🔊 TTS Settings
~Chapter 11~
“……”
Damn, right. He was this kind of man.
The fine hairs on the back of Shariette’s neck stood up, and a chill ran down her spine.
‘If I slip up, it’s the dismembered body display on the city walls…’
She could picture it clearly—her head and limbs dangling from the walls, neatly separated, with a sign reading: Argen’s Rat. The Traitor’s Fate.
‘Absolutely, positively—do not get found out.’
Before he ever caught on while they were together, she had to find a way to break this damn curse.
Then she’d run.
Shariette made up her mind.
From today on, her specialty was clearing karmic debts!
From the far eastern edge of the kingdom, Willow Hill, to the capital Caldeon, even in the Rubellot carriage lavishly lined with magic stones, took five days.
Five days—plenty of time for the people under the young Duke Rubellot to size up the new personal physician.
Day One.
“…So, we notified the building’s owner and paid compensation. Are you sure that’s enough? If there’s anything else you need or want to ask…”
“No. Thank you, Mr. Luke.”
Shariette replied casually, fiddling with her box.
Luke rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Just half a day ago, she had almost burned to death along with her home, and now everything but that box had turned to ash—her life there included.
‘Why is she acting like it’s someone else’s problem?’
Noticing his look, Shariette added,
“I was going to leave anyway. This just made it a few hours earlier.”
The past didn’t need to be looked back on. If there was work to do, she’d do it.
Then move on to the next thing, and the next—
Like opening the herb box, taking out ingredients, preparing them, and making medicine in proper order.
The cut-off roots, branches, and filtered-out dregs from the process were just thrown away.
Reason, logic, intellect, and objectivity were an apothecary’s qualities—and her pride.
“…Right.”
Luke gave up trying to keep up with that unreachable way of thinking.
“If you list the lost documents or books, we’ll replace them. And if it’s something the market can’t provide—”
“It’s fine.”
Shariette tapped her temple with a finger.
The gesture carried real confidence.
“They’re all here.”
That night, while making camp—
“That’s not poisonous, but if you put that much in, it’ll give you a stomachache.”
“Ah! Apothecary, ma’am?!”
A servant preparing the meal clutched his chest in fright at the sudden appearance of a pale head behind him.
The soot-covered woman from before had returned spotless and changed clothes—beautiful enough to put most nobles to shame.
She was almost hard to look in the eye.
“Uh, this is common camp food—easy to get, very nutritious…” the servant explained nervously.
Shariette blinked, then chose proof over persuasion.
Persuasion required trust, but proof only needed facts.
“‘Gertu root. Gertu grows mainly in the eastern highland forests. White roots, when boiled, relieve fatigue and stress. Warning: overconsumption can cause stomachache and dizziness…’”
“Whoa…”
The rumor that she was a walking plant encyclopedia spread quickly.
People began testing her like she was some fascinating magical artifact.
“Apothecary, what about this?”
“‘Kalkasa leaf. Grows in shady, damp soil, about thirteen inches long… excellent anti-inflammatory effect…’”
“Check this one too!”
“‘Pinoberry fruit. The pinoberry tree thrives in cool climates, fruits in… long shelf life, used as winter food in northern Eilard…’”
Surrounded by people, Shariette had become a talking encyclopedia. Noxian, watching, asked dryly,
“What kind of parrot act is this?”
“Well, isn’t it good she’s getting along so quickly? She’s quite interesting, actu—oof!”
Josef, smiling brightly, got a kick for his trouble.
“What? I didn’t even say anything bad!”
Not bad, maybe—but just speaking without restraint annoyed Noxian enough.
Day Two.
They encountered a bear on the forest path.
“An Ironclad Bear! Non-aura users, fall back and focus on defense!”
It was a mutant monster that deflected almost all physical attacks.
The knights handled it like pros—until another burst from the rear.
“Shariette!”
Noxian slashed out with sword energy, but before it could land, the massive bear crashed to the ground.
“…!”
Everyone turned toward the woman still holding one arm high.
And in her hand—
“A spray bottle?”
“The kind you water plants with?”
While the knights murmured, Noxian vaulted over the monster’s body to reach her.
“No injuries?”
Shariette shook her head.
She looked a bit startled, but had no wounds.
“I’ve walked through the Shadow Forest. This is nothing.”
“Good. But that spray bottle—it’s the same as the one you used on me, isn’t it?”
“….”
Too damn quick.
She lowered her hand to hide it, but he had already seen the label:
—Anesthetic: For Large Predators Only—
Unbelievable.
“You sprayed me with something that can drop a predator-type monster?”
‘Ack!!’
Hiss! Spray! Spray spray spray!
‘Wait—’
Spraysprayspray! Hissss!
That merciless barrage without a word came back to him.
Shariette waved a hand dismissively.
“I didn’t kill you—just… put you to sleep. The effect is just very fast.”
To prove she was fine, she kicked the unconscious bear—no, monster—with her foot.
“See? Totally—”
It didn’t budge.
Shariette shrugged innocently.
“Sleep anesthesia is still sleep.”
What kind of logic was that? Noxian pressed his forehead.
The watching knights exchanged glances.
‘So this pale lady can drop an Ironclad Bear… and Noxian too?’
‘No wonder she talks to him so casually…’
‘She is a physician, right? Not an assassin?’
Day Three.
“Huh? Didn’t you hurt your arm yesterday?”
A knight who checked his arm went wide-eyed.
“It’s healed? That ointment the apothecary gave me must be amazing!”
“No way—you got clawed by a monster and healed with one application?”
“I want some too!”
“Me too!”
“Apothecary, I’ve got my shoulder, elbow, fingers…”
“This is a secret, but… do you have seasickness medicine?”
Suddenly, the carriage became a traveling pharmacy. Shariette smoothly began doing business.
“Form a line over here!”
“Don’t push, you weakling!”
“That scratch? You’re kidding, right?”
From head to toe came exaggerated complaints—not because they were truly in pain, but out of curiosity about the woman their lord had brought himself… and maybe to talk to the unfamiliar beauty.
“Apply twice a day. Next.”
“Take this twice daily before meals. Next.”
“Faking it.”
“You’re anemic, not motion sick. Take this once a day for a month, then come back.”
Her thirty-second diagnoses were scarily accurate. Impressed, people began offering her little things.
“Sir Josef said you like shiny stuff—would you take this?”
“…!”
Her cool face lit up.
So that’s the trick—drop a bear with a spray bottle, and you win her with sparkles.
After the rush, Noxian approached.
“Everyone’s curious. You worked hard.”
“It wasn’t free.”
She proudly showed him her pouch.
Gold-trimmed pins, gem-set cufflinks, cubic charms pulled from tassels—each glittering in the light—
“Trash? You collect this?”
“….”
What an ass.
She snatched the pouch back. The jerk leaned on his chin and smirked.
For a second, she froze.
The sunlight reflected in his eyes shone brilliantly, like jewels from her dreams.
For a moment, what she held really did feel like trash.
Take it back—he wasn’t unlucky.
He overflowed with too much luck.
Two more days on the road, and the carriage entered the Rubellot ducal estate.
Led straight to the reception room, Shariette finally understood his “trash” comment.
Everything sparkled so much it was dizzying.
Even the people before her glittered!
