21 – 21. Sienna
As soon as morning came, I headed to Thames Palace.
It was to report on the large-scale contract to the shareholder. Of course, there was no intention to raise toasts; it was merely a measure to manage risks.
“Welcome, Alan.”
Sienna happened to be having breakfast.
For an aristocrat, her diet was overly simple. Even though it was breakfast, it was just a bowl of oatmeal.
It was no better compared to the liquid diets given to patients. The bowl itself was imported from Jin Nation, and the table was made of marble.
Suddenly, Sienna didn’t seem like a typical person.
Decorating oneself, adorning a grand palace as a luxury item, and seeking pleasure elsewhere instead of indulging in the most exquisite and precious foods in the world. If only she had been a villainess who enjoyed extravagance, I might have been more at ease.
“Want to share a meal?”
“Thank you.”
“Sure.”
Soon, my portion of the food arrived. Seeing her suggest even sharing thoughts, it didn’t seem too bad. I sipped a few glasses with a dry demeanor before eventually raising the topic.
“They’re discussing the introduction of morphine at the military headquarters now.”
“It’s not just a discussion; it’s practically confirmed. How could the Minister of Military Affairs refuse the urging of Queen Victoria herself? They’ll soon be negotiating with the military procurement official about the supply conditions.”
“They want morphine for all division-level units, not just military hospitals, on that side. They plan to manufacture it in an easily handled ‘form’ rather than a powder. It won’t take long.”
The essence was ultimately passing morphine to the big shots and earning a hefty sum. And among that, half would go to you, Sienna.
“Sitting quietly, and you end up making a fortune.”
“Yes.”
“At that price, it’s more expensive than gold of the same weight…”
“Much more expensive. It’s only natural.”
After the reply, I observed Sienna’s expression.
Freshly washed face, soft silver hair loosely tied up, and there was even oatmeal smeared around her mouth.
Even if someone pointed out something stuck on her lips, if she felt embarrassed, she wouldn’t bother wiping it off. She would just give a nonchalant look like, “So what?”
She appeared cute based on looks alone, but Sienna’s nature wasn’t particularly cute. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to bother her much.
Nevertheless, it was crucial not to let one’s guard down, especially considering the opponent.
Sienna wasn’t a fool, so she probably wouldn’t blatantly embezzle military supplies. Flipping it around while my sister opened her purse for military welfare? It would just make Sienna look ridiculous. Not just a villainess, but a foolish one.
‘But indirectly causing trouble for my sister is entirely possible.’
For example, there would be a way to use the medical staff at the military hospital.
It wasn’t a particularly difficult task. Just stimulate the officers and nurses who handle 1,000-taler pharmaceuticals per gram.
If Siena hid her existence and worked, it was obvious that a human would activate their survival instincts and do something foolish. Since they were humans who witnessed the powerful efficacy of morphine right in front of their eyes, they would be even more vulnerable. If something went wrong, morphine could easily be leaked to the civilian population.
“Well, then I can just return the burden to Victoria.”
After all, my responsibility only goes as far as delivering morphine.
If there were any problems during the management process, Victoria, who actively advocated for the introduction of morphine, would inevitably face difficulties. She could also end up in a situation where she was busy chasing after accidents without any reward.
No matter how much I thought about it, did it have to be to that extent with my sister? But if it was Siena, anything was possible. After all, she didn’t even hesitate to send her own younger sister.
While I was thinking about various possibilities and feeling down.
“You did well, Alan.”
“Yes?”
“You did well. The results exceeded my expectations.”
Siena said while staring at me intently after finishing a simple meal. I didn’t expect to receive praise, so what’s going on?
“Alan, I know what you’re thinking right now, so there’s no need to doubt. I mean it.”
“……”
“Just disposing of the op*ium wouldn’t have fetched even three million talers when combined, but thanks to your magic, its value skyrocketed ridiculously. …And half of it is my share anyway, so is there any reason for you to dislike it?”
“If you think that way, then thank you.”
“It’s okay, don’t worry.”
Of course, it was also beneficial for Siena to sit back and quietly collect dividends of millions of talers each month. At first, reinvestment would be necessary, but before long, it would become Siena’s excellent cash cow.
“Are you really going to just sit back and do nothing?”
The moment when all the measures I prepared to put the villainess at ease became meaningless.
If it is indeed a matter of having corrected one’s thoughts, then it would be a grateful occurrence. However, Siena was not such a person.
**
From Noble mtl dot com
Doubts about Siena still lingered. Yet, it was not appropriate to forcefully pry into her inner thoughts, so I awkwardly proceeded with breakfast.
“As promised, you handle the business. However, I have a question to ask.”
After the meal, Siena instructed her maid to bring something.
To be precise, it was lemon juice.
If one were to drink it as a palate cleanser, it would surely cause great discomfort. I couldn’t understand the purpose behind it, so I simply observed, and a suspicion crossed my mind.
“Your Highness. Perhaps…”
“You’re right in your speculation.”
“….”
“Some time ago, when I returned from offering my respects to Silovin, I asked you about it. I suggested that adding lemon would improve the taste since it would be unpleasant to consume it as it is.”
“I remember.”
Even as I answered, unease began to rise. Could it be?
“At that time, Alan, you seemed unsure and gave vague answers. You even used the excuse of being an elf. At the time, I brushed it off without much thought… but upon reflection, there were some suspicious aspects. I wondered if my thoughtless words had hit the mark.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Siena then brought out Silovin as well. It wasn’t fresh mushrooms but rather finely ground powder obtained from well-dried ones.
She proceeded to mix the Silovin into the juice. At first glance, it appeared to be a strange beverage with powder mixed into lemon juice.
However, this was the essence of lemon.
By leaving it for about 20 minutes in this state, not only could the unpleasant taste be reduced, but the effects would also manifest much faster after consumption. It even alleviated the burden on the stomach.
One could consider this as merely a passing observation up until this point.
However, Siena seemed to have vaguely grasped even the principles through self-study.
“I asked the chef recently.”
“Are you talking about lemons?”
“Yeah. I heard that lemons are often used to remove fishy smells or tenderize meat. It seems like that characteristic of lemons somehow affects the efficacy of silicin… Am I right, Alan?”
“Yes.”
Siena’s face changed meaningfully at my response.
As if that wasn’t enough, in a small voice, she mumbled, “Limes or grapes should be effective too. I have a rough idea of how it works.” This statement… was also true. I didn’t know I could understand this much with just a few circumstances.
“Alan, can I give this to Amamama in this form?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, really? That’s helpful for me too. Although the efficacy changes, it doesn’t seem to have a negative impact on health. Amamama would like it too. She complained to me once about it smelling a bit strange because of the scent.”
“Do it that way. It doesn’t matter.”
She continued to respond calmly. Thinking that the happy Empress Yunghwa could spend a slightly more enjoyable time.
A static silence followed for a while… Now, little by little, I began to understand why she was acting like this.
“Alan, I’ll be honest. Victoria unni’s actions are annoying. Sure, we can take the money, but in return, unni gains intangible political assets. With this, I think the military’s public opinion has completely shifted to unni.”
“Probably. But why did you promise not to interfere?”
“Because you’ll stop whatever I do. You can do it.”
“How?”
“No need to pretend to be humble. I’ve had suspicions since the time of Silicin, but this military supply incident confirmed it. You… what should I call it? You seem to prefer the safe path. If I interfere with that, you’ll try to stop me somehow.”
“….”
“Was I wrong?”
He seems to be already convinced. It was meaningless to deny it.
“You’re not wrong. I just want to avoid any risks above a certain level. If what I did affected your feelings…”
“I’m not angry, so don’t worry, Alan. I’m actually glad that it proves the person beneath me is competent. …You’re someone who can manage me and even play with my sister, aren’t you?”
“You flatter me.”
The situation where I made a promise to not interfere with the business and was recognized for my abilities.
I should be happy, but I couldn’t laugh. It’s a situation where I’m not even enough to play with Sienna’s head, and it’s getting harder little by little. It seemed like she valued me, but I wondered if that was necessarily a happy thing.
Now, I even had to pay attention to the first princess, Victoria.
Among princesses who are so different in appearance and personality, I felt awkward having to run a business.
“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything you’re worried about.”
“…Thank you. Can we proceed with the contract as it is, then?”
“Of course. But there’s something I want to make clear.”
“What is it?”
Sienna slowly got up and approached me.
Her subsequent action was gently placing her hand on top of my head.
I didn’t feel any special sensation. It’s not like my head would wear out just because she touched it. As long as she kept her promise, I didn’t mind even if she petted me.
“You should use your talent for me, Alan.”
“Naturally.”
“Thank you. It’ll be more convenient for you too. I’m more competent than my sister.”
Victoria gave her consent, didn’t she? For no particular reason, I nodded my head.
Sienna, with a smirk, said, “You’ll acknowledge it in a few days too,” as if she thought I would react coldly.
I didn’t need to prove anything to him, so I just decided to let it be.
This was much better than having him show an interest in crime.