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Chapter 028………………………………….
Before long, the storm-like flow of ether gradually subsided.
Rita suddenly opened her eyes without a trace of presence. Her green eyes turned toward Tinte.
“Is it done?”
Tinte nodded. Seeing that, Rita gestured for him to step back.
Rita carefully examined the ingredients. She frowned as if dissatisfied, her glasses barely resting on the bridge of her nose.
She picked up the ingredients and started throwing them into the cauldron. It looked almost like she was venting her frustration.
“Ugh, seriously. So annoying.”
…Was she really taking it out on them?
“……What an incredible sight.”
Cedric muttered.
In any case, the other three held their breath and watched Rita work.
A faint herbal scent drifted from the cauldron. Rita repeatedly added herbs and then scooped them out again, pouring water in and then draining it out.
Finally, she seemed to reach the end.
Rita leaned close to the cauldron, sniffed the aroma a few times, nodded, and ladled the medicine into a bowl.
Then she pointed at Tinte and said,
“You, go and feed him.”
“That patient cannot swallow anything.”
“That’s the old man’s problem. I diagnosed him and made the medicine. You handle the rest.”
Fair enough.
Tinte said no more. After thinking for a moment, he called a servant and had them bring a magic scroll provided by the temple. Then, as if shaking off even the slightest hesitation left in his fingertips, he quickly tore the scroll and dropped it into Rita’s medicine.
Magic activated immediately. The medicine floated through the air and was absorbed into the patient’s body.
“……”
And then, they witnessed a miracle.
As soon as the patient’s fingers twitched, a scream erupted beside me.
“Lucas!”
Tinte rushed frantically to the patient.
I watched his back as I removed my glasses and slipped them back into my pocket.
So the patient’s name was Lucas.
Perhaps because I had concentrated too intensely in a short time and used too much energy, I felt exhausted.
I was pressing my forehead when Cedric held something out to me.
“Wipe yourself.”
“What is it?”
“What do you think it is? A handkerchief.”
What? Why is he being so sharp?
I grumbled and took it. Only then did I realize my neck and forehead were soaked with sweat.
“Shouldn’t this be given to Lord Tinte instead?”
“That can be handled with Harun’s.”
Cedric replied casually.
Tinte was holding Lucas’s hand, tears streaming down his face.
Lucas still lay there as if dead and could not even get up, but there was one sign of life—one finger could move.
The emaciated man’s finger twitched once, then twice, moving again.
Tinte stared at it blankly. I stepped forward and turned Tinte toward me by the shoulder.
“Have you confirmed there’s improvement?”
“How… how did you do this?”
“I don’t think I should be explaining that right now.”
Lucas’s movement slowly ceased again.
“It’s a temporary measure. I wouldn’t even call it treatment. Proper treatment requires something else.”
“Something else—”
I raised my hand to stop Tinte.
“Did I pass the test?”
“……”
After a heavy silence, Tinte slowly nodded.
I had been waiting for that answer.
I suppressed the emotions welling up inside me. It wasn’t joy. It wasn’t even relief at the thought of being safe here.
I clenched my teeth, feeling as if I might throw everything up.
I had been holding it in, but I had reached my limit. I felt dizzy.
“Then from now on, I’ll treat him my way.”
“Rita.”
“That’s the only way he survives. And—”
I steadied my breathing, calming myself, then spoke again. I couldn’t stop my voice from trembling.
“You need to tell me properly what happened. Why that person ended up like that.”
Because that patient might have become like this due to nothing other than my potion.
I tasted blood from my bitten lip. The taste was nauseating.
I knew vomiting blood well.
Because while I was trapped in that shack, it was the thing I thought about most.
Hematemesis. And hematemesis caused by a potion.
I had to take another deep breath to calm myself.
There were many reasons for vomiting blood, but Lucas was not poisoned or simply ill.
No. If it was poison, then maybe it was poison.
Hematemesis caused by potions leaves traces.
Then could it really be my potion…?
I shook my head violently.
No. It couldn’t be. It must not be.
I stared at Tinte again and asked,
“Sir. What happened?”
Tinte clenched his teeth. His jaw was tense.
He seemed to be holding something back. He closed his eyes slowly, as if steadying his emotions.
When he opened them again, the earlier agitation had vanished, and he had regained composure.
“…I said before that I don’t trust potions.”
“That’s right.”
This time, he didn’t get angry. Whatever story he was about to tell was clearly what I wanted to hear.
Tinte stared at me for a moment, then suddenly turned away.
“Wait here.”
And in an instant, he left the room.
“…What’s that about?”
“Looks like he’s going to show us something.”
In the suddenly calmer room, Cedric replied with a faint smile.
Watching his relaxed demeanor, I gradually calmed down as well.
Cedric watched me steady my breathing, then carefully approached Lucas’s bed. His expression as he stared at the patient was filled with affection.
“Do you know him?”
“In a way. He used to play with me when I was young.”
“Oh my. Childhood friend?”
“Not exactly—there was a bit of an age gap.”
He let out a small laugh and turned back to me.
“So that’s why you were at Lord Tinte’s house. It makes sense if he’s a childhood acquaintance of His Grace the Grand Duke.”
Cedric looked at me as if he had seen something strange.
“What’s that look for?”
“You seem rather clueless.”
“I get that a lot.”
“Really…”
His gaze drifted away again. He exchanged a silent look with Harun.
I had often been told I was clueless by people I used to hang out with.
Usually Leonhardt said things like that to me. Thinking about it again just made me more irritated.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean anything by it—”
“It’s fine. I think I might be that way too.”
Before Cedric could say more, the door clicked open again.
Tinte returned, holding a basket.
Cedric looked at Tinte, then at Lucas, and left the room with Harun.
“Where are you going?”
“Please have a private conversation with Tinte. We’ll talk later.”
It was obvious they were deliberately leaving.
Tinte bowed deeply toward Cedric, then gestured to me.
Where he pointed was an old but well-made table and chair.
Tension and unease surged back into me. I forced it down and sat obediently.
Tinte placed the basket in front of me.
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
It better not be something strange.
To calm myself, I made some nonsense excuses in my head.
Even if he was a stubborn old man, he was serious—he wouldn’t do something like that.
…Of course, that thought didn’t help me calm down at all.
If I was going to take the hit anyway, I might as well get it over with quickly.
With a sigh, I carefully opened the basket. Several bottles glimmered as they reflected the sunlight.
“…This is.”
“Do you recognize them?”
“They’re potion bottles. And there are leftover potions too.”
Tinte picked one of them up. It was an empty bottle.
I flinched and stared at it closely.
