now that we’d put the ice magic stone on the lid, the hot steam would condense on the cold surface, forming distilled water.

Naturally, the lime would remain at the bottom, and Theodore could drink clean water.

Beside Arden stood head chef Lucio, pouting with his lips stuck out.

It annoyed me, but what could I do? Until my demon underling Curtis finished developing a proper water purifier, I had to make do with Schlesien Castle’s staff.

For now, I had no choice but to appease them and rely on primitive methods.

Into the pot, I added not just water, but a generous handful of pink dianthus flowers. Dianthus is also known as seokjukhwa—“stone bamboo flower.”

There’s an old tale: A strong warrior once shot an arrow into a demon stone haunting a village. The arrow sank deep and couldn’t be removed, and from that stone bloomed a flower with joints like bamboo. People called it seokjuk—“stone bamboo.”

This flower is good for the kidneys.

On my morning walk, I’d discovered a whole patch of them. But I couldn’t just feed them to Theo because they looked similar—I confirmed with Schumann and Ellie that they weren’t toxic, and that their composition was similar to plants in our world.

Instead of bland distilled water, the pale pink infusion would look pretty and taste lightly bitter-sweet.

Back in university, I’d taken all sorts of “healthy” plants to the chemistry lab for analysis. So I was confident.

Drink lots, and grow healthy, my Theodore.

“How did you come up with this method?”

Arden asked, still staring at the pot rather than daring to look at me.

“The Owens family has a large trading fleet. I once heard this is how they produce drinking water when supplies run low on their ships.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Could you devise a way to scale this up—make a container that produces large amounts?”

“Without a doubt.”

“Excellent.”

At my praise, Arden bowed humbly.

Now Theodore would finally have sweet, healthy water to drink, instead of just wine made from fermented grapes. The palace staff too.

I couldn’t help but hum.

“Madam, I’ve brought what you requested.”

At the servant’s report, I ordered Sophia, Arden, and Lucio to follow.

“Good. Sophia, bring a few cups and some empty glasses. You two come along as well.”

I opened the kitchen’s rear window and stepped into the courtyard.

The servants rolled in a huge wooden beer vat.

“Greetings, Your Grace the Grand Duchess.”

“Well done.”

I quickly lifted the lid.

“You mustn’t, madam!”

Lucio’s face twisted in dismay.

Of course.

Beer vats were supposed to be stored in cool cellars—not dragged into the sun and opened. To him, I must’ve looked insane.

But I had to check.

Hissss.

A faint, prickling gas stung my nose. Carbon dioxide.

This was exactly the second source of fresh water I’d been looking for.

Judging by the fizz, the gas layer was about 30 cm thick.

“Haaah…”

Lucio sighed heavily, looking up at the sky, clearly displeased.

So brazen, showing his disdain like that.

“Lucio.”

“Yeeees, my lady.”

Cheeky, even mocking me.

“So, cleaning the kitchen the way I ordered has been such a burden? Wiping dishes with dry cloths gave you biceps, did it?”

“Eek!”

He quickly pursed his lips inward and bowed his big head to his chest, looking pitiful.

“How did you….”

Even here in the side-residence, I had my eyes and ears, thanks to Sophia. After all, many of the servants were orphans from Schlesien.

‘That should keep him diligent about hygiene.’

“Since you’ve worked so hard, I should at least give you a small reward.”

At that, his face lit up.

“Not monetary, though.”

His disappointment was obvious.

‘Honestly, so simple-minded.’

But Arden and Sophia’s eyes sparkled like stars in a midnight sky.

“The empty cup and the water glass.”

Sophia hurriedly presented them.

I dipped an empty cup into the frothing beer surface, then poured limewater from 25 cm above into another glass.

Then I dipped the water glass back into the beer and repeated the process a few times.

Soon, bubbles began to rise in the water.

“Ah….”

Arden gasped.

Too soon to be amazed, though.

Even Lucio and the servant leaned in with interest.

And sure enough, Sophia quickly copied me with two glasses.

At last, my cup was filled with sparkling, fizzy soda water. A layer of lime sediment settled at the bottom.

Carefully tilting the glass, I poured the clear soda water evenly into two cups, and handed them to Arden and Lucio.

“Why… this?”

Lucio asked nervously.

“Drink it.”

No sooner had I spoken than Arden downed it in one gulp. His eyes widened like lanterns.

“Whoo! That sharp kick!”

He smacked his lips, placing the cup down.

At that, Lucio quickly took his glass and gulped it down.

“Wow.”

Then he stared at me like he’d just discovered a new world.

Of course—sparkling bubbles popping on the tongue and tingling down the throat was a whole new experience.

“Madam, mine is ready too!”

Sophia cheered, about to sip hers.

“Sophia. Give that to the knights guarding us first.”

For a moment, her eyes looked as if she might cry. But maybe I imagined it.