A Genius Pharmacist Whom the Empress Is Obsessed With

3rd Episode. Where are we, and who are you?

After a week of nonstop travel, the carriage finally came to a stop.

“We’ve arrived!”

Perhaps tired of the long carriage journey, Ella eagerly jumped out before the attendant could say anything.

“The apothecary, please get out as well.”

Eden, who was looking out the window, sensed something odd, but got out of the carriage without showing any expression.

As soon as Eden stepped out, the voice of Director Estelon flew at him like lightning.

“No! Where on earth is this, my lord?”

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Director Estelon’s thick jaw was trembling.

“My lord! You definitely said that he was the royal physician before.”

“That’s correct.”

Compared to the bewildered director, Viscount Penniard’s voice was calm.

“But why did you bring me to this… prison-like castle?”

“That’s right! And furthermore, this isn’t even the capital.”

“There’s no rule that Princess Hwangnyeo must be in the capital.”

“…Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”

Instead of answering, the viscount touched his chin and turned his gaze. At the tip of it was his daughter, Ella. Ella was quietly gazing at the ground, pretending not to know, while firmly holding onto the hand of her maid.

“Director. There are many eyes watching, so it would be best if we go inside and talk. It’s also an opportunity to dispel any rumors.”

The viscount continued speaking while looking at Eden.

“Apothecary, don’t follow me. Please take care of my daughter. Let the maid guide you.”

“Yes, understood.”

When the viscount and the director left, Eden followed Ella and her maid.

The situation inside the palace was not much different.

Untidy and desolate gardens.

Wooden windows instead of glass panes.

Broken stone slabs scattered around, and a completely empty hall with no servants to be seen.

“It truly is abominable.”

The castle was fitting of a prison, as the viscount had put it.

The place where Eden followed Yumo was a small reception room on the second floor.

The reception room, too, was shrewdly lacking.

In the reception room that should have reached the pinnacle of splendor, there was only an old sofa, a small table, and an empty decoration shelf.

“I will bring some simple tea and snacks. Please take care of the young lady in the meantime.”

As Yumo left the room, Ella casually took off her hat and let out a short sigh. It was as if she had returned home after a long time.

“Shall I help you?”

“Hmm? It’s fine. I can do it alone. I have to do everything by myself here.”

When Eden tried to receive the hat, Ella shook her head.

“Really?”

“Yes. The Countess is very sensitive.”

After Ella finished arranging her hat, cloak, and outerwear, she buried herself in the worn-out sofa that was shedding its stuffing.

“Eden, sit here too. It’s tiring to stand.”

Ella tapped the seat next to her on the sofa with her palm.

“You used to come to this palace often, didn’t you?”

Eden asked as he sat down on the sofa.

“Yes. I have Ruedimine unni here.”

“Ruedimine unni?”

Eden quickly reviewed his memory. But Ruedimine was a name he had never heard before.

“Yes. She’s a very beautiful unni, but she’s sick a lot. She used to play with me and Ella before, but now she just lies in bed and sleeps.”

Ella’s large pupils shrank. From her apparent sadness, it seemed that Ella and this unni named Ruedimine were really close.

“That unni will get better soon.”

“Will she…?”

Ella pouted her lips and looked away. While she was doing so, her feet continued to pat against the ground as if she had been lost in thought.

“Oh!”

After a long silence, Ella clapped her hands together and spoke.

“Just like how I fixed my ankle, Eden can also fix that unni!”

“What power do I have? It’s not me, but Director Estelon who will definitely fix unni.”

Upon Eden’s words, Ella tilted her head.

“No, that man won’t be able to fix unni.”

“Why…?”

“That old man couldn’t fix it either. Even though Father doesn’t say anything, he must know.”

Ella jumped off the sofa and grabbed Idun’s hand, pulling him.

“So, Idun has to fix it. If we go together, Father won’t get angry.”

“…Are you saying we should go to your sister right now?”

“Yeah! If Idun holds my sister’s hand, she will be able to fix it.”

It seemed like she was talking about a diagnosis.

“But how can I dare to see her? If even the high-ranking people know.”

“Oh come on! Don’t worry! By now, the Countess must be talking to our father. So you just have to hold hands with my sister secretly and come out!”

“Do I really have to go?”

“Yeah! It’s an order!”

Ella said cheerfully, raising both hands to her waist.

“Alright. Let’s go once.”

Although he tried to hide it, Idun was also curious.

When they arrived at the rustic grey castle, Idun thought that the Marquis had the audacity to impersonate the royal family.

However, no matter how many times he thought about it, the seal of the royal family handed out by the Penniard Marquis was definitely genuine. Idun’s judgment couldn’t be wrong since he had seen it before when Adrian had it.

“If that’s the case, it means there is someone in this castle who will present the royal family’s seal….”

No matter how you looked at it, this castle was not a place where someone received the favor of the royal family.

Whether Ella knew about Idun’s thoughts or not, she walked eagerly with her small feet.

“Here. Here.”

As Idun went up to the third floor, Ella led him to a large deep brown door.

“From now on, we have to be really quiet.”

Ella placed her index finger on her small lips and whispered.

“Because my sister is in a lot of pain….”

As Idun nodded, Ella used her whole body to push the door. Idun, who had been watching quietly, also raised his hand and exerted strength.

Swoosh.

As the door swung open, a gust of wind blew in.

“Disgusting.”

Idun frowned at the foul stench brought by the wind. Although it had been more than five years since he started working as a pharmacist, he had never encountered such a bitter and noxious smell before.

“What in the world is this smell….”

As Idun hesitated, someone grabbed his sleeve. When he turned his head, Ella was looking at him with wide eyes. It was an expression that seemed to ask what he was doing, not going inside.

“…Is Ella okay with this smell?”

Idun entered the room with Ella.

The room had only one lonely bed.

“Sister…”

Ella escaped from Idun’s grasp and dashed away with quick steps.

However, Idun could not easily move her feet.

Inside the room…

The sight that unfolded was unbelievably chaotic.

“This woman. It’s not just an ordinary illness!”

Countless red threads were scattered around the bed.

But that was not all.

In the midst of the tangled red threads, like thousands of flies, there was a very small yellow light buzzing painfully.

As if begging for help.

***

Clank. Clank.

The sound of a mortar echoed steadily.

Idun was in the process of preparing the medicine prescribed by Director Estelon. It was a very ordinary and common medicine to wake someone up from a comatose state.

“…This won’t be of any use.”

Without hesitation, Idun started changing the ingredients.

Although there were some objections and complaints, it seemed that Director Estelon had decided to accept the position of the princess’s personal physician.

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It was something that could be easily anticipated.

Even though the director had a red-faced expression, it would be difficult for him to disobey the orders of the noble Marquis. And if the Marquis presented a rotten bait, the one who wouldn’t recognize it and would just wholeheartedly swallow it would be the director himself.

Idun, who was in the middle of preparing the medicine, stopped.

“But Director clearly said the princess is a bastard.”

According to Idun’s thoughts, that princess was definitely not a bastard. There was no reason for the emperor to protect someone who could be a threat to the imperial family.

“Well, it’s not my place to interfere with who that woman is.”

Idun picked up the mortar once again.

What was important now was that as a physician, Idun had a patient he had never seen before, and that patient’s life was not going to last much longer.

The pitiful flickering yellow light among the red threads.

The moment Idun saw that light, he instinctively knew, having dealt with the essence of life consistently.

That’s the remaining vitality of that woman.

In case that small light happens to go out.

Iden hastily held the woman’s hand and shared his vitality with her.

But that alone was not enough.

Iden sharing his vitality was only a temporary solution. Even at this moment, the patient’s vitality was being depleted without rest.

“What on earth did I do? The patient’s energy was so tangled up.”

Illness.

Poison.

Curse.

Magic.

All of these were entangled in the patient’s body.

“If it’s an illness or poison, I can easily deal with it. But how do I handle curses or magic?”

If I had known, I should have learned magic as well.

Iden’s head started to ache slightly.

***

“Miss, you seem to be in a good mood today.”

The nurse said while organizing the toys.

Ella, who was always down when she came to the palace where Princess Ludimine was asleep, was different today. She ate her meals and snacks well, which was unusual.

“Yeah. Sister seemed happy today.”

Ella answered while munching on a cookie.

“Princess seemed happy?”

“Yeah. Just a little, but she seemed happy.”

The nurse couldn’t understand Ella’s words.

Princess who had been in a comatose state for over six months, always lying in the same expression and posture.

“That’s fortunate.”

Still, the nurse didn’t want to ruin Ella’s mood, so she casually played along. There was no need to take the young Ella’s words seriously yet.

“But I don’t like that director.”

“Are you talking about Director Estelon?”

“Yeah. Iden is much better than that director.”

Ella quickly licked the cookie crumbs off her hand. It was a childish act, but one that should not be done by a noble.

The nanny quickly got up from her seat and approached Ella. She took out a handkerchief and wiped Ella’s hand clean.

“Does miss really like that apothecary so much?”

“Yeah, I really like it. I like it when Eden touches me, and I like the medicine Eden makes.”

What on earth about that apothecary has entranced miss?

The nanny recalled Eden, whom she had seen so far.

Jet-black hair and always a sleepy look in her black eyes.

An elegance that can be felt in every move, despite not receiving any special education.

Although she looked quite beautiful at first glance…

Always wearing white gloves and a white shirt, to the point that it could be considered obsessive-compulsive.

Hard-working, but occasionally lazy.

Affectionate, but never revealing any personal stories about her hometown or friends, and even occasionally giving a sharp look to the headmistress and the marquis.

Eden was someone who could not be understood in many ways.

However, the nanny admitted that she was undoubtedly skilled in one aspect.

“Madam, your lower abdomen doesn’t seem to be feeling well. Shall I take a look?”

The nanny had noticed that she was in pain every time she walked for a long time, even though she hadn’t said a word about it.

“Anyway, I’ll go to bed now. I have to play with my sister when she wakes up.”

While the nanny was lost in thought, Ella climbed onto the bed on her own.

“I wonder if that apothecary can really wake up Princess Hwangnyeo.”

The nanny felt her heart ache a little at Ella’s unquestioning attitude towards Eden.