IAYA 37

chapter 37

A student nearly died from taking medicine?

Panic surged through me.

It was none other than Luru’s cry that snapped me back to reality.

“Yaoooong!”

Of course, to my ears, that cry sounded almost like a human voice.

‘What’s wrong? What happened?’

I wanted to respond to Luru, but the hand of the guard, gripping my arm and pulling me along, was faster.

“Ugh.”

A moan slipped out of me before I could stop it, and Luru’s deep blue eyes seemed to spark with fire.

‘How dare you… to the Queen…!’

Luru’s small body wriggled as if trying to return to its original form. Seeing that, I quickly shook my head.

“Don’t. Stay calm and wait.”

‘But…!’

“Luru, that’s an order.”

When I first brought Luru to my quarters, I had promised Teansis that I wouldn’t let Luru transform in front of others or harm anyone.

I had no intention of breaking that promise. But having a monster appear in my room was as serious as a student nearly dying.

I didn’t yet know the full situation, so I couldn’t recklessly let Luru transform.

Whether it was because Luru understood my thoughts or because I said it was an order, the small creature clenched its teeth and froze like a statue.

The guards looked at us strangely but didn’t seem overly concerned. To the casual observer, it probably looked like someone trying to restrain a cat following its owner.

So, I was dragged along by the guards somewhere.

The place we arrived at was the interrogation room in the basement of Kamar Academy.

I had only heard rumors of such a place, and now sitting in the interrogation chair, I felt tense. Maybe it was because of the torture tools scattered around.

Soon, an older Academy staff member entered. Just by looking at him, I could tell he held a high position.

With a stiff expression, he sat across from me and said,

“You’re the assistant pharmacist working in the dispensary, correct?”

“Yes.”

“I heard you haven’t been working here very long. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I didn’t see your profile anywhere. How much have you studied about medicine?”

“That… uh…”

I was at a loss for words.

Having a pharmacist’s license meant I was officially a pharmacist. But being an assistant didn’t mean I lacked knowledge. I had studied everything from which departments I had learned in to how narrowly I had passed the pharmacist exams.

None of that was included in my records. In other words, I had nothing noteworthy on my resume.

I had only studied independently while taking care of my mother, who had dementia. That was it.

Seeing that I couldn’t answer, the staff member glanced at me and said in a businesslike tone,

“I won’t force you to answer right now, but know this: the more you stay silent, the worse your position becomes.”

He was right. I couldn’t avoid answering forever. But there were too many secrets I couldn’t tell anyone.

I swallowed nervously and looked at the staff member before me.

There was only one thing I really wanted to know.

“May I ask just one question?”

He nodded obediently.

“Go ahead.”

“I heard on the way here that a student nearly died from medicine received at the dispensary. What does that mean?”

“Ah.”

The staff member merely made an uninterested acknowledgment and slid a document across the table.

“On the day of the festival, Lady Camilla visited the dispensary for indigestion.”

Indigestion?

It was such a simple illness that even if the medicine was taken incorrectly, it shouldn’t have threatened her life.

“According to Lady Camilla, she didn’t take the medicine that day because her stomach felt better. But the next night, after overeating, she took the medicine she had received from the dispensary late.”

“And then?”

“She nearly died. The doctor said if the maid had been a moment later in discovering her, her life would have been in danger.”

“What kind of medicine…?”

I couldn’t believe it. Medicine for indigestion couldn’t possibly make someone critically ill, no matter how incompatible the combination.

The staff member studied my shocked expression and said quietly,

“From our investigation, it was not ordinary medicine.”

“Not ordinary?”

“It was laced with a lethal poison.”

“W-what?”

Hearing “poison” shocked me, but the staff continued calmly.

“If you look at the documents I provided, you’ll see details about the poison Lady Camilla ingested.”

“Oh…”

I quickly scanned the document. It described a medicine called Frecklin.

Frecklin was a drug stocked even in the dispensary. Its components could be fatal if misused, but in certain situations, it could also save lives.

Because it was extremely dangerous, it was stored in the deepest part of the dispensary.

“Do you want to know more about this medicine?”

I nodded eagerly at the staff member’s question.

“Frecklin is kept in the dispensary, so I know of it. Are you saying Lady Camilla’s medicine contained Frecklin?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t make sense. No one would prescribe such a dangerous medicine for a student with simple indigestion. Could someone have mixed it in while Lady Camilla kept the medicine?”

A reasonable suspicion.

It was strange to blame the dispensary outright. Since she didn’t take the medicine immediately, something could have happened in the meantime.

“I thought the same and first investigated Lady Camilla’s surroundings. Anyone entering her quarters or nobles with grudges against her. But during the festival, everyone had alibis. Moreover, bringing Frecklin into the Academy isn’t easy.”

“That…”

It made sense. Bringing toxic Frecklin into Kamar Academy was difficult. Even if someone succeeded, they would need time to mix it into her medicine.

Since no suspects fit either scenario, the trail led to the dispensary.

As I paused to think, the staff member, eyes sharp, asked,

“I want to know your whereabouts on the day of the festival. I heard you were working with your mentor in the dispensary. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Wasn’t that a time when you were supposed to work alone?”

His question brought back vivid memories.

The previous night, I drank with Jer and vomited in front of Teansis, feeling so embarrassed that I skipped breakfast. Then, Petrin brought so much work that I missed lunch too.

“That day, I had so much work from my mentor that it just happened that way.”

“So you’re saying it was unusually busy that day?”

His repeated question seemed odd, but it wasn’t untrue, so I nodded obediently.

“Then who prescribed Lady Camilla’s medicine?”

“My senior, Petrin.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I kept moving in and out of the storeroom organizing medicines while my senior treated the sick students.”

I hadn’t eaten lunch that day. Because I was constantly moving to organize medicines, I remembered everything clearly. While I worked sweating, Petrin sat leisurely chatting with the students.

The staff member’s expression shifted slightly.

“That’s different from what I heard.”

“Excuse me?”

“According to your mentor, it was you who prescribed Lady Camilla’s medicine.”

“No. I was far too busy that day…”

“Well, we’ll see after speaking directly with her.”

The staff signaled a guard outside, and soon, a terrified Petrin entered the interrogation room.

“Senior?”

Petrin’s face was pale, and fear filled her eyes. There were no marks of torture, but the fear was palpable.

The staff quietly asked her,

“Again, who prescribed Lady Camilla’s medicine?”

Petrin immediately pointed at me with certainty.

“It was… her.”

“Senior…”

“She came with the alchemy professor’s backing and has no skill. She must have mistakenly added Frecklin that busy day!”

“What… are you saying?”

I really hadn’t treated the students that day—it was because of what Petrin had ordered. She knew this, so she couldn’t have said that without reason.

The staff member looked at me with a slightly darker expression.

“Do you have any proof that you didn’t prescribe her medicine?”

“No, I don’t.”

I had no decisive evidence. Someone may have seen me moving about the storeroom, but that didn’t prove I didn’t prescribe her medicine.

But the person involved would know. Between Petrin and me, one of us prescribed it.

“If you ask Lady Camilla herself…”

Before I could finish, the staff responded as if expecting my words.

“She testified that she received the medicine from you.”

“W-what?”

I couldn’t help but be shocked. Something felt off, like I had fallen into a trap.

“Investigating you revealed more than a few suspicious points. With no proper experience, working in the dispensary… you must have accidentally mixed Frecklin into her medicine during that busy day, right?”

“No. I really didn’t.”

True, I lacked knowledge compared to others, but I wouldn’t have made such a fatal mistake.

Yet, his expression didn’t change. I realized then: he had suspected me from the start.

He had concluded from what he first heard from Petrin and was now confirming by questioning me. Whatever I said, the outcome would be the same.

As I stiffened, the staff asked again,

“You knew Frecklin well. Did you deliberately target Lady Camilla?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Who ordered you?”

“I didn’t!”

It was infuriating.

Unlike me, the staff remained impassive, speaking only what he wanted.

“Lady Velia, your record only lists your name. What is your surname? Which family are you from?”

“….”

I couldn’t reveal the Perrington Barons. Doing so would risk too much, including my youth.

When I remained silent, he abruptly stood and grabbed a nearby torture tool.

Thwack!

He threw it onto the table and for the first time smiled faintly.

I couldn’t tell how it worked, but judging by the bloodstains, it was clearly a painful device.

“I forgot to mention,” he said, slowly unbuttoning his shirt sleeve.

“From now on, answer my questions truthfully. If you stay silent like before, you won’t know what might happen.”

I was terrified. I could guess he would use the device if I didn’t answer.

I clenched my hands on my lap.

“One last question. What is your surname?”

Outside, Laiseni sat at a table, enjoying tea elegantly. A butler approached and bowed.

“Miss, the task you ordered has been completed.”

Without even turning her gaze, Laiseni sipped her tea leisurely and replied,

“And Lady Camilla?”

“She ingested an extremely small amount of Frecklin, so she is fine. She even requested the Red Diamond she was promised.”

“Impatient as always. Tell the maid to deliver it on the way.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Laiseni drank her tea again, her innocent appearance belying the conversation.

As if confirming, she said,

“You made sure no one noticed, right? If the Akruse family detects my movements, it would be troublesome.”

“Don’t worry, Miss. Her mentor Petrin mistakenly prescribed a different ingredient. She will likely take the blame willingly, thinking she used Frecklin.”

“Hmm, interesting.”

Laiseni smiled deeply, enjoying the thought immensely.

The butler cautiously spoke.

“About Velia, the dispensary instructor… no matter how much we investigate, nothing comes up. It’s troubling.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t think she’s a high-ranking noble. Nobles of higher rank are too proud to bend like that.”

Laiseni recalled Velia handing her a wish-granting herb. She had also seemed too gentle and diligent to be a high noble.

Still, the butler hesitated.

“Just in case…”

“Enough.”

Laiseni set down her teacup, her expression now cold.

“I don’t want to hear from a butler who can’t even discern the true identity of the dispensary instructor.”

“…Sorry.”

The butler bowed quickly, but Laiseni remained stern. She was concerned she hadn’t fully uncovered Velia’s identity, but she couldn’t leave it be.

Teansis’ cold violet eyes at the ferry dock came to mind.

Teansis had never shown such emotion. Whatever his relationship with Velia, leaving them together was unsettling.

Call it a woman’s intuition.

“Whatever the dispensary instructor’s identity is, it doesn’t matter.”

She would never set foot in Kamar Academy again.

“I just need to make sure she can’t work there anymore.”

And keep her away from Teansis.