episode_0009

“It was really good.”

Empress Yeonhwa sighed.

It had been a day since she received the Silovin, and she felt regretful that she couldn’t reverse its disappeared effects.

At first, she didn’t even want to swallow the muddy-smelling mysterious medicine. It was disgusting.

Moreover, Sienna, who brought it as medicine, was her stepdaughter, who always played wicked pranks since she was young.

“I just took it to save Anais.”

She reluctantly took it, thinking she could sweet-talk and appease Sienna. With the determination to save her biological daughter, Anais, from an external threat.

But soon after, magic began.

“Sienna… Why did your hair suddenly turn white?”

“It’s silver hair.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration; the world became colorful. The dull office swayed like dancing as water filled the room.

Surprised, she tightly closed her eyes, and then something unexpected happened—her body started floating.

“Oh my, hold me…!”

“You’re sticking to the floor, so don’t worry.”

What did they feed her? She silently whimpered for a moment. A question arose in the Empress’s mind.

Am I feeling uncomfortable right now?

Upon reflection, not at all. Her body felt light, and her mind was clear.

While exclaiming “Wow,” she inadvertently started humming a captivating melody she had never heard before and hurriedly fetched a musical instrument.

From that moment on, a blissful time began—

There was a brief commotion in the middle, but the Empress easily resolved it and immersed herself in playing again.

She couldn’t possibly stop. She couldn’t explain it, but the tune looked mature in her eyes. She wished this moment would never end.

But that was just her wish.

“It ended too quickly, didn’t it…?”

Sienna, her knight, and the efficacy of the medicine they brought had all disappeared without a trace.

It was regrettable. Truly regrettable.

Empress Yeonhwa decided to savor the aftertaste, even if it was just a lingering feeling.

No, rather, she wanted to eat first.

Usually, I barely manage to swallow the food prepared in the traditional way of my homeland, but now it didn’t matter what kind of sweet dish it was. Scones, pudding, cake, and so on.

I wanted to see my husband after a long time. He was a cute man who dared to be called a prince in a country so small that it couldn’t be compared to my native land, Jin.

Despite having so much work to do, unfortunately, there was an annoying troublemaker.

“Mom, it’s not too late, please…!”

Anais, my daughter, had been pleading desperately for hours with a desperate voice. Even after Siena left, she continued to cling to the empress without giving up.

“Anais, stop.”

“Tell me that what you said about being dizzy from eating pickled fish was just a slip of the tongue. Honestly, Mom, it’s true that you were acting strange earlier. Suddenly not playing the instrument or laughing lightly. That’s not how you usually are…!”

Acting strange?

The empress thought that she shouldn’t speak politely and hardened her expression.

“What kind of person was I originally? If you know, tell me.”

“No, it’s just…”

“It seems like you want to say that the medicine is suspicious, but it’s definitely not true. I heard that Siena’s bodyguard ate several of those pills before bringing them to me. But he was perfectly fine.”

“Allan Maydoff? He’s a knight. An expert.”

“Do supreme experts have resistance to all kinds of medicine? That’s a strange thing to say.”

Anais finally found her voice.

If her daughter, who was cornered, wasn’t pitiful, it would be a lie.

But comforting her here could potentially be poison to her daughter. She didn’t know if she would end up causing more harm by hesitating to turn the tide of the fight she had already started.

Above all, compared to the mistake Anais made, it was a relatively gentle conclusion. According to the empress’s standards, it wouldn’t be strange for dozens of people to die.

“Just surrender, Anais.”

“Mom!”

Anais sat back in her place and rubbed her palms together, but the empress remained steadfast. It wasn’t just because she wanted to keep eating Silotine, but there were other reasons.

“This is the best option for her sake.”

After a while, the empress defeated her daughter and went to meet her husband with light steps.

The empress was made happy, and two more days passed. News came from the Minsch Palace where Princess Anais resided. Of course, from our perspective, it may be good news, but for the parties involved, it would be a tragedy.

“It is reported that Viscount Dryden, Viscount Soneun, and Marquis Ajax voluntarily went to the Imperial Guards and confessed to the crime of blasphemy. And Her Highness Princess Anais requested an audience with His Majesty the Emperor and requested their titles to be revoked.”

There was a report that three nobles belonging to that faction sacrificed themselves, carrying firearms.

They were not the biggest figures in the Britannian Empire’s economic sector, but they were heavyweight personnel. They couldn’t even compare to Bonneau, whom Sienna had dealt with yesterday.

“One leg has been cut off. That alone…”

Although she couldn’t match Princess Victoria, Princess Anais at least boasted a superior position compared to Sienna. However, her foundation was greatly damaged by this incident.

“I heard rumors have already spread to the Academy. Hell must be breaking loose right now.”

Sienna vowed to continue tormenting her younger sister in the future. Then she turned to me with a very satisfied expression.

“It’s all thanks to you, Alan. I acknowledge that.”

“Thank you. I’m glad I kept my promise.”

It was a statement meant for her to keep her promise as well.

The empress was made happy, and the reputation of Princess Anais was not dragged through the mud. It was not only satisfying Sienna’s vanity but also politically advantageous. She crushed her step-sister who was climbing up from below.

In return, I decided to receive 1 million talers and an extended vacation.

However… Will Sienna really keep her promise? I had doubts because she was the type to question her opponent. It was hard to guess what thoughts were going through her head as she lightly touched her chin and smiled. Fortunately, she seemed to be in a good mood, but she was the kind of woman who would do bad things even when she was happy.

“That’s right, Alan. I had promised you something.”

“Yes, that’s correct. You also said you would give it to me in person.”

“I will keep it, of course.”

Although the words were welcoming, Siena’s expression didn’t seem convinced. It felt like she was about to add conditions that were not previously discussed… Not because Siena had a dirty personality, but because it was human nature. How often does an employer cleanly give the agreed-upon bonus only in words? Of course, at that time, I wasn’t in a position to demand a written agreement from Siena.

The ominous premonition was accurate.

“I’ll give you both. In return…”

“……”

“The medicine I gave to the Empress. Can you tell me about Silocibin?”

Siena seemed impressed by the effects of the hallucinogenic mushrooms. It was only natural since she had witnessed the astonishing transformation of the Empress, who was withering away in the imperial palace. Moreover, my medicine didn’t even turn her into a cripple. Didn’t she say yesterday that she took a leisurely stroll with the Emperor and showed off her beauty?

“It wouldn’t hurt to just tell her.”

Anyway, even if I told her, she couldn’t commercialize the hallucinogenic mushrooms. To commercialize them, she would have to cultivate them on a large scale through artificial cultivation. However, with the ambiguous agricultural technology of this world, which was at a mediocre level in the 17th century, it was impossible. Cultivating mushrooms through artificial cultivation was a very complex task, and they didn’t just grow well if the cultivation site was well-maintained. I could do it because that was what I learned in college, but there was no need for that. I only needed to give it to the Empress.

Should I briefly explain and move on?

However, in the next moment, my careless thought was immediately overturned by Siena’s sudden remark.

“Oh, Alan. How about adding lemon when presenting Silocibin to the Empress next time?”

“Lemon? Are you serious?”

“Yeah. Maybe because it’s made from mushrooms, I felt a bit disgusted due to its texture and smell. Wouldn’t it be better if it’s consumed with lemon?”

The idea of combining lemon with Silocibin.

It could be nothing special, but I suddenly felt a chill.

“How does she know about Lemon Tech? How on earth?”

The effects of consuming hallucinogenic mushrooms from the Psilocybe genus began to manifest at least 30 minutes after ingestion. However, when soaked in lemon or lime juice and brewed into tea, the onset time could be shortened to within 10 minutes. This method not only improved the taste but also followed the mainland tradition of consumption.

Logically speaking, she wouldn’t know all that on her own. However, Siena was a person whose every idea led down the path of efficient wrongdoing. It was probably due to her talent that she came up with the idea of mixing opium with port wine because it tastes bitter, and covering the unpleasant texture of mushroom-based elixirs with lemon fragrance. Sharing knowledge with such a woman was forbidden.

It would be better to beat around the bush. I immediately started telling lies.

“…Your Majesty, I apologize, but I don’t know the details either. Even my discovery of psilocybin’s existence was a coincidence.”

“Really?”

“How could I lie? The truth is… When I was in my third year at the Academy, I went on a practical training mission and happened to encounter an elf named Silosin. He informed me about the existence and effects of the mushroom. I even took the name of the medicine from him.”

“You learned something from an elf? Our elves aren’t on good terms.”

“We became acquainted by chance. Besides, elves are a tribe known for their use of herbs and mushrooms for longevity. The elderly elves search for mushrooms with special properties to pass their free time. They may appear elegant, but they engage in secret and sinister practices.”

For something made up on the spot, it seemed plausible even to me. In the process, I insulted the elf, but I had no choice.

“Alright. If you say so, then it must be true.”

“I will personally prepare psilocybin for the Empress in the future. There are over 80 different species of mushrooms that resemble it, making it difficult for others to discern.”

“….”

Siena stared at me intently and eventually nodded her head.

I didn’t fully believe it. It seemed like a reasonable reaction after achieving significant success with my efforts. It could be seen as me being cautious to avoid being taken advantage of.

Indeed, Siena was not someone to be underestimated. I had to remain alert at all times.

Nevertheless, I had to accept what was given.

“Your Highness, please grant the promised reward and vacation.”

Now was the time for settlement.