42 – 42. Request
On the third day since sending Anais to a good place.
Second Princess Sienna headed to the Grand Hall of the palace.
Usually, it was a space used as a common social place for the nobles. As soon as she arrived here, she could feel her changed position.
“I greet Second Princess.”
As soon as she appeared, there were about ten nobles approaching tentatively.
There wasn’t anyone pretending to be close. At most, they politely clasped their hands, giving off a somewhat groveling smile?
But even as they pretended not to care, they all lingered around Sienna.
“Step aside, please.”
“We were just passing by.”
“Passing. That’s all.”
They even had cute little disputes among themselves.
“Interesting. More than I thought.”
Sienna also understood what they were feeling. The nobles must have a rough idea of the process through which Anais was expelled.
No noble would ignore her, who had been thrust into the monastery by her own kin in the same lineage. Even if they couldn’t become friends, they probably didn’t want to be out of sight.
“Do you have something to say?”
“That is… Oh, my! Hurry and greet Her Excellency.”
Pressured by their parents, a few peers similar to Sienna tried to say something, but the results were not favorable.
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The plays, music, romantic novels, dresses, and accessories they talked about were not Sienna’s interests.
“Um, Your Excellency. What skincare products do you use? Your skin is so beautiful!”
“As the maids bring.”
As Sienna consistently replied in brief, tension gradually built up on the faces of the peers. Dealing with them was not entertaining.
“So, this is it.”
Sienna concluded her noble watching and left the grand hall.
In the first place, her real purpose in coming to the palace was not to observe the nobles’ faces but to meet the Empress.
To comfort her, who sent me to the monastery.
“If not me, then who?”
However, the empress didn’t seem to need any comfort.
“I’m sorry for unintentionally disturbing you, Siena.”
Instead, she sat leaning against the desk and offered an apology.
I wonder what she’s sorry for. When Siena chuckled, the empress let out a small laugh.
“Dorothy Chandler. You were trying to secure that old man’s family, right? You must have had your own plans, but they didn’t work out.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
It was true that Siena had tried to secure the Chandler family.
She hadn’t decided on the purpose, but she thought it would be useful somehow.
But when Siena made a move, the family had already disappeared. I thought it was my sister Victoria who had intervened, but now it seems it was the empress’s doing.
“It’s okay. I didn’t have a specific plan. I didn’t even try to harm Anais.”
“You acted on instinct.”
“Yes.”
Siena nodded boldly, and the empress smiled as if she understood.
Creating an awkward atmosphere is a normal situation.
But Siena didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, she found it enjoyable. Since the moment she joined forces with the empress to plot against Anais, she had let go of her shyness.
The empress, who was looking at Siena, gave a brief comment.
“Siena, even if you don’t ascend to the throne, your name will be remembered by future generations.”
“That might be possible. Half of it belongs to Alan’s efforts.”
“That friend of yours will also go down in history with you.”
It was unclear whether it was a warning or a jest.
Originally, Siena had no intention of deciphering the Empress’s inner thoughts. She knew that the Empress’s demeanor was not ordinary. She acknowledged that the Empress was not a simple character that could be easily manipulated.
The important fact was that, despite knowing each other’s cunningness, they maintained a friendly relationship.
“I’ll work harder from now on. Mother.”
“I know.”
With the reply, the Empress extended her hand and gently touched Siena’s cheek.
For a woman, her fingers were unusually warm, but due to frequently handling musical instruments, they had a slightly rough texture as they caressed Siena’s chubby cheeks and jaw.
Siena’s expression temporarily stiffened. They had been friends for a few months, but giving in to someone touching her cheek felt different.
However, the surprise was short-lived.
Soon, Siena naturally reciprocated by brushing her face against the Empress’s hand.
If a ‘mother’ wanted to affectionately indulge her daughter, responding appropriately within certain bounds was a filial duty.
Of course, Siena was not someone who lived by filial duties, but she wanted to accommodate the Empress at least as much as possible.
It felt amusing to play around while knowing each other’s inner thoughts. Should it be described as a kind of theater? The fact that the Empress, who was gradually withering in the depths of the palace, had such aspects was something to be grateful for.
After playing for a while, Siena herself brewed a cup of lemon tea and handed it to the Empress.
“Alan is truly successful in cultivating Silovine. How is it going?”
Sharing such rare news, the Empress responded with great enthusiasm, nodding her head.
It was a moment of harmony overflowing between mother and daughter.
**
By any chance, do I have talent in dru*g manufacturing?
In front of me, as I observed the neatly arranged mushroom cultivation medium, words slipped out of my mouth unintentionally.
Mushroom cultivation medium made using fermentation agents I personally crafted, such as matsutake, top rice, millet, and gyungseokgo.
The installation site was a modest greenhouse within the grounds of the Thames Palace.
The mushrooms growing here were not healthy varieties like shiitake or enoki mushrooms, but rather hallucinogenic mushrooms of the Psilocybin family.
“I didn’t expect it to turn out this well.”
It wasn’t my first time doing this; I had experience from a past life.
I had helped my sophomore brother by creating sophisticated mushroom medium and teaching him how to graft. Only later did I realize it was hallucinogenic mushrooms. My brother, discovering the potential there, started scaling up from his second year.
But the environment here was different. Half of it had to be done by intuition.
While using the powers of magicians for the high-temperature sterilization and room temperature cooling needed for medium management, the rest was manual labor.
During breaks from performing surgery on the third princess, I had to find time to proceed with the work. It wasn’t solely focused on mushroom cultivation.
Considering, it was quite a remarkable outcome. The thriving Psilocybin was evidence of successful cultivation.
To be honest, considering the money spent, it was a rather impractical venture. It would probably be much more cost-effective to manufacture morphine during this time.
“After all, it wasn’t done for the money.”
The sole customer for these mushrooms was Empress Yeonhwa.
Once a seemingly insignificant presence, she was now the second-in-command with immense influence in the imperial court.
According to my experiences, she didn’t seem to have a thirst for power, but if needed, she was a woman who could dive into political affairs at any time.
Having secured a sufficient amount to immerse the empress completely in the sea of Psilocybin was a satisfying achievement. Figuring out how to handle the remaining quantity after offering it to the empress was a concern, but it was certainly better than having nothing.
“It’s probably best not to create a situation where I have to rely on the empress’s power.”
It would be great if it could be settled with insurance. Muttering to myself, I exited the greenhouse.
However, there was one guest waiting for me outside.
Golden blonde with blue eyes, a tall and beautiful lady. Despite her stunning appearance, she wore a plain olive-green combat uniform.
She held the rank of a lieutenant but commanded more respect than the Minister of Military Affairs. She was the first princess, Victoria.
“Your Highness, the First Princess.”
“It’s been a while, Sir Allen. You don’t seem surprised to see me here without any notice. Did you know I would come?”
“How could I dare? I am humbled to meet you in such a humble state.”
He never expected her to come all the way to the mushroom farm, of course.
“But I had a feeling I would see you soon.”
Victoria was a confident figure known as the Emperor’s eldest sister. It seemed that her strong sense of responsibility set her apart from her siblings.
Naturally, she had a unique perspective on the downfall of the Third Princess.
Moreover, all of these events unfolded without Victoria’s involvement, thanks to the collaboration between Sienna and the Empress.
It was only natural for her to feel displeased. Judging by her serious expression, she could sense that someone behind the scenes had orchestrated all these actions.
If she had something to say to me, I would gladly listen. It was a matter of courtesy to accommodate the requests of someone who had helped me break through the military supply blockade.
“Sir Allen… I know that you are the one who instructed Mrs. Chandler, the pitiful old woman, to ‘prove it by eating.’ The commander of the Imperial Guards subtly conveyed it to me through my outer chamber. It may be hard to believe, but I didn’t intentionally investigate it.”
“No, Your Highness. I believe your words.”
“Thank you.”
“I am aware that I violated the martial law, Your Highness. I will not justify it as an act of loyalty. Whatever you have to say…”
I tried to respond appropriately, but Victoria raised her hand to stop me.
“It’s fine. I didn’t come here to reprimand you.”
“Then…?”
“His Majesty has already publicly announced Dorothy Chandler as a mark of injury to the citizens of Zedo. Although there are doubts, it’s not the duty of an officer to question the Emperor’s decision. …I don’t hate you just because you opposed my sister.”
“……”
“Anais has only received a just punishment. That child’s mind is already… No, that’s not it.”
It was quite unexpected. I thought she would give a casual warning or something.
If she didn’t come to warn me, why did she come all the way here? Just to chat? Victoria wasn’t that kind of person.
“Surely, she must have another reason.”
This expectation was immediately confirmed.
“…Lord Allen. I actually have a favor to ask.”
A favor. Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled.
Victoria was the only one among the three princesses who could be considered sane. She even had a morality that far surpassed the culprit.
Can I fulfill a personal favor for someone like her? If it were a clandestine request, I could somehow manage it, but if it wasn’t, I had my doubts.
However, in a moment.
The words that came out of Victoria’s mouth went slightly beyond my expectations.
“Lord Allen. I want you to create a new medicine.”
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